Page 67 of A Legal Affair
“Oh, come on, Kenny. We both know the twins don’t need Janie around half as much as they used to.”
Kenneth scowled. “Since when areyouan expert on what my kids need? Last I checked, you were a single woman with zero children.”
Daniela ignored the little dig. “Whether or not you’re aware of it, Kenneth,” she said with forced calm, “your wife desperately needs an outlet. If you don’t believe me, just ask her how excited she was to take care of Mom when she was sick, simply because it gave her something productive to do while the kids were in school.”
A muscle ticked in Kenneth’s tightly clenched jaw. “Did Janie put you up to this?”
“No,” Daniela lied without batting an eye. Beside her, Noah fought to keep a grin off his face. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I think Janie could be the perfect solution to our secretarial problems. If you’re worried about having to put KJ and Lourdes in aftercare, I’m sure Janie’s parents could pick them up from school and keep them until Janie gets off from work. They’d probably jump at the chance to spend more time with their grandchildren, since they’re always complaining that they don’t see the twins often enough. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
“Not necessarily,” Kenneth said darkly. “My wife didn’t earn an MBA from the Wharton School of Business to become a secretary—family business or not.”
“With all due respect,” Daniela murmured, “she’s not exactly putting her MBA to good use now, is she?”
Kenneth’s eyes flashed with anger, but he didn’t disagree with her.
“I’m sure Janie doesn’t care,” Daniela pressed on, sensing victory, “but if it’ll make you feel better, we can change the job title to office manager or executive assistant, or whatever you prefer. Though personally I see nothing wrong with the current title. Competent, hardworking secretaries are the backbone of any organization, and they deserve our respect and appreciation. But I digress.” She looked to Noah for support. “Don’t you think Janie would be perfect for us?”
Noah chuckled dryly. “Put it this way. I don’t think Janie could do any worse than the secretaries we’ve had up until now.”
Kenneth glared at him. “Are you crazy? My wife could run circles around those useless airheads.”
“Wonderful! Then it’s all settled,” Daniela declared, slapping the arm of her chair for emphasis and then rising to her feet, deciding it was best to leave before her brother changed his mind about cooperating. “You can offer Janie the job tonight when you go home. And, by all means, please feel free to take credit for the idea when you speak to her.”
Kenneth scowled. “I’m not taking credit for an idea I think is stupid.”
Daniela paused in the doorway, her lips pursed thoughtfully. “Try to keep that opinion to yourself when you present the offer to Janie tonight,” she suggested, her tone mild.
Subtle challenge simmered in the eyes that stared back at her. “Are you giving me instructions on how to speak to my wife, Daniela?” Kenneth tersely inquired.
“I wouldn’t dare,” she answered, choosing her words carefully. “But let me give you some food for thought, dear brother. If you try to talk Janie out of accepting the position, I might find a way—accidentally, of course—to tank the interview with Crandall Thorne tomorrow night. Oh, I’d try my best to make a good impression on the man, but you just never know what one might do in a pressure-cooker situation like that. I might chew with my mouth open, or give unintelligible answers to his questions, or make bad lawyer jokes or—oh, I don’t know—call him an unscrupulous pig to his face.Accidentally, of course.”
Kenneth’s expression darkened. “You wouldn’t.”
Daniela sighed dramatically. “Like I said, you just never know.” She smiled sweetly at her eldest brother, who appeared more than ready to strangle her. “Be sure to tell Janie I said congratulations on the new job. Hopefully she can start as early as tomorrow. I’ll let you two work out the logistics.” She glanced down at her watch, then tapped a manicured fingernail against the glass face. “If you fellas would kindly excuse me, I have to get ready for my study group meeting. One of my classmates is treating us all to dinner at a nice restaurant, so I want to change into something more appropriate. Toodles.”
With that she turned on her heel and sailed out of the office. As she reached the empty reception area, she heard Noah’s sudden bark of laughter.
She grinned and strolled out of the building, whistling cheerfully. Might as well take her wins where she could get them.
22
The Gilded Spoon was the newest addition to downtown’s restaurant scene. The tables were covered with crisp white cloths, velvet banquettes lined the walls and sparkling chandeliers hung from the coffered ceiling. The air hummed with low conversations, soft music and the clinking of silverware against dishes. It was the kind of place where hushed whispers carried weight, where deals were brokered over perfectly seared scallops and wagyu steaks.
Daniela desperately wished she was there on a romantic date with Caleb. Instead she was seated at a large private table with her classmate Kolter, waiting for the rest of their party to arrive. He’d been chatting nonstop since picking her up, which he’d insisted on doing because he lived right around the corner, and downtown parking was limited.
He was a trust fund baby whose parents were disappointed when he didn’t get into Harvard Law, Yale or UT. They’d still gifted him a BMW M4 for graduation. He’d blasted the souped-up stereo all the way to the restaurant, which would have been a major turnoff if they were on a date.
Good thing that wasn’t the case. Kolter Busch was attractive enough, but definitely not her type. His face was clean-shavenand exfoliated, smooth as a baby’s bottom. His sandy blond hair was artfully gelled to one side. In a starched white shirt, striped blue tie and dark sport coat, he looked like a boy playing dress up in his father’s clothes.
“You look amazing,” he told Daniela for the fifth or sixth time.
“Thank you, Kolter.” She was wearing a pink spaghetti-strap halter dress that hugged her curves and set off her brown skin.
“This place is pretty dope, right?” Kolter crowed with a big grin. “It’s damn near impossible to get reservations, but my dad knows the owner. Got us the best table in the house.”
“It’s really nice,” Daniela agreed, smiling. “Kinda fancy for a study group meeting, but hey, who am I to turn down a free meal?”
He laughed and needlessly adjusted his tie, his gray eyes sweeping around the room. “Just think, Daniela. One day when you’re a kickass lawyer charging astronomical billing hours, dining at places like this won’t even phase you.”
