“Yes, at Thayer Law. I graduate in a few weeks.”
Micah’s eyebrows popped up. “Law? Really?”
I stiffened at his obvious skepticism.
“Yes, really.” I dropped my polite tone and adopted one so icy I hoped it froze his balls off. Some people might give Micah the benefit of the doubt, but I recognized judgment when I saw it, and I had zero obligation to be nice to someone who didn’t bother hiding his condescension. “Surprised?”
“A little. You don’t look like a law student.” Micah’s eyes dropped to my chest, and tiny prickles of humiliation stabbed at me.
Beside me, Josh stilled, his easygoing manner giving way to a dark, volatile tension that roiled the air around us.
“I didn’t realize law students had a universal look.” I resisted the urge to cross my arms over my chest. I wouldn’t give Micah that satisfaction. “How are they supposed to look?”
He laughed, not even having the decency to look embarrassed by my callout. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t.” Josh spoke up before I could respond, his tone deceptively light. “What do you mean, Micah?”
Discomfort crossed his coworker’s face for the first time as Micah finally realized the conversation wasn’t heading in the direction he’d intended.
“You know.” He waved a hand in the air, trying to play it off. “It was a joke.”
Josh’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Jokes are supposed to be funny.”
“Lighten up, man.” Micah’s frown of discomfort morphed into annoyance. “Look, all I’m saying is, I was surprised, okay?”
“That’s not what you’re saying. What you’re saying is you made assumptions about her intelligence based on her appearance, which is quite unfair, don’t you think?” A lethal edge ran beneath Josh’s otherwise pleasant voice. “For example, if I were to make an assumption about you, I would think you were a pompous jackass based on the Harvard-branded clothing you wear at any opportunity despite the fact you only got in because your last name is engraved on their newest science building. But I’m sure that’s not true. You did graduate from Harvard Med—near the bottom of the class, but you graduated. That counts for something.”
Micah’s mouth fell open while a ball of emotion curled up in my throat and refused to budge.
I couldn’t think of the last time someone stood up for me. It was a strange feeling—warm and thick, like honey sliding through my veins.
“Regardless, I do not appreciate your rudeness toward my date.” Josh’s voice hardened.
“This is a work event, so apologize, walk away, and we’ll leave it at that. But disrespect Jules again, and I’ll put you in the emergency room myself.”
Micah’s nostrils flared, but he wasn’t dumb enough to argue. Not when Josh looked like he was actively hoping the other man would step out of line so he could deck him.
“I’m sorry.” Micah’s stiff apology contained as much sincerity as a crocodile’s tears. He spun on his heels and stalked away, his reedy body quivering with outrage.
A heavy silence descended in his wake.
Some of the tension drained from Josh’s body, but the line of his jaw remained a hard slash.
I tried and failed to swallow the persistent lump in my throat. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Do what?” He unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and took a sip.
“Defend me.”
“I didn’t defend you. I called out an asshole for being an asshole.” He slid a sidelong glance at me. “Besides, I’m the only one who gets to be a jerk to you.”
I huffed out an embarrassingly watery laugh. I was so used to fighting my own battles I wasn’t sure how to handle having someone by my side.
Josh was supposed to be my nemesis, but he turned out to be my ally. In this particular instance, anyway.
“Well, if there’s one thing you excel at, it’s being a jerk.” I rubbed my skirt between my fingers. The smooth cotton calmed my racing nerves.
“I excel at everything, Red.” Josh’s languid drawl settled over me like a warm blanket.
Our eyes locked and held. An electric charge flared in the air between us and buzzed down my spine.
I’d known Josh for years, but this was the first time I saw him in such bold, painstaking detail.
The sharp curve of his cheekbones tapering down to a strong jaw. The rich, dark eyes like melting chocolate, fringed by lashes so long it should be illegal for men to have them. The arch of his brows and the firm, sensual curve of his lips.
How had I never noticed how incredibly, devastatingly gorgeous Josh Chen was?
I’d known it on an intellectual level, of course, the way I knew the earth was round and the oceans were deep. It was impossible for someone with those features, arranged in that way, to be anything except beautiful.
But this was the first time I’d experienced it. It was like peeling back the transparent sheet cover on a famous art piece and finally seeing it in its full glory.
Josh’s hands curled into loose fists by his side before he unclenched them.
“Last call soon.” The words came out rough and scratchy, like it hurt him to speak. “If you want more food, we should grab it now before the picnic ends.”
The electric charge dissipated, but its effects lingered as a film of tingles on my skin.
“Right. More food.” I cleared my throat. “I’m always down for more food.”
We fixed our plates in silence before settling beneath one of the large oak trees bordering the park. Most of the food had been picked clean, but we’d managed to snag the last of the burgers and a chocolate cupcake to share.
“Your coworkers seem to like you a lot, Micah the Dickhead notwithstanding.” I sliced the cupcake into neat halves with a plastic knife and handed Josh his portion.
He took it, his mouth quirking. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m a likable person, Red.”
“Hmmm.” I snuck a glance at him while we ate. We’d fought, we’d fucked, but there was still so much I didn’t know about him.
How was it possible to know so little about someone after seven years?
“Did you always want to be a doctor? Don’t bother making a joke about playing doctor as a kid,” I added when I noticed the gleam in his eyes. “If I can preempt it before you say it, it’s lame.”
A deep laugh rumbled from Josh’s chest. “Fair enough.” He leaned against the tree trunk and stretched out his legs. A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “I’m not sure when I decided to become a doctor. Part of it was expectations, I guess. Doctor, lawyer, engineer. The stereotypical careers for a Chinese-American kid. But there was another part that…” He hesitated. “This is going to sound cheesy, but I want to help people, you know? I remember waiting in the hospital when Ava almost drowned. It was the first time I realized the people around me wouldn’t live forever. I was fucking terrified. And I kept thinking...what if I’d been with her by the lake that day? Could I have saved her? Would the drowning have even happened? And my mom. What if I’d noticed something was wrong earlier and gotten her help…”
A deep ache spread through me at the tiny crack in his voice.