Page 24 of Rayne

"And I assume Nick was not one of the successful candidates."

"Nope," she whispers. "But I don't know what he expected. He's still new."

I laugh quietly. "He expects a lot. I'm sure he'll get there one day."

Jenna leans in, eyes shifting. "And they are hiring a new associate with the extra cash. Some hot shot guy from a competing firm. I did some digging on Nick's LinkedIn and this new guy went to law school with him!"

"Not uncommon," I laugh. "Nick is just very competitive. He probably doesn't like the fact someone he knows is encroaching on his territory."

She blinks, processing my words. "My God. Men are like dogs. They just have to piss on everything to mark their territory."

"It's the same in the dating world," I tell her. "Caveman mentality."

"Ew. This is why I can't date. It's too depressing. God, at this rate I'll hit my thirties and be single with cats." She pauses, looking at me wildly. "I mean, it's okay to be single!"

My face twitches and I try to give her a reassuring smile. "It's fine. I like being single. Less drama."

Well… mostly.

"Totally," she agrees. "Don't you get lonely though?"

Stilling, I shrug. "I like my own company and I have my family and friends. Single life isn't the death sentence you think it is when you are in your twenties."

No… you just get so desperate for touch that you fuck your foster brothers in a sex club.

Jenna relaxes, opening her mouth to speak. Before she can, Jason appears behind her, his tall frame hovering over her. He gives me a tight smile over her head.

"Jenna—Leon's looking for you."

"Uh, yes, Sir," she squeaks, bolting back to the other side of the office.

I give her a small wave goodbye before turning my attention to Jason. "Good Afternoon."

"Afternoon," he replies. "Do you have a quick minute?"

"Of course," I answer, gesturing for him to sit down.

Jason closes my office door, sitting down across from me. Even though we've had countless interactions over the years, I still feel a little intimidated. I don't think it's him though—just what he represents; power, authority, the ability to end my career with the snap of his fingers.

"I'm assuming Jenna filled you in. Word gets around the office quickly," he says, cutting straight to the point.

I nod, holding back a smile. "It does. New associates?"

Jason hums, giving me a small nod. "We are intending to increase our billables for the next quarter. More Associates means more revenue. But we were recently approached by a good candidate whom we feel will be a good fit here and assist in meeting those financial targets."

"Right."

"Unfortunately, we're a little stretched on support. With the promotions, we're not looking to hire more support until we see how performance lands. In the meantime, we'd like you to take on the role of dual support."

Slowly, I grasp his words. "You need me to help the new Associate."

"Just temporarily with small administrative tasks. Unfortunately, the legal secretaries are at capacity with my Supreme Court case. Once that finishes, Mary will be able to help support Elijah."

I try to keep my face neutral but Jason sees through it immediately, reassuring me.

"We know it's not within your duties and pay grade. You are one of our best paralegals in the firm, and certainly the best in our department. It would just make the transition period smoother as the younger legal secretaries may not be able to handle the additional responsibilities with their current capacities. You'll be remunerated appropriately for it."

"Oh," I reply, relaxing a bit. "I appreciate that. And does Nick know about the arrangement?"

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