“Fuck you,” he whispers. “Sober up, Griffin. You’re due in court at nine a.m. and I’m not covering for you this time.”
He won’t need to. I have a French press at home and a pound of my favorite beans. I’ll spend the next few hours with hot coffee in hand while I drink my way back to reality.
“Tell what’s-her-name I’m sorry for the interruption.”
He looks up at the ceiling before he takes a step back. “Go home and get some sleep and for fuck’s sake, quit that art class.”
I should, but I won’t. I can’t get Piper Ellis out of my mind and no amount of scotch, coffee, or sleep will change that.
***
“We should celebrate.” Lana stands next to me as we watch both our clients exit the courtroom. “That went much smoother than I anticipated.”
Her high-pitched voice only adds another layer of intensity to the rhythmic pounding that’s been going on inside my head since I woke up this morning. I haven’t been this hung-over in years.
“We can start with a late breakfast and see where that leads.” Her hand lands on my shoulder. “That scruff of beard on your face makes you look extra wild, Griffin. I’d love to feel that on the inside of my thighs.”
The whiskers covering my jaw are a testament to my inability to lift a razor this morning. I barely managed to shower and dress before heading over here.
I take pride in the fact that I visit the gym before the crack of dawn four mornings a week. I carve out time for a healthy breakfast and I shave every day, but today the scotch still had its claws in me when I woke up. I’m not even sure my boxer briefs made it on under my black suit pants.
“I can’t fuck you,” I answer without looking at her. She resembles a sexy librarian today with her hair pulled back into a stylish bun, black eyeglasses perched on her nose and a tight navy blue suit hugging her curves.
Lana could be the remedy for what ails me. A celebratory fuck with her might chase Piper out of my mind, but it would be temporary. I fell asleep last night with my cock in my palm after blowing my load all over my stomach while I was thinking about my art teacher.
I’m fucked.
“Why not?” Lana moves to step in front of me so I have no choice but to face her. “The case is over. There’s no conflict of interest anymore. We can go straight to my place, get into bed and we’ll both be back in our respective offices by two o’clock.”
“I drank too much last night.”
She smiles and reaches to adjust my tie. “I thought you looked a little green around the edges. I know the perfect cure for that.”
“Don’t say it’s your pussy, Lana. It can’t heal me.”
“I beg to differ, but I was going to say the fried egg tacos at this place I go to in midtown.”
I swallow hard. “That sounds fucking disgusting. I’m nauseous. The last thing I need is food right now.”
She grabs hold of my forearm. “Trust me, Griffin. This is my go-to when I hit a bottle of red wine too hard. An hour from now you’ll be thanking me.”
I don’t argue with her. We still have a few details to finalize on the Lindel case. This will give me a chance to close the file on that and make it clear to Lana that we’re never fucking each other again.
Chapter 19
Piper
I scan the inside of the diner until I spot a familiar face. I head toward the counter and the one empty stool next to it.
“I thought you were the one who slid this free breakfast coupon under my door this morning,” I say to Jo as she places a white ceramic mug filled with coffee in front of me. “Is this thing even real?”
I wave the pink sticky note attached to a white envelope at her.
I spotted it as soon as I walked out of my bedroom less than an hour ago. It was impossible not to see it on the floor near my apartment door.
My first name was scribbled across the sticky and inside the envelope was a small rectangular piece of paper. There were only two things handwritten on it with blue ink, an address to this diner and Free Breakfast Before Noon.
I showered before I dressed in jeans, a light green sweater and black ankle boots. When I left my apartment, I knocked on Jo’s door. I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t answer since I saw a stack of pink sticky notes on her coffee table last night.