‘A technicality,’ he said shortly.
‘And a moot point, since it’s never going to happen again. And, for the record, I don’t mix business with pleasure, either.’
Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to think about that for much longer she decided as a conversation she had overheard between her colleagues the day before came back to her. An interoffice transfer was not something she’d ever considered in the past but it might be exactly what she needed. And sure, it might be considered a little impulsive and she’d never been the impulsive one in her family before, but, compared to having sex with a man she hardly knew outside at a party, a work transfer was minuscule. ‘Nor do I want to start a relationship with any man any time soon. In case you’re wondering.’
‘Career first? Is that it, Ruby?’
‘Always,’ she responded briskly.
‘Well, I don’t recall saying anything about a relationship either,’ he mocked.
‘Sorry,’ she said tightly. ‘I meant to say fling, or affair, or whatever you call your little liaisons.’
The muscle in his jaw jerked once more. ‘You’re really trying my patience, you know that?’
Ruby was saved from having to respond when one of the new paralegals poked his head in the door. ‘Oops, sorry,’ he said, a little red-faced when he recognised Sam. ‘I thought the last meeting was supposed to be done by now.’
‘It is done,’ Ruby assured him, tilting her chin in Sam’s direction. When he didn’t immediately agree with her she frowned. ‘We are done, aren’t we, Mr Ventura?’
He studied her with hard eyes that saw far too much for her liking and revealed far too little. ‘We’re done,’ he finally granted. ‘For now.’
CHAPTER FIVE
‘ALLISON FROM HR has popped up to see you,’ Veronica said, poking her head into Ruby’s office. ‘Have you got a sec?’
‘Sure.’ Ruby parked her thoughts on the file notes she was making about a new case and ushered Allison into her office. Not that she’d been all that productive. It was five o’clock on Friday night and her concentration had been shot as of about an hour ago. Maybe more. At least this Friday night she was going straight home to the safety of her apartment, where there would be wine, her beloved Law & Order, and both Ben and Jerry waiting for her.
‘Hey,’ Allison said, taking a seat opposite her. ‘So I got your email and I thought I’d come up in person to check if you’re serious about this interoffice transfer before I start working on it.’
Ruby tucked a wing of hair behind her ear. After her disastrous meeting with Sam she’d sent Allison an email about transferring out of the Sydney office, but now she wasn’t so sure about it. She knew Kent’s looked highly on those who expanded their knowledge by working in other offices, but was that really what she wanted to do?
Certainly she’d feel less jumpy if she knew Sam wasn’t able to pop his head into her office when she least expected it, or if she didn’t have to worry about running into him in the hallway, but wasn’t moving to another country a little drastic?
‘Ten out of ten would have meant we were in a bed, naked, and we had all night together.’
Okay. Possibly not.
‘Yes, I’m serious. I wouldn’t mind expanding my horizons and challenging myself a bit more.’
‘In another country?’
No, another planet might be better, but apparently Mars was still uninhabitable. ‘They say a change is as good as a holiday,’ Ruby offered with a shrug. ‘And it won’t be for ever. I just think I need something a bit different right now.’
Allison gave her a sympathetic smile. ‘Man trouble?’
Ruby felt herself flush. ‘Sort of.’ Hadn’t she vowed when she was younger that she’d never let a man interfere with her career as her father had done to her mother?
But that wasn’t what was happening here, was it?
‘I feel for you,’ Allison said. ‘And you’re in luck. We have a couple of placements coming up. One in the US and the other in London. Do you have a preference or would you like me to put you down for both?’