Page 18 of Mr. Big Shot

“Get in here,” Hudson says from his open door before he turns and storms back into his office.

I roll my eyes and call out to him as I follow. “Have you ever heard the expression you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?”

Lucy bursts out laughing. “You tell him!”

“Don’t listen to her,” he retorts dryly, referring to Lucy. “She’s senile.”

“Look at that! Another vacation day added to my schedule!” Lucy shouts back tauntingly.

Hudson totally ignores her as he reclaims his seat behind his desk.

I look around the room. “Where should I…”

He frowns at the question. “Anywhere. Have you never been inside an office before? Where there’s a chair, yeah, that’s where you’re allowed to put your butt.”

A sassy response is begging to be set free. Truly, this is the hardest I’ve had to work at holding my tongue in…forever.

But yesterday, I let my whims get away from me with that “asshole” comment. Today, we’re repenting. I’m going to zip my lips and take my chair and pretend I’m sitting across from the nicest man in the world. A real saint.

“Not that one,” Hudson says with an exasperated sigh when I choose a chair halfway across the room from him. I was trying to put a bit of distance between us. For safety. “You won’t even be able to hear the damn call if you’re way over there.”

“Then tell me where you want me!”

Ope, look at that. Back at square one.

I squeeze my eyes closed and do a deep breathing exercise I make up right now on the spot. Picture Hudson as a balloon floating far, far away, never to be seen or heard from ever again.

Oh, an even better one! Picture Hudson as a balloon stuck up on the tallest branch of the tallest tree for the rest of eternity.

“Here.”

My eyes fly open as he curves around his desk to grab a heavy upholstered chair. He drags it around the corner so it’s not exactly behind his desk where his chair is, but it’s not where guests normally sit either. It’s in a weird in-between spot, and it puts me only a few feet away from him. In the danger zone, so to say. I can smell his cologne from here. If I go any closer? Who knows what could happen.

He points to it until I walk around and take my seat, dutifully.

“Now just listen and take notes.”

“Will this be for a grade?”

His eyes narrow, but underneath the stern exterior, I swear he’s enjoying this. “Are you trying to test my patience?”

“Quite frankly, I’m not sure. My original plan was to be nice to you today.”

“And how’s that going for you?”

I arch my brow just as the phone on his desk rings. He’s still looking at me as he answers it.

“Rhodes,” he says by way of greeting. Then, “Yeah, listen, TJ, let me put you on speaker. I’ve got a junior associate here with me and she’s promised not to interrupt.”

I made no such promise, but I do know when to pick my battles and this is not one of them. I mime closing a zipper over my lips, and Hudson swaps the call over to speakerphone so I can hear both sides.

There is no explanation or context given, no attempt to get me up to speed from either party. Hudson and TJ both act like I’m not there as they launch into their meeting. Unsurprisingly, there’s no small talk or polite conversation. I can’t even imagine Hudson asking someone how their day is going. It’s laughable. Though to be fair, with attorneys, time is valuable, and there’s no sense in squandering it for no good reason.

I gather most of the pertinent information quickly enough, because, thank you, I’m not completely useless even though everyone in my life seems to think I am. TJ is a partner at our Los Angeles office. Apparently, he’s helping Hudson on a pharmaceutical merger.

After only a few minutes of them chatting on the phone, I clue in to their pending problem. They’re both concerned about how the regulatory requirements set by the HSR Act will affect the merger and the closing timeline. I know both parties in a merger have to file an HSR review with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. This was already done, I gather from their conversation. Unfortunately, that preliminary review proved that further investigation is needed.

This is bad news for everyone.

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