And no more stickers.
Turning back to the blue folder, I groaned at the mess. I closed it and peeked out into the foyer to see if Marissa could see me as I crossed my office. I quietly exchanged the blue folder for ayellow one and crept back to my desk. No need for her to see how overwhelmed I felt.
My chair groaned loudly as I sat, and I cursed everything in this office. So much for being sneaky.
I opened the folder. Divorce. Perfect. Ashley and Sam and a cat.
I used my phone and laptop to take pictures of the documents, load them into the software, and organize them in the right folders.
I began tabbing through the different sections in the software and added files into the proper spots. The upload speed here was terrible.
“Is Harry in?” I heard a woman wail through the open door. “Letty said he sold. That can’t be true! Is that true?” She spoke, rattling off questions before Marissa could answer.
“Sorry, it’s true, Mrs. Bates. The firm merged with the Elliot Law firm in Clifton, and Harry is spending some time with Sal,” Marissa answered. “Mr. Scott Elliot is here now and taking over Harry’s clients.”
“But Harry said he’d meet with me. It’s happening again with the gnomes.” The last part of the sentence came out as a whisper. “How do we know this new guy can even be trusted?”
“Harry must’ve trusted him,” Marissa said. “Or at least he trusted his dad.”
I stood up and straightened my jacket. The first potential client—I needed for this to go well. Harry mentioned how fast word spread in this town. I went through the office door and saw a petite older woman with short brown, fuzzy hair and a huge purple bag slung over her shoulder. She was pacing back and forth; her face was flushed.
Crossing the foyer, I held up my hand. “Hello, my name is Scott Elliot. I assure you I'm trustworthy and qualified to handle your legal affairs. And you are?” I smiled and I waited.
She looked at my hand, her eyes pulled wide in shock as she took several steps backward. “Well, I never!” She turned to Marissa.
Marissa twisted her head away from me and cleared her throat, suppressing a chuckle. “Mrs. Bates, forgive Mr. Elliot. He is unaware of your feelings about hands and their potential germs.”
I let my extended hand fall awkwardly to my side.
The lady’s eyebrows drew together in a scowl. “Exactly my point,” she whispered to Marissa. “He doesn’t even know us. Not like Harry does.”
“I assure you, ma’am, I have excellent references and graduated top of my class. If you make an appointment with Marissa, I can see you at my next opening.” I put my arms behind my back and tried my best to look professional.
The woman scowled and peeked around my shoulder toward my empty office. “It looks like you have an opening now.” Her large purple bag followed the movement.
“Yes, though I prefer my appointments to be scheduled in advance so I can offer my clients my full attention. You’re welcome to call later if you are unsure what time would work best for you.” I nodded at Marissa. “Have we located the office number?”
“You want me to give personal information over the phone?” Her eyes somehow bulged wider, and she took a step back. I looked to Marissa for the information I was missing once again.
“Mrs. Bates has evidence someone tapped her phone after watching a spy movie a year ago. She doesn’t use a phone anymore. She prefers in-person conversations.” Marissa’s eyes twinkled.
Was she just messing with me?
I fought the urge to roll my own eyes. I could not afford to make enemies in this town. I let out a breath slowly.
Ugh, so much for order and rules.
“Very well. If you have your payment information on file, I will visit with you now.”
The eccentric woman held on tightly to her purse. “Oh. You’re not getting a dime of my money. What have you done to earn it?”
“Besides attending law school and passing the bar?” I mutteredunder my breath, clearly not quietly enough, because Marissa snorted.
I put on a polite smile. “Very well. Let’s do a free twenty-minute consultation. Then you can decide if you want to continue with my services.”
Eyeing me, she stormed past me to the office, muttering. I watched as she reached into her purse and pulled out a container of antibacterial wipes. Not the mini size, but the large full-size container. She wiped down the seat before she sat.
“I’ll time the twenty minutes, if you don’t mind.” She pulled out a board game sand timer.
