Anything You Can Do(9)
For that matter, Austin wasn't any better looking than Gordon. He did have a nicer body, more muscular. And his dark hair and burning eyes made a striking contrast. His features were more irregular than Gordon's, too, more interesting.
None of which explained why she was so reluctant to meet him and Gordon for dinner. She realized the tempo of her pencil tapping had increased measurably and forced herself to stop.
Very well, she decided, since there was no logical reason not to go to dinner with Gordon and Austin, she'd be there.
*~*~*
Austin leaned back in the dim, cool booth at Reilly's and smiled politely when Gordon told him Bailey would be joining them for dinner. But his feelings were ambivalent. True, the idea of seeing her again brought every nerve ending in his body to attention, but he'd wanted to relax for the evening. Bailey was definitely not a relaxing influence.
As he went into his second week at the Kansas City office, the problems and stress had mounted in direct proportion to his discovery of the situation. Everyone was perfectly happy with the status quo. Growth, expansion, updating, only meant change and uncertainty to them. In particular, the partners who were senior to him were making it difficult. Though he was attempting to carry out the majority decision, they acted as if he had no authority.
Spending time alone with Gordon would be restorative. Having Bailey around would be almost as stressful as trying to iron out the problems at work. Still, the idea also held a certain amount of pleasurable excitation, a large amount, in fact. He adapted to the confusing situation by ordering a second Scotch on the rocks.
"I just hope she gets here soon," he told Gordon. "I'm starving. Didn't have time for lunch."
Gordon shook his head. "You seem to have a problem keeping your priorities straight," he drawled, sipping lazily on his beer. "I always have time for lunch. It's the work I sometimes don't have time for."
"You haven't changed a bit in twenty years." Austin grinned in spite of himself.
"Haven't seen any reason to change. I like me this way. Maybe I don't have any ambition, but hey, that's okay. I have lots of money in my trust fund. It seems a shame to let it all go to waste."
"But you're wasting yourself. You're a talented attorney. Hell, just the fact that you manage to keep your job with that old Scrooge shows you must be doing something right. If you put forth even a little effort, you'd make partner." He accepted his drink from the waitress, took a quick sip, and set it on the table.
Propping one elbow on the back of the booth, Gordon smiled lazily. "Let's say I work harder and make partner. Then I'd have to work even harder, and for what? I don't need the money. So I'd work more, play less, put more money in the bank for my heirs at law to fight over when I'm dead, which would be a lot sooner under those circumstances. Nah, I don't think I want to be partner this week."
"Gordon, you're hopeless."
Gordon shrugged unrepentantly and had another drink of beer.
Austin wrapped his fingers around his glass but stopped before raising it to his lips as the atmosphere in the room seemed to change, to become charged with energy. Ridiculous.
But somehow he wasn't surprised to see Bailey approaching. For an instant their gazes met, but before he could read her expression, she lowered her eyes and slid into the booth next to Gordon.
"Just get off work?" Gordon asked.
"No, I went home to feed Samantha—my dog," she explained with a quick, neutral glance in Austin's direction. "Then Paula called while I was there."
"Hasn't changed her mind about coming to work here, has she?" Gordon inquired, a trace of concern in his voice.
"Oh, no," Bailey replied, and Austin was sure she'd missed the nuance. "In one more week she'll be an employee of Hoskins, Grier and Morris, God rest her soul."
"And a roommate of Bailey Russell, ditto," Gordon added.
"Hold your tongue or I'll tell Stafford where you go to nap."
After they placed their orders, Austin cast about for something to say to Bailey. Everything that came to mind, he discarded. The standard small talk wouldn't do. She'd just look at him with that clear green gaze and make some satirical comment that cut right through the nonsense.
"I did stay a little late at the office," she said abruptly, fixing him with that gaze he'd been thinking about. "An important case like Miller v. National Service Insurance justifies some overtime. Wouldn't you agree, Austin?"