Seduce Me (13 page)

“True. And there’s always lots of great food.”

“Max?” Natalie approached. “You ready to go?”

“I am.”

“You cannot be serious,” Victor said, his voice louder and lower. “We came all the way over. The blintzes, they take me hours to make. By hand. With my own pot cheese, not what I use in the restaurant. Although the restaurant blintzes are plenty good. First place two years.
The New York Post!
”

“They look delicious,” Max said, “but we were already on our way out. Perhaps another time?”

“Perhaps,” Victor repeated, not very nicely. “Natalie. You call me when you’re done with your very important appointment, okay?”

“Remember, I have to go to work.” She took Max’s hand. “And please stop harassing Joey. He’s got his own life to worry about. If you’re so desperate to work things out, get some boxing gloves and the last man standing wins.” Before another word was spoken, she’d pulled Max out and they raced down the stairs.

Finally, they were on the street, and scurried like thieves around the corner. When the coast was clear, Natalie let his hand go as she stopped. “That went pretty well, I think.”

“We made it out alive. And I really liked that bit about duking it out.”

“I feel bad not taking Joey with us, but he’s a big-shot attorney now. This is good practice.”

Max grinned. “I’ve got to say, those blintzes did look great.”

“Do you want to go back?” Her lips twitched. “We can do that.”

“Uh, no.” He laughed and grabbed her hand. “Any idea where we’re headed?”

“None.”

“We can always go to my place.”

“You have coffee?”

He nodded. “Not as fancy as yours, though.”

“We’ll survive.”

They started walking again, and it was nice, just holding hands and not being in any particular hurry. “We could go to Katz’s Deli if you want.”

“There’s bound to be a huge line,” she said, “but if you want, sure.”

If it was going to be a choice between eating and going to his place... “What time do you have to be at work?”

Natalie’s smile made it all the way to her gorgeous brown eyes. He doubted he had to verbalize his vote.

“Not for another hour and a half.”

She leaned in to him to let a family walk by. The stroller had twins in it, and there were three other toddlers with them, all connected by leashes. “What made you decide your specialty? Tort law, right?”

He wished he’d steered the conversation to something else. “Basically. I specialize in civil law. Mostly because of the research. It’s a little like being a detective. I search for the right precedent, the more obscure the better. I’ve even used ancient Greek references to make a point.”

They’d slowed almost to a standstill. Her head was tilted up, and their eyes met for a few seconds. “If it’s okay with you, I’d rather not talk about work. It’s supposed to be my vacation and it seems I’ve had to be
on
too much lately.”

“Of course,” she said, but he caught a hint of worry in her expression seconds before she broke out in a smile. “If I’m not mistaken, we’re pretty close to your loft, right? Let’s get moving.”

He stepped up the pace, but his thoughts weren’t so much on what they were about to do as what he’d just done. He’d dodged her questions again. He knew why. For the same reason he’d stayed off-line and away from newspapers for the past week.

In his world he was a hero, but he wasn’t so self-centered that he didn’t realize how most people viewed the victory. Natalie definitely fell in the most-people category, and he wasn’t anxious to let her know he might actually be the villain.

13

T
HE
FOLLOWING
M
ONDAY
,
Natalie
arrived at Omnibus just in time. It had been a difficult morning. With Max in her bed, she’d been sorely tempted to play hooky, but then he’d have had to skip his meetings, which could mean the difference between a good position and a great one. So they’d showered separately, behaved like grown-ups and gone their separate ways.

The memory of him was still with her, though. The feel of his hands was like a map of her erogenous zones, some undiscovered until he’d touched her. She wondered if the sensation of lips nibbling on the inside of her wrist had always held the capacity to make her ache, or if her desire was triggered by his lips in particular?

While she was able to focus on her work for the most part, snapshots of moments she’d shared with Max kept sneaking to the fore. Good thing she didn’t have to operate heavy machinery or she could have had a problem.

First up for her at work was a review of her upcoming article for the International Federation of Film Archives. But instead of going directly to her draft, she typed Max’s name into the search engine on her computer.

She’d done a quick Google search after their first night together, but she hadn’t gotten much farther than his Facebook bio. Everything there had been what she’d expected: his education, the firm he worked for, his serious lag in posting due to being so overworked.

This time, however, it wasn’t Facebook she was interested in, but LinkedIn. And a quick glance at his profile told her what made him such a sought-after attorney.

His firm had won a hard-fought toxic tort case that could have cost its clients millions. Max was mentioned in two articles as being resourceful and dedicated. The partners took the lion’s share of the credit, but anyone could read between the lines.

She didn’t understand much about the case until she looked at some articles not written by and for attorneys. One, in particular, made the repercussions of Max’s victory achingly clear.

The case truly was major, and the win had been completely unexpected. At issue were levels of mercury in commercially sold tuna, and the fact that there were no warnings that eating canned tuna more than a few times a week could be dangerous. Not because those suing the seafood industry didn’t have a strong position, but because there was a legal precedent already in place that made it impossible to challenge the status quo without changing the way the U.S. Food and Drug Administration worked. Evidently if a product was regulated by a federal government, consumers weren’t allowed to sue.

