Page 7 of My Office Rival

My breath caught in my chest. Except that was exactly what I had done.Fuck. Never again. I gave him a nod, so he knew I understood.

Mitchell was already moving on, unaware of the anxiety bubbling up in my chest. “The H Brands deal is back on.” He smiled, more a baring of teeth than a real smile. Probably picturing the massive amount of money this deal promised to bring in. “And the firm approved your origination credit.”

Fuck yes.I couldn’t help my grin. Twenty percent of what we billed the client from this deal would be mine. Finally, finally, I could strike out on my own, start my own small firm. Commercial leases were expensive, and I needed to have several years of expenses saved up. Enough time to see if I could make it as a solo practitioner. I had my eye on a property near Grand Central, and I needed another $200,000 before I could even think about renting it. Mitchell had just handed me the keys to my freedom.

“But only if you win this deal.” He frowned.

“What do you mean?” I gritted out.

“Mr. and Mrs. Harris are…particular. They won’t settle for anything less than what, in my opinion, is a higher price than the company’s valuation supports. And they are oddly secretive about diligence materials. This deal may not go through.” He shook his head. “And if it does, but the price is too low, they’ve already told me they’re going to demand a big discount. If that happens, we can’t give you the origination credit. We’ll barely be making enough to cover our expenses. Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry. And I didn’t buy the line about expenses. I clenched my jaw. This was bullshit. I was supposed to get a cut of the money, regardless. The client had found my profile on the website and called me. But because I wasn’t a partner, I couldn’t bring a client in on my own. Mitchell would get most of the money from the bills the client paid, and I would get a portion. And now, my freedom was tied to the client’s nebulous idea of “winning.” It just meant I needed to destroy the other side. There could be no doubt about my effort at the end of this.

“Good job bringing them in,” Mitchell said, with a brief nod of approval. “Now let’s kill this deal. I’m sending you to on-site due diligence meetings.” He paused to check his email. “The town is called… here it is… Booth.” He chuckled. “You’re in for some fun. Population 10,000. Oh, and you need to be there tonight.”

My stomach dipped. Not at the timing. I could be ready to go as soon as this afternoon. But 10,000 people? That was…small. As small as Copperton.You’ll be okay. Deep breaths.I itched to pace the office, but I just tightened my hand on my thigh, fingers digging in to remind me to stay calm.

“Should only be a few weeks. Opposing counsel will be there too. Not sure who it will be exactly.” He frowned. “Argan has engaged Taylor, Jones, and Roberts. They’re good. Competent counsel.”

And Cynthia’s firm.My stomach bottomed out.It couldn’t be her.I brushed the worry away.

Argan was the buyer and was clearly taking this seriously. A local company only used a big law firm from New York City if they meant business. Our clients were clearly insane, which made their insistence on our firm logical, since we were the best of the best. A small, local firm couldn’t compare. Argan must have seen who they hired and decided they needed a firm of equal caliber.

“They could make this hard for us.” Mitchell leveled a look at me, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Don’t fuck this up, Jason. We need this. Wipe the floor with that TJR lawyer. Show me you mean business, okay?”

I almost rolled my eyes. Yeah, I’d win, but not for the reasons Mitchell wanted. I’d win and then I’d get the hell out of this place.

“You got it. I’ll come out on top. I always do.” My voice was calm, cold.

I strode back to my office, jaw set, heart thumping. Junior associates scurried out of my way.

In the information age, we didn’t usually do on-site diligence. It was a relic of the ’90s when the lawyers and auditors would show up, armed with briefcases, red pens, and lots of coffee, and comb through client materials for weeks on end. Opposing counsel would bear the brunt of the work, as the representative of the purchaser, but I had to be on site to answer questions, make sure they were getting the materials they needed, and review the purchaser’s documents to make sure they were solvent enough to buy the company.

For some reason, Mitchell thought it was needed. It was going to make my life hell for several weeks, but the increased billable hours and money would be worth it. I pushed open my office door and rolled my shoulders to release the tension.

No one knew my secrets, no one knew I’d slept with her. Everything was fine.

Now I just needed to kill this deal. Stupid H Brands. Fucking Mitchell and his threats. I texted Jonah and Miles, my closest friends and former college roommates.

Jason

Guess who’s going to the middle of fucking nowhere…due diligence sucks.

Jonah’s response came immediately.

Jonah

A small town? How are you going to handle that?

He was always assessing risk, calculating the best course of action.

Jason

Not well.

Irrational? Most definitely. But I hated small towns, and I’d neverbeen accused of being rational before. My fears and anxieties about my past rode me hard, and I’d learned to live with it.

Miles

Why? No one does diligence on site anymore.

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