by J. L. Ryan
She nearly fell off her chair. “Are…are you serious?”
He nodded, “Did I stutter?” His face was blank, like he had flipped a switch and joined the dark side, but then quietly laughed and she shook off the strange feeling she had.
“No, but just a bit taken aback.”
He nodded, regaining his smile. He then stood up and she figured that the interview was over. She was bummed to realize that it was only about fifteen minutes and she figured that that was not a good sign. She stood up and shook his outstretched hand. “When can you start?”
Her jaw dropped, “I’m sorry?”
He shot another glare in her direction. “When….can…you…start? My assistant quit last minute and I need a replacement.” He stated, slowly easing out the words.
“As soon as you need me.” She conceded, knowing that she would have to work around her work schedule. She just was elated by the turn of events.
“Okay, then I will see you tomorrow.” He sat down and went back to his computer.
She processed the words in her mind, but before leaving she glanced back in his direction. “Tomorrow is Saturday.”
He nodded, “I’m aware, Ms. Jamison.” She paused at his door, but he looked up. “Is working a Saturday not a possibility for you?”
She was worried that he would snatch the job away, so she quickly shook her head. “No, Saturday is great. Thank you!” She left his office and silently celebrated that things were looking up. Tomorrow was a new day and she wouldn’t focus on everything she lost, but everything she was gaining.
***
It wasn’t until she was home and in bed that she even thought about how she didn’t know what time she should be there. She decided to just go in at eight o’clock and hope that that was fine with him. She dressed in her dressier clothes and headed to the office.
When she got there, there was another car in the parking lot. She parked and went up to the door. As she walked through the offices, she noticed that the once bustling of a mailroom, was deafly quiet. She glanced around the room and then went to the other part of the office.
She opened the door to find that it was also quiet. She casually walked down the hallway, the only sound was the clicking of her black high heels. She went to his door and saw him through the glass door, busy at his computer. She knocked softly. “Come in!” He called. She entered, but he didn’t bother looking up. “You’re late,” he mumbled, continuing to type away.
“I’m really sorry. We didn’t really…“
He put up his hand and looked at her, “Don’t let it happen again.”
“Yes, sir,” she mumbled.
He stood up and walked around the desk, glancing over her outfit and causing her to feel awkward. “You also don’t have to be so dressed up, unless we have a meeting.” She glanced down at her outfit and frowned, but didn’t say anything.
“Follow me,” he ordered. They left the office and headed back down the hallway. He pushed a door open and they entered, bringing her into another office. “This is your office. You can decorate as you please, but don’t get too caught up in it. You will do a lot of work in my office and be expected to do whatever I ask of you.” He hesitated, a heated stare appeared. “Whatever I ask you. Understand?”
She took a step back from him. She felt a strange sensation as he spoke to her. It was like he was cutting to her core and she couldn’t understand what was happening. “Yes, I understand,” she spoke, but she wasn’t sure if she really did.
“Perfect.” He leaned over the phone and pressed a button. “When you need to talk to me, press this button. It will buzz and inform me that you are calling me.
When I call you, you will hear a buzz and you answer by pressing this button.” He looked at her, shifting to stare into her eyes. “Do you need to take notes?”
She nearly laughed, then shook her head. “I think I have it, but thanks.”
She couldn’t help but notice how his demeanor was different from the interview. He was belittling and acting like he was better than her. She felt like a child he was training to ride a bike or use the restroom.
It was a different phase that she wasn’t expecting. “Suit yourself.” He shrugged, heading out the door. “Get comfortable with the office and I will get with you soon.”
“Thank you,” she mumbled, walking around the desk and sinking down in the chair. She felt out of her element and hoped that it was just nerves, because she was already hooked into the job.
The money would be more than enough to keep herself in the apartment. She started messing with the computer, getting a feel of the drawers in her desk, and swiveling in her chair, when she heard the phone buzzing at her.
She stopped what she was doing and stared at the phone. She pressed the button that he showed her. “Yes?”
“Jamison, come to my office,” he ordered. His voice was almost gruff.
“Yes…” she started to say, but she heard a tone that signified he was no longer on the intercom.
She rolled her eyes and headed back to his office.
She went into his office and put on a smile. He stood up, with a pile of papers in his hand. He walked around and handed her the papers. She looked them over. “Follow me,” he ordered.
She willingly did so, as he led her to another room. “Am I going to remember where everything is?” she asked, laughing lightly.
He turned around and his gaze was cold and distant. “Do I need to draw you a map?” He asked, with no sign of teasing. She shook her head and he turned back to the filing cabinets. “You are to file these forms by date that they were completed.” He pointed to the date and then looked up at her, “Understand?”
