There was a picture of Griffin and Lorelai at some gala. Griffin’s lips curled into a slight smile as if the photo was something he tolerated, not enjoyed. His hair was longer then, slicked back with some kind of gel, his shoulders broad in his tux. Lorelai’s blonde hair was swept into an updo, diamonds hung from her earlobes, glittered along her collarbone, the shiny dress wrapped around her curves. One hand curled around Griffin’s elbow, the other his hip, leg visible through the high slit in the skirt. She was model-gorgeous.
I knew it was unfair, but I couldn’t help thinking she was probably the same kind of girl who bullied me in high school, preying on the weak and awkward, then grew up to screw others over, never thinking about the destruction they left behind. Or maybe I was jealous that she was the type of woman he was attracted to.
I closed my eyes against the memories. I didn’t know anything about this woman except she’d cheated on Griffin with his friend and business partner. That was all I needed to know. Griffin deserved better than that.
Chapter Four
Griffin
I stepped inside Avery’s office, noticing for the first time freshly painted walls, the words Arrington, Gannon, & Winters hung in gold script above the empty receptionist’s desk. I looked down at my feet, if I wasn’t mistaken it wasn’t the industrial carpet left over from the accounting firm who’d been the prior tenant.
“Mr. Locke, I’m so glad you could make it.”
I hadn’t heard her enter the room. My gaze moved from the carpet to her practical black pumps, her bare legs, to the black suit she wore buttoned over a silky-looking white button-down shirt. Her thick dark hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Her blue eyes flashed to mine as she licked her lips. She was nervous.
Was it my presence or was it the changes she’d made?
“Did you change the carpet?” I purposely let my gaze travel around the room, pausing at the firm’s sign. “And the paint?”
Wanting to see her reaction, I turned my attention to her.
She swallowed, shifting on her heels. “We did. We wanted to look professional. I know you said we needed your approval but—”
“Did you make any other changes?”
“We mounted shelves in the offices, but they can be removed, the holes patched.”
I was silent for a few seconds, a strategy I used to unsettle people. I wasn’t sure why I was doing it to her, other than, I’d always enjoyed hearing her fiery temper over the phone, and I was hoping to experience it in person.
She cocked her head, placing a hand on her hip. “You know, everything we did was an improvement. We couldn’t host clients how it was before.” Her eyes flashed, her cheeks flushed. “If you try to sue us for breach of contract, you won’t have any damages to prove. We took before and after photographs. Any judge would—”
“Of course you can paint the office to make it look professional.”
Her mouth dropped open as if she didn’t know what to make of my comment. “Why were you so difficult when I asked originally?”
“Honestly, I was pissed about the lease. I screwed up.”
She shook her head, dropping her shoulders. “I’m not a confrontational person, but you seem to bring it out in me.”
“Really?” I tucked that information away for later.
She shook her head, brushing past me in a dismissing gesture. “Let’s go to the conference room.”
Her fragrance, something flowery, tickled my nose. I wanted to reach out, to touch her wrist, to confirm her pulse was as erratic as mine, but I didn’t.
I needed to focus on closing out my brother’s estate, wrapping things up. If I wanted to move Declan to Florida, I could do it without any loose ends, the biggest of which was his mother, Erin. I didn’t know if she’d show up one day wanting to be involved, requesting visitation, upsetting the delicate balance I’d established with Declan.
Avery led me into the same conference room we’d convened in last week. A file was spread over the table with a legal pad and pen.
She gestured to the seat across from hers. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks for handling this for me. I had attorneys in California, but I don’t trust anyone from my old life.”
Avery’s gaze stuck and held on my face as if she wanted to ask more, but she didn’t. “You’re welcome. Did you bring the estate paperwork?”
“I did.”
She held her hand out to me. “I’ll make copies and be right back.”
“Don’t you have a receptionist who can do that?” I was curious why I hadn’t seen anyone answering the phones, making copies.
“No. We haven’t hired anyone yet.”
“That’s smart. Save money while you build the firm.”
“We can afford to hire someone, but there’s no rush. Not when we can do the work.”
“Eventually you’ll be too busy to deal with every phone call.” I remembered those days. Damon and I started out in my dorm room, then moved to a shared apartment. Back then everything was new and exciting, we were filled with hope that we could make a difference.
“I certainly hope so.” She turned, my paperwork gripped in her hands, my gaze followed her backside as she walked out the door.
She was an intriguing mix of shy and feisty. I liked it. She was amusing, but I wouldn’t let my mind wander to anything else. I’d dated Lorelai for years, proposing before I discovered her fucking my friend and partner. For some reason, her betrayal paled in comparison to his.
He’d been my friend since we were assigned to be roommates freshman year. When we were juniors some of the university’s research was stolen, the information held hostage by some ransomware company, probably offshore, untraceable. We were shocked when the university paid to get the research back.
That situation stuck in my brain. I discovered that hospitals, any business with valuable data, were at risk. With no expectation of ever getting the information back, the companies paid the ransom.
I wondered if I could come up with something that would prevent it from happening. I was a computer science major with a knack for developing programs. We worked for two years before one was ready, with ideas already forming to develop other software if the ransomware companies got past our firewalls. We offered it for free to big companies until one tried it, referred our name to other businesses, then we took off. I didn’t intend to sell the business until my partner, Damon, betrayed me.
I wanted nothing to do with it at that point. I couldn’t continue working with my former friend, especially while he was dating my ex-fiancée.
I stood, wanting to clear my mind. My gaze locked on the framed photographs hanging on the walls. There was a newspaper article about a New Orleans nonprofit, Kids Speak, and various photographs of a gala-type event. I scanned the article, pausing when it said Hadley Winters was the head of the organization, and her father, Aiden Winters, was the main investor. I’d just reached the part where Aiden Winters withdrew his support for the organization, when Avery returned.
“Here’s your copy.” Avery handed me the paperwork, her gaze caught on the framed newspaper clipping.