I grinned, feeling a little awkward, as if I’d just invaded someone’s private time. “Sorry, I didn’t want to make you jump.”
She blinked a couple of times as if focusing and smiled back. “You almost didn’t. I had no idea the door had even opened. How was your meeting with David Hartford?”
I pushed my hands in my pockets and shrugged. “Interesting.”
“Jackson explained the case briefly to me at lunch. Sounds interesting.” She stood up and walked towards me in a way that suggested she’d not properly moved for an hour or two. It was easy to get lost in work sometimes and lose track of time.
She wasn’t tall, coming just to my shoulder, and she was slim, making me feel broader and bulkier. Her suit looked tailored and skimmed curves I was trying not to look at, keeping my eyes on hers.
"It is. I don't know if he'll go with us though."
"Oh? I thought it was a given from what Jackson said." She looked surprised.
I gave a small shrug. “I didn’t lick his arse in the manner he wanted.”
Her serious expression broke into a smile that lit up her whole face. She folded her arms and bit her bottom lip, seemingly trying not to laugh.
“Seriously, he didn’t like that I was young, and he tried to negotiate cheaper rates. He also acted like a lech with the woman who owns the café where we were.” I should be putting on a more professional front, but I didn’t see the point. We were going to be sharing an office and working together; she was going to find out exactly what I was like at some point.
There was a moment of quiet. “Good. It’s too easy sometimes to let clients think they own us because they’re paying.”
“You don’t need to trade your morals in for a case. No one expects that here.”
She gave one, almost unnoticeable nod. “That’s why I wanted to work for this firm. Principles.”
I grinned. “Some of us have too many, such as Max.”
“He seems pretty good to work with. So does Jackson.”
I felt my smile fade. Her words had riled something in me and I didn’t like it. She was working in my department and it should be me who talked her through things, not Max or Jackson. Especially not Max.
But then, I’d avoided her since the morning. “They’re both decent. I’m better though.”
“Really?” She looked serious again. “You’ll have to prove it, I guess.”
I wanted to get every certificate I owned out of my files and line them up on her desk for her to see, then I wanted to have my mother send over my school reports, any negative comments redacted, and read them out to her and I didn’t know why.
She was my newest colleague, my business partner, and it didn’t matter that I wanted to take hold of a handful of that thick, silken red hair and wrap it round my fist; I was flying solo until I knew I was comfortable in my own skin.
No distractions.
Not even a red-headed one.
I chose to ignore her battle cry. “Shall I talk you through the current files that are open. I know you’re going to need the assistants helping out with the files you brought, so we can see who’s best suited to each and tomorrow you can start bringing them up to speed.”
We sat down next to each other at the small conference table that was in the office which was usually covered in files and paper, but had been tidied up each evening since January. The office itself was organised and lacked my usual spill of paperwork, partly because I knew I was going to be sharing it, but also because I needed to throw off the mantle of being a messy teenager that I’d worn even though it was over a decade since I’d actually been that age.
I talked Georgia through each of the files, knowing more about some than others. The assistant solicitors were recently qualified and needed more oversight, so their cases I knew as well as them, stopping them from cocking up and making stupid mistakes. The associates’ cases I knew less well, not needing to micromanage.
“This could go horribly wrong.” Georgia pointed to a note I’d made.
I was writing things down as we talked so we could both refer back.
“What do you mean?”
“I had a case really similar which backfired because the client didn’t disclose another debt they’d held. If they’ve paid the supplier, then they wouldn’t be in this position now. That supplier they’ve mentioned will counter claim. I’ve been against them before.”
We spent another ten minutes going through the details, arguing potential scenarios and coming up with a game plan that I’d put forward to Liane who was leading on the file tomorrow.
