Page 14 of Objection
“Your deposit covered the cost of supplies, so we are all good, man,” Jace explained. I was floored.
“No way. Your time has value. Give me a real bill at your real rates. You’re making a difference in my career, in my business. Let me invest in yours by paying the correct rate,” I argued.
“Why do you make it so hard to argue?” I could hear his pout over the phone.
“I’m a lawyer. Arguing my case and getting people to take my side is literally my job,” I laughed.
“Fine, fine. We’ll settle the bill tonight over drinks,” Jace finally agreed.
“Perfect. Say 7:00 p.m. at Brando’s?” I suggested.
“You’ve got it, bro. See you tonight.”
I hung up and let my eyes rove over Ms. Adams again. She was hyper focused on whatever documents she was working on. I set myself a reminder to include a Christmas bonus for her this year, especially if she kept up this level of professionalism. She was certainly helping to make the vision of my own firm become a reality.
8
Posey
It had beena long day by the time I got home on Thursday evening. I was bone tired, but the deposition was completely ready to go for Mr. Wellington next week. The deposition was supposed to have taken place tomorrow, on Friday, but of course opposing counsel had to be a whole bag of dicks and make things more complicated. So, now it was scheduled for Tuesday mid-morning. It had been quite the headache, and I was blissfully happy it was finally done. This case could not end quickly enough.
I opened the door, and the mess around the house hit me. I hadn’t really paid attention to the house this week. Sure, I had contributed to the mess, but David had been here more than usual. He didn’t pick up after himself. I looked around, scrunching my nose up at the stale smell of old food and that lived in vibe.
“Nice to see you actually decided to show your face, Zee,” he called from the kitchen doorway, leaning against the door frame with an annoyed look on his face.
“We had prep work on a big deposition to do this week and it’s been tough. We had to pull long hours to get everything prepared in time. This is Mr. Wellington’s first big case since moving out and setting up his own firm,” I tried to explain.
“Save it, Zee. Look, I think I’ve been more than open to this whole idea of you working with that guy. Yeah, the money is good, but the hours are shit. You need to put your foot down.”
“That’s not how this works, David. My job has set hours, but overtime is necessary sometimes in order to get the job done. It’s been that way for years,” I argued. The exhaustion I felt mixing with the frustration he was causing within me was not a good combination.
“It didn’t at your old firm!” he snapped back at me.
“That’s because we had a whole team of lawyers and support staff to help spread that workload around! We don’t have that yet!” I argued right back.
“That’s another thing. I’m tired of all this ‘we’ nonsense. You talk about him like the two of you are a couple, not boss and employee. How do I know that you aren’t staying late just to fuck him? Hmm?”
I stood there in shocked silence and then burst out into ridiculous laughter. What the actual hell was he talking about?!
“What’s so funny?” he demanded; his eyes narrowed at me like I was the devil incarnate.
“The fact that you think that I would actually sleep with Mr. Wellington. Hell, I’m a professional, David!” I snapped.
“Don’t curse at me.” He chewed the words almost under his breath, a thinly veiled warning I paid no heed to.
“I would never in a million years cheat on you. I would never go after my boss like that. I would never act that way. I would never lie! How could you possibly think that my hard work; that these late nights, were anything but actual hard work!?” I spat back, my hands gesturing wildly in the air.
“Calm down, Zee,” he yelled right back.
“You calm the hell down then, David!” I yelled back. I had barely enough time to blink before he was there in front of me. He had moved so quickly and with such force, I didn’t know how to react. He shoved me back against the wall with a strength I honestly didn’t know he possessed.
But I feared it.
I was afraid.
“You fucking bitch, I told you not to curse and here you are, doing whatever you think is best and making a fool of yourself. Don’t fucking curse.” His breath was hot on my face, spreading over. He had never been like this around me. Panic settled in my veins and my breathing quickened as I looked around the room, trying to find a way to get out.
“David, I —” I began, but he shook me, hard. My head bounced against the wall, not enough to cause damage, but enough to hurt.
