Page 237 of A Matter of Time

It took a minute for us to get ourselves under control.

“Holy shit,” she finally said with a sharp exhale. “The world is just a teeny little place.”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah, it is. C’mon, let’s go get some food.”

“I’ll get my bag,” she said, easing away, but as she turned, Adam barred her path. “Oh geez. Sorry. Could you move?”

“One of the partners at my firm is on his way over here, and you need to wait and meet him.”

“Like hell I do.” She scoffed like he was high.

“Jory.” Brandon grabbed my bicep tight. “Could you not try and completely embarrass me?”

“Shouldn’t have invited me if you didn’t wanna be embarrassed,” I told him. “You can’t take folks like me and Abe anywhere.”

Aubrey giggled, ending with a snort, which made me start laughing.

“Shit,” Brandon whined, glancing at Adam as Rick Jenner stepped in front of all of us.

I instantly understood that Brandon Rossi and Adam Meyers—I knew his last name because Brandon had introduced me when I arrived—worked at Riley, Jenner, Knox, and Pomeroy. They were petrified, and Rick wasn’t even looking at them. The twinkling green eyes were all for me.

“Hey.” I smiled at him.

“Hey,” he said, grinning back. “What brings you to a lawyer haunt, J?”

“I brought my friend Abe.”

He turned his attention to Aubrey Flanagan, and his smile widened. “Well, hello there, Abe.”

Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at him. “Hello back, um…”

“Richard Jenner, attorney-at-law,” he said fast, making his voice deep and serious.

“I hate lawyers.” She baited him, again arching that gorgeous copper-colored brow.

“Really.” He smiled, and it was wicked as he took her hand and drew it through his arm.

“Yes, really,” she breathed out as he eased her close to him.

“I can fix that.”

She made a hmmm noise like she wasn’t sure, and I saw his jaw clench.

“Call me Rick.”

“Okay,” she said, her eyes absorbing him—the thick black hair, the cleft chin, the laugh lines in the corners of his sparkling emerald eyes. “How do you know Jory, Rick?”

“He’s the little brother of one of my best friends in the world.”

Adam and Brandon went absolutely ashen, and I bit my lip so I wouldn’t smile.

“How do you know Jory, Abe?” he asked, vastly amused, just staring at her, riveted.

“We work together,” she said, her eyes meeting mine.

“That’s right,” I assured him.

“Well, you guys want to come with me and get some dinner?”