Page 73 of The Interns

“Yes.”

“He just got out of a meeting with a client, so he should be free. Let me transfer you.”

Maya thanked her and sprung from her bed, pacing in triple time compared to the soft classical hold music.

“Ms. Hendricks! I’ve been expecting your call.”

Maya stopped in her tracks. “You have?”

“Of course, I have.” He chuckled at her reaction. He always did that for some reason. “It’s recruiting season. I’ve been waiting to hear which lucky firm I get to send my glowing recommendation to.”

“Right. Well, no one quite yet.”

“Surely you’ve gotten offers already.”

“I’ve had a few,” she admitted.

“Well, I’d be happy to be your sounding board if you need help deciding. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call then?”

Maya took a deep breath and straightened her posture, as if she was standing before him and not in her bedroom still in her pajamas at lunch time on a Wednesday.

“I was calling to see if you had filled the junior associate position yet.”

“We’ve already interviewed several strong candidates, but no final decision yet. We still have two more interviews left.”

“Well, if it’s not too late, I’d like to submit my resume for your consideration.”

There was silence on the other end of the line, and she thought she was going to be sick, but then he began to laugh quietly.

“It’s not too late,” he assured her. “Go ahead and submit your application through the website. I’ll put you in touch with Patti to schedule your interview and take care of your travel arrangements.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Thank you for considering us, Ms. Hendricks,” he said, matching her formality with his own. “I’m looking forward to meeting with you.”

Maya ended the call and fell back onto her bed. This wasn’t compromising, she told herself. This was a completely rational move, to weigh all options before making the most important decision of her adult life.

40

Reed

Reed sat at his dining room table, eyes bleary and heart heavy. After nearly twenty applications for entry level attorney positions across the northeast, he had finally gotten a phone interview for a small nonprofit agency that provided legal services for incarcerated individuals in New Jersey. It wasn’t the side of law he’d ever imagined working on, but then he’d also witnessed abuses of power that he never would have imagined prior to his time in law enforcement, so it wasn’t that far off from what he wanted to do as an assistant district attorney. Either way, he didn’t have many options at this point. He just needed an in, and he’d figure it out from there.

At three o’clock on the dot, he received a phone call from the lead attorney. They talked about his education, his work experience, and his aspirations. He thought he’d answered everything satisfactorily, but sensed hesitance on her end. He heard her shuffle some papers, tap her pen against the desk, then sigh deeply.

“So Mr. Stanton, have you ever actually been to Newark?”

He could see why she’d ask that. The accent, the strictly Georgia education and work history. He’d never thought of venturing outside of the state, and she probably sensed that. He considered a little white lie but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“No, but I’ve heard nice things about it,” he said with a smile, hoping it came across as enthusiasm.

“Have you?”

All he knew was that it was eighty-five miles to Philadelphia and ten miles to Manhattan, so he had his bases covered for whatever Maya decided to do.

“Yes.”

She sighed again. “Okay…Look, Mr. Stanton, this is not a glamorous position. The pay is modest, we don’t offer a signing bonus or relocation, and we need someone to start like yesterday. I can’t afford for you to take a chance and have you leave after a few months. I think it’d be wise to take some time and really think this through. I do think you have great experience, though, so if you’re still looking after graduation, and you happen to be in the area, feel free to get in touch.”

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