Page 74 of The Interns

He thanked her for her time and ended the call, then dropped his phone on the table. His only lead was now dead, and any hope for a path that included Maya was dwindling.

41

Maya

“The space next door opened up about a month ago, so I took out a five-year lease on it,” Al said, gesturing toward the wall that divided the two offices. “We’ll extend the office out so we finally have the room to bring on a few more attorneys and support staff. The demand for work has always been enough to justify a small expansion, but the timing was never right,” he explained as he motioned for her to follow him through the office she already knew quite well. “We’ve started doing some renovations on this side. This might look familiar to you.”

She smiled as they stopped at the door to the office she had shared with Reed over the summer. The two mismatched Formica desks that sat opposite each other had been replaced by one very grand oak desk that was now positioned in front of the floor to ceiling glass windows that overlooked downtown. The white walls had been painted a warm taupe, framed paintings now hung on the walls, and an ornate Persian rug laid in front of the desk with two upholstered guest chairs arranged on it.

“This is the space we’ve set aside for our new associate,” he said proudly.

“It’s very nice.”

“Things are happening slowly but surely.”

“I can see that,” she said as she looked up at him. “This must be an exciting time for everyone.”

“It is,” he agreed. “And humbling and even a little frightening which is not something I should probably tell an interviewee,” he confessed with a self-conscious air that she had rarely, if ever, seen from him.

“No, I completely understand,” she assured him with a faint, knowing grin because she was out in uncertain territory, as well.

“But I suppose if it didn’t stir those feelings, it wouldn’t be worth doing, would it? Let’s go back to my office, so we can talk.”

She followed him back to his office, taking a seat in the spot she had occupied countless times before as he settled in behind his desk.

“I reviewed your resume, but I already know your credentials well, and your work ethic and ability even better.” He put her application down on his desk and folded his hands over the file. “There’s no point in being coy. You have a place here if you want it, Maya, but that’s the caveat. If you want it. So if it’s alright with you, I’d like to skip the formalities and use this time to tell you more about what I see for the future of this firm.”

She sat up straighter in her chair. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“What I need, short term, is someone who can help me keep up with the current caseload. What I want, long term, is a partner. Someone as invested in the work and this firm as I am,” he explained as he gestured out toward the office and people who filled it. “This expansion isn’t about becoming the next big firm, it’s about extending our service and expertise to more of the individuals and small businesses we’ve always represented. I like having faces and names attached to the cases. It matters to me, and I never want to lose sight of that.”

She still wasn’t giving him much, just nodding along with her poker face intact, but the most unexpected feeling came over her. The backs of her eyes started to sting. His words stirred up a well of emotion that lay just beneath the surface. One that held all of her hopes and dreams and fears surrounding this question of what she was going to do with her life.

“This is a partner track position. A named partner. And depending on how things go, there’s always the possibility of being a founding partner for a second location. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami…it’s not a given, and it won’t happen right away,” he qualified, “but I promise that your service and dedication would be rewarded in time.”

He reached for a portfolio on the side of his desk and placed it in front of her. “This is the prospectus for the next ten years and an offer letter. I’d like you to review it and consider it. When and if you’re ready to proceed, we can meet again to go over it so that I can answer any questions or address any concerns you may have. Does that sound fair?”

She leaned forward to reach for the portfolio, consenting to at least further consideration by taking it. “More than fair. Yes, sir. I mean, Al.”

“Great.” He watched her with a smile as she took the folder in her hands. “There’s one thing that’s not included on the offer letter, though. We’ll call it the Stanton clause. If you’re ever successful at recruiting him, I’ll throw in a to-be-determined bonus.”

Just hearing Reed’s name brought a smile out of her. “I’m not sure I have that kind of pull.”

“I think you might,” he said, prolonging the light-hearted moment just a little longer before growing serious again. “I’m happy you came down and gave us a chance, Maya.”

“Thank you for having me.”

“Of course.” He reached for the phone. “I’ll have Patti call for a car to take you back to the hotel.”

“Actually, I think I’d like to walk instead.” She needed space to think, and she needed to spend some time alone with the city. They had a lot of catching up to do.

“Well, I hope you have a good evening then.”

“Thank you. You, too,” she said before turning to head out of his office. “I’ll be in touch.”

* * *

March 18, 6:32 PM

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