Page 6 of When You Give a Lawyer a Kiss

He rolls his eyes. “Does it look like I care? Your job is to assist me, and so far, you’re doing a shitty job at it.” He leans over to toss the scone into the trash.

My stomach tightens as I watch him discard perfectly good food. In my rush to get to the office this morning I skipped breakfast and couldn’t afford the ten-dollar pastries from the fancy bakery he sent me to. He requires that I show him the receipts to make sure I don’t buy anything for myself, even though he uses a company card. His reasoning is that it’s only forpartners at the firm, and lowly paralegals like me aren’t entitled to the same perks.

“I’ll make sure to get you a cranberry orange scone next time,” I assure him.

“See that you do,” he snaps. “How can I trust you with confidential client files if you can’t even handle a simple task like getting my breakfast order right?”

I clench my fists at my sides and bite my tongue. Fetching his breakfast isn’t in the job description, but he’s had it out for me since my first day when I corrected the misspelling of a client’s name on an important document he asked me to file. In the past five days, he’s punished me by assigning me menial errands instead of letting me do my actual job.

I might not like the guy, but the last thing I need is to get fired on my first week because I mouthed off to my new boss, especially after all the effort I put into landing this job.

For the past year, I worked as a paralegal at a small law firm on the West Side. After applying for several positions, I was elated to land an interview with Thompson & Tate, the most prestigious law firm in New York City. I knew securing a job here would significantly improve my chances of getting into law school. Not that it matters since I still need to pass the LSAT and apply. At this rate, I may never get the chance to fulfill my dream of becoming a lawyer.

Fortunately, the position at Thompson & Tate pays three dollars more per hour than I was making at my previous job. Combined with my part-time job at Echo, a lounge bar in the city, I should be able to tackle some overdue projects on the house my grandma left me when she moved into an assisted living facility and still save a sizeable amount for law school as long as I budget wisely.

Rob taps his pen against his desk as he narrows his eyes. “Why are you still here?” he demands. “Get back to work. Wehave an all-hands meeting at eleven, so don’t be late.” He turns to his computer, effectively dismissing me.

“I won’t be,” I promise on my way out.

When I get to my desk, I check my phone to find an unread text from Noah.

We met in our Introduction to Law class during my freshman year of college. I was running late and had to take the only available seat next to him in the front row. After being paired up for a debate, we discovered that not only did we share an aspiration to become lawyers but also our love for Sunday brunch and Hallmark movies.

Noah:Hey babe.

Reese:Hey! How was your date with Jason last night?

Noah:I’m thinking about taking your lead and deleting all my dating apps.

Reese:It was that bad huh?

Noah: The worst!

Noah: He spent the whole night flirting with the waiter. I get it, the guy was good looking but hello I was sitting right there.

Reese:What a jerk! He clearly has no idea what he’s missing.

Noah:You might have the right idea, taking a break from finding Mr. Right. Dating is overrated

I stifle a laugh. I’ll believe it when I see it. Noah is a serial romantic who’s addicted to the thrill of meeting new love interests too much to quit.

Noah:How are you holding up at the office?

Reese:Four words: Thank god it’s Friday.

Noah:That boss of yours still being a pain in the ass?

Reese:That’s putting it mildly.

Reese:I have my first all-hands meeting later today. Wish me luck. Let’s hope the rest of the staff are more friendly than he is.

Noah:I’m sure they are. You’re going to crush it.

Noah:You’re at the club tonight, right?

Reese:Yeah.

Noah:David asked me to pick up a shift at the bar, so I’ll see you there.

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