See Me

by Nicholas Sparks

  "Yes, I'm sure. I'm leaving anyway."

  "But don't you think Ken should be held accountable? At least a little? For all the stress he caused you?"

  "I guess. But like I said, I don't want to go to the EEOC."

  Jill smiled. "They don't know that."

  "What are you going to say?"

  "Exactly what should be said. And whatever you do, let me do all the talking. Don't say a word."

  Before she even realized what was happening, Jill was marching toward Barney's office, Maria racing just to keep up with her. Barney's door was closed, but that didn't deter Jill in the slightest.

  Barney and Ken, occupying the same seats they'd been in only minutes earlier, were startled by Jill's sudden appearance.

  "What's going on? We're in a meeting--" Barney began, but Jill strode into the office, Maria right behind her.

  "Would you mind closing the door, Maria?" Jill's voice was steady and professional, but determined. Maria realized she'd never heard her like this.

  "Did you hear me, Jill?" Barney asked.

  "I think you need to hear me."

  "We're supposed to interview another paralegal in five minutes."

  "Tell her that she's going to have to wait. You'll want to hear what I have to say. It's about the lawsuit and it concerns both of you."

  Ken remained silent and Maria watched as he paled. Barney stared at her before finally reaching for his phone; Maria listened as he did as Jill instructed. After hanging up the phone, he stood from his seat. "Let me bring over the chair from the window--" he began, but Jill shook her head sharply.

  "We'll stand," she said.

  If Ken didn't understand what that meant, there was no question in Maria's mind that Barney did. She saw an ever-so-slight lifting of his eyebrows and assumed he was doing some rapid mental calculations. Most people would likely have taken their seat again, but Barney understood the value of maintaining eye level, even if Ken did not. He stood straighter.

  "You said this matter concerns the firm?"

  "Actually, I said that it concerns the both of you. But yes, in the end, it concerns the firm as well."

  "I'm glad you came by, then," he said, the drawl and syrupy cadence returning. "We just had a discussion with Maria about the false allegations, as I'm sure you're aware, and I'm confident that Maria will do what's right for all involved."

  "You shouldn't be quite so confident," Jill countered. "I wanted you two to be the first to know that Maria just informed me that Ken Martenson has been engaging in conduct that any jury would construe as sexual harassment and that she is strongly considering filing a report with the EEOC as a preliminary to filing her own lawsuit."

  "That's not true!" Ken erupted, the first words Maria had heard him speak all day.

  Jill turned toward him, her tone as even as before. "You told her she should try harder to be a team player. That having you in her corner could help her when she came up for partner. And then you groped her."

  "I did no such thing!"

  "You touched her inappropriately, on her neck and chest."

  "I... I only touched her shoulder."

  "So you admit to touching her? And keeping your hands on her even though she clearly found it offensive?"

  With her words, Ken realized it was probably better to shut his mouth, and he turned toward Barney. If Barney was angered by what Jill had said, he didn't show it.

  "Maria made no claim of sexual harassment in our meeting today, nor in fact has she ever said anything to me in all the months she's been working here."

  "Why would she? She knew you'd cover for him. Just like before, when the other sexual harassment cases were settled."

  Barney drew a long breath. "I'm sure there's been some sort of misunderstanding and we'll be able to work this out amicably. There is no reason to resort to threats."

  "I haven't resorted to threats. In fact, if anything, you should be thankful that we're here so you aren't surprised."

  "I am," he agreed. "I do think we could discuss the matter more civilly if we take our seats. I would like to hear what Maria has to say."

  "I'm sure you would. We'll let you read her statement in detail as soon as it's filed. For now, I'll speak for her."

  Ken's eyes went wide, but Barney simply looked at Jill.

  "You do understand that you can't represent Maria for obvious conflict-of-interest reasons?"

  "I'm here as her friend."

  "I'm not sure that makes a difference."