Natalie had had no idea that was the case, and while finding that precedent was very impressive, she wasn’t all that thrilled with the idea as a result consumers could be at risk.

A gentle tap on her office door made her jump. “Come in,” she said.

Her colleague Veda stepped inside. “Got a minute?”

“Sure.” Natalie smiled and closed all her open tabs. Her stomach and chest were both tight, but she had to let her personal life go for now. She never should have looked him up at work, where she didn’t have time to make sense of what she’d read. Veda sat in one of the guest chairs. She’d worn one of her more colorful outfits today, very demure and pretty like the woman herself. Her smile dimmed as she leaned forward. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Fine. Thanks. Just going over my schedule for the day. What can I do for you?”

Veda hesitated long enough to signal she didn’t believe things were fine at all, but she didn’t push. “The folks starting the new film course at Yale can only make it here right after the Historic Preservation Symposium, so we’re going to have to shuffle some things around. I was hoping you and Rick and Danny could work with me this afternoon so we could get the meeting schedules squared away.”

“If we can do it between four and six, that would be great, because I have to teach a class after that and I won’t be done until ten.”

“Great.” Veda didn’t stand. “I don’t want to intrude, but maybe you shouldn’t be here at all today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so pale.”

“It’s nothing. Well, it’s something, but it’s not my health. I’m just confused. It’s a guy problem, which is ridiculous. Especially with all we’ve got going on here.”

“Did something happen with you and Oliver?”

Oliver? Right. She hadn’t told anyone. “We broke up, but that was my choice and I’ve got no regrets.” Natalie could hardly believe she was even talking about this at work. Although Veda was nice, they didn’t connect that way. But now that the door was open...

“I’ve got some time now if you want to talk.”

Before she could stop herself, Natalie said, “I don’t even know the whole story yet. I’ve been seeing this man. He’s more of a friend than anything else because we don’t want the same things. But I’ve just learned something about him that upsets me. It shouldn’t. I mean, I’m sure he was just doing his job, but I’d imagined him being...better.”

“He’s someone new in your life?”

She nodded. “We met by accident, but he’s funny and smart and he’s honestly interested in film...and me. He doesn’t even mind my crazy relatives, which is something, trust me.”

“Sounds to me like you two are still in the honeymoon phase...”

“Oh, no. He doesn’t want anything more than a friendship, and I’m looking for someone completely different. Well, mostly different. Someone who wants to get married and start a family, so—”

“I just meant that you’re in that new space where you’re excited to be together and you can talk for hours and everything’s shiny and thrilling?”

“Of course.” Natalie felt her face heat. Not only had she crossed the professional lines she’d established, she wasn’t even listening properly. Or making any sense. “He’s very different from anyone I’ve ever known before.”

Veda smiled at her, but it was gentle, not mocking. “I’ve been there. I met him in London when I was at university there. A gorgeous guy with an Irish brogue so thick and smooth you could spread it like butter. I’d only known him for two weeks before I was convinced we would be together forever. We couldn’t get enough of each other. I thought he hung the stars. Then his wife came to visit.”

“Oh, God.” Natalie sat back in her chair. “You’re right. I’ve made Max impossibly perfect, haven’t I? Now that I’ve seen something that doesn’t fit, I’m blowing it all out of proportion.”

“Maybe. Or maybe there’s something you need to discuss with him. But your reaction, given the timing, sounds pretty normal. Sad, because it’s not fun when the illusion is spoiled. Especially for us, right? We, who are so in love with the magic of film. I used to wonder if Gregory Peck had ruined me for all other men.”

Natalie smiled. “You don’t anymore?”

“Nope. I’ve got my William, and while he’s not Atticus Finch, he’s pretty great, warts and all.”

The tension in Natalie’s chest had eased enough for her to breathe again. She didn’t have the whole story, and wouldn’t understand it until she’d talked to Max. She needed to be able to see him as a real person, not this wonderful, magical being she’d made him into. He’d charmed her, and she’d let him. The ride so far had been spectacular, but if they were going to be friends now, they’d have to come back to earth.

“Thank you.” Natalie walked around her desk and gave Veda a one-armed hug, which was right at the edge of her comfort zone. But in a way, Natalie had changed a little bit. Because of Max.

* * *

T
HE
FIRST
THING
he did when he finally got home was take off his tie. Why had he chosen a profession where a suit was required every damn day? He’d amassed a two-week collection of really good suits, which was another reason he only had a couch and a TV set in his living room.

Today’s meetings had been intense but worth it. He’d gone solo, but he’d spoken to Stella on his way back from seeing Thomas Hornstratter, a hell of an attorney who worked in international law. He’d been interested in Max, and wanted to know if he’d be willing to go in a different direction. It sounded appealing, just for the challenge of it, but it wasn’t the best use of his skills. Max wanted to capitalize on his success now, when the iron was hot. There would always be big tort cases, and making a name for himself as the go-to guy at Hornstratter’s firm would mean a lifetime of security.

