by Jamie Knight
Anna doesn’t keep me waiting long, but the hold gives me a little extra time to get my thoughts together. I’ve been making a lot of these calls to clients lately — too many really.
Ever since I have taken over the law firm, things have not been going so well. Double S was always a little rocky when my mom was running it, but she kept us afloat. She wanted me to be her partner, then take over, but her unexpected heart attack brought that on sooner than I was anticipating. She’s gone. I’m not even a lawyer yet — almost, still in school and so close to taking the bar — but I need a little more time. The thing is most clients don’t want to wait.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Peter. It’s Gemma Samuels from Samuels & Samuels Law.”
“Yes, Gemma, I know who you are.”
“Of course, of course.”
I’m already flustered, which isn’t good. It’s not like Peter is acting mean or anything. He does know me.
When Mom was still alive, I did some work for her preparing briefs and other legal aid stuff. She had quite a few employees, actually, but now it’s down to me and Angela, the legal aid. Angie is always hanging out in the back. She says she’s writing briefs, but I don’t know if I believe her. Either way, it feels like I’m doing all of the work around here.
I release the silk wadded up in my palm. “Um, I’m calling because I got your message. I know a lot of things are changing at the firm, and because of that, certain services have been halted, but I want to reassure you that everything will be up and running like it used to in just a little while.”
There’s silence on the other end, which is never a good sign. After making a bunch of these calls, I’ve picked up on the bad signs.
“Gemma,” the CEO sighs. “I worked with your mother for a long time and always loved her way of doing things. I am truly sorry for your loss. However, given the current circumstances, it makes the most sense to find a new lawyer. If we could hold out a little longer, I’d definitely consider staying with you, but we’re small ourselves, and I need to keep things moving on our end.”
I try to not let my shoulders drop, but they do. Peter is just another no in a long line of dismissals. Double S is sinking fast. At this rate, I won’t even have the funds to stay open until I pass the Bar.
“Of course, Peter. I understand. Thanks, and good luck with everything.”
I let him say goodbye before hanging up. I cannot begin to put into words how devastated I am. I can’t blame my mom’s former clients for abandoning ship. We’re not even a functioning law firm at this point. I was hoping the goodwill the firm had fostered throughout the years would mean something, but when it comes to the bottom line, it will all be thrown out the window.
Leaning back in my chair, I clench my hands to my head in frustration. I’ve already been through too many companies in our Rolodex. There was still a whole bunch more to call. I know there’s an end to the list, but that isn’t comforting because when I reach the end, there’s really nowhere else for me to go.
I wish I could get Angela to make these calls. The former beauty queen is always talking about how much she likes to be on the phone, and she’s often doing something on her cell. I’d rather be in the courtroom, getting my hands dirty. It’s the whole reason I got into law. I mean, part of it was the fact that my mom was a lawyer. Watching her enjoy helping people so much made me want to pursue law for myself. But the real driving force, what made me stay was the act of practicing law. Some people would say it’s boring, and it is for some, but for me, becoming a lawyer is everything.
The reason I haven’t given Angela the task of calling our clients is because I’m worried she won’t provide the calls the needed enthusiasm. The girl isn’t a legal aid because she has a passion for law, that much I can tell.
I’m just about ready to give up and let my head sink down to the desk, but I can’t. This is too important. Taking a break is fine, but giving up would be the end of Samuels & Samuels. Mom would never forgive me. Hell, I would never forgive myself.
Maybe something on the internet will give me a brief distraction to help me calm down. I go straight to my news app because why not stress myself out more with whatever chaotic thing is going on in the world. The first couple of articles are about usual: politics, the climate, what celebrity was seen kissing who. None of it catches my interest, but then I come upon an article about Davies & Sons.
Ugh.
Just saying that name upsets me. Run by the asshole Daniel Davies and his two brothers, Davies & Sons is one of our rival firms, though they’ve never taken our little independent outfit very seriously. Before Dan took over, my mom dealt with his dad, who was, for lack of a better word, a total asshat. I’d say Dan is marginally better, but only because he isn’t his father. I only know him through reputation, and that is more than enough. He’s the cocky asshole who got everything handed to him on a silver platter because of daddy’s money.
Piece of shit.
I click on the article because I am curious despite my best efforts. “Davies & Sons working with McKenzie & Smith Technologies to expand the in-house legal department.”
What the fuck? We’ve done work for McKenzie & Smith. I was the principal liaison for that work. It’s not totally crazy for a company to go for multiple consults, but they didn’t even contact me to see if I could help out. I know we left on good terms because they continued to send us the occasional job. But to not even call?
Dan must have poached them! Of course, the snake would do something like that. They were our client. We didn’t have an exclusive contract with them, but still! Ugh! I can’t stand rich, entitled jerks like Daniel Davies!
I drop my phone because I can’t read this article anymore. It’ll just make me angrier and angrier. I need to talk to someone who will understand. I pull up Poppy’s number and shoot her a quick text. She’s always willing to listen to my rants, no matter how dumb they are.
Oh my God, girl! What happened?
