Page 258 of Small Town Firsts
Upon further reflection, while your effort to provide someone in your stead while you are vacationing is commendable, I need more information before I blindly accept someone into my employ, even temporarily. Does this individual have a CV? A work history? Applicable skills? References? I will need to see these materials before I hire anyone.
Yours,
Preston Michael Shaw, Esquire
Addressing her as Ms. Finley was a bit much, as was signing my full name and using Esquire. I was annoyed on multiple levels and needed an outlet.
I didn’t believe in gyms—communal sweating had never been my kink—so I’d be going for a nice long run tonight to get out my frustrations. God knows I didn’t have any other healthy outlets, other than playing Mario Kart on my ancient Super Nintendo system.
Vintage. Not ancient. I needed to learn the lingo so I didn’t sound like someone caught in the past.
I drank a mouthful of hot coffee and flicked through screens until I came to my notes about one of my biggest cases, Terrance vs. Yorn, a multi-million dollar divorce with drama worthy ofJudge Judy.I did not do drama. I also didn’t relish reviewing notes that amounted to little more than a record of personal attacks rather than anything based on legal precedent.
I had pulled up my email program to dash off another email, this time to Donald Terrance, when said program dinged.
I frowned. I had turned off all notifications. How had one gotten through?
The frown grew as the most recent email in my box seemed to loom larger than all of the others. The sender? Ryan Moon.
Mental note: tell Ms. Finley not to share my email address with outsiders before asking.
Narrowing my eyes, I clicked it open.
To whom it may concern:
I have attached my resume. References are at the bottom. The first one is the person who got me this gig.
Sincerely,
Ryan G. Moon
I cocked a brow.Gig?That was a new one.
Rather than reply to Ryan G. Moon, I opened my email to send another memo to April.
Ms. Finley,
I just received correspondence from one Ryan G. Moon. Kindly do not share my email with strangers in the future. Also, did you make clear what sort of position this is? Your friend referred to it as a “gig.”
Yours,
Preston Michael Shaw, Esquire
I’d barely hit send and sat back to drink smugly from my rapidly disappearing coffee when my email dinged.
Yet again it had bypassed my no notifications setting. How was this happening? I did not want unanticipated noises interrupting my blessed silence.
To whom it may concern:
I am well aware what kind of position this is, as April (Ms. Finley to you) has told me all about her job many, many times. I am also well-versed in the likes of you.
Sincerely,
Ryan G. Moon
I set my coffee mug down with a snap. My gaze narrowed on the jaunty saying on the side of the cup, a gift from my last secretary right before I’d fired her.
Lawyers do it in their briefs.
