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After savoring the relief rushing over her previously tense muscles, Ari slumped in her chair and looked at Sloane.

As if sensing the weight of her gaze, Sloane spoke without looking at her. “He likes you, you know.”

“What?” Ari sco ed. “What the hell makes you say that?”

she asked instead of inquiring about what she really wanted to know: why do you care?

Sloane stopped typing and spun her chair towards her. Ari sat up and straightened her blouse.

“Homeboy legitimately fawns all over you,” she replied in a tone that made clear she thought Ari was the dumbest person alive.

Ari rolled her eyes. “It’s legit his job to mentor us.”

“And you think inviting you out is part of MLS’

mentoring plan?” Sloane leaned forward, resting her head on her palm as if sitting on the edge of her seat while awaiting her response.

You’re so dramatic.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a normal part of the practice of law.

Didn’t the lawyers in New York take you out when you were a summer associate? It builds camaraderie,” she continued without expecting an answer.

Sloane shrugged. “If that’s what you want to believe, go for it. But I guarantee his interest is more than professional.

If you want to be naive and think people you work with are your friends, who am I to burst your cotton candy bubble.”

Something unreadable flashed in her eyes. “Don’t come crying to me when you realize he’s using you for something he wants. That’s what people do to each other,” she added with unwarranted anger before she seemed to catch herself and relaxed her shoulders.

Ari was taken aback by her overreaction. There was no way she was still talking about a simple invitation to a drink with a supervisor after a first win in court. Ari didn’t know how to respond, so she brought it back to the point with the most obvious question. “Then why did he invite you and everybody else?”

“You mean after I called him out on it?” She laughed.

“Covering his tracks. Listen, I don’t care. I just don’t want

you to be surprised when he makes a move,” she paused as if looking at the situation anew, “but here I am making the assumption you’re not interested.”

Heat roared over Ari’s face. “Are you implying that I’m romantically attracted to . . . Ralph?” The notion was as o ensive as it was ridiculous.

“Considering you just sounded like a cat coughing up a hairball when you said his name, I guess not.” Sloane stifled a laugh. “You do you. If you go to this happy hour, that’s definitely a pretext to get you alone and under the influence.

I wouldn’t leave my beverage unattended.”

“Oh my God! How can you even say that?! That’s not funny.” Ari was horrified she’d make light of something so serious.

Sloane’s jaw tightened. “I wasn’t kidding. He really does give me the creeps, Arwyn. Just pay attention is all I’m saying,” she added before returning to her work.

Focusing for the couple of hours remaining in the day was nearly impossible. Between Sloane’s unnerving warnings about Ralph, who she had absolutely no interest in and who had never acted unprofessionally, and her accumulated sleep deprivation, time was crawling.

When Ari picked up and left for the day, Sloane was still working. She didn’t breathe another word about happy hour and neither did Ari, though she couldn’t stop thinking how strangely she reacted to such a normal part of their working environment.

Sloane’s interest didn’t appear malicious, and yet experience told her that Sloane only did things that benefited her. Maybe she was just jealous that she was getting more

recognition than her, or that she couldn’t charm people in this o ce like she’d fooled everybody in law school.

Shaking o the second-hand negativity Sloane dumped on her, Ari freshened up her makeup before starting out for the bar. She’d get there a few minutes early and snag some space outside. After all, she’d worked so hard. She deserved to let loose a little.

CHAPTER 18