The Lawyer
She could tell by the dejected slump of his shoulders the meeting hadn't gone well. He traced a path up the sidewalk, his eyes fixed on the ground.
She met him at the door and held his briefcase while he shed his jacket. His eyes were red and puffy from crying.
Her heart went out to him. Putting the briefcase down, she wrapped him in her arms and hugged him tightly to let him know how much she loved him.
"What happened, Paul? Didn't it go well?" she whispered in his ear.
"Worse, Emily," he shared. "They decided they aren't making enough money to justify the risk and shut the whole thing down. They gave me my walking papers. They didn't even offer me a chance to go into another area to practise. And because it was a trial period according to the agreement, no severance."
"Jesus," she swore under her breath. That was bad!
They'd gone out on a long, unsupported limb to pay for Paul to take specialized courses in International Law. They paid for several trips to foreign destinations for him to seek out new business. The law firm that Paul had been working with had shown interest in developing a new source of revenue. Looking back on it now, she realized it was a one-sided effort. If they succeeded, the firm benefited. If not, it was them that lost.
And they had lost, she realized. Their backs were against the wall financially, and Paul no longer had a job. Walking Paul into the living room to cuddle him in his hour of need, her mind was busy reviewing bills and cash. A quick mental run-through said they had two, maybe three weeks before they were dead broke.
Paul had always refused to let her work, telling her he wanted her home. It was time to end that. She needed a job now. His sexist attitude toward her working was cute, and part of what endeared him to her, but reality had to be faced.
They held each other while the day slowly darkened into the evening. She realized he'd fallen asleep in her arms. Emily laid him on the couch and covered him. Grabbing something to nibble on till he woke up, she sat down in front of the computer to look at job ads.
She intended to polish up her resume but first decided to see if any jobs popped up for Paul. Searching the keywords on the website, she whistled when three popped up. That was good, more than any other time she'd checked.
She read them over with interest—one in Chicago, one in New York and one just outside Jacksonville, Florida. The qualifications for the Chicago and New York jobs outlined the need for a serious Rainmaker. Paul hadn't quite reached that lofty position yet, but she attached a copy of his resume and sent it anyway. You never knew. Sometimes a significant job like that would need people to work with. Paul could meet those qualifications.
Truthfully, she had no desire to live in either of those cities. Cold winters and horrific traffic didn't impress her. High living costs were also an issue. Long commutes on top of the ungodly hours new associates were forced to work left little time for family life. Emily wanted a balance.
She turned her attention to the position in a place called Palm Valley. It was a small town about twenty-five minutes outside Jacksonville. The climate was a definite improvement over the other two, and the smaller town atmosphere appealed to her. Houses were cheaper; maybe they could afford to buy sooner.
The position sounded ideal for Paul. The firm already had their feet wet, albeit it wasn't a major area for them yet. They wanted someone with some experience. She hurriedly composed a letter to them and attached Paul's resume. Then crossed her fingers. Paul needed a significant break after all this rejection.
In the meantime, she started perusing job ads for herself. Although she was trained as a teacher, the temporary situations that Paul had endured meant she couldn't accept a long-term contract until he was settled. That made finding a job difficult because employers suspected she would head right back to teaching if a job presented itself. No one wanted to train and then lose an employee because something better came along.
A sleepy-eyed Paul wandered in while she was looking at her own ads. He gave her a kiss on her head and announced he was going to bed; he was bushed. She watched his weary walk out of the kitchen. He needed this badly; his confidence was in the toilet, she realized.
"Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Jacksonville," she repeated in a mantra under her breath. He had to get Jacksonville.
She went over the ads with him at breakfast the next morning. She told him why she favoured the Jacksonville opportunity. She showed him the small town just outside Jacksonville, along with the beaches and deep-sea fishing opportunities. He liked to fish. That was attractive to him. Of course, she assured him, she knew he wouldn't be interested in all the young beach babes in bikinis. They both laughed at that BS!
It's not like they were both so old they both wouldn't be watching the eye candy on the beaches.
They were looking at some of the ads she'd marked off for herself when the phone rang.
She nodded for him to take it. While it was unlikely to be a job response already, he needed to get back on that horse and ride again.
"Good morning," he answered.
"Yes, this is Paul."
"Jacksonville, you say," he repeated with a smile, giving her a big thumbs up! "My wife and I were just talking about that. It's definitely our first choice. I'd love to talk to you."
"Yes, I can come Thursday; I'll expect the tickets."
"That would be great. I'll look forward to meeting you too, Sir. Thank you for calling."
Paul hung up the phone and stared at her. "It looks like you're going to get your wish, honey. He's eager and says I'm the perfect candidate. He's already talked to my old firm and got a good recommendation from them. I think you'd better start packing. He's sending me tickets to fly down for a meet."
**********
A month later, Emily was busy unpacking boxes in their new home in Palm Valley. The company had sent movers to pack and move them and purchased a house for them just outside town to her astonishment. They had given them a two-year interest-free loan to get started. The house was beautiful and featured a gorgeous pool in the backyard. Emily couldn't wait to get into it, she loved swimming.
More importantly, it indicated the company was serious about engaging Paul for the long run. He was walking a lot taller these days. Unfortunately, he was already at work planning his first trip to look for new clients. They weren't letting any grass grow under his feet.
The following Saturday, they were saying goodbye outside the airport security area. Paul was headed off for a three-month trip to some third-world shithole she'd already forgotten the name of. Paul seemed to think that there were substantial companies the big legal firms overlooked or overcharged. He felt he could make a lot of headway faster starting there than trying to bag the elephant everyone else chased. Apparently, the firm bought into the same idea and encouraged him.
Emily noticed Paul's eyes flicker over top of her. Something had caught his attention. She turned. There was a tall, fit, muscular, black man approaching them. Clad in a t-shirt, shorts and sandals, it was apparent he was in excellent shape. He was handsome too, in a way that many black men weren't. A part of her that shouldn't pay attention moistened slightly, and her nipples perked up.
Paul whispered in her ear, "That's Allen, the boss."
He and Paul shook hands. Paul turned and introduced Emily.
"So, what brings you out here?" Paul asked.
"This is exciting. Launching our newest area of practice. I couldn't resist coming out and seeing you off personally," said Allen.
"Thank you, Allen. That was thoughtful of you. I guess I should head through security now. It's getting close to flight time."
Emily gave him a scorching kiss while Allen examined the ceiling with great interest.
