Behind Closed Doors

by Anna Stone

Right. “To use Oxford commas. To put a comma before the word ‘and’ at the end of a list.”

  “So, what’s wrong with that sentence?”

  “There should be a comma after the word ‘state.’” Emma said. “I’ll fix it right away.”

  “Before you do that.” Lillian typed something into her laptop. “I want you to read something. Sit down.”

  Emma sat in one of the chairs in front of Lillian’s desk.

  Lillian stood up and brought the laptop over to Emma’s side of the desk. “Read this.”

  Emma leaned in and looked at what was on the screen. It was an article about a case. O’Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy. Lillian leaned back against her desk and crossed one ankle over the other. Her casual body language seemed so unlike the stiff ‘Ms. White’ Emma knew. She began to read. It was hard to concentrate with Lillian watching her with those pale eyes. Emma’s skin tingled.

  “Are you finished?” Lillian asked.

  “Yes,” Emma replied.

  “Explain the case to me. In your own words.”

  “A group of truck drivers filed a class-action suit against their employer for overtime pay. Oakhurst Dairy lost the lawsuit because their employment contract didn’t contain Oxford commas. As a result, one of the clauses was deemed to be ambiguous, so the company was ordered to pay the drivers a ten-million-dollar settlement.” It was an extreme example of a typo costing a client millions.

  “Very good,” Lillian said. She reached out and shut the laptop. “I asked you to read this because I want you to understand that I’m not being pedantic. I’ll never ask you to do something for no reason.”

  Emma nodded.

  “Now go and fix that document.”

  “Yes, Ms. White.” Emma got up to leave.

  “Wait. Sit back down,” Lillian said.

  Emma sat back down obediently.

  “You’re very good at following my instructions. Most people who work for me end up resenting being ordered around all the time. But it doesn’t seem to bother you.”

  Emma shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

  “Do you still want to work for me?”

  “Yes,” Emma replied.

  “Why? This job isn’t easy as I’m sure you’re aware by now.”

  “Because I like the challenge,” Emma said.

  “Yes, you said that already. This isn’t a job interview. I’m not judging you on what you say. Why do you really want to work for me?”

  “Well, I really need a job at the moment,” Emma admitted. “But I really do like working for you.”

  “What do you like about it?” Lillian asked.

  Emma wasn’t sure what to say. “It’s interesting. The work, I mean.”

  Lillian’s lips curled up slightly. She folded her arms over her chest. “Are you sure that’s the only reason you like working for me?”

  Heat spread up Emma’s cheeks. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  Lillian studied Emma silently for a moment. Then she turned back to her laptop. “Forget I said anything.”

  Emma left the room without waiting to be dismissed. What was that about? Pulling herself together, she sat down at her desk and finished off her coffee. As she returned to her work, she realized that Lillian hadn’t told her whether she had the job or not. But it was still early in the day.

  She was glad the weekend was coming up because she needed the time to recuperate. Then she remembered she’d promised her mom that she’d go home for the weekend to check up on things and help out, but Emma didn’t think she could make the two-hour drive without falling asleep at the wheel. Emma would call her mom after work.

  She hoped her family would be able to cope without her. It wasn’t like they really needed Emma anymore. The kids were all teenagers now, old enough to take care of themselves. Plus, her mom had gotten a promotion which left her with more than enough money to hire help if she needed it. That—and the fact that her ex-fiancé lived next door to them—was why Emma had finally moved out. But she still worried about her family, her mom most of all. The kids weren’t the only ones who needed looking after.

  Emma sighed. She could worry about that later.

  Hours passed, and Emma’s list of tasks grew shorter. Five o’clock rolled around but went unnoticed by most of the employees. Hardly anyone at the office left on time, and Emma was no exception. An hour later, Emma finished off the last of the work Lillian had given her and went to Lillian’s office to check in.

  “Here are those files you asked for,” Emma said. “They’ve all been proofread. And I sent out those demand letters.”

  “Did you type up the notes for the Brenner deposition?” Lillian asked.

  “Yes. And I fixed some errors too.”

  “What errors?”

  “The date was wrong in a couple of places. It said December of this year instead of last year. I figured someone made a mistake. That is, unless the case was filed in the future,” she joked.

  Lillian frowned. Emma realized too late that the someone who made the mistake was probably Lillian. She wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping her mouth shut.

  “Good,” Lillian said. “You can go home now.”

  Emma hovered before Lillian’s desk.

  “Do you want something?”

  “It’s Friday,” Emma said. “You said I had till the end of the week to prove that I could handle the job.”

  Silence hung in the air. Emma wondered if Lillian was only now making her decision.

  “I want you here at 8 a.m. sharp on Monday,” Lillian finally said.

  Emma nodded. “Yes, Ms. White.”

  “Goodbye, Emma.”

  Emma smiled to herself as she left Lillian’s office.

  Emma entered her apartment and threw herself down onto the couch, coat, purse, and all. Her excitement about keeping her job had faded once she remembered that she had to call her mom to tell her she wouldn’t be coming home this weekend. Her mom wouldn’t hold it against her, but she’d be sad. When they had spoken earlier in the week, she had been looking forward to Emma’s visit.

