The Intern (The Dalton Family #4)(31)

She’d already done that.

When I’d observed her in the classroom and the night at the bar along with the time we spent in the alley. The morning she walked into my office for the first time. And the moment she had told me she was too drunk to remember anything.

All surprises.

“The only thing I’m waiting for is for this internship to be over.” I drained the rest of my scotch and looked around the room for our waitress. “Fuck, I need another drink.”

I pushed back my chair and went over to the bar.

“Scotch, double,” I said as the bartender approached. “You know what? Make it a triple.”

She poured the booze into a glass, and I brought it up to my mouth, taking a long drink. As I swallowed, I turned around, facing the main area, and that was when I noticed Dominick walking over to me.

“You all right, buddy?” He moved in next to me, leaning his back against the edge of the bar.

“Me?” I didn’t bother to make eye contact with him. “Why? Does it look like I need to be tended to?”

He placed a drink order and then said to me, “I wouldn’t call it that. You’ve just been a bit … feistier the last week and a half.”

It was no secret what that time frame marked.

Dominick knew that; he wasn’t a fool.

“I’m always feisty, you motherfucker.” I clinked my glass against his. “That’s why you hired me.”

“That’s true.” He paused. “But something still feels off.”

“Besides the intern issue, I’m good.”

When he looked at me, he stared deeper than I would have liked. “Your issues with Hannah aren’t matching up to what your team has been saying about her.” He gave me a small grin before it faded. “My assistant checked in with your clerks and paralegal after Hannah’s first week of employment. We check on all the interns; it’s standard protocol. Their feedback was glowing; in fact, they couldn’t have spoken more highly of her.”

I drew my brows together, my jaw clenching so hard that I thought one of my teeth would break. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Far from it. I’m wondering if there’s something else that’s bothering you, so I can fix it.”

If this were any other circumstance—a clerk, an assistant, a paralegal—I would tell him the truth.

But, fuck, I couldn’t say a goddamn word.

So, I just stood there, drank my scotch, and lied, “Nah, man. Things are fine.”

“All right, I’ll take your word for it.” He scanned the room. “Maybe what you need is her.” He nodded toward the chick who was across from us, swirling her tongue around her straw. “Looks like she’s got the skills to give you exactly what you need tonight. She can suck out some of that hotheadedness.”

I laughed. “You think that’s what I need, huh?”

“It certainly couldn’t hurt.”

I turned my back to the girl and rested my scotch on the bar top. “I assure you, I’m not hurting for women.”

“You just won’t settle down with one.”

My head dropped, and I focused on the amber waves colliding across the top of my drink as I swirled it. “Correct.”

“And your plan is to stay single for the rest of your life?”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “Or maybe the straw-sucker will become my bride.”

“She’d probably settle for half a carat.”

“Damn, that’s a bargain.” I exhaled all the air from my lungs. “I’m not saying the right woman for me doesn’t exist. I’m not saying dating is out of the realm of possibility. I’m just saying it would take a fucking miracle.”

He shook my shoulder. “Miracles can happen, my man.”

In the meantime, there was plenty of ass to check out.

Aside from straw girl, there was a blonde in the corner, who had been eyeing me all night. A redhead across the bar, who couldn’t stop looking at me as she licked her lips. A brunette a few tables away, who was pretty decent.

But if I was being honest with myself, none of them were Hannah.

Shit, not a single girl in here had anything on Hannah.

“You know what I’m really going to be doing tonight?” I asked him.

He nodded again toward the deep-throater. “You mean, instead of her?”

“After this drink, I’m heading back to the office. The Kennedy trial is going to be a goddamn media frenzy because of the people involved.”

Dominick only worked with high-profile celebrities, and this case was no exception. According to my clerk, my social media had been blowing up all week over the anticipation of this trial.

“And the opposing counsel”—I quickly took a drink—“he’s fucking ugly.”

“You’re better.”

“I don’t deny that fact. But the motherfucker is still ruthless.” I loosened my tie. “My team is doing a hell of a job preparing, but I still have to comb through the notes and make sure I have everything I need. I’m worried …”

His brows rose. “About what?”

“A piece of evidence is going to appear, something none of us have thought of.” I smiled. “I happen to know one of the associates on the plaintiff’s team.”