“Maybe.”
“Tell me what’s got you so busy that you can’t take lunch at a decent time,” I prodded as I squeezed Italian dressing onto my salad.
“I could be asking you the same thing. It’s two, and it looks like you’re just sitting down to have lunch also.”
“Touché.”
“Busy life of an entrepreneur, huh?”
I nodded, waiting until I swallowed my food to speak. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“What do you like most about owning your own business?”
I wiped my mouth, taking time to contemplate my answer. “The freedom, of course. I don’t have any limits to what I can or can’t do. As long as it’s all legal,” I jibed. “But yeah, one of the things I always hated about school or working for someone else is it was always on their schedule. Now, I get to make my own schedule, do things when and how I want them done.”
She snorted. “That doesn’t seem controlling at all.”
“Whatever,” I shrugged. “I like shit a certain way. I’m not a micromanager though. I’ve found I can’t be an effective business owner if I spend my days trying to manage what everyone else is doing. I hire smart, competent people and let them do what they do. They consult me when things need to be changed or improved, but the day-to-day operations are their responsibility. And if the numbers don’t look good, then they have me to answer to.”
She nodded. “Seems fair.”
“And what about you? Why family law?” I waited for her to finish chewing the forkful of food she’d just taken.
“Because it’s the hardest,” she stated casually.
The curious look on my face must’ve urged her to continue.
“I started out in entertainment law, right after I moved to L.A. I mean, it’s L.A., right? What other type of law would I practice, and considering my family history…” She trailed off, but I knew she was referring to the fact that her father was one of the top entertainment lawyers in the country, and Jason had followed in his footsteps. “But then one day, a wealthy female business client of mine said she needed to file for divorce. She was a major producer in Hollywood, one of the few women at her level,” she noted. “So, I found myself spending my time researching divorce and family law in California.
“Before I knew it, it consumed me. Family law is extremely complicated. You wouldn’t believe how some divorces can drag on for years. I once worked a case in which the client came to me after being in and out of divorce court for almost a decade. And they didn’t even have kids! Family law is complicated for two reasons. One, the laws are still developing and vary greatly from state to state. What works in California may not work in Texas. And two, the feelings involved. You know how one of the most dangerous calls for a police officer to go on is a domestic dispute, because emotions are running high and the likelihood of violence increases dramatically?” she paused, waiting for me to answer.
I nodded.
“It’s pretty much the same for divorce attorneys. Imagine being the one who is in the middle of splitting up a ten or twenty-year relationship with children involved, and one or both the spouses have been cheated on. I had the spouse of a client boldly bring his mistress to a deposition.” She shook her head. “When my client saw the huge rock he’d put on the mistress’s finger, she flipped out. That was a day.” She laughed. “And get this.”
“What?” I leaned in, waiting to hear.
“Eighteen months later, I became the divorce attorney for that same mistress.”
“Get the hell outta here!”
“I’m dead serious. People are a mess.”
“With entertainment like that, no wonder you enjoy it.”
She gazed out the window, watching people as they passed. “Yeah, it has its moments.” She turned back to face me. “Most of the time it’s sad. Under all the yelling and fighting are really just hurt people, you know?”
“I can imagine.”
She checked her cell phone. “I have to go.” She gathered up her trash and took the final sip from her can of diet soda.
“Yeah, me too.” Checking my watch, I hadn’t realized how the time had gotten away from me. I had another meeting across town in about thirty minutes.
“Thanks for lunch,” she said as we stood outside her office building.
“You’re welcome. We should do this again, but dinner instead,” I eased in. The way her eyes bulged at that, you would’ve thought I’d just kicked her puppy.
“Uh, you mean like a date?”