The downside was the hours, of course, and the fact that he’d be in no position to have a say in the cases. He hadn’t thought much about it a week ago, but he’d been doing a lot of thinking about that particular snag lately. He’d stripped down to his shorts by the time he got to the bathroom. He shed those, too, and climbed into the shower. The hot water beat down on his back as he breathed in the steam.

He thought about the lunch he’d had near the Flatiron building. The senior partner hadn’t been there, but Lawrence Johnson was more of a figurehead, so it didn’t really matter. His grandson, Peter, however, had been pretty persuasive. They weren’t a huge firm, but they had a strong reputation as fixers. They charged outrageous sums for stepping in when all seemed lost.

The up-front money wasn’t nearly as good as some of the other offers coming his way, but the potential for making a killing was there. Unfortunately, he didn’t care for Peter Johnson. He’d been a jerk with the waiters at the restaurant, and again with his driver. Men like that weren’t uncommon, but that didn’t make it easier to be around them.

He wished he could talk it over with Natalie. But she was busy tonight. After her regular hours, she had a special screening, so she wouldn’t get home until after eleven. And then there was the fact that he hadn’t told her enough about his work situation for her to even have an opinion.

God, how had he become such a coward?

Someone who
would
be home in about an hour was his dad. He’d call in forty-five, after he grabbed something from the bodega, so he could talk to his mom for a bit first. She hadn’t been around when he’d called two weeks ago. He’d ask her about her friends and her scrapbooks and just enjoy how each bit of news would begin with, “Oh, oh!”

It didn’t take him long to dress and head down to the local store. They had decent curry and a good salad selection, so he fixed himself two plastic containers, got a half pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream and a cold six-pack. Upstairs, he caught up on the weekend sports, modified his calendar, ate enough, drank a beer and then turned on the closed captioning, adjusted the sofa pillow and dialed home.

Sure enough, his mom answered, and it was a good talk. He considered telling her about Natalie, but she’d get the wrong impression. His vacation was coming to an end sooner than he liked, and before long, whatever he decided, he’d be back to the grind. There were two major meetings still to come: the yacht party hosted by the firm most likely to give him the package he wanted, and the sit-down with Kirkland and Jones, the two partners in charge of the staff at his current firm.

Although the offers he’d received thus far ranged from good to great, there were a couple of things no one could give him except for his home team. He knew the players there, he liked most of them and he’d already proven himself. Would more money and better perks be worth giving that up?

His dad picked up the second line, and Max took a moment to say goodbye to his mom. Before he’d even finished, his dad stopped him. “Something’s up. Want to tell me what?”

“Just trying to figure out my next move. A lot of people are interested in me now and I don’t want to blow it.”

“What makes you think you could blow it?”

“Come on. You know how competitive it is out here. These are shark-infested waters, and I have to learn to swim real fast. Finding the federal regulations precedent to stop the suit was a fluke. I’m not going to be able to pull a rabbit out of my hat every time.”

“I don’t know exactly how you found that connection, but I do know how you think. You’ve always been meticulous in your approach to a problem. Whether it’s figuring out how to keep your brother from taking your new shirts or tracking down unlikely legal precedents, it’s that kind of thinking that these people are interested in, and there’s no way you’re going to lose that no matter where you end up.”

This was why Max was a damn fool for not keeping in steady touch with home. Well, that and the fact that he’d always had a good relationship with his parents and he didn’t want to risk losing their closeness. His father had always been his chief adviser, the one he looked up to most. “Yeah, you’re right. At least you are about most firms. Some, I think, do expect miracles.”

“Then maybe you ought to cross those off your list. That’s a lot of pressure day-to-day, son.”

“The more they expect, the more they pay.”

His dad was silent long enough for Max to get to the fridge. “I’ve never known you to be motivated by money. Tell me how it’s going to help if you stress yourself into a stroke.”

He brought another beer with him to the couch. “I’m only thirty. Don’t bury me yet.”

“Thirty will become fifty before you can blink. Trust me on this. Especially if you’re working eighty-to a-hundred-hour weeks.”

He’d thought about that from time to time. Mostly when he was with Natalie. “I met someone,” he said, not quite sure why.

“Yeah?”

“She’s a film archivist. Loves old movies. Knows everything about them, too.”

“Well, this is different. You think she might be someone for the long haul?”

“No. Not for me, at least. She’s a...friend. I probably won’t see her much when I’m back at the job.”

“That’s a shame. Your voice changed when you talked about her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yep.”

“I haven’t told her about the tort case. I’ve been seeing her for a couple weeks. And I’ve avoided her questions.”

His dad was quiet again. Max took a big gulp of beer.

“Why do you think that is?”

“I wasn’t the one in the white hat, Dad.” He sighed. “I didn’t want her to think less of me.”

“Max Dorset, I’m surprised at you. Your job was to do everything within the law for the party you were representing. The verdict was never in your hands. It will never be in your hands. That’s not the way our legal system works. Sometimes the outcome might not be what you want it to, but you were every bit the man I’m proud of in carrying out your duties. No one could have done a better job than you, and of that I have no doubt. Whoever hires you, they’ll never have reason to regret it. They’ll be able to count on you, which is not something I think those big New York law firms can say very often.”