Page 98 of Miss Understanding

“Because I’ve seen women throw themselves at Lucas. Guess I was having a moment.”

My admission earned me an arched brow. “A moment of jealousy?”

“Something like that. Sorry.” I moved toward the sink to get myself a glass of water.

She laughed. “I kind of like seeing you a bit jealous. Makes me feel better about getting annoyed when Tabitha looks at you like you’re an item on the McDonald’s dollar menu, and she’s got a hundred-dollar bill to spend.”

I nearly choked on the water I’d just sipped. “That’s, uh, quite vivid,” I chuckled.

She shrugged. “It’s true.”

“Now who’s jealous? I hope you realize there’s never been a moment I’ve ever considered dating Tabitha.”

Her brow quirked. “Really? But you both have a lot in common.”

“We’re both lawyers. But that’s about the extent of what we have in common.” Being ambitious was probably something else we had in common, but it bothered me to think we were similar.

“I guess I thought you enjoyed talking to her given the frequency with which she comes around to your office.”

“We always talk about business. And it’s a chore.” Glancing over to her laptop on the counter, I frowned at the webpage I saw up on her computer screen. “What are you searching Craigslist for?”

She sighed. “New roommate. Chloe accepted a job in Dubai for the next year. She leaves next week.”

This was news. And not the good kind. I didn’t like the idea of Kendall out on the internet searching for a roommate. Especially since it was a studio apartment, and they’d have to share such a small space. Before I could filter my comment, it was out. “Do you think it’s a good idea to search for a stranger on Craigslist?”

“It’s not ideal, but I asked around the club and the firm—no one is in the market for a roommate. And I need someone to split the rent.”

“I don’t like it.”

She rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to like it. It is what it is.”

I realized I didn’t get a lot of say over this. Unless I wanted to offer her to move in with me. The thought hit me without warning, and my pulse skyrocketed. People who moved in together were in a serious commitment. They were looking toward the future. Marriage. Kids.

Not for the first time, I recognized we were on a short track here without a lot more room to go if we wanted different things in the long term. So far, this relationship hadn’t taken me away from work, but any further commitment had the potential to undermine all I’d built. I suddenly remembered her appointment tomorrow.

“You see your GYN tomorrow?”

“I do. I plan to talk to her about going on the pill.”

I liked the idea of her going on the pill; it was more effective than using condoms. However, using both would give us even better protection. The worst possible scenario would be for her to get pregnant. “I was thinking we could continue to use condoms even with the pill. Would be good to have double the protection.”

She paused. “Okay. I guess it’s better to be safe.”

Yes, it was.

* * *

The next morning, Kendall popped her head in my office. “Mr. Kinkaid’s assistant called and asked me to schedule you for ten thirty. I put it on your calendar.”

Although it wasn’t uncommon for the managing partner to schedule meetings with me, Phil was typically less formal, picking up the phone or simply dropping by. It made me wonder what might be happening. “Yes. It’s fine. Thank you.”

She gave me a small smile. The intimate kind we only shared when we were alone. The type that hit me square in the chest in a way that both satisfied and terrified me.

“You’re welcome. I’m off to my ten o’clock appointment and should be back in an hour or so.”

That’s right. Her GYN appointment. “Okay. See you then.”

At promptly ten thirty, I went up two floors to the managing partner’s office. Much to my surprise, Mr. Gerald Anderson of Lowry and Anderson was there with Phil. The older man had been retired from law for at least a decade, but he was known to drop in on his namesake from time to time. I’d only met him once before.