  Emma picked up her phone and dialed her mom’s number. After a dozen rings, her mom picked up the phone.

  “Hi, Mom,” Emma said.

  “Emma, it’s good to hear your voice,” her mom said.

  “How are things at home?”

  “It’s a madhouse. The twins are brawling in the living room, Lisa is whining because Margo won’t talk to her, and Margo is sulking because of some boy. So business as usual.”

  Emma smiled. Despite everything, she missed home. She missed the activity, the chaos. Her one-bedroom apartment felt too quiet in comparison. Too empty. She hadn’t had a chance to decorate it, so it didn’t feel lived in yet. And she still didn’t know many people in Chicago. It was a little lonely.

  “How’ve you been doing?” Emma asked her mom.

  “I’m fine, honey.”

  “Have you been keeping up your appointments with Dr. Holden?”

  “Yes. You don’t have to remind me every time you call.”

  “I just worry about you,” Emma said.

  “I know. But you don’t have to,” her mom said. “That’s enough about me. How are you? How’s the job?”

  “I’m good. The job is going well. My boss is very… demanding. I’ve been working overtime every day this week.”

  “Don’t let her work you too hard.”

  Emma almost laughed at the thought of having any control over what Lillian demanded of her.

  There was loud yelling in the background on the other end of the line.

  “That’s just the twins. I’ll deal with them when I get off the phone.” Emma’s mom sighed. “Justin has been a handful lately. He’s been acting up a lot.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Emma said. Just because she’d moved out didn’t mean that she wasn’t still their big sister. Even before her father had died ten years ago, she’d been playing the role of extra parent to her much younger siblings. And she was far
better at handling her teenage brothers’ and sisters’ moods than her mom. Probably because Emma still remembered what it was like to be a teenager.

  “Thanks,” her mom said. “I was never good with boys. Your dad, he was the one who knew how to handle them. He used to entertain his nephews for hours.” Her mom’s voice took on that wistful quality that it always did when she spoke about Emma’s dad.

  “I remember,” Emma said.

  “He was the one who wanted boys in the first place. I wish he’d gotten to see them grow up.”

  “Me too,” Emma said. Her mom had been bringing up her dad a lot more lately, which was never a good sign.

  “Was there a reason you called?” her mom asked.

  “Yes. I can’t make it back there this weekend.”

  “Oh. That’s okay, honey.”

  Emma could hear the disappointment in her mom’s voice even though she tried to hide it. “I’ve been really busy with my new job. I need some time to recharge.”

  “Emma, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” she said.

  Someone shouted in the background again. Emma pulled the phone away from her ear.

  Her mom sighed. “I should go make sure the twins aren’t killing each other. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay. I’ll call you in a couple of days. Look after yourself, Mom.”

  Emma hung up the phone, then sprawled out on the couch. She had no intention of leaving it for the rest of the weekend. She smiled to herself. Despite the exhaustion, she liked her job. It was all new and exciting.

  And she liked working for Lillian. Everything about Lillian captivated her. Her unyielding strength. Her pale blue eyes, which at times seemed ice cold, and at other times seemed to burn like a dangerously hot flame. Her perfect, pink lips…

  It was at that moment that Emma realized exactly what she’d been feeling toward Lillian all this time.

  5

  Lillian

  Lillian entered the restaurant. She was a regular here, along with most of the people in the room. It was the venue of choice for the city’s elite businessmen, execs, and lawyers to hold “business meetings.” Wining and dining clients tended to make them much more amenable.

  However, today her lunch was personal. Lillian only had an hour before she had to get back to work, but it was a welcome change from being stuck in the office. She spotted her friend, a tall, red-haired woman, sitting at a table by the far window.

  “Chelsea,” Lillian sat down across from her. “Good to see you.”

  “Likewise,” Chelsea said.

  Chelsea and Lillian had been friends since law school. They’d been having these monthly lunches for years. Chelsea was the head of in-house counsel at a large property development firm, so her job was just as high pressure as Lillian’s. They both appreciated the chance to de-stress and vent about everything that came with their respective lives.

  “How was the honeymoon?” Lillian asked. Chelsea had just gotten married to the love of her life, a man named Ryan. Personally, Lillian found him insufferable. But for some reason, he made Chelsea happy, which was good enough for Lillian.

  “It was pure bliss.” Chelsea sighed. “Coming back to work after two weeks of relaxation in the Greek Islands was hell. Apparently, the legal department is useless without me. I’ve spent most of this week cleaning up everyone’s messes.”

  A waiter approached the table and took their orders. Lillian ordered a glass of wine to go with her lunch.

  “How are things at AG&W?” Chelsea asked. “Is the new partner still causing problems?”

  “Don’t get me started on Thomas. I had to cover his ass because he didn’t show up for a meeting with a client yesterday. He was off having a drink at some country club and lost track of time.”

  “He sounds charming.”