  "Then let's start with this: Both Maria and I will be leaving the firm. We had no intention of informing you of that today, but considering that Maria can additionally make a case for retaliation, I thought it best to get it over with now."

  For the first time, even Barney wasn't sure what to say. He looked from Jill to Maria and back to Jill. "Did you say you're both leaving the firm?"

  "Yes."

  "Where will you be working?"

  "That's not the issue we're discussing. Right now, we're talking about the lawsuit Maria intends to file. We all know that the allegations being made by Lynn and the others are serious, and can you imagine how much more heft their cases will have when Maria comes forward as well?"

  "But I didn't do anything," Ken mumbled. Barney merely glared at him.

  "Do you think anyone will believe that? After everything the others say in court? But of course, it won't get that far. Everyone in this room knows that you're going to settle. These cases are almost always settled. I'm not sure I can say the same for Maria. She was pretty upset when she spoke with me. Though I won't be her counsel on this case, my suspicion is that she may elect to take this as far as it can go."

  Barney straightened his jacket. "I'm assuming that you're here not simply to inform us in advance that you're going to file or that you're leaving. I assume you're here because you would like to resolve this matter."

  "Why would you think that?"

  "There is nothing to be gained by telling us in advance that you intend to make a report with the EEOC."

  "Maybe I just felt a remaining bit of loyalty to the firm."

  "Perhaps."

  "Or maybe I just wanted Ken to know that in addition to ruining the firm and having his savings wiped out, he's probably going to have to sell that ridiculous car of his by the time Maria is through with him."

  Ken moaned ever so slightly. Barney ignored it.

  "How can we resolve this?"

  "For starters, Maria wants six weeks of vacation this year."

  "Why would she want six weeks' vacation when she's planning on leaving?"

  "Because it's on her bucket list. Because Ken is an ass. Because yesterday, she saw a rainbow when she was walking by a yard with the sprinklers on. Because Maria had to work evenings and weekends because of you and so she hasn't had a day off since she's been here. My point is, it doesn't matter why she wants it. She does, and that's that."

  "First-year employees are only entitled to a week."

  "Then make an exception. Paid vacation, mind you, which will be added to her final check."

  Ken was about to say something, but Barney held up his hand to stop him. "Anything else?"

  "Yes. As far as a two-week notice goes? That's out. Today is Maria's last day and she won't be coming back. She gets paid for these two weeks as well."

  Barney looked like he had eaten something unpleasant. "Is that all? Two months' salary?"

  "Not quite. For her mental suffering, she needs a bonus. Let's make it... three additional months' salary on top of those two months."

  Barney was quiet. "And in exchange for that?"

  "I'll have to talk it over with her, but I'm fairly certain you'll never hear anything from her about any of Ken's deviant behavior. No reports, no lawsuits. Just over and done and we'll go our own separate ways."

  Barney was quiet, probably debating how serious Maria might be about all of this. Jill, however, knew exactly what he was thinking.

  "She's not bluffing, Barney. You know
how Ken is. You know what he's done to others and you also know that he sexually harassed Maria. More than that, you know we're not talking about a lot of money here. Essentially, she's offering you a gift because as much as she despises Ken, she has great respect for you."

  "And the affidavit?"

  "Don't even go there," Jill warned. "Maria is not going to lie. However, she won't sign an affidavit as to what actually happened. It'll just be forgotten."

  "And if she's deposed by the other litigants?"

  "She'll be on the planet Jupiter by then, so there's no reason to worry."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Oh." She smiled. "Sorry. I thought we'd detoured into fantasy land."

  "Fantasy?"

  "You and I both know she won't get deposed because you're not going to let it get that far. You'll end up settling. You have to, or it's going to cost you a fortune, even if you win."

  Barney glanced at Ken, then back to Jill. "May I ask what your demands are? Since you'll be leaving the firm as well?"

  "Only one, and it's not about money," Jill answered. "In exchange, I'll finish out the next couple of weeks here just as I planned to do, work with the partners to make sure any of my clients barely notice the transition, and after that, I'll move on."

