Page 104 of Partner Pursuit
From clients. Didn’t he see herout-of-officemessage? Well, thetwenty-fourhours hadn’t passedyet.
Eve knocked onthedoor.
“You aren’t working, are you? You look likeshit.”
“That’s how I feel too. Hopefully sleeping and the steroids will help.” She took the quart of soup from Eve and heated it up. “Malaburn is mad at me because I didn’t respond to his three emails today, even though myout-of-officemessage states that I am sick and I won’t be checking email.” Audrey set the soup on the table and slumped intothe chair.
“Are you sure you want to continue working in this shark tank? It’s like you’re down bleeding and they’re circling.” Eve sat acrossfromher.
Audrey spooned up the soup. “This is soo good. Thank you. I don’t know. I’m too tired and sick to think about it now. I’m going to respond to him—within the 24 hours—that I’ve just gotten back from my doctor and I’m sick with bronchitis and that I would be delighted to discuss when I am better and I’m back in the office. Back off. But without adding thebackoff.”
“Way to act like apartner.”
“More like: way to piss off a partner—a week before thedecision.”
“Thattoo.”
Audrey just shook her head. “I’m worn out. I’ll cc Tim and ask him to follow up withMalaburn.”
“Do it now so you don’t continue to thinkabout it.”
“You know me too well.” Audrey typed a response and put the phone down. It immediately beeped. Both women stared atthe phone.
“He probably wrote ‘feelbetter.’”
“You think?” Audrey asked skeptically, picking it up. Her eyes widened and she coughed.
“No?”
“No, he’s asking a whole bunch of questions, most of which I’d need to think about. Maybe it’s for Tim.” She scrolled up to the email addresses. “Except he only sent it to me.” She sighed. She added Tim to the email and asked him to respond.
Eve raised her eyebrows. “It doesn’t seem like Malaburn wants Tim torespond.”
“No. But I need to put myself first. I need to get physically better. And I need some space and time to think about Jake—withoutpassive-aggressiveweirdness from Malaburn.” She picked up her work phone, opened her balcony sliding door, and dropped the work phone off her balcony. “No work distractions.”
Eve looked shocked. “Never thought I’d seetheday.”
Audrey walked back in and closed the door behind her. “I’ve just won a court case for Popflicks, settled another case favorably for one of our top bank clients, brought in a new hedge fund client, and canceled my vacation to fly to London for another client at their request. If they don’t make me partner because I don’t answer emails when I’m sick, then so be it. I’ll find a place thatwill.”
Eve clapped. “Yougogirl.”
Her shoulders slumped. “But where amI going?”
Eve hugged Audrey, but with a bit of space, head tilted away, so she didn’t getsicktoo.
“Still no word fromJake?”
“No. And now I’m too sick to call him anyway. And I haven’t decided that I should be the one calling him.” Audrey sat back down. “I don’t know how to persuade him to come back. I’m still a lawyer, trying to make partner, at the beck and call of clients, and I respect his decision that he doesn’t want to be a partofthat.”
“That’s okay. Let him have some time away to think about it. He’ll be back. You’re pretty special—even with your flushed face and hacking cough.”
“I’m being careful to wash my hands so I don’t get you sick.” Audrey took another spoonful ofsoup.
“Don’t worry. You can get some really weird diseases working in kitchens. You don’t even want to know.” Eve shuddered. “But if Jake doesn’t come to his senses, I’m sure Max will come up with some scheme.”
“He definitely will. He asked me if I have a rock star costume, so I’m thinking he wants me to pretend to be a member of anall-girlband that Jake willdiscover.”
“Not bad. Except you can’tsing.”