  “I’ve got my hands full right now. The last thing I need is to waste my time babysitting him. I just picked up a new client—a manufacturing firm. The CEO is a kid who inherited his company from his father. He’s definitely involved in some shady dealings behind the scenes. I hope he isn’t stupid enough to tell me about them. He’s a real scumbag.”

  “When did you grow a conscience?” Chelsea asked. “You’ve been working with clients like him for years without batting an eye.”

  “I don’t know why it’s bothering me.” When Lillian first started practicing law, she quickly learned to throw her principles out the window. She had to in order to advance her career. Nowadays, she was able to pick and choose her clients, so she turned down the most immoral of cases. But she wasn’t exactly working for the good guys. “It just seems like lately every single client that comes my way is an arrogant asshole who believes if they throw enough money at me, I’ll make all their problems go away. They think that the law doesn’t apply to them.”

  “Do I sense a midlife crisis coming on?”

  “Very funny. I’m still in my thirties, Chelsea,” Lillian said. “It doesn’t matter. I’m probably just stressed out from all the chaos at work. The firm still hasn’t recovered from Gordon Sr.”

  “You know, you can always come work with me.”

  “Once again, I’ll have to pass,” Lillian said. “I’d be bored out of my mind with all the paperwork. And I’d never see the inside of a courtroom again.” Even now, she rarely got to go to court. Most of the cases she worked on were settled before they even made it in front of a judge. She missed taking cases to trial.

  “And your ego couldn’t handle not having your name on the building?” Chelsea asked.

  “That too.”

  The conversation halted as their food arrived, along with Lillian’s drink. She took a long sip, understanding why so many attorneys were functional alcoholics.

  “So,” Lillian said. “I have a new legal assistant.”

  “Oh? And how long until you fire this one?”

  “I only fired one. The others quit,” Lillian said. “I actually did consider firing her at first. She wasn’t even supposed to be working for me. The agency sent her by mistake. But I’ve decided to keep her on and train her myself.”

  Lillian had quickly realized that Emma’s lack of experience was an advantage. She didn’t have years of bad habits that Lillian would have to fix like her previous assistants. And she turned out to be more capable than Lillian had expected. She learned quickly and had an eye for detail.

  “She’s perfect for the role. She seems completely impervious to my demands. I could tell her to stand on one leg and hop in a circle and she’d probably do it without complaint.”

  “So what you’re saying is that you’ve found someone who will put up with your ridiculously high standards and isn’t fazed by the fact that you’re impossible to satisfy?” Chelsea asked. “Sounds like you’ve met your match.”

  “She seems too good to be true. But there’s something about her that makes me wonder if she’s really as obedient as she pretends to be.”

  “Lillian,” Chelsea said. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “What?” Lillian asked.

  “I can see it in your eyes. And I know your type.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Chelsea.”

  “I’ve known you since college,” Chelsea said. “Do you think I can’t tell when you’re lying?”

  “You have nothing to worry about. I would never go there. I won’t take advantage of someone who works for me. Besides, after everything with Gordon Sr., we made some pretty strict rules about office relationships. I wouldn’t put my job at risk like that.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Chelsea said.

  “Where the hell is Thomas?” Lillian said to no one in particular. She hadn’t even been back in the office for five minutes, and she was back to dealing with his shit. She stormed out to the reception desk. Sure enough, Thomas was flirting shamelessly with Bridget.

  “Thomas,” Lillian said. “My office. Now.”

  Thomas turned to Lillian, his jaw clenched. “Do you think I�
��m one of the interns? You can’t just order me around like that.”

  “I don’t think you want us to have this conversation here,” Lillian said.

  Thomas glanced around the room. He turned back to Bridget. “Sorry Bridget, duty calls.”

  Lillian headed to her office and sat at her desk. Moments later, Thomas appeared.

  “What the hell, Lillian?” he said. “You can’t speak to me like that in front of everyone.”

  “I wouldn’t have to if you did your goddamn job,” Lillian said.

  Thomas glared at her. “What’s this about?”

  Lillian gestured toward a chair in front of her desk. “Take a seat.”

  Thomas sat down on the chair, slouching in it like a rebellious schoolboy.

  Lillian reached into her briefcase and produced a document. She threw it onto the desk in front of her. “What the hell is this?”

  Thomas leaned over and glanced at the front page. “The discovery plan for the Jones & Welsch case.”

  “The one that you were supposed to put together?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why does it read like it was written by a first-year law student who can barely speak English?”

  Thomas shrugged. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

  “If that’s true, either you haven’t read it, or you’re more incompetent than I thought. Which is it?”

  Thomas’s face clouded over. “I didn’t write it myself, okay? I gave it to one of the interns to do. That’s what they’re here for after all.”

  “No, that’s not what they’re here for.” Lillian folded her hands on the desk. “I don’t care what you do with your own cases. But when you’re on a case with me, I expect you to do your own work.” Lillian tore up the document and dropped it in the trash can next to her desk. “You’re going to rewrite this. And you’re going to bring it to me by the end of the day.”

  Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Or what?”

  “Do not test me, Thomas.”

  Seconds passed in silence as they stared each other down. Thomas’s face darkened with every passing moment.

  There was a knock at the door.