There wasn’t much Garrett could do to discredit her story. Hers was the vanilla side of their divorce, and both attorneys knew it. For all intents and purposes, Mrs. Norfolk was the victim. The juicy details would come out when Blair deposed Lopez’s client and his girlfriends.
While Rowena Norfolk came across as the victim, it was Garrett’s job to find any discrepancies that might discredit her innocence, which meant he had to act like an ass. Fortunately for him, he was fairly good at it. He had a few nuggets to dig into from her answers in discovery. Rowena’s husband had suggested his soon-to-be ex-wife had hidden money before the separation, and what was more, had committed an indiscretion of her own. Garrett was fully prepared to weasel the information out of her—if there was any grain of truth to it—but try as he might, his usual tactics didn’t work. Blair and Rowena stonewalled him at nearly every opportunity. Blair was protective of the woman, stopping him multiple times when she thought his questions went too far.
Sisco left halfway through the deposition, and Garrett could see some of the tension leave Blair’s shoulders. Was this why she’d seemed so upset last night? Was she in trouble at work? He couldn’t imagine why. She’d sure as hell convinced Lopez she was a hard ass—the most coveted reputation an attorney could earn. He also knew Blair enough to know she was not the type to break rules or skirt the edges of morality. What could she be in trouble for?
When he finished his questions, he thanked Blair’s client and stood to leave. He wanted to talk to Blair, but he couldn’t do that in front of Mrs. Norfolk. He walked out of the conference room, taking satisfaction in the way Blair’s gaze followed him.
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.