“I’m glad you didn’t stop at a bar on the way home,” she said. “Christine should listen to you. She drives after having a couple of drinks. Someday she’ll be sorry if the police stop her.”
After eating supper, Mrs. Fairmont returned to the den to watch TV. I had time to clean the kitchen then change into a nicer dress before Zach and Vince arrived. I stood in the foyer and watched the street. Zach pulled up in his white car. As soon as he stopped, Vince got out. I didn’t wait for him to ring the doorbell.
“If I’m not back before you go to bed, have a good night’s sleep!” I called out to Mrs. Fairmont.
Flip barked at the sound of my voice, and I couldn’t make out the older woman’s response.
Vince held the car door open for me. He looked tanned and rested. After I got in, he sat behind me. I turned slightly sideways in my seat so I could see both men. It had been a long time since I’d been with both of them at the same time. They were both wearing dark pants and white shirts with conservative ties.
“Congratulations,” Vince said. “Are you ready to celebrate?”
“Yes.”
“How was your first day at the office?” Zach asked as he pulled away from the curb.
“I survived. What did you two do today?”
It was odd listening to the two men describe their activities at the firm, knowing that I wasn’t going to be part of their working world.
“Maggie saw Mr. Carpenter in court at a criminal motion calendar this morning,” I said when there was a pause in the conversation.
“What was his client’s name?” Vince asked.
“Hacker, Hackney, or something close to that.”
Zach and Vince exchanged a look. Neither spoke.
“Do you know who it is?” I asked.
“Not much beyond a name,” Zach said. “Mr. Carpenter sent out a firm-wide e-mail early in the week to make sure we didn’t have a conflict of interest with several individuals and a few companies. One of the people listed was named Hackney. Mr. Carpenter is going to pull in several lawyers to help him in the cases.”
“What kind of cases?”
“Some business matters and a big criminal case. One of the women in the word-processing department made a comment to me, but I’m not sure she really knew anything.”
“What did she say?” I asked.
“I can’t tell you,” Zach replied.
“If you’d taken the job with the firm, you’d probably be in the middle of it,” Vince added with a cough. “Mr. Carpenter wanted me to do some research, but Mr. Braddock nixed the idea.”
I would have to get used to being an outsider when it came to Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter. We arrived at the restaurant, a local steak place. I didn’t see Julie’s car in the parking lot.
“Not a lot of tourists come here,” Zach said as we got out of the car. “They want seafood, not steak.”
We waited inside for Julie, who arrived, somewhat breathless, a couple of minutes later. She’d not kept her wardrobe promise. Her neckline plunged a few inches past modest. I felt sorry for Zach and Vince.
“Hope you haven’t been waiting long,” she said, flashing her best smile. “Let the party begin.”
The host took us to a table for four. Julie and I sat across from each other with Zach on my right and Vince on my left. We’d barely opened our menus before Julie launched into the story about Sister Dabney’s appearance at the office. Unlike Mrs. Fairmont, Julie’s memory was razor-sharp, and she told the story with such detail that I had to remind myself she’d not been there.
With Julie dominating the conversation I devoted my attention to the menu. When the waiter approached to take our order, I glanced up and saw that Zach was looking at me, not the menu, not Julie’s neckline. I rewarded him with my best smile.
“Order whatever you want,” he said to the three of us. “You only have a day like this once in life.”
I ordered the filet mignon. When the food arrived, Julie slowed down the conversation long enough to cut into her steak.
“Tami was really out to impress Maggie,” she said between bites. “She worked right through lunch even though we don’t pay overtime to salaried employees.”
“I didn’t want to commit malpractice my first day on the job,” I replied, then told Zach and Vince about the stack of files I’d been assigned.
“That’s a good idea,” Zach said. “Try a bunch of different things and decide what you like to do.”
“Today, she’s into concrete,” Julie said. “Tomorrow, it may be condemnation actions. There’s nothing more thrilling than arguing the value of a piece of dirt.”
