It was a little after noon now, and their next deposition was at three. Maybe he could convince Blair to join him for lunch. The Country Club Plaza was only a couple of blocks away, and they’d have time to talk and get back for the meeting. If Blair was like any other professional, the best way to get in the figurative and literal door was through her assistant. Good thing he knew who her assistant was, even if he didn’t know her name.
The short hallway he’d come down had been lined by conference rooms, so he headed down the perpendicular hallway, looking for the woman who’d led him to the conference room. He found an open area with several desks outside a bank of offices and saw her sitting at one of the desks. She had a phone to her ear and was arguing.
“I don’t care if you have to fly that crab from Timbuktu—you will have it here for the reception, or we will sue you for breach of contract. Got it?”
He grinned as he listened to her end of the conversation. He could tell Blair had rubbed off on her.
She glanced up at him and her eyes widened. “If there are any more issues, I’ll expect you to call me immediately.” She hung up and grimaced. “Can I help you, Mr. Lowry?”
“You’re Blair’s assistant, correct?”
Her guard went up. “Yes, I’m Ms. Hansen’s assistant.”
“Does Ms. Hansen have lunch plans?”
The woman couldn’t have looked more surprised. “Uh . . .”
He sat on the edge of her desk and leaned closer, waggling his finger at her computer. “Come on,” he teased, knowing he was pouring on the Garrett Lowry charm a little too heavy. “Just squeeze me in there. A quiet little lunch for two.”
“That sounds cozy,” Blair said, her tone short.
Garrett jerked upright, cursing under his breath. “Blair.”
Her eyes narrowed with disgust. She skirted around him and walked into her office. “Well, don’t let me stop you. You two have a great time.” She slammed the door behind her, and her assistant shot him a death glare.
“I think that’s your answer, Mr. Lowry.”
Ouch. Garrett stood. “Maybe I should go talk to her.”
She reached under her desk and pulled up her three-inch pump. “You go near the door, and I’ll gouge your eye out with my heel.” Her jaw clenched with anger.
Her reaction caught him by surprise. While she was admittedly very loyal to her boss, her statement seemed a little strong given the situation, if not unprofessional. Frustrated, he considered threatening to report her, but that would only piss off Blair even more. He needed to regroup and come up with a new way to convince Blair to talk to him. Garrett held his hands up in surrender. “I’m rather fond of my eyes, so I guess I’ll go to lunch on my own.”
“Good idea.”
“I’ll go to lunch with you!” a brunette called out from a nearby desk, her voice all sultry promise.
He grinned and pointed his finger at her. “I’m gonna take a rain check, sweetheart.”
He walked out angry, but he only had himself to blame. He’d laid the foundation for Blair to believe he was hitting on her assistant, which meant he was back to square one, not that he’d even gotten very far. Blair was a proud woman, and he’d broken her heart five years ago—just as he’d broken his own.
Well, he couldn’t change the past. He could only move forward, and if nothing else, Garrett Lowry was a stubborn man. He wasn’t giving up that easy. Not this time. Now that she was back in his life—and it was truly starting to seem like this was kismet, even though he and Blair had always laughed at such romantic notions—he was going to try his best to earn another chance.
He went to his hotel and wheedled his way into an early check-in, then grabbed a sandwich before heading back to Blair’s office. His phone rang when he was almost there, and he groaned when he saw it was Nana Ruby.
“Hey, Nana. I’m here in Kansas City. Happy?”
“Hell no, I’m not happy. Your mom and your aunt are at it worse than ever.”
“You seriously thought making me a groomsman would improve the situation?”
“Your aunt and uncle are having dinner with Neil and his fiancée tonight. You’re going with them.”
“Nana. No. I have something else I need to do.” He had hoped to convince Blair to talk after the deposition, maybe even grab coffee.
“The only thing you need to do is help settle this family war. Suck it up, boy. Your aunt’s gonna text you the address. Dinner’s at six.”
Great. Just what he needed. Dinner with his mouthy aunt, his whipped uncle, his dick cousin, and said cousin’s fiancée, who was probably as dull as dirt given her choice of mate. Yippee. He couldn’t wait.
He arrived at Blair’s office forty-five minutes early and asked for early access to a room so he could have somewhere private to prepare. He had no delusions that the next deposition would go so well. Blair was deposing one of Brian Norfolk’s indiscretions, and he expected her to bring her A-game and then some.
The receptionist must have heard about his disastrous attempt to secure a lunch date with Blair. She batted her eyelashes and told him she was free for dinner.
“Sorry,” he said with a grin. “I have plans.”
“Maybe tomorrow?” She sounded hopeful.
“What I really need right now is that room . . .” His words trailed off, and she got the hint.
She stood and opened the door to the back with her keycard. “There’s a small room where you can work. I’ll show you.” Then she led him down a hall and pushed open a door, revealing a table surrounded by four chairs. A phone sat on the table next to the wall. “I’ll let Melissa know you’re here, and someone will come get you when it’s time.”
“Do you know if Ms. Keating has arrived yet?”
She shook her head. “She hasn’t, but I can bring her back here when she arrives if you’d like.”
“Thanks.”
He went over his notes until Ms. Keating arrived about twenty minutes later. Between her short, tight dress, her exposed cleavage, and her heavy makeup, she looked like a toss-up between a hooker or a stripper, and neither was a good option for them.
“Did Mr. Lopez not discuss the importance of dressing conservatively?”
She looked herself up and down, batting her eyelashes. “This is conservative.”
Good God. What did her version of seductive look like? He tried prepping her for possible questions Blair might ask, but it soon became apparent that Brian Norfolk’s interest had been in her looks and not in her intelligence.
There was a knock on the door, and Melissa poked her head in. “We’re ready for you in the conference room.”
The bloodbath he watched unfold in front of him for the next two hours didn’t come as a surprise, but it didn’t exactly help his ego either. Blair was relentless, and though Tiffany Keating tried to evade Blair’s questions, the younger woman was soon spilling her guts, despite Garrett’s constant counsel to the contrary.
When Blair finally announced she was done, Garrett figured if there was ever a time she might talk to him, it was now, when he was thoroughly beaten. Perhaps she’d take pity. But she got up from the table and left the room. He would have given anything to follow after her, but he had to deal with Tiffany Keating first.