“I don’t think anyone should have to wear those torture devices, but I certainly can’t make you stand up for yourself.” Sloane waved her hand in the air before getting on her hands and knees to look on the floor. As if the things had jumped out of her bag for an adventure.
Ari grinned. “Well, now’s your chance to tell MLS just how stupid and antiquated you think her rules are.”
Sloane flashed Ari her middle finger before returning to her frantic search.
Yeah, same to you. Ari eased back into her chair, letting the anxiety leave her body. This was Sloane’s problem, not hers.
She was under zero obligation to help fix it.
Spinning around in her chair, Ari went back to her computer. She couldn’t actually think with Sloane cursing a blue streak and growing increasingly frantic, but she went through the motions. If MLS walked in, she didn’t want to be caught twiddling her thumbs.
Ari’s ears perked up. In the distance she heard a deep, rumbling voice she was almost sure belonged to Silas, MLS’
Chief Assistant. Her attention darted back to Sloane.
As much as she wanted Sloane to get what was coming to her at least once, she feared being lumped together with her
insubordination. It might be years before MLS ever spoke to her again. With little prospect of getting a high-profile case early in her career, she’d be one of several hundred faces for years. Sticking out for the wrong reason was worse than fading into temporary obscurity.
I’m going to regret this. Ari dove into her desk drawer where she kept several nude-colored pantyhose on hand for emergencies. Her olive skin was darker than Sloane’s golden tone, but it would be better than nothing.
Grabbing one of the unopened packs, Ari whistled, snatching Sloane’s attention. Her hair was a mess, and her face was flushed when she glared at her. Without a word, Ari tossed the pack at her.
Sloane caught it like a trained baseball player. After a split second, she registered what it was and glanced back at Ari with wide eyes before racing for the door. She didn’t make it more than one step into the hallway before she leapt back into their o ce.
“She’s like three doors down,” Sloane explained. “I won’t make it to the bathroom without being seen by one of her entourage.”
Ari gritted her teeth. MLS never went anywhere without her senior sta . “Behind here, quick,” she beckoned her behind the desk. “No, leave it open. It’ll look weird if it’s closed,” she added when Sloane started to close the door.
Without questioning her judgment or intentions, Sloane rounded the corner of the desk already kicking o her heels and pulling her pencil skirt up around her waist.
For a fraction of a second, Ari stared at her long, bare legs and tiny black underwear she was nearly positive was a
thong before spinning around in her chair. Her traitorous body reacted against her will as her mouth watered and her temperature spiked.
Sweat collected at her lower back as Ari kept her eyes trained on the computer. She looked for the surveillance video in the case she was working on. Behind her, Sloane sounded like she was wrestling a gorilla into a wetsuit.
If she wasn’t so panicked, Ari might laugh. There was easily a four-inch height di erence between them. Sloane was probably finding it impossible to pull the hose all the way up.
“She’s coming, just pull your skirt down,” Ari whispered over her shoulder. “Come look at this with me like you’re giving me your opinion.”
Sloane complied without a snarky remark. Smoothing down her skirt, she leaned forward, her long, loose hair brushing Ari’s cheek before she pushed it to the other side.
“This is good. It shows that they read him his rights slowly and made sure he understood them,” Sloane said, pointing at the video, her chest hovering behind Ari’s neck, making it impossible for her to play along.
“And here we have two of our brightest new stars,” Chad said, his grin wide as he gestured toward Ari and Sloane. Ari hoped her startled reaction went unnoticed, but she doubted it.
A moment later, MLS appeared in the doorway. With white hair qua ed into the perfect politician’s ‘do, she was radiant in a powder blue dress and matching cropped jacket.
Her smile was already plastered on her face, but Ari accepted it as sincere as she stood and reached out her hand.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Ari said, hoping MLS
didn’t notice her clammy hands.
Ari focused on batting back all the conversational balls lobbed in her court. When MLS shook her hand again and welcomed her to the team, she turned to Sloane.
Instead of the generic two-minute small talk Ari had been grateful to get, MLS took on a more familiar vibe with Sloane.