“If the state is involved in taking the property, you’ll be dealing with Ned Danforth at our firm,” Zach said. “He represents the state. Another law firm handles the county.”
“It’s a state case,” I replied.
“I’d like to condemn Ned and bury him beneath a thick piece of asphalt,” Julie said, sticking her knife in her steak for emphasis.
“Why are you mad at Ned?” Vince asked.
Julie put the back of her hand to her forehead. “The mention of his name makes me want to faint.” She turned to me. “Has the statute of limitations run out on my claim against the firm for harassment? Get me a memo on that first thing in the morning.”
Ned had bothered Julie on a sailboat outing the previous summer. She put him in his place in about five seconds, but it shook her up.
“If Ned did something wrong—,” Vince began.
“No, forget about it,” Julie said, removing the knife from her steak. “If Tami has to file a condemnation suit, I’d rather have Ned on the other side than someone smart. If he gets fired, the firm might assign those cases to one of you. That would be a fight to the death.”
Zach and Vince looked at each other, then at me, and shrugged. The waiter returned, and Julie refused a refill of red wine.
“I’m cutting back,” she said.
“Really?” I asked.
“Don’t get your hopes up. I’m driving home and don’t want to see the judge on a DUI ticket before I’m sworn in as a lawyer.”
As the meal progressed, I couldn’t sense any tension between Zach and Vince about me. Contrary to the story line of the few romance novels Mama allowed in the house, the two men didn’t seem bent on destroying each other in order to win me. The conversation turned to baseball.
“My father has season tickets in Atlanta,” Julie said. “I used to go when I was a little girl. He has great seats behind first base, but all I cared about was the hot dogs.”
“Wow,” both men said simultaneously.
Julie shook her head and turned to me. “Did you hear that? It’s so hard for men to have an original thought. The program running a man’s brain is like those early computers that read holes punched in cards.”
While we waited for the check, Julie phoned her father about the tickets. She listened for a moment and then gave Zach and Vince a thumbs-up sign.
“Thanks, Dad. Is it okay if I give Zach your e-mail address so you can make the arrangements directly with him?”
She listened for a moment. “Yes, he’s the admiralty lawyer with the cute ponytail. You know, the one I thought should wear a sailor suit to work.”
Zach rolled his eyes.
“You’ll meet all of them at the swearing-in ceremony. See you then.”
We topped off the meal with a single serving of a rich dessert that we shared in the middle of the table. It contained four different kinds of chocolate.
During the ride home from the restaurant, Zach and Vince started talking about baseball, and I felt like a spectator.
“Do you think we should try to find two more tickets so you and Julie could go?” Zach asked me.
“It wouldn’t be four in a row,” Vince said before I answered. “Who’d sit together?”
I braced for an argument about who would sit with me.
“I guess the guys and girls would have to separate once the ga
me started,” Zach said.
Startled, I imagined myself next to Julie while she crammed hot dogs slathered in mustard into her mouth and washed them down with warm beer.
“I’m not that interested,” I responded. “And if Julie wanted to go she’d have told her father. He could probably get tickets from some of the people he sits next to on a regular basis.”
“Of course,” Vince said. “Why didn’t I think about that? Season ticket holders get to know one another. It turns the games into a social event.”
“You and Zach have a good time. Buy Julie a cheap souvenir. She’ll love it.”
Vince hopped out and opened the car door for me. As I walked up the steps to Mrs. Fairmont’s front door, I wondered what the two men would discuss after dropping me off. They seemed to have reached some kind of unspoken truce when it came to me. If so, I sure wish I could find out the terms of agreement.
A COUPLE NIGHTS BEFORE THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY, MRS. Fairmont and I were sitting in the blue parlor after supper.
“The swearing-in ceremony for new lawyers is Thursday morning at ten o’clock,” I said, yawning.
“What time is your family going to get here?” she asked.
