Page 31 of Who’s Your Daddy (Dadcoms #1)

Lola

I glare at Cal’s retreating form until he disappears, willing him to trip and fall on his face.

But the man doesn’t even miss a step. Like he didn’t notice how pissed I am. Like he didn’t think it would drive me out of my mind wondering who the hell he is taking to dinner.

I say no one time and that’s it? He doesn’t even bat an eye as he moves on?

Hands fisted so tight my nails dig into my palms, I storm out of the conference room and go straight to Brian’s office.

“Who’s Cal taking to dinner tonight?” I demand as I cross the threshold.

“Is that what the ass was doing on my computer? Making dinner reservations?” Brian grumbles without looking up from the screen. “Every time he’s in here, he adjusts the setting on my mouse and never puts it back.”

Using Brian’s computer is disorienting, since it’s set up for a lefty. Even I’ve been known to change his mouse setting so it’s easier to use with my right hand.

“It takes two seconds to put it back, that’s not the point. ”

The point is that Cal apparently already has a backup date lined up. Like I am suddenly just one of many.

Sighing, he rests his forearms on his desk and finally meets my eye. He knows me well enough to know when I’m on a roll.“What is the point?”

I cross my arms and glare. “Who is Cal taking to dinner?”

“How the hell would I know?” He tosses his hands in the air and leans back, making the leather chair crack. “He goes out with a different girl every night. He can’t even recall the woman who birthed his child.”

The wind leaves my sails and my stomach crashes through the floor. He’s right. None of this is new information.

How the hell did I let Cal get me so twisted up in knots?

He goes and acts like a sweet human to his son for a few weeks and I simply forget who he was before Murphy showed up, but it’s not like Cal had a personality transplant. Eventually, he was going to go back to his old ways. Dammit.

As anger and irritation and hurt battle for the top spot inside me, I zero in on the sweat that’s formed on the mostly full drink on Brian’s desk.

One bead of moisture breaks free and rolls down the plastic, picking up speed until it collides with the coaster beneath it.

It was inevitable. Destined. Just like Cal will inevitably go out with another woman. Many nameless, faceless women.

This is exactly why that night was supposed to be just a night .

Cal was always going to move on. And I refuse to let myself get hurt.

“Lo.” The single word is a low rumble as Brian pushes to his feet and splays his hands on the top of his ultra-organized desk, his knuckles going white. “ Why are Cal’s dinner plans upsetting you ?”

Eyes narrowed, he glances over my head like he’s searching out Cal. Expecting him to pop in any second.

I choke back my emotions. This is work. I am a professional.

And Brian is a stickler for rules. The firm has always had a no-fraternization policy, so he wouldn’t be thrilled if he discovered that Cal and I hooked up.

On top of that, he’s always been protective of me. When I started working for him, I was only twenty-two, and from day one, he made sure the staff knew that anyone who messed with me, messed with him.

It dawns on me now that the sentiment still stands, and Cal is included in the anyone .

I shake my head. “It’s nothing. He told me to make a reservation and mentioned that the person he’s meeting with is difficult as hell to deal with. So I was hoping for some insight before I dive into that fight.”

Brian runs his tongue over his teeth, amber eyes hardening.

Shit.

“He called it a business meeting,” I toss out, evening out my tone.

Finally, his muscles relax and he drops back into his chair.

“Oh, that kind of dinner.” He smooths the front of his shirt.

“Probably Jerry Atshire. He’s a blowhard.

In his mind, it’s absurd for the wife in the Wooden case to be imputed to a full-time income.

Even though the assets are 50/50, he thinks the debt should be all Cal’s guys’ problem. ”

That eases the unwanted jealousy that’s bubbled up inside me. “That sounds like Jerry. Though if he were representing the husband, he’d be singing a different tune.”

“I despise attorneys like that.” Brian shakes his head.

“Me too.” My blood pressure levels out as I take a step back. “But you know me, I'm great at wrangling that guy.”