  "What's the one demand?"

  "I'd like you to throw me a small going-away party here at the office. Nothing fancy--just a cake at lunch or whatever--but I'd like the chance to say good-bye to everyone in one fell swoop. Obviously, until then, I think we all know it would be best to keep our departure as quiet as possible. The other partners have to know, but I don't want to start a stampede of employees racing for the exits. Believe it or not, I hope you get this settled and are able to put it behind you as quickly and quietly as possible. There are a lot of good people here."

  While Barney may have appreciated Jill's sentiment, Maria saw him twitch as he brought a hand to his chin. "Five months paid for Maria is a bit high. I'm sure the partners will balk at that. Now, three months I could probably swing..."

  "Don't misinterpret my high hopes for others here as a chance to negotiate, because we aren't negotiating. This is a one-time, take-it-or-leave-it offer. Which ends the moment that Maria and I walk out the door and she starts on the EEOC paperwork. Frankly, she's asking for far less than what you're going to have to shell out to the others. So right now, you should be thanking her, not trying to lowball."

  Barney took his time before answering. "I'd still have to talk to the other partners," he finally said. "I can't make this kind of decision on my own."

  "Sure you can. We both know the partners will follow your lead, so let's stop playing games, all right? Are you in or out?"

  "Five months' salary?" Maria exclaimed. They were standing in the parking lot near Maria's car. A few minutes earlier, Maria had stashed the few personal items she'd had in the office--primarily photographs of her family and a few she'd taken while paddleboarding--into a small box and had carried it outside, placing it in the trunk. At Barney's request, she hadn't said good-bye to anyone, nor had anyone seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary regarding her departure. Jill had been waiting for her.

  Jill smiled. "Pretty good, huh?"

  Truthfully, she was reeling. No more Ken; no more weekends trying to keep up with Barney's demands, and five months' salary, straight into her savings account. She'd never, ever had anything close to that; what had just happened was akin to buying a winning scratch-off lottery ticket. "I'm still in shock."

  "I probably could have gotten you more."

  "That's more than enough. I feel guilty for getting that much."

  "Don't feel bad. Because, believe it or not, you were sexually harassed. It may not have been as obvious to you as it was to others, but you were. You deserve this. And believe me when I say that Barney is breathing a massive sigh of relief right now, or we wouldn't be standing here doing a mini-celebration."

  "Thank you so much."

  "You don't have to thank me. If our positions were reversed, you would have done it for me."

  "I'm nowhere near as good as you are. You took on Barney. And you won."

  Jill offered a sheepish grin. "And you want to know the crazy thing?"

  "What's that?"

  "Leslie is way, way better than me."

  The thought made Maria's head spin. "Thank you again for taking a chance on me."

  "You're welcome. But I know exactly what I'm getting."

  Maria motioned toward the building. "It's strange to think that I'm not going to work tomorrow. And most likely, I will never walk through those doors again. It happened so... fast."

  "Like what they say about bankruptcy? It happened slow at first and then all at once?"

  Maria nodded. "I guess. As much as I dislike what Barney was trying to do just now, I still hope he'll be okay."

  "Barney's the one attorney you never have to worry about. He'll be fine, no matter what. And between you and me? It wouldn't surprise me if he leaves the firm, too."

  "Why would he leave?"

  "Because he can. And would you want to keep working with Ken?"

  Maria didn't answer, but then again she didn't have to. Jill was right, and while Maria was still trying to process her day, she suddenly found herself thinking about Lester Manning and the things Margolis had told her. She crossed her arms.

  "What would you do if you were me? About Lester, I mean?" Maria asked.

  "I don't think you know enough yet to reach any conclusions. I know that probably doesn't help you, but..."

  She trailed off, and Maria couldn't blame her, since even to her, the pieces simply didn't fit.

