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I'd been shocked when he'd fallen so quickly for Lila. He'd changed once he fell in love with her. He was no longer the shark he used to be and that annoyed me. It used to be him and me bringing in most of the new clients, wooing them and making plans to get their business. Now it’s like he couldn't care less about money or being the top law firm in The City.
Chase, Parker and Spector still means everything to me and I’m still committed to bringing on clients that will show the world who we are. If I can get the top players from the New York Penguins to sign with the firm, I know other sports stars will follow.
"Well, I know if I didn't say it, you would." He grins at me, winks, and then looks over at Remi. "What's good?"
"Not much. You are not going to believe what Kingston just did."
Max's eyes snap back to me and all I can do is glare at both men.
"I don't think we need to discuss that anymore, Remi." Irritation pounds in my temple, coupled with embarrassment. I feel like an idiot, and also offended that Skye decided she needed to call me back to tell me just how disinterested in me she was. As if I hadn't been doing her a favor. I'd rather save her the stress of falling in love with me then realizing it was never going to happen.
Max turns toward me, his right brow arched as he gazes at me. "Whoa, what happened? You look pissed."
"Let's just say that you should never go to Remi for advice about anything." I grab my drink and sip. "Except for maybe the rules of evidence when it comes to?—"
"Hold on." Max holds up his hand as he looks at his phone. He's either getting a call or a text message, because his screen has lit up like it's Christmas and he’s just turned on all the lights. "I think Gabe just got here."
"Awesome," I say, genuinely excited to see our fourth partner. None of us have seen him in months. I look up and spot him strolling toward us with a cocky grin on his face. Gabe always has a smile on his face and a pep in his step. I notice the hot Latina from the bar staring at him in awe. He notices her and winks and I stifle a groan.
Gabe Lucas is like a candle and the women around him like moths. They cannot keep away from his dazzling flame. He looks like a male model in his dark suit and white shirt; his hair is a little bit longer, but still as dark as I remember; and his dark eyes seem to glow in his tan handsome face. He heads toward us with a leisurely gait to his stride and I shake my head. "Is Gabe still an attorney or did he take up the catwalks of Paris?" I joke as I stand up to greet him.
"Gabe, welcome back." Max steps forward and they hug.
"Hey, bro." He grins and looks over at me. I lean in and give him a hug.
"Looking as handsome as ever," I say, grinning.
"Not as handsome as you, old blue eyes." He grips the back of my neck before turning to Remington. "And you, Remington, brother. How's it going?"
"Not as good as you, I don't think." He grins and they give each other a hug, then we all just stare at each other. The crew is finally back together. It feels good. I love these men like my brothers. We have a lifelong bond. We’re like teammates on a sports team. We all want to be great, so we always come together to ensure we all succeed.
"We're back," Max says what we are all thinking. Even though we're in a packed bar, all time and movement seems to still. I look at each one of them and just take in their spirits and presence. These are good men. These are men I would trust with my life.
"So, Gabe," I say. "We've missed you. Are you here to stay or heading out again soon?" None of us really know where Gabe went and we haven't wanted to push for answers. He likes his privacy, and even though he’s confident and charismatic, he can also be very stoic about his feelings and what’s going on in his life. I’m much the same way, so I understand the desire to keep things to yourself.
"I'm here," he says, nodding. "I had some things I had to take care of and now I'm ready to get back to work." He smiles nonchalantly, like we aren’t all curious about where he was. "How have you bozos been? I hope profits are still up. I've got a new apartment to buy." He grins. "And a new bed to entertain the ladies in."
"Still a ladies man, I see." I point out the obvious and he runs his fingers through his dark hair.
"What can I say? The ladies love my silky hair and dark bedroom eyes."
We all groan at his words and sit down. There's a lightness in my shoulders as I relax back and just take in my environment. Some of my favorite moments in life have been had with these men. We laugh together, we support each other, and we strategize to be the best attorneys in New York. I'd been worried that everything would change when Max got together with Lila. I'd been worried that he would disappear. I’m grateful that he didn’t.
"You know profits are still up." Max leans back. "We've been speaking every other week and filling you in on all the work we've been doing."
"I know. So, Max, I hear congratulations are in order." Gabe chuckles. "You and your assistant are doing the dirty, huh? I'm taking it she's not as old as Ethel Wharton?" he teases. Ethel Wharton was the eighty-five year old grandma that had worked for Max for a few months before quitting.
"Well, she's more than my assistant now and she's nothing like Ethel. I can't wait for you to meet Lila. I think you'll really like her."
"Hopefully I don't like her too much. You don't want me to be Mr. Steal Your Girl."
"You won't be stealing Lila from me. Trust me, I have no worries about that. However, maybe you'll steal Skye from Kingston over there. Or maybe he wants you to steal her. I hear that relationship's about to blow up anyway."
"What are you talking about?" I frown as I stare at Max. Had he already heard about the call?
"I'm just saying that Skye doesn't seem to be too happy working for you."
"What? She loves me. We get along great." That's a bit of a lie, but it could be true.