She nodded. “Good!” He mumbled, heading out of the room and leaving her alone. She frowned, turning back to the filing cabinet. She didn’t know why he had to be such a jerk, but she wasn’t going to jeopardize it by questioning his actions. He was the boss and that was what she would keep telling herself, because it was going to pay the bills and that was what mattered most.
***
Marisa woke up to the knock on her apartment door. She glanced at the clock and frowned, “Six o’clock?” She mumbled, putting on her robe and stumbling to the door. The knock happened again. “Coming!” she called, hoping it didn’t across as gruff. She opened the door to see that Jeffrey Bradley was at her door.
She quickly pulled the strap tighter around her robe. She was not used to awkwardly standing in front of her boss, wearing just a nightie and a robe. “What are you doing here?” She asked, realizing how rude it came across. She didn’t care; she figured that it still wasn’t as rude as he had been the past three days.
“I told you we had meetings today.” He brushed into the apartment. When she turned around, she saw that his eyes were casually washing over her body. “Are you going to be dressed like that for every meeting we have?”
She looked down at her outfit and then glared at him. “Smart…” she finally said. “If I would have known that you were going to be here at the early light of dawn, I would have been sure to put on a formal gown.”
For the first time, since he hired her, she noticed a smile on his face. She had to take a step back, because she didn’t expect for a simple smile to melt her heart. “I apologize. You are most correct. I didn’t tell you about the fact that I like to prepare for the meetings. Since the first one is at eight o’clock, I was just trying to get a head start. I can come back.”
As he was passing her, she reached out and grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her and she shrugged, “You’re here now…you might as well make the best of the time. Have a seat at the kitchen table and I will hurry and take a shower, get dressed, and be back before you know it.”
“If you insist.”
She rolled her eyes. She didn’t really feel like she had much choice. “I do.” She left him standing there and hurried into her bedroom, where she grabbed a change of clothes and then went into the bathroom. She would make it a quick sho
wer and then be out there and ready to start the day.
She barely had time to think, before she was turning the shower off and getting dressed. She threw her hair back in a ponytail and went out to the kitchen.
He looked up, “That didn’t take long,” he muttered.
“Told you I would be fast,” She replied, sitting down across from him.
“Indeed you did,” he replied, pushing the paperwork in front of her. “We are meeting with Troy Houser. He is suing his ex for full custody of his two children.”
“That seems harsh,” she mumbled.
“Excuse me?” He asked, looking intently at her.
“I just mean that she’s their mother. Why would he do that?” She shook her head, leafing through the papers.
He opened another folder and pushed it toward her. She looked down to see a picture of a little girl, a bruise on her arm.
She looked up at him, “Is there proof that the mother did this?”
He shook his head, “No, but that’s why I’m here…to find proof.”
Marisa snickered, “Whatever makes you sleep at night.” She put the folder down and closed it up.
“What do you mean by that?” He asked, clearly angered by her attitude.
“You may be looking for proof to prove something that isn’t there. Maybe you are defending the wrong person. Ever think of that?”
“Why are you so convinced that he’s in the wrong? You know nothing about this case.”
“Maybe not, but I’m just saying that you shouldn’t just believe him because he’s your client.” She spoke, crossing her arms and staring at him.
“Duly noted, Jamison, but I don’t recall hiring you to be a lawyer. This is my case and my job is to prove that he is the better option for those two kids.”
“Even if he’s not?” She asked, calmly.
“It’s the price a lawyer pays. You don’t always get the innocent one.” He pulled the papers back toward him and continued to leaf through the files. She watched him, but she felt a feeling of dread inside of her. She heard a knock at her door. Their eyes met, as she got up and went to the door.
She opened the door to find her landlord on her step. She glanced back to her boss and then pushed her way out the door. “What do you want, Harry?” She asked.
“Have you thought about that letter I gave you? You only have three days to make your move…either pay up or get out. What will it be?”
She could feel the tears at the back of her eyes, but she begged for them not to fall. “I know. I’m working on it.”
“Friday…that’s your last day. I don’t want to lose you as a tenant, but I have a business to run.”
He turned away and headed to the stairs, “Goodbye!” she mumbled.
She went back into her apartment and saw that he was watching the door. She didn’t respond about the visitor, but he did speak. “Friend?” He asked, casually.
“More like enemy,” she replied with a laugh. She shrugged, “Back to this case. I will step back and let you do your job.”
“Thank you!” He removed a couple of pictures from the file and held them up. “We do have proof that she had been having an affair with this guy, while she was still married.”
She nodded, still doesn’t make her an abuser, she thought. She pushed the thought from her mind and reached out for the picture. She looked down and saw this woman dancing with this man. They looked like they were in love. She gave the picture back to him and shrugged. “Nice picture,” she mumbled.