  Maria drove through heavy traffic to Mayfaire, an upscale shopping complex. As she drove, she tried to process the fact that she wouldn't be heading in to work tomorrow, or even on Monday. The last time that had happened had been after she'd quit her job in Charlotte...

  She shook her head, forcing the thought away. She knew exactly where it would lead, and the last thing she wanted was to think about Lester or the boyfriend or anything Margolis had told her, since it would lead exactly nowhere. Unless confusion was a place.

  No more Ken, she marveled. No more weekends that Barney could ruin. In two weeks, she'd be working with Jill. And five months' salary. On the career front, she doubted it was possible for things to get any better, and that called for a celebration of sorts, maybe even a splurge. She could trade in her car and get something sportier--as long as it wasn't a red Corvette--but as quickly as the thought entered her mind, she knew it was just a fantasy. She was too frugal and she had no intention of trying to explain to her dad why she'd bought a car instead of paying down some of the student debt she owed from law school or opening an investment account. Or simply saving the money, since she'd probably need to buy into the partnership in a few years.

  Lost in the events of today was the idea that she could actually be a partner at a law firm someday--in her early thirties, even. Whoever could have predicted that?

  By the time she reached Mayfaire, dusk had settled in. She texted Serena that she'd get to the house a few minutes before seven, but not to hold up dinner on her account.

  Seconds later, her phone dinged with Serena's response. I'll just get there late, too. I'd hate for you to miss any of the scintillating conversation!

  Maria smiled. She texted her parents and let them know when she'd arrive, then headed toward Williams-Sonoma. It was always a bit challenging to get her mom something special--Carmen always fretted about money spent on her, especially by her children--but since a new car was out of the question, Maria figured she could splurge a bit on some new pots and pans. Despite the restaurant and her own love of cooking, her mom had never considered buying new cookware. What she did have had been around since Maria was in elementary school. Or maybe even longer than that.

  The shopping expedition ended up being more of a splurge than she'd planned. High-quality cookware was expensive, but Maria felt good about it. Her parents had p
aid for private schooling, a used car at sixteen that lasted until she got the one she owned now, four years of college, and half of law school, and never once had she done something like this. She knew her mom might fret--her dad would say nothing--but she deserved it.

  She loaded the gifts in the trunk, next to the box of personal effects. Thankfully, the traffic had mostly cleared out. Before starting the car, she texted Serena that she was fifteen minutes away, and then realized she hadn't yet told Colin what had happened at the office. She still felt the need to celebrate and with whom better than him? Later, at his place or hers... Who knew that money could be an aphrodisiac?

  Knowing he was probably behind the bar already, she texted him and asked that he call when he had the chance. He'd probably work until around ten or eleven, and that would give her enough time after leaving her parents' to head back home, light a couple of candles, maybe even have a glass of wine. She knew it would end up being a late night, but he didn't have class in the morning and she didn't have to go to work, so why did it matter?

  She set the phone on the passenger seat and headed toward her parents' house. After turning into the neighborhood, she found herself wondering how many times in her life she'd made that exact turn. Tens of thousands, probably, she thought, which amazed her, as did the neighborhood itself. While people had moved in and moved out, the houses seemed largely unaffected by the passage of time, and every corner brought with it memories: lemonade stands or roller-skating, driveway fireworks on the Fourth of July. Trick-or-treating. Walking home with friends. Her phone began to ring, disrupting the flow of images. Glancing over, she saw Colin's name and answered with a smile.

  "Hey," she said. "I didn't think you were allowed to make calls while at work."

  "I'm not supposed to, but I saw your text. I asked the other bartender to cover for me for a few minutes. Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I'm almost at Mom and Dad's."

  "I thought you were supposed to be there already."

  "I had to buy my mom a gift first and that took forever," she said. "But hey--you'll never guess what happened today."

  "Did Margolis call again?"

  "No. It's about work," she said, and as she approached her parents' home, she told Colin what had transpired. "Which means I'm kinda rich right now."