and
happily divulge what she’d learned. Jordis had no intention of sharing any
personal opinions with her about their gorgeous senior partner.
“Look, Vivian, there
is no way I’m dishing with you about Michael Remington. You aren’t going to
stand around the coffee station gossiping about me. Alyson and Lizzie are welcome
to him. I’ve got one thing in my sights—partnership at the end of this
fiscal year.”
Vivian gave Jordis a
look that suggested she doubted whether to believe her. “If you say so.” She
rose to leave. “As for gossiping about you around the coffee machine, I’d never
do that to you. Anything you said to me would be strictly between us.” Vivian
made her way to the door before she added, almost as an afterthought, “Oh, and
fair warning, beauty queen. Alyson’s a vulture. If you decide Mr.
Tall-Dark-And-Wanted floats your boat after all, watch your back. She’s not
above putting a knife in it.”
Jordis grimaced. Not
because of what Vivian said about Alyson. Jordis had already figured that out.
What grated her was the “beauty queen” moniker. Others called her that behind
her back, and she hated it. Vivian was the only one with the guts—and the
integrity—to say it to her face, and Vivian mostly did it to get a rise
out of her.
Vivian noticed
Jordis’s grimace and chuckled on her way out the door.
* * *
In Michael’s office,
Chase leaned against the closed office door with his arms crossed over his
chest.
Michael lounged on
the office sofa. “Okay, start talking.” He placed his feet on the mahogany sofa
table and crossed them at the ankles. “Are associate meetings always like
that?”
“See what you’ve
been missing?” Chase grinned.
Michael shook his
head. “What’s the deal with this Covington character?”
“He’s a real piece
of work isn’t he?”
“He’s an arrogant,
sexist prick is what he is.”
Chase laughed.
“Yeah, that too.” Pushing off the door, he moved to the armchair perpendicular
to the sofa.
“So, remind me how
we ended up with Mr. Personality?”
“He’s the nephew of
Stormy Willis over in Business and Finance. He’s been at the firm since he was
a first year associate but only switched to IP litigation about three years
ago. Apparently, he went to a top tier law school, finished in the top third of
his class, and has an impressive courtroom record. And, of course, no one is
more impressed with his credentials than Covington himself.”
“Clearly. Do he and
Morgan go at it like that every week?”
“No. You just got
lucky today.”
Michael snorted.
“Seriously,” Chase
continued. “Eric is a smartass to pretty much everyone in the group. As you
witnessed, he tends to act more patronizing with the women. He’s tested Jordis
for weeks. Until today, he hadn’t pushed her too hard so she’s responded with
enough fire to check him but hadn’t engaged any heavy artillery. For some
reason, Covington decided to grandstand today to make a point. Perhaps he was
trying to impress you.”
Michael snorted
again. “Yeah, right. He certainly failed at that.”
Chase nodded. “Well,
I’ve been waiting for the day Jordis decided to take off the kid gloves. I
always suspected in head-to-head combat, I should bet on the lady.”
Michael gave an
appreciative whistle. “Man, she’s one cool customer. Is she always that
smooth?”
“I’ve never seen her
lose her temper, but rumor has it she’s not a lady you want to cross. From what
I could find out about her, when she goes after an opponent she does it with a
smile and the finesse you witnessed earlier. Apparently, they don’t realize
they’ve been sliced and diced until they’re lying bleeding on the floor.”
Chase rose and
wandered to Michael’s desk. He looked down at the two photos clipped to the
resumes Michael had abandoned earlier. He grabbed them and turned back to
Michael. “I guess you have a better understanding now of your possible replacements
for me.” He
happily divulge what she’d learned. Jordis had no intention of sharing any
personal opinions with her about their gorgeous senior partner.
“Look, Vivian, there
is no way I’m dishing with you about Michael Remington. You aren’t going to
stand around the coffee station gossiping about me. Alyson and Lizzie are welcome
to him. I’ve got one thing in my sights—partnership at the end of this
fiscal year.”
Vivian gave Jordis a
look that suggested she doubted whether to believe her. “If you say so.” She
rose to leave. “As for gossiping about you around the coffee machine, I’d never
do that to you. Anything you said to me would be strictly between us.” Vivian
made her way to the door before she added, almost as an afterthought, “Oh, and
fair warning, beauty queen. Alyson’s a vulture. If you decide Mr.
Tall-Dark-And-Wanted floats your boat after all, watch your back. She’s not
above putting a knife in it.”
Jordis grimaced. Not
because of what Vivian said about Alyson. Jordis had already figured that out.
What grated her was the “beauty queen” moniker. Others called her that behind
her back, and she hated it. Vivian was the only one with the guts—and the
integrity—to say it to her face, and Vivian mostly did it to get a rise
out of her.
Vivian noticed
Jordis’s grimace and chuckled on her way out the door.
* * *
In Michael’s office,
Chase leaned against the closed office door with his arms crossed over his
chest.
Michael lounged on
the office sofa. “Okay, start talking.” He placed his feet on the mahogany sofa
table and crossed them at the ankles. “Are associate meetings always like
that?”
“See what you’ve
been missing?” Chase grinned.
Michael shook his
head. “What’s the deal with this Covington character?”
“He’s a real piece
of work isn’t he?”
“He’s an arrogant,
sexist prick is what he is.”
Chase laughed.
“Yeah, that too.” Pushing off the door, he moved to the armchair perpendicular
to the sofa.
“So, remind me how
we ended up with Mr. Personality?”
“He’s the nephew of
Stormy Willis over in Business and Finance. He’s been at the firm since he was
a first year associate but only switched to IP litigation about three years
ago. Apparently, he went to a top tier law school, finished in the top third of
his class, and has an impressive courtroom record. And, of course, no one is
more impressed with his credentials than Covington himself.”
“Clearly. Do he and
Morgan go at it like that every week?”
“No. You just got
lucky today.”
Michael snorted.
“Seriously,” Chase
continued. “Eric is a smartass to pretty much everyone in the group. As you
witnessed, he tends to act more patronizing with the women. He’s tested Jordis
for weeks. Until today, he hadn’t pushed her too hard so she’s responded with
enough fire to check him but hadn’t engaged any heavy artillery. For some
reason, Covington decided to grandstand today to make a point. Perhaps he was
trying to impress you.”
Michael snorted
again. “Yeah, right. He certainly failed at that.”
Chase nodded. “Well,
I’ve been waiting for the day Jordis decided to take off the kid gloves. I
always suspected in head-to-head combat, I should bet on the lady.”
Michael gave an
appreciative whistle. “Man, she’s one cool customer. Is she always that
smooth?”
“I’ve never seen her
lose her temper, but rumor has it she’s not a lady you want to cross. From what
I could find out about her, when she goes after an opponent she does it with a
smile and the finesse you witnessed earlier. Apparently, they don’t realize
they’ve been sliced and diced until they’re lying bleeding on the floor.”
Chase rose and
wandered to Michael’s desk. He looked down at the two photos clipped to the
resumes Michael had abandoned earlier. He grabbed them and turned back to
Michael. “I guess you have a better understanding now of your possible replacements
for me.” He
Similar Books