“They’re not coming.”
“If your family can’t come, then I will,” Mrs. Fairmont replied, sitting up straighter in her chair. “Someone should be there to support you and witness such an historic moment.”
“That’s nice, but it’s just a formality, not the signing of the Declaration of Independence.”
“I couldn’t make it to Philadelphia for that, so I’ll let this be my substitute,” she said with a twinkle in her blue eyes. “Don’t argue with me, or I’ll call Christine and tell her you’re being mean to me.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“I’m trying to turn over a new leaf in life, but if you press me I could revert to my old, manipulative ways.”
I laughed. It was worth a pretend argument to enjoy a few moments with Mrs. Fairmont so clearly in touch with her full faculties.
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t revert. That would be scary. Just promise that if you don’t feel well, you won’t insist on going. I don’t want to be worrying about you when I should be focusing on raising my right hand and not my left hand to take the oath.”
Mrs. Fairmont scratched Flip’s head. “There’s a dress in the back of my closet that would be the perfect thing to wear. I hope I can still fit into it.”
Keeping weight on Mrs. Fairmont, not watching calories, was the challenge at this stage of her life.
THURSDAY MORNING I HEARD THE QUICK PATTER OF FLIP’S FEET on the wooden stairs, followed by the much slower click of Mrs. Fairmont’s shoes coming slowly behind him. I went into the foyer. The elderly lady saw me and gave a quick wave before clutching the railing to take another step.
“I can’t believe I used to wear these shoes all the time,” she said. “I feel like I’m walking on stilts.”
Low heels were strapped around her ankles. She was wearing a light blue dress that shimmered. A diamond and sapphire necklace was draped around her neck. More diamonds glittered on her fingers.
“Then don’t wear them,” I said. “Your white shoes with the silver buckles would go with that outfit.”
“Child, those shoes are so scuffed up I wouldn’t wear them to the grocery store. I called Sam Braddock yesterday, and he told me the swearing-in ceremony was almost a formal affair.”
“You talked to Mr. Braddock?”
“He’s my lawyer, at least until tomorrow, and I’ll switch to you.”
“My first piece of legal advice is that you stick with Mr. Braddock.”
Mrs. Fairmont reached the bottom of the stairs and let out a sigh of relief.
“You look beautiful,” I said. “What do you think about my outfit?”
I’d selected a yellow dress that was the second-fanciest item in my humble wardrobe. Mrs. Fairmont pressed her lips together in a tight smile for a moment before answering.
“A beautiful girl like you makes the outfit, not the other way around. And you’re lovely on the inside, which is very rare.”
I stepped forward and gave her a big hug. The night before, she’d not been feeling well, and I’d wondered if she’d be able to attend the ceremony. But a night’s rest and a few prayers made a difference. She seemed very alert.
“Not too hard,” she said, patting me on the back. “It took me over an hour to build this facade, and it needs to last until we come home.”
Mrs. Fairmont talked the whole way to the courthouse. She knew the history of many of the houses we passed and remembered people and events from decades ago. I’d heard some of her stories several times, but instead of reminding her, I used my previous knowledge to ask questions I knew she enjoyed answering. When I parked the car, Mrs. Fairmont lowered the sun visor and checked herself in the mirror on the other side.
“There’s no statute of limitations on a woman’s concern about the appearance of her hair,” I said.
Mrs. Fairmont carefully smoothed a stray strand in place. “You never know who might be here. There might be a man I find interesting.”
I laughed, and we got out of the car. Thankfully, we didn’t have to walk very far in the morning heat. Mrs. Fairmont took small steps. I matched her pace. One of the younger lawyers from Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter passed us on the sidewalk without acknowledging my presence. I knew I might receive a cool reception from members of the firm.
We rode the elevator to the upstairs courtroom where the swearing-in ceremony would be held. A few people I didn’t know were gathering. Julie, Vince, and Zach hadn’t arrived. I led Mrs. Fairmont to a seat on the front row so her view wouldn’t be blocked.