Brian’s eyes are on his computer again, but he gives me a hint of a smile. “Just one of the reasons we love you.”

“Right.” With one more backward step, I’m in the hallway. Then I’m striding to the conference room.

Amy is tapping away at her computer, but Cal is kicked back in a chair, his feet up on the large table, tossing his bright orange basketball up over and over. He doesn't even glance my way when I slip past him.

“I don’t understand legal research,” Amy whines. “Shouldn’t like…the judges know what they say and the rules they make?”

Although both were silent as I walked in, this seems to be a continuation of a conversation.

“Like why do we have to tell them about it?” She frowns at Cal, twirling a lock of her dark hair absently.

I lose all hope for mankind every time I remember that this woman is in law school. Good god.

But Cal, ever patient with her nonsense, shrugs, his focus still fixed on the ball he tosses up again. “There are thousands of judges in this country. They can’t be aware of every word every one of them has ever said. So we remind them.”

“It's too bad they can't just have a Snapchat or something to remind each other. It would save us time.”

“Maybe one day. But until then”—He drops his feet to the floor and straightens, finger tapping the notepad next to her—“legal research.”

“The. Worst,” she grumbles at her computer screen.

I take the seat farthest from her. Just in case her idiocy is contagious.

I’ve just pulled up the phone number for the restaurant when the walkie-talkie crackles. “I need someone to assemble the Crown Motion,” Sully says, his words choppy. “Amy, can you come in here?”

“Gross. I hate assembling things. It’s such a pain to keep the papers in order when there are so many of them. I swear it’s impossible to keep track of what’s Exhibit A and what’s D.” She pushes to her feet. “Cal, you should hire someone to do the assembling.”

I rub my temples, silently reminding myself that stabbing people is wrong. Plus, if I murder her, then I’ll be the one stuck assembling the motion.

Not that I won’t be going through it once she’s assembled it today. She wasn’t wrong about how difficult it is for her to arrange each document in the correct order.

Once she’s left the room, Cal beams at me. “Look how much better she’s getting.” He tosses the little ball and catches it easily. “She didn’t even insist that you do it.”

I have no words. So I turn away from him and dial Berns Steakhouse. Even as I make the reservation, I’m in disbelief. I can’t seriously be making arrangements for the man I slept with just a few days ago to go out with someone else.

When the person on the other end of the line asks whether Cal would like a table in a corner with lower lighting or one in full light with a view of the restaurant, I turn and relay the question woodenly, a lump in my throat.

“Huh.” He taps his fingers on the table, looking perfectly at ease while I feel anything but. “What would you pick?”

Anger floods through me like a violent wave. Is he joking? This motherfucker is asking for my advice about the date he’s planning for someone who isn’t me?

“Full light,” I grit through my teeth.

His stupidly plump lips tug down as he takes in my answer. “Huh, wouldn’t have thought that.”

“Looks like we’re both being shocked by the unexpected today,” I snap back.

In response, he breaks into a grin I want to smack off his face. The man needs to learn to read a room.

I relay the request to the hostess and give her Cal’s name. When the perky woman ends the call, I slam my cell to the table with a grunt.

“Careful, Lola,” the bane of my existence chirps. “If you break that, then how will the two of us talk?”

If only smashing my phone meant I wouldn’t have to speak to him. “That would be tragic,” I grouse.

“It really would.” With one more of those obnoxiously devastating smiles aimed my way, he turns back to his computer .

I pull up the Case Information Statement for the Winters file and have just begun adjusting the expenses per the client’s updates when my computer pings, notifying me of a new email.

Like Pavlov’s dog, I’m conditioned to click on the icon immediately.

To: Lola Caruso

From: Callahan Murphy

Subject: Business meeting

I’ve scheduled a business meetingfor 8:30 p.m. at Bern Steakhouse. Your presence is mandatory.

Cal

My heart skips as I take in the words. All that for dinner with me?

Ignoring the butterflies threatening to take flight in my belly, I glare across the table. “What is wrong with you?”