Page 22 of Pride & Precedents

I pretend I can't see the mounting emails in my inbox and press the first button on my speed dial.

"Henry Park, Jr., attorney at law, calling his baby brother duringworkhours? Did someone die?"

My God, Noah is a smug bastard.

"You're younger by six minutes, dick. Cut the 'baby brother' bullshit." He'd said something similar at the bar, and it rubbed me the wrong way then, too.

"One sec."

On the other side of the phone, I can hear him rustling papers on his desk. Once he's back on the line, his tone is much more sincere.

"So, based on your agitated tone and the unheard-of midday call, I'm guessing something reallyiswrong. Is it Mom or Dad? Is it MomandDad? Jesus, tell me the rest of brothers are OK."

"Noah!" I interrupt. He's spiraling. "Calm down and stop guessing. Mom and Dad are fine. It's nothing family-related."

I hear the distinct squeak of an office chair as he leans back. Smug Noah has returned.

"So if it's not family, and since you've never called me about work before, this means it's personal. Is it romantic?"

I don't answer right away. Kissing Camila was nice. Scratch that; it washot. But it was lust, notromance. I rake my fingers through my hair.

"Not romantic, no. I just…When you left, Camila and I…" I can barely say it. What kind of scum crosses the line with his subordinate?The kind that wants to fuck her, Evil Jiminy Cricket whispers in the back of my head. On the other end of the line, Noah gasps.

"Y'all hooked up?! Congrats, bro! I knew she was feeling you. I gave her my best lines and got nothing."

I feel the tension in my shoulders ratchet higher.

"You were never going togetanything. Save your tired lines for someone else," I growl. Noah laughs in response.

"Hooking up with hot paralegalsandgetting jealous? Am I speaking to Henry? Blink twice if you've been body snatched."

I roll my eyes.

"First off, you couldn't see me even if I did blink. Second, Camila and I didn't hook up. We just…made out a little. I may have felt her up…slightly. I sent her home alone and spent the night at Mom and Dad's."

Noah goes from teasing to bored in 0.5 seconds flat.

"Please tell me you didn't interrupt prep for my meeting with Yeon Woo-jin to talk about a kiss. What's next? Are you gonna pass her a note during study hall? Leave a rose in her locker? Just take the woman out to dinner like a man."

I let out an exasperated breath. It's going to taketwohours on the treadmill to wind down tonight.

"You know I can't do that, Noah. Sheworksfor me. I told her it couldn't happen again, and then she stormed off. She sent me a text saying she's sick, but I know that's bullshit. What am I going to do?"

I can practically picture him shrugging in response to my borderline whine. Noah Park, the very picture of empathy.

"You've got me, bro. Let's conference in Adam and Cory. Maybe they've got experience with this sort of thing."

Before I can stop him, he clicks over to add the calls. After two minutes, Noah's back on the line with Cory.

"So you got your secretary pregnant, man? That's a bold move."

I nearly choke on my tongue.

"What?!" I sputter. "Is that what Noah told you?"

"Close enough," Cory drawls.

Another minute later and Noah is back with Adam.

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