There’s a reason Poppy is my best friend. I’m sure she’s at work, just like I am, but if she’s got a spare minute, she will join me in some gossip and trash talk.
I just found this article. Davies & Sons STOLE one of our clients!
I link the article as well, so Poppy can peruse at pleasure (or annoyance). She doesn’t take too much time longer to get back to me. The ding of the text notification has me jumping in my seat with excitement.
I can’t believe this article. They’re treating this merger like it’s a good thing. Oh! Two big companies coming together to make a bigger company. Bullshit! Like it’s not going to affect the already struggling small businesses in Manhattan. It’s like they can never see beyond the dollar signs.
Poppy is my only good friend. I was always a bit of an introvert with a touch of social anxiety, so making friends is not my strong suit. Finding Poppy was one of the greatest things to happen to me. She’s gotten me through so much.
Oh my God, that’s what I was thinking! They even used this stupid photo of Daniel like he’s some kind of hero and not a greedy pig.
I take a screenshot of the full-page photo used of that dumb idiot and send it to Poppy. I look at the picture as it pops up into our text conversation. Another thing that makes Dan Davies so Goddamn annoying is the fact that he’s a hot greedy pig. At least six-foot-six, with shoulders and muscles like a linebacker, a square jaw, and reddish-brown hair, the man is definitely sexy. I mean, that doesn’t even matter, but he is the definition of masculine. I’m well aware that women throw themselves at him. I mean, he’s rich and handsome, and for some people, that’s all it takes.
But I know better. His reputation as a demanding, controlling jerk is enough to keep me far, far away.
My phone dings again, and I see the text response from Poppy. She is thinking along the same lines as me because she says some not so safe for work things about Daniel Davies.
Get your mind out of the gutter, Poppy! Before you drag me down there with you!
; I’m about to keep cutting it up with my friend, but I hear Angela emerging from the back. I want to lead by example, so I tell Poppy I’ve got to get back to work and that we should talk later. I quickly hide my phone so that Angie doesn’t see me with it. She’s already a handful to work with. She doesn’t need any more excuses to not do work.
Looks like it’s back to lamenting the current status of Samuel & Samuels coupled with thinking of any possible way to weather this current storm. Maybe I can convince Angela to pitch in just a little bit.
Chapter Two - Gemma
“Hi, Angela!” Smiling, I awkwardly shuffle into the back office, finding a seat on a corner of a desk that isn’t covered in boxes full of files.
I’ve been trying to remain chipper ever since I’ve taken over double S. However, false happiness doesn’t keep our clients, so a lot of the employees went to different firms. Angela is the only one who stayed, mainly because she doesn’t need the money. She has other ways of keeping herself afloat, but I am grateful she decided to stay. Having at least one employee has made me feel like less of a failure.
This employee doesn’t bother to look up from her toenails, which she is painting a bright blue. Her shiny, dark brown hair shields some of her face. “Hi, Gemma. How did the phone call go?”
“Um, not so well. Looks like we’ve lost Peter. I really appreciate you staying through all these changes. I understand it can be a bit of an uncertain time, and I would love to be able to keep the firm open, even though it seems more and more impossible with each passing day.” My speech was meant to be rousing, but it just ended up really depressing at the end.
“I mean, law firms are hard to run,” Angela shrugs, taking a pause with the tiny little paintbrush in the air. “Like any business isn’t easy when you’re just starting out or you don’t have a lot of capital. My boyfriend is always talking about the different companies he’s looking to acquire and how so many places fail even when they have good ideas. Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw, I guess.” She goes back to painting her toes.
“I guess,” I sigh. Feeling rather defeated, I lean my head back towards the wall. My fingers are clutched around the corner of my blouse again — a nervous habit.
Today is really starting to be a downer. First, Peter, then that article about Davies & Sons, and now Angela and I end up going through a list of things that can and are going wrong.
She sits back, swinging her dark hair over her shoulder. “I mean, we could just get jobs at someplace like Davies & Sons. It’s not always the worst thing to give up, right?” she suggests.
A flash of anger runs through my body like a heatwave, but it dissipates quickly in the face of my depression. “Maybe… I don’t know.” I guess I understand where Angela is coming from. She is thinking logically, but closing the firm is what I dread the most.
More generally, I find big firms to be impersonal. I feel like if I worked at one, I’d never get to connect with clients. The bigger part of my fear is that this is something my mom left me. I’d feel like such a failure if I let one of her most significant accomplishments just go up in smoke like that. Outside of raising me, my mother didn’t do much else besides work. It would be like losing her all over again if I was forced to close double S. I’m not sure if I could stomach that.
I sigh. “I don’t know if you saw the article, but Dan Davies is merging his firm with McKenzie teach.”
“Uh, no, I don’t really read news like that.” Angie shrugs.
“I’m only bringing it up because I’m sure you’ve thought about getting another job, not that I could blame you.”
Angela looks at me. I notice, once again, the amount of makeup she is wearing. The former beauty queen doesn’t seem upset, but she’s also not trying to reassure me either. Instead, she shrugs and gives me a small smile. “It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day, at least for me. Like, working in general, it’s not important. I just look for ways to keep busy. You know what I mean? Work interrupts my downtime. It gives me variety.”
