The Spark

I hadn’t realized I’d been staring until Autumn caught me. The corners of her lips turned up ever so slightly, and her head tilted to one side. I walked over, feeling good that she seemed to like me watching her.

“Sorry. That was my office. You must have friends in high places for The Dick to call and check on how things are going. I think that’s the third time the guy has called me in seven years, and this is the second call in twenty-four hours about your case.”

“Hmm…yeah, I guess so.”

“You said your father was a lawyer, right? Is that how you got my firm to take this case? He knows someone? We were closed to accepting any new pro bono cases this year.”

“Actually, it wasn’t through my dad. I sort of know someone at your firm.”

“Sort of know?”

She looked down. “I’m dating one of the attorneys.”

My stomach sank. She was involved with another man? Someone I knew? But if I thought that news was a kick in the gut, I had another thing coming when she dropped the next bomb.

“Which attorney?” I asked.

She winced through a forced smile. “I believe you call him The Dick.”

CHAPTER 5

* * *

Donovan

I sat at my desk with a business card between my fingers, turning it over and over, lost in thought. I didn’t even notice that Juliette had walked in until she planted her ass in one of my chairs.

“Tu en fais une tête,” she said.

“Nah. I’m not in the mood for a handjob. Thanks anyway.”

She laughed. “Why the long face, my friend?”

“Just thinking about a case.”

Juliette was originally from France, but we’d started as summer interns at the firm together, along with Trent and twelve others. The three of us had been the only ones hired that fall, and we’d been tight ever since. She and Trent spent a lot of time talking about their love lives, or lack of, usually—analyzing why their relationships never seemed to work out. I’d comment and give my opinions, but it wasn’t often that we scrutinized my dating life, because for the most part, I’d been relatively happy with how my non-relationships worked out. Today, though, I thought I could use a woman’s opinion…

“Let me ask you something—do you have a type?”

“In men?”

I nodded. “Either in looks or personality?”

“I do. I tend to be attracted to losers.”

I grinned. “No, really.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not joking. I’m attracted to the artsy type—painters, sculptors, writers—most of whom are unemployed half the time.”

“What attracts you to them?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I love that they wear their heart on their sleeves. Artist types tend to be in touch with their emotions and care about things I care about, like the environment and social justice. I find a man who’s passionate about things that don’t necessarily make him money very sexy.”

“What about physically?”

“You’ve met guys I’ve dated. They’re usually thin with a hippy kind of earthy look—sort of like you’re not quite sure if they might be homeless or not.” She looked me up and down. “Basically the opposite of you, pretty boy. But why are you asking me this?”

“I’m trying to figure out how a woman could date me and then a total asshole.”

She smirked. “Aren’t those the same thing?”

I wadded up a piece of paper from my desk and threw it at her.

She laughed and caught it. “What’s going on with you? Spill the beans, Decker.”

I sighed. “Do you remember me telling you about Autumn?”

“Sure. The woman you spent an entire celibate weekend with and fell for because she didn’t give it up and dumped you before you could dump her?”

I rolled my eyes. She sounded like Trent. “That’s not why I liked her. But whatever—I don’t have time to debate it. I still need to bill twelve more hours today, and there’s only six hours left. Anyway, I ran into her.”

“Oh, wow. How’d that go?”

I frowned. “She told me she hadn’t left me her number because she wasn’t looking for more than we had.”

“Ouch.”

I shook my head. “But our chemistry is still there.”

“Sounds like she’s just not into a relationship, then.”

“That’s the thing. She’s seeing someone now.”

“Maybe you caught her when she was going through something.”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Did you get her number anyway?”

I held up the business card still in my hand. “She’s the social worker on a pro bono case for a minor who was arrested. So she gave it to me for business, not exactly because she wants me to take her out.”

“Okay… I’m still lost on where we started this conversation. Is Autumn the woman who’s dating the asshole?”

I nodded.

“You met him? He was with her?”

“No, he wasn’t with her. But I’ve definitely met him.” I looked her straight in the eyes. “She’s dating Blake Dickson.”

Juliette’s eyes narrowed. “The Blake Dickson? Like, as in one of the partners whose vote you need to make partner?”