Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
I was tempted to say something about what I’d found in the bathroom. But this wasn’t the time, though I could definitely have some fun until it was. Catching her eye, I smiled. “Sounds good to me. You know I’ll eat anything that smells like coconut.”
Chapter 18
* * *
NAOMI
“How’s your sister?” Dawson stopped at my desk the next afternoon on his way back from court.
“She’s doing much better. They gave her a second transfusion today, but her color has improved, and she has a lot more energy already. They’re going to keep her at least another day, though.”
“Well, do whatever you have to do workwise. If you need to be home to take care of the kids or shift your hours or work half days, it’s all good.”
I smiled. “That’s very sweet of you. But Cynthia, Frannie’s sister-in-law, came to stay for a few days. With the two of us, it shouldn’t be a problem working my normal hours. I do appreciate you offering, though.”
Dawson nodded. “Just a heads up, I have a client coming in with her now ex-husband. They own a mortgage brokerage company and were both indicted for mortgage fraud. They were still married at the time, but the case has dragged on for two years, and it’s become more complicated since they split up. Worse, when they told me they were getting divorced six months ago, I advised that they should have separate counsel, even though they were charged jointly. Now Emily represents the wife. So this should be a fun-filled afternoon.”
“Oh my. Yeah, that sounds like an interesting dynamic. Is there anything I can do to help you get ready?”
“No. I’m good. But I have a prospective new client I’m meeting with tomorrow. Maybe you could do some research on him and let me know what you come up with? I like to do a bit of due diligence before I sign on anyone new, to see what I’m potentially getting myself into and know what type of questions to ask when they come in.”
“Sure thing.”
“Thanks. I’ll email you over his name and what I know about his case.”
A half hour later, Dawson was on the phone when the receptionist buzzed to say his client’s wife was here with her counsel. I figured I’d help out and get them set up in the conference room, so I went out to greet them.
“Hi. I’m Naomi Heart. I work for Dawson.”
The woman who I’d assumed was the client stood. But her attorney was too busy typing into her phone to look up. I waited. When Emily finally dragged her nose from her cell, she blinked a few times. “You…”
I smiled and extended a hand. “It’s good to see you again, Emily.”
She looked me up and down with her lip snarled and left my hand waiting. “Why are you here?”
“As I said, I work for Dawson. I’m a paralegal.”
She cackled. “Oh, that’s rich. Did he run through all the attorneys in the City and he’s been forced to resort to the help?”
The help? This woman really had a giant stick up her ass. Though I was at a place of business, so I wasn’t going to take the bait. Instead, I offered my best pageant-worthy smile. “Why don’t I show you to the conference room?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I think I know where it is.”
I ignored her and looked to the client. “Right this way, please.”
Once the two of them were seated in the conference room, I excused myself to let Dawson know they’d arrived. At the door, Emily stopped me.
“I’ll take a coffee with cream and sugar.”
Not that I asked… Yet I smiled once again. “Sure. And how about you, Ms. Webber?”
“Nothing for me, thank you.”
I didn’t feel the need to rush, so I went to Dawson’s office first. He was still on the phone, but held up a finger telling me to wait. His eyes skimmed their way from my feet up to my face. When they met mine, he grinned. I found it oddly refreshing that he never tried to hide his checking me out, and that the smile at the end told me he liked what he saw. Or maybe I was delirious from not getting enough sleep lately.
Dawson said goodbye to whoever was on the phone, swiped his cell off, and tossed it onto a pile of papers on his desk.
“Ms. Webber is here, along with her counsel, who didn’t look too happy to find out I’m working for you.”
Dawson frowned. “What did she say?”
“Nothing important. Just tried to make me feel small.”
“Sorry. I have no idea how I didn’t see who she was until recently.”
“It’s fine. Doesn’t bother me. I find it amusing, actually.”
“Emily? Amusing? You sure you got the right person?”
I smiled. “She wants to make people feel beneath her, but only an insecure person does that.”