“Do you want to introduce me as your great-grandmother?” Mrs. Fairmont whispered.
“You’re not that old, and it wouldn’t be true.”
“You’re right. No one could look at your long legs and believe we’re from the same family tree.”
“I’m honored to have you here. It’s sweet that you wanted to come.”
“Margaret?” An older woman across the room waved in our direction. “Is that you?”
Mrs. Fairmont squinted slightly, then smiled. “It’s Harriet Wilson. I haven’t seen her in ages.”
Mrs. Wilson, who was about ten years younger than Mrs. Fairmont, came over. After Mrs. Fairmont introduced me to her, the two women sat down and began chatting. The back door of the courtroom opened, and the lawyers from Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter entered in royal procession, with Mr. Braddock and Vince in front. Zach saw me and smiled.
Maggie and Julie came in behind the group from the firm. I immediately spotted Julie’s mother, a fifty-year-old version of her daughter. Julie’s father was a short, balding man in a dark suit. Maggie and Julie saw me and joined us. I was glad Mrs. Fairmont wanted to come. It made me feel less alone and like a hillbilly outsider. The diamonds on her fingers were at least as large as the ones shown off by Julie’s mother.
Judge Cannon, the senior superior court judge, strode into the room as the clerk of court called out, “All rise!”
Six people, three women and three men, were going to be sworn in. In addition to Julie, Vince, and me, there was a young man who would be joining the public defender’s office, a woman who would be taking over Maggie’s place at the district attorney’s office, and a young man joining another small law firm. Mr. Braddock came to the front with Vince and introduced him.
“Your Honor, it is my privilege to introduce Vince Colbert, who will be working with me in the transactional and estate-planning area of the firm. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University and a magna cum laude graduate of Yale Law School, where he served on the staff of the Yale Law Journal.”
Everyone clapped. Vince’s academic and legal pedigree was impressive. Seeing him standing beside Mr. Braddock, I had no doubt Vince’s future would be one of unqualified success. Maggie stood and motioned to me. I joined her at th
e front of the room.
“Your Honor, it is my privilege to introduce Tami Taylor, who will be working in our firm. She graduated from Berry College and the University of Georgia School of Law.”
The applause was more muted except for Julie, who let out a whoop that caused the judge to glance in her direction. I returned to my seat beside Mrs. Fairmont, who patted me on the hand. Julie, who was on the other side of me, leaned over and whispered, “I should have brought an air horn.”
“I’m supposed to be the redneck.”
Julie’s mother beamed when her daughter was introduced. Seeing her joy made me miss Daddy and Mama, but they wouldn’t have felt comfortable in the room. Next up was the young woman who was going to work in the district attorney’s office. She was related to Harriet Wilson.
“That’s Harriet’s great-niece by the second daughter her sister had with her first husband.”
“Good,” I answered, not commenting on the information, but rather Mrs. Fairmont’s ability to remember and communicate it.
After everyone was introduced, the judge instructed all the admittees to rise for the administration of the oath. Standing next to her, I was especially aware of how much taller I was than Julie. After we finished the oath, Judge Cannon said a few words of congratulation to us and our families. As he finished his remarks, he motioned to the court administrator standing near the jury box.
“Except for Mr. Baldwin, who will be joining the public defender’s office, and Ms. Crittenden, who will be prosecuting Mr. Baldwin’s clients, give your name and contact information to Ms. Coutts so you can be placed on the appointed list. Pro bono work should be part of every lawyer’s caseload. For the first three years of your practice in this circuit, it won’t be an option. Court is adjourned.”
“What kind of appointed cases?” I asked Julie as we waited our turn to see the court administrator.
“I guess criminal cases like the ones we did last summer.”
Julie had easily taken care of her case. The Moses Jones case assigned to me had been a huge responsibility. We reached the court administrator, and I repeated my question.
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