“I’ll be fine,” I told him unconvincingly. I wasn’t the kind of person to suffer from doubt and low self-esteem but even I wasn’t feeling particularly confident in my abilities today. I needed to get over my crap.
When the food arrived, I attacked it with gusto. Copious amounts of sex definitely built up an appetite. “Adam asked if you could take Lena with you to court this morning,” Rob announced just as I was swallowing a mouthful of egg.
I started coughing, banging on my chest with a fist. Rob pushed a glass of water across the table and watched me gulp it down with wry interest. “All good now?” he asked once I was breathing normally again.
“No need to do the Heimlich this time,” I assured him, wiping my mouth with a napkin. “Why would Adam want Marlena tagging along on my case? Doesn’t she have enough of her own stuff to do?”
Rob checked his phone again, not bothering to look at me when he responded. “We want Lena to have as much court time as possible. She can be your second chair.”
I balled up the napkin and threw it on the table. “I don’t need a second chair. It’s a small-time case. A simple DUI. I don’t need help.” I sounded petulant, but I didn’t care. I didn’t need Lena there with her bad vibes, particularly after being thrown out of her apartment only an hour and a half earlier.
Rob narrowed his eyes. “Your issues with Lena are becoming ridiculous. I thought you guys had gotten over whatever bullshit was going on between you. We’re not in elementary school, Wyatt. Grow up already.”
I drew myself upright. “Fuck off, man. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Marlena and I... we’re… it’s nothing. We’re nothing.”
Rob tapped at his phone screen. “Then I’ll tell Adam you’re fine to have Lena join you at court in thirty minutes.”
Thirty minutes? That’s all I had? That wasn’t enough time to prepare me to face her. I was adept at avoiding post-coital awkwardness. I had always been the king of fuck and duck.
It seemed I wouldn't be able to this time.
“Yeah, sure. Whatever,” I muttered, shoving the rest of my omelet into my mouth.
“Hey guys, how’s it going?” I looked up at the pretty dark-haired woman standing beside our table with a sardonic smile that made it look as if she were laughing at us.
“Hi Skylar,” I greeted, getting to my feet and kissing her lightly on the cheek. You know, like the Europeans do it. It made me feel all classy.
“No need for that nonsense.” Skylar Murphy made a face, waving me away. I knew Skylar through Adam and Meg. She was one of their closest friends, and as such, we moved in similar social circles in Southport. She had moved to town from Philly last year and was working as a web designer. Adam had hired her awhile back to revamp our website. I liked her shoot from the hip, no bullshit demeanor. She was nice to look at too, but it was important to never, ever tell her that. She’d bite your head off.
“What brings you out into daylight so early?” I asked, remembering that Skylar had made a point to set up all meetings around the website for the afternoon, stating “I don’t do mornings.”
“I’m meeting Meg next door to look at flowers or something. You know, wedding planning.” Skylar fidgeted slightly. I got the sense that she would rather be doing just about anything than wedding preparation. But she and Meg were best friends and unfortunately for Skylar that came with certain responsibilities.
“I offer my condolences,” I teased with a wink. Skylar rolled her eyes. She glanced at Rob, who was still staring at his phone and hadn’t so much as greeted her. My partner was really bad in the whole social niceties department. I kicked him under the table, and he startled, glancing up.
“Oh, hi, Skylar,” he said, looking flustered. His cheeks turned pink. What the hell was that about? If I wasn’t so far up my own ass, I’d have bugged him about it. Ribbed him mercilessly was more likely. But instead, I let it go.
“Do you have the stuff for your website? I was going to send you an email this week to remind you, but since I’m seeing you now—in person—I thought I’d ask,” Skylar rambled. I don’t think I’d ever heard the woman sound so strained.
Rob smiled, but it was almost painful. “No, I haven’t had a chance. But I’ll send it over to you this week.”
“Promise?” Was Skylar flirting with Rob? Did a woman like Skylar know how to flirt?
His smile was less forced this time. He pushed a hand through his hair and took his glasses off. I knew from years of experience that when Rob took the glasses off, he was feeling frisky. Because lord knows you wouldn’t know it otherwise. He wasn’t an easy guy to read under the best of circumstances. “Promise, Sky.”