for days to come.
A familiar voice calling her name snapped her back to the present. Still waiting for the freaking elevator, which seemed to be stuck on the ninth floor for some reason, she shifted her heavy bag to the other shoulder.
“Lanie, wait a sec.”
Looking up, she saw Beth and Trudy Blakely, the office manager, heading her way.
“Holy shitzu, girl,” Beth exclaimed. “I heard you told Walt Simons where to shove his latest pro bono case. Good for you!”
“Juicy gossip sure travels fast. This time it’s true, although good for me probably means a trip to the unemployment line.” Once again in control, she shrugged, surprised that she wasn’t as upset over quitting her sucky job as she thought she’d be, even without another on the horizon.
“Simons is such a tool!” Beth grumbled. “But I’m proud of you for not taking his shit anymore, Lanie.”
“You’re a legend around here already,” Trudy gushed. “All of us girls have wanted to tell that skid where to stick it for years.” Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she added, “We’re all going to miss you, honey.”
“Skid?” Lanie inquired.
“Loser,” Beth translated before slinging an arm around her shoulder. “You can’t leave me here all alone. Who am I going to dish with at lunch?” As if realizing the slight to her other friend, she apologized. “I didn’t mean you, Trudy, you’re always welcome, but this is Lanie.”
“I understand,” Trudy smiled, brushing it off. “No offense taken.”
“You’re a doll, Trudy, but I’ll be lost without my Lanie. Who am I going to ask for legal advice, or complain about the partners to, or whine to when my case is going south?”
“I have a phone, honey,” Lanie blithely reminded her. She loved Beth, but she was a drama queen.
“That’s not the same.”
“Skype? FaceTime? Or we could still meet for lunch. It seems I’ll have plenty of time on my hands.”
“Good idea. I was on my way to get a bite to eat and heard through the grapevine that you told Walt he had a little dick. Is it true?”
“Lordy,” Lanie murmured with a shake of her head, “The office grapevine is faster than text.”
“How do you think I found out?”
Trudy chimed in. “That’s how I knew.”
“Good grief, I’m surprised they didn’t take a video.”
“Too bad, I’d have loved to see it.”
“I can picture it on YouTube with a racy title. ‘Groping Boss Gets Cock Blocked by Honey Comb.’ It would have gone viral.” Trudy giggled as the other two gaped at her. “What? I can talk dirty when the situation warrants.”
“It’s not the words,” Lanie noted, “it’s the detail. They must have been peeking through the blinds. Unbelievable.”
“Forget that. Come to lunch with me, Lanie, and fill me in on all the details. My treat.”
“Since you’re paying and my budget has been shot all to hell”—she grinned sheepishly at her friend—”it’s a date.”
Trudy hugged Lanie’s shoulders. “Sorry I can’t join you, but there’s some separation paperwork and the matter of your benefits, honey. I’ll get it all together and give you a call later so we can go over it.”
The elevator doors at long last slid open and arm in arm, Beth and Lanie squeezed into the crowded car. Waving at a tearful Trudy, they closed and Lanie found herself staring at her distorted reflection in the shiny steel. That’s when the weight of what she’d done sunk in and she leaned against Beth for support. In silence, they waited as the lights signaled their descent and the passage of each of the fourteen floors. Unable to discuss it more with all the people around, they walked quietly to their favorite restaurant around the corner. Fifteen minutes later, they were seated at the Midtown Deli waiting on their food.
“I would have paid money to see you tell off Walt the Pig.”
“I was calm, cool and collected when I told him there were nine other junior associates with the firm who needed
A familiar voice calling her name snapped her back to the present. Still waiting for the freaking elevator, which seemed to be stuck on the ninth floor for some reason, she shifted her heavy bag to the other shoulder.
“Lanie, wait a sec.”
Looking up, she saw Beth and Trudy Blakely, the office manager, heading her way.
“Holy shitzu, girl,” Beth exclaimed. “I heard you told Walt Simons where to shove his latest pro bono case. Good for you!”
“Juicy gossip sure travels fast. This time it’s true, although good for me probably means a trip to the unemployment line.” Once again in control, she shrugged, surprised that she wasn’t as upset over quitting her sucky job as she thought she’d be, even without another on the horizon.
“Simons is such a tool!” Beth grumbled. “But I’m proud of you for not taking his shit anymore, Lanie.”
“You’re a legend around here already,” Trudy gushed. “All of us girls have wanted to tell that skid where to stick it for years.” Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she added, “We’re all going to miss you, honey.”
“Skid?” Lanie inquired.
“Loser,” Beth translated before slinging an arm around her shoulder. “You can’t leave me here all alone. Who am I going to dish with at lunch?” As if realizing the slight to her other friend, she apologized. “I didn’t mean you, Trudy, you’re always welcome, but this is Lanie.”
“I understand,” Trudy smiled, brushing it off. “No offense taken.”
“You’re a doll, Trudy, but I’ll be lost without my Lanie. Who am I going to ask for legal advice, or complain about the partners to, or whine to when my case is going south?”
“I have a phone, honey,” Lanie blithely reminded her. She loved Beth, but she was a drama queen.
“That’s not the same.”
“Skype? FaceTime? Or we could still meet for lunch. It seems I’ll have plenty of time on my hands.”
“Good idea. I was on my way to get a bite to eat and heard through the grapevine that you told Walt he had a little dick. Is it true?”
“Lordy,” Lanie murmured with a shake of her head, “The office grapevine is faster than text.”
“How do you think I found out?”
Trudy chimed in. “That’s how I knew.”
“Good grief, I’m surprised they didn’t take a video.”
“Too bad, I’d have loved to see it.”
“I can picture it on YouTube with a racy title. ‘Groping Boss Gets Cock Blocked by Honey Comb.’ It would have gone viral.” Trudy giggled as the other two gaped at her. “What? I can talk dirty when the situation warrants.”
“It’s not the words,” Lanie noted, “it’s the detail. They must have been peeking through the blinds. Unbelievable.”
“Forget that. Come to lunch with me, Lanie, and fill me in on all the details. My treat.”
“Since you’re paying and my budget has been shot all to hell”—she grinned sheepishly at her friend—”it’s a date.”
Trudy hugged Lanie’s shoulders. “Sorry I can’t join you, but there’s some separation paperwork and the matter of your benefits, honey. I’ll get it all together and give you a call later so we can go over it.”
The elevator doors at long last slid open and arm in arm, Beth and Lanie squeezed into the crowded car. Waving at a tearful Trudy, they closed and Lanie found herself staring at her distorted reflection in the shiny steel. That’s when the weight of what she’d done sunk in and she leaned against Beth for support. In silence, they waited as the lights signaled their descent and the passage of each of the fourteen floors. Unable to discuss it more with all the people around, they walked quietly to their favorite restaurant around the corner. Fifteen minutes later, they were seated at the Midtown Deli waiting on their food.
“I would have paid money to see you tell off Walt the Pig.”
“I was calm, cool and collected when I told him there were nine other junior associates with the firm who needed
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