This was what I’d needed; someone who could offer a challenge in the detail and didn’t just back down because of my surname.
“What about this?” I gave her the outline of a case that had been plaguing me. The client was difficult and just expected to click his fingers and have everything dealt with. Part of what was making it so difficult was his lack of understanding and expectation that we could pick up the phone to him no matter what day or time.
She twisted her hair round her hand absently.
I tried not to be jealous of her hand.
“I’d bring him in for a sit-down meeting and and lay down professional expectations, with the final line that if he doesn’t stick to them, he’ll have to find representation elsewhere. I’d also move the case to an associate. They won’t need their hand holding as much as an assistant.” Her phone vibrated on the table but she ignored it, tapping her pencil instead.
“He’s been in before, but maybe we weren’t blunt enough.”
“So be blunt. Sometimes we have to be clear rather than kind.” She shrugged. Her phone vibrated again, this time for longer as a call came through. Again she ignored it.
“Like David Hartford today. Max thinks he’ll stay with us.”
“He will, because he knows you’ll tolerate his bullshit. You calling him out on it might’ve been a bit of a test to see how much you stood up for yourself? That case is not going to be easy. Have you got a forensic accountant in?”
I nodded. “He’s a nice bloke. You’ll like him. Very into his work and tends to email first thing in the morning.”
“Efficient. I appreciate that.” Her phone vibrated again, the screen lighting up with a text. “I’m really sorry – I need to read this.”
“Sounds like someone really needs to get hold of you.” It occurred to me that I had no idea whether she was single, married, straight, gay – we hadn’t done anything other than talk about work, which I supposed was good. This was a professional relationship and we didn’t need to know the ins and outs of each other's private lives.
But I was still curious.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Seph, but I’ve got an emergency. I really have to go.” She was out of her chair before she’d even finished her sentence, grabbing her bag and coat. “I can get in early tomorrow if you want to carry on with this.”
“Sure.” It would’ve been better if we could finish it now and I wanted to tell her that.
I wasn’t arrogant. I didn’t think that because I was an owner of the firm, that because this was my family’s firm, I should be treated like a king, but I was surprised.
It was her first day – rushing off halfway through a meeting wasn’t good form.
I massaged the back of my neck, and closed my eyes, trying to shrug off a weighted cloud of disappointment. I needed a partner who could match my work ethic, not piss off because something urgent had come up.
Standing up, I eyed the file that Jackson had snuck in with earlier, not even interrupting mine and Georgia’s conversation, just leaving it on my desk. I knew what it was; David Hartford had made his mind up and he was staying with us.
I walked over there and sat down, starting to read through the notes that Jackson had made, photocopies and print outs of documents logically ordered.
Georgia was forced out of my brain by the words, and I started to lose myself in litigation, forgetting about her red hair and her laugh, but the itch of irritation of her leaving so suddenly didn’t quite go.
It remained there like the very last part of a splinter that you just can’t remove.
Chapter Five
Georgia
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I’d happily throw in a few fucks too, but running in heels had me breathless, and getting across Borough market at six in the evening when the streets were full of pedestrians was a bit like being a kamikaze sprinter, just one who hadn’t had enough time to do any cardio.
Once upon a time I’d religiously attended yoga and spin classes like my place in heaven depended on it. Nowadays, those classes were but a fond memory, until days like today when I needed my lungs to be able to not pack up on me and my legs to feel a little less like jelly after just three blocks.
Thankfully, my heels were minimal, because age and experience had given me some sense and I knew well enough by now that emergencies could happen at any time. Especially on your first day of a new job.
Fuck.
This was not the impression I’d wanted to make on Joseph Callaghan. I’d expected us to be talking through cases for at least another couple of hours, me going through the files I’d brought with me, showing off – because that was what I needed to do to justify my employment right now – and impressing him. Seph may’ve been a year or so younger than me, but his CV was longer, and his influence was going to be crucial on my career for the next few years.
