“Yes, you are. I will hunt you down and force you to tell me.”
“Hanging up now.”
“I don’t know what stopped you in the first place.”
***
Alexandra rushed into the office the next morning, clutching the venti coffee with a splash of hazelnut creamer as though her life depended on it. If she could ingest coffee intravenously, she’d hold out her arm., Having lain awake most of the night after going over the documents, wondering what to do, she was exhausted from lack of sleep. Roman would be her guy, but there was enough holdover from childhood guilt to tell her she shouldn’t have to contract anyone for sex. She needed a sign to give her direction and absolve her of potential guilt.
She’d just sat down when the phone on her intercom buzzed. “Alexandra, they need you in the conference room,” chirped Yvonne, her boss’s assistant, too happy for 7:30 in the morning.
“Be right there,” she answered, guzzling the coffee, hating the burn but needing the quick jolt of caffeine. She walked into the office where the other three partners were sitting at the table. It was a bit alarming, but she remained composed as she went to the other side of the table.
“Have a seat, Alexandra.” Henry Granville, founder of the practice, pointed at the seat in front of them. Henry and her father had worked together, and he’d given her a job straight out of law school, telling her Marcus Kane’s daughter would make a damn good lawyer. He’d taken a chance on her, and she hadn’t let him down yet. He’d been hinting at the partnership for months, so she didn’t think there should be trouble, but this felt like a job interview. She sat on one side and they on the other. A lead ball of fear settled in Alexandra’s stomach. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but no one liked going to the principal’s office, which was how facing all three partners felt.
She sat straighter, folding her hands over the table. “How can I help you?”
Henry shuffled the papers on his desk, stopping on the one he wanted. “How is the Williams case going?” Franklin Williams, the current bane of her existence and the owner of a multi-million-dollar tech corporation, was being sued due to a trademark dispute. A smaller computer company founded prior to Franklin’s claimed he stole their name, and she was knee-deep in preparation for the case. Franklin was rude, arrogant, and condescending, and for some reason had requested her.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Although Franklin was a pain, she did her job well, and she was going to kick the plaintiff’s ass.
“It’s coming along well. Although the other company who’s suing did trademark their name, there is a discrepancy with regard to the date of the filing, which should work in our favor. Technically Eclectic filed for the trademark two weeks after Franklin’s company was created. I believe it’s a matter of Jonathan being jealous since Franklin was recently one of the top twenty tech companies, and wants to see if they can capitalize for an issue that’s gray.”
“Well, let’s make sure the gray area doesn’t murk up our business,” Barrett, Henry’s brother and other founding partner, piped up.
“Understood,” she agreed. Too competitive to lose a case, she wasn’t going to do so with Franklin. He requested the best, which was what he got, and also why she’d worked so hard to be this successful.
Henry picked up the folder by his right arm, extending it for her to grab. “We didn’t call you in here just to talk about the Williams case, although that was the biggest reason. You have the next pro bono case, and we just received it from the Public Defender’s office. It’s about a guy accused of robbing a store where the owner was shot. Corey Walker allegedly committed armed robbery where the owner was shot. The store owner’s injury is not life-threatening, but serious nonetheless.
“The DA seems to have substantial evidence against him, so it should be easy to inquire about a plea bargain. He was arrested yesterday, and arraignment is in two days.” In order to share the case load, cases from the Defender Services Office were rotated between local firms, then through lawyers in each office. She opened the folder, irritated when she saw the two pathetic pieces of paper for her upcoming case, one of them being her client’s previous arrest record.
“Where is the rest of the information?”
“That’s all they sent,” Henry told her. “I don’t know what else you’ll find. From my understanding, the client is less than cooperative.” Alexandra made a few of notes, one of the first a reminder to meet her new client. She wasn’t stupid; people committed crimes all the time, but it wasn’t her job to judge. Pro bono or not, she was there to provide them with the best possible defense.
“I’m on it,” she assured them.
Henry smiled at her like she was an obedient child and glanced at the other partners. “I know you are. You don’t have to get him the best deal, but don’t make us look bad.” His blasé attitude bothered her. He hadn’t even met the guy, and he was already passing judgment? Had he practiced law so long he’d forgotten the concept of innocent until proven guilty? She gathered the items, wanting to get on the new case, before Henry stopped her.
“One more thing before you go. We’ve been thinking about the future. Now, we all know I’m no spring chicken.” Henry chuckled. He was approaching seventy and had told her he was done. Her stomach fluttered for a different reason, the excitement of a new case almost overshadowing his next words. “We think it’s time to consider making you a partner.”
“I would be honored, sir,” she sputtered, wanting to pinch herself to make sure it was true. She’d dreamed of this, working toward this moment since she’d started.
“Some of us,” he glanced at Wesley, the third partner she’d nicknamed Weasley in her head, with a scowl before redirecting his attention on her, “believe you need a little more time, so we’re putting you on a trial period.” She’d bet her first-born child, if she had children, that Weasley put them up to this. He was a snake oil salesman, slick as spit and ready to steal from anyone, including his own grandmother. She didn’t approve of all his practices though he’d never done anything unethical or illegal, but when you skate the line enough you’re bound to cross it.
Her smile stayed in place while her mind ran rampant. A trial period? How often does that happen? Damn you Stupid sexist.
“For the next six months,” Henry answered the questions in her mind, “you are going to be acting as a partner. That means a heavier caseload, longer hours, and an elevated commitment to this law practice.” Heavier caseload and longer hours were not the magic words she wanted to hear, but she’d known about the sacrifices when she first signed up.
“Of course,” she answered maturely, but inside she was dancing to the latest boy band like a girl who’d just been asked to prom by her high school crush. She wanted—no, needed—this opportunity to showcase her talent. If Wesley doubted her, it was no big deal, because he was about to be her bitch. She would show them all she could handle it.
“Great,” he answered. “If no one has anything else,” he glanced at Wesley and Barrett, who both shook their heads, “then we’ll let you go. I know you have a lot of work to do if you want to win the Williams case.”
She stood, holding out her arm to shake all their hands. Barrett and Henry were their normal selves, shaking her hand and smiling, but when Wesley gripped her hand between his cold one, a chill ran down her body. “I will do my best.”
“See that you do.” Wesley’s nasally voice grated on her nerves. “And make sure you don’t make us look bad on the new case from the Public Defender’s Office.”
“Get with Yvonne tomorrow. I’m going to look over my cases and make sure you assist me on a couple,” Henry told her before she left. She agreed, leaving the room with a pep in her step. Her opportunity came sooner than she believed, but becoming partner was going to mean long days and longer nights. She’d crack under the pressure without some relief.