“For a cheater,” he replied, shaking his head. “I guess that’s it. I am sorry that I interrupted your morning.”
“No worries.”
“I’ll see you in the office in about an hour.”
She nodded, watching him leave her apartment. She sunk down at the kitchen table and covered her face with her hands. She didn’t want him to know what was bothering her, so she had to hold it in. Yet, she had no idea what she was going to do.
***
Jeffrey buzzed in on her phone at eight o’clock sharp. “Yes?” She asked.
“The client is here. Come to my office first.”
“Yes, Mr. Bradley,” she spoke, picking up a pad of paper and pen and heading out of her office. She walked down the hallway and entered his office.
He looked up and then stood to his feet. “I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page about today’s meeting.”
“Meaning?” she asked.
“I don’t want you speaking your mind. I get that you aren’t convinced, but it’s not my job to convince you. It’s my job to convince the judge and I don’t want you getting in that way.” He moved to the door and held it open for her. “Understand?”
“Loudly,” she spoke, brushing past him. She turned around and put up her finger. “For the record…I would never get in the way of YOU doing your job.” She turned on her heels and walked down the hallway to the boardroom. She stopped and turned around to see that he was lagging behind.
He held out his hand to show that he was welcoming her in first. She nodded and entered the room. She smiled as she took a seat. “Hello, Mr. Houser,” she shook his hand.
She saw that Jeffrey was doing the same, as he took his seat. He put the paperwork in front of him and then looked up. “Tell me your story, Mr. Houser.”
She watched, as he seemed hesitant. However, then he finally spoke. “I am suing for full custody, because my wife isn’t suitable.”
“You mean your ex?” He asked.
He nodded, “Yeah…yeah, my ex. She isn’t suitable. She drinks and has abusive tendencies.”
Marisa jotted down the information, as he stated them. “Tell me about her abusive tendencies.”
“Well…when Valarie was two she ended up with a broken arm.”
Marisa looked up at him and saw that he was sweating profusely. “Your ex beat her so bad that she broke her arm?” He asked, making notes of his own.
He nodded, but then paused. “They said that she fell off the Merry Go Round, but I never bought that. I know my ex.”
“When did you get divorced? How old were the children?” Jeffrey asked.
“Hm…” he looked up to the ceiling. “I think that Valarie was four years old and Trey was two.”
“So, you divorced her two years after the suspected abuse started?”
“Yes, so?” He asked, defensively. “I loved her and I didn’t want to believe that she could be a maniac, but the truth had to come out.”
“How old are the children now?” He asked, barely making eye contact.
“That was two years ago.” He spoke, carefully looking between the two people sitting opposite him.
“So, it was about four years ago that Valarie broke her arm?” Marisa glanced at Jeffrey. She could tell where he was going with it, but she wondered if he was questioning him because of her or because of him.
“What does that matter?” Troy asked, again defensively.
“Nothing. I just want to see how you handle the questions that you are going to be fired. What I am asking is only the breaking point. If you don’t answer them with ease, you’ll be perceived as hiding something. Are you hiding something?”
Again I turned my focus on my boss. He was good and not batting an eye. For a moment it made sense why he was arrogant. It was the only way he knew how to be. “Nothing. She deserves to suffer, because those kids belong with me.”
“Okay,” Jeffrey replied, taking some more notes. “Do you have anything else to add?”
He shook his head, “Nope. I have said my peace.” He replied.
For the first time since entering the room, Jeffrey turned to Marisa. She couldn’t read what was in his mind, but she wondered if it was doubt. He stood up and turned back to Troy.
“Thank you for stopping by and I will let you know when you go before the judge.” They all shook hands again and Troy left the room.
Jeffrey followed after him, not saying a word to Marisa as he headed back to his office.
Marisa looked down at her notes and noticed what she had written. Most of it was about his attributes. He was shaking, nervous, sweating, and defensive. He didn’t act like something that believed what he was saying and somehow she wanted to prove that.
***
Marisa sat at her desk, tapping her pencil loudly against her computer. Her thoughts roamed to the landlord and the meeting with their client. She finally took a deep breath and headed out of her office. She made her way down to see him. She noticed the door was open, but she knocked anyway. He looked up,
“Come in, Jamison.” There was something about the way that he called her by her last name. She loved it. His eyes remained on hers. “Well, are you going to stand all day gawking, or do you have a question?”
She felt her face flush, as she looked away. She didn’t know how he could do that. When she finally regained control, she looked back in his direction. “What did you think of the meeting?” She asked. It wasn’t exactly why she came in there, but she figured it would buy her some time.