“Downtime? Like with a book?”
Angela and I have never bonded over anything, but maybe now is the time.
But she furrows her perfectly arched brows instead. Her stare blank. “No, with the Real Housewives.” She shakes her head like she has no idea what I was talking about and turns her attention back to her toes.
Looks like I missed out on any chance of bonding with the only other person I work with. It’s okay. We don’t really have much in common anyway.
As I head back to the front, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to have a successful law firm. Everything has a way of not working out for me, so I’m leaning towards the side of no – which really sucks. Angela’s always doing well because it doesn’t matter how much money she makes. Her boyfriend is a financial advisor and super rich. Maybe I should get myself a sugar daddy. Having someone bankrolling my life would really solve a whole lot.
But who would want to be my sugar daddy? It’s not like I have anything particularly interesting to offer. I’ve never even had a serious boyfriend. I just have such a hard time trusting guys. My dad left my mom, and that just hit me hard. My mom struggled a lot before she was able to open her own law firm. I never want to be financially dependent on a man. I need to keep this business running, so I can take care of myself.
I would like to have sex, though. A downside to not trusting people is the sexlessness. At least for me. I came close with one guy, once, but he fucked it up, so there’s that. Or maybe I fucked it up. Who knows? Either way, I did not get fucked.
Another reason why no man would ever want to be my sugar daddy. Who wants to pay for the lifestyle of a virgin?
I wonder what it would be like. Poppy has told me it can be great or horrible or anywhere in between. And I’ve read the romance novels, seen the movies, but I want to know what sex would be like for me. Everyone’s different, so I can’t know until I’ve done it.
A little secret shame of mine is that I’ve thought about Daniel Davies from time to time in that not so PG sense. It’s not like it’s actually him I’m thinking about. It’s just his face.
His beautiful, beautiful face. Those gorgeous, golden-brown eyes of his looking down at me while he’s on top. Or maybe I’m on top. It doesn’t really matter because his dick is in me. I’m sure he knows how to use it and use it well. He’s always with this woman or that woman. I would just be the next in line, in this fantasy. If we had a sexual encounter, it would mean nothing. It would have to mean nothing.
One of my biggest curiosities is if he would give me a better orgasm than I could give myself. It doesn’t have to be Davies in my fantasy. Whatever man of the week I have on my mind, could his tongue or his cock twist me up so tight I could barely breathe?
Oh, just imagine it.
“Mmmm.” I let out a sigh a little bigger than I realize, which snaps me out of this crazy fantasy.
I can’t be thinking like this. Not while I’m at work. What if someone walks in? I mean, we’ve barely been getting any business, so that’s unlikely, but still. I have to maintain a level of professionalism. I am in charge here, which means acting like the boss.
I wipe my mind of all sexual thoughts. There is actually quite a lot I could be doing here today. There are so many files to sort through, and I still need to be making calls to our clients, un-classily begging them not to leave.
Dan Davies can fuck off to nowhere island for all I care. I have more pressing matters than the size of his dick on my table, and it is time I got back to them.
Chapter Three - Dan
I knew when the merger was complete, the pressure would really be on top of me — and it is. Willian, my oldest brother, is off, vacationing with his new pet, so most of the work has fallen to little brother Jake and me. The days have started blurring into each other as I deal with stack after stack of paperwork.
I need to sign the new employee contracts. I should have done it like a week ago, but, per usual, I put it off for othe
r things that seemed more important. At the very least, it should have been done before the announcement of Davies & Sons joining McKenzie and Smith Tech. It was just some last-minute admin stuff, but that didn’t mean I could just not do it. It’s not like this was going to have any adverse consequences, it just would make me look a little unprofessional.
I’m sure Jake made up whatever excuses he needed to. He’s always been good at that, covering for me and dealing with people. I hate making him do it, but social skills are not my strong suit. I’m trying to be better, but some things still fall through the cracks. Or more like I’ve let a few things slip through the cracks.
I click my pen and sign the damn things — paper after paper — leaving them on my desk, so I don’t forget to give them to Jake later.
There’s a knock on my door as I look into the next pile of paperwork on my desk, and little brother walks in. Jake leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He’s trying out a goatee again, but I hardly notice how dumb it looks because he has annoyance in his golden-brown eyes — eyes the same color as mine.
My two brothers and I look a lot alike. We are all tall and muscular — a gift from our parents. My sister Eileen got the tall gene too. Being a giant makes life interesting. Not many people mess with you. Also, I have to admit, it comes in handy as a lawyer. Imposing is a word often used to describe me. I like that.
“Hey.” Jakey raises his eyebrows at me. His anger is obviously rising since I’ve given him very little attention since he wandered in.
“Hi, I’ve actually got something for you,” I tell him, setting my stack of papers aside and holding up the contracts for him.
Jake takes them from me and looks them over, shaking his head. “You were supposed to sign these last week.” Little brother is fastidious in nature. I’m pretty sure he has never turned in anything late — not even one homework assignment.