Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“Ms. Carmichael, I am going to level with you. No one works well with Mr. Astrid. He is a workaholic pain in my ass who demands the people around him constantly produce at the same level he does. He once had an ADA let go for asking to be at his first son’s birth. To be fair, Mr. Astrid was not the right person to ask, and his timing was unfortunate, but still.” She shrugged.
“I understand that, but—”
“No, I don’t think you do. Even if someone manages to hit the speed and intensity he works at and maintains the level of excellence he demands, it is impossible to maintain. Every paralegal I have sent him ends up leaving the field entirely.”
The last few even left the city.
“I did not want to give you this assignment. Partly because, while you are good, you’re still very green. But mostly because I like you and don’t want to watch the will to live fade from your pretty green eyes.”
“Then how did I end up on his desk?”
I was so confused. Mrs. Lakeson assigned all the paralegals. If she didn’t want me working for Mr. Astrid, then I shouldn’t have been assigned to him. I should have been on some mid-level lawyer’s desk where I could learn, get my paycheck, and earn a stellar recommendation letter for law school.
“He requested you by name,” she said.
I froze.
He requested me by name, which meant he knew who I was last night when he found me in his bathroom.
I moved my purse in front of my body, needing to put something between me and the world. “How does he know who I am?”
“Sorry, not by name.” She waved her hand in the air as if to brush off her mistake while she took a sip of her coffee, leaving a bright red lip print on the white porcelain.
With the delicate teacup holding her coffee in one hand, she typed away with the other. I was always amazed by how fast she could type one-handed with her long red nails.
Not quite feeling relieved, I said again, “I don’t understand.”
“Okay, here is the e-mail he sent.” She pushed her monitor around so I could read it.
The e-mail was quick and to the point. There was no time wasted on pleasantries.
Mrs. Lakeson,
The Manellie Brothers’ RICO case last month was an utter shit show. There was no way they should have walked. I want the lawyer who handled it under review. He is either dirty or incompetent. Either way, he does not belong here. However, his information, the precedents cited, and the research done were immaculate. Had a lawyer with a spine had that information, the case would have had an entirely different outcome, and the city would have been a better place for it.
I want that paralegal assigned to my desk. Immediately. Make it happen.
-Astrid
I re-read the e-mail four times before Mrs. Lakeson turned her monitor back to face her.
“His words are so sweet, it almost makes you want to print the e-mail and frame it,” Mrs. Lakeson said.
She was being sarcastic, but I kind of did want to frame it. The things he said had my mind spinning.
He hadn’t requested me by name, nor because he liked the way my ass looked in a skirt, nor because he was hoping to use his position to get into my pants. He had requested me because he valued my work, even if it had been misused in the trial.
He didn’t blame me for the verdict, like the prosecutor on the case had.
Mr. Astrid saw through the posturing and bullshit and knew the work I did was excellent and on point, just poorly executed by the attorney.
“Ms. Carmichael. Eddie. I don’t need to explain that working for the DA is going to be a massive boon to your career. Not only will it look fantastic on your law school applications, but when you pass the bar, you will have your pick of the top law firms in the country. If you can manage to suffer through Astrid’s impossible standards, it will make your career before it’s really begun.”
“I…”
What could I possibly say to that? She was dangling the brightest future possible in front of my face. It would make every sacrifice worth it.
“This job can be the lynchpin that gets you into Columbia or NYU Law, and it can lead to some scholarships and grants. I am assuming the reason you needed to defer was the cost of tuition?”
I nodded absentmindedly.
“So you will stay on his desk. Unless there is another reason I should look at transferring you?”
My cheeks burned as I took a deep breath. “No, of course not. I haven’t even officially met him yet. I will suffer through and make this work.”
Strictly speaking it wasn’t a lie. There was nothing official about our meeting last night.