Page 29 of A Reindeer Wish for Love
“Yes.I’m sorry.I have a lot on my mind.”I had a lot alright, and I wanted to enjoy every moment I’d allotted to my head space where I’d filled it with the thoughts of Mason and his handsome face and his beautiful ass that was now mine, because I’d claimed it, and indeed he was a virgin.
“Mr.Clayton, Mr.Halifax would like to see you in his office.”I stood eyeing her with a blank stare.She must have thought I’d lost my mind and was ready to crash out.
“Yes.Yes.Of course.But I have to place my things in my office first.”
“It’s better if you take your things with you,” she said, and I glared at her and she shook her head up and down, as if to sayyes,it is what you think.
Oh shit.I knew what that meant, just like I knew the pity stares from the other lawyers.When I passed each one there wasn’t a smirk, but a “That’s fucked up and I feel you.”
It wasn’t what I expected.There was a commiseration, a kind of sympathy they felt for me because maybe they’d walked in my shoes where they were just trying to get a job at their profession only to lose it in a second.
I’d hurried into work early, expecting the office manager to send me instructions about what was expected on my first day on the job.I guessed he had been out of it because of the party and some of the party goers and workers said that the office manager, who was a bachelor, and had nothing better to do but email us on our days off to remind the new hires at Halifax and Mason that we were always on the clock and not to forget it.
I knocked on the red and brown mahogany door that had bold letters ofHalifaxin gold and black and a strong no-nonsense voice invited me in.
I knew I was walking into the lion’s den, and I didn’t have any protection.I had just been hired by Mason without Halifax okaying it, and Mason, because he was a partner thought he didn’t need his approval, however, I had been given a salary and bonus even I thought was excessive for a first year associate.
When I strode closer to his desk to sit, Halifax had his back to me and he had been no doubt observing the scenery of tall impressive buildings overlooking parks and everything that made Manhattan a powerful city.Standing until Halifax turned to face me.“Do you know why you’re here?”he questioned with the tone of a prosecutor who asked a question knowing the answer all along.
“No, sir.”I answered truthfully, because I didn’t know.I could guess by the tone of his voice, but since I couldn’t read minds I didn’t want to guess.
“Well, you should know.I had been advised that you have broken your contract with Halifax and Mason.You do know what the contract says.”I remained silent and my face wasn’t hard to read, but as long as I didn’t admit anything, he couldn’t read minds either.
“You’re a smart boy,” he said, picking up his Mont Blanc pen and tapping it on a paper on his desk, then rearranging his faux Christmas flower.A red poinsettia and a gold one.“...and I assume Mason hired you because of your brain, and not your looks, although I can see he may have had a lack of judgement, but there is no excuse for you.You’re just starting out your career a first-year law student, and to sleep your way up to the top isn’t tolerated in this firm.
“We have some of the most highly sought after clients and we employ some of the best brains in the country.We bring in billions of dollars a year or more, and Mason is very important to this firm as part owner, and one of the best and toughest lawyers I’ve met in my life time and I’ve met many, and none could come close to Mason.”
There was a silence and he stared at me.His cold blue eyes tried to read me, but if he had I wouldn’t admit it.
I waited for him to end his speech, but he was a lawyer after all, and he was setting up his case to fire me and justify why he’d do it, and all the while Mason wasn’t here to stop him.
Minutes passed, but it seemed like an hour and his speech wasn’t coming to an end any time soon.Finally, he said, “Sit.”Why now?So he could continue berating me the entire time while I was thinking,Just do it.End my misery.Tell me I’m fired so I can exhale and be done with this shit and get on with my life, and you can end this legal brief.
“Do you have anything to say?”
I wanted to say you’ve said enough for the both of us.I’m guilty, what more do you want?However, I wouldn’t give him an easy way out.He would have to work for it.
“Do you deny that you slept with Mason?”
How would he know that?Oh yes, Mason’s wife, but then that’s a secondary source and he knows better than to throw that at me.He would have to prove to me by giving his sources.
“I don’t deny or admit anything.I plead the fifth.”
“You can’t plea the fifth we’re not in a court of law—”
“But you’re a lawyer and you’re treating me as if I’m guilty of breaking my contract.Who said that I slept with Mason?”Halifax squirmed in his seat and took in a deep breath.
“I’m not at liberty to say.But you were seen climbing into his limo.”
“He was taking me home.”I neglected to say it was his home, but if Halifax could dance around the truth with only hearsay, then why couldn’t I.He had to prove me guilty and I wasn’t going to admit anything because I had too much to lose, and I didn’t have a job and they would have a right to take back that bonus and I had spent so much of it that I couldn’t afford to admit to anything except my name, marital status, and social security number.
“I see I’m getting nowhere with you,” Halifax said, narrowing his eyes.You’re dismissed.He waved his hands at me, “and wait for your new assignment.I’m giving you another office and another position.That of a researcher and forget what Mason promised you, your salary will be cut to the low six figures.”
Thinking about that salary and living in Manhattan with the rent sky high and this economy, the secretary would be better off than me.I hoped Mason would return soon because I needed him like yesterday for more things than to secure my job.At this point I would have done better letting Halifax fire me and trying to get a position somewhere else.
Rising from my chair with weak legs feeling as if I’d been beaten over the head with that statue of Lady Justice without her scales where Halifax had placed prominent on his desk between the Christmas ornaments, she wore a blindfold and held a sword in her hand where she had just severed my balls in Halifax’s name.
When I managed to get to the door, and take a deep breath, because my job had been secured for now, all I had to do was hang on until Mason returned, however, I had to find out when that would be.Then I would know what to do.After gathering my courage and balls from the floor, I ambled back to my office.
