Chapter 7
It didn’t take her long to figure out that she couldn’t work from her office at home.
It was the one that her grandda had used, and it might have been all right for him, but not her.
There were no windows to speak of. All his law books took up two entire walls that he kept in the dark side of the room. She hated the desk.
It was massive and heavy-looking, not for a woman of her size. The leather blotter had ink spilled on it in places, and the desk looked like it had been near a weedwhacker at some point, as the front and the legs of it were chewed up by something that did some serious damage to it.
The chair wasn’t even a modern one. It didn’t have wheels on it to slide up and under the desk.
When she tried to lean back in it to take in the whole room, she nearly tossed herself out of it and across the room.
Not to mention it was heavy and needed a new cushion in it, for the bottom was worn out.
It was like she was sitting on stones, and they weren’t particularly smooth either.
The whole room needed a makeover. Kahana asked her what she was doing when he caught her standing on a chair trying to change a bulb in the overhead lighting.
“I don’t even know where to begin in here.
What do you think of when you come into this room?
” He told her. “Oh well, I guess thinking about an old man would be about right. My grandda was in his nineties when he finally stopped taking cases. Phil said that was what killed him. That he could no longer go to the courthouse to try trials. I think he might be correct. I need to make this room look like a woman uses it.”
“Rather than do it yourself, you should hire someone to do it for you. It might save you a lot of heartache later on.” She asked him if he knew anyone who had an interior design degree.
“My mom has one. She could probably have this room looking like a woman has always been here. I’m assuming that you’re going to want to keep all the books that are in here. ”
“Yes, but they don’t have to be in a dark corner of this room.
I’d like to be able to use them. Having a collection this size is going to help me with cases all the time.
He had newer volumes at his office in town.
I’m having them cleaned and brought here.
That’s more than likely what I’m going to have to do to these. ”
“I’d talk to my mom. She more than likely will love to do this with you.
I know her office—have you seen her office at home?
It’s beautiful. Very girly yet reflects my mom’s taste very well.
She has all these hidden things, too. Like, you don’t see her filing cabinets because she has them hidden behind some kind of wall.
I don’t use her office, but she’d love to do yours if you asked her.
” She asked if he thought she’d be all right with doing a law office.
“I don’t know that an office for her clubs is all that much different than just a plain office.
But you should ask her. I’m telling you, she’d love it.
Have you given any thought to having your shingle put out with my brother?
I know that I mentioned it just last night, but I’m betting he’d love that.
I know that his building downtown has a second office in it already set up.
He had it redone when he had the building refurbished. ”
“I thought you were joking.” Kahana told her that he was sort of, but the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. “I’ll talk to him. He might not want someone underfoot when he’s working on cases. I would have to take on cases that I liked to do.”
“I doubt he’d have a problem with that. He usually only works for the family on things and takes a case when something comes along that he thinks he might enjoy.
He hated his other job so much that he was ready to quit being an attorney and find himself something else to do.
” She said that she wasn’t even sure she had it in her to be on her own.
“Then this would be perfect for the two of you. I know that you’re going to finish the cases that your grandda had left on his desk.
It would be the perfect place to have work done while your office is being updated. And it does need to be updated.”
“I’ll ask him if I can use his other office for a while and see what he has to say. We can work out later if I stay or not.” Kahana said that sounded perfect. “That way, there’s no pressure for him to think I’m going to be taking over his space. I would hate that myself.”
“Did you want me to talk to him, or did you want to? I don’t mind.
But it won’t be until tomorrow because I have to go to my office first. I have ten patients today, and I’m looking forward to it.
” She asked him how many he normally had.
“Six if I was having a good day. But working up to more business is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
“I’ll go and talk to him now. And your mom.
I might as well get things rolling on my office so I can work in there.
It’s too dark and dank. I love the concept of having an office here, but that one would depress me too much.
” He said it would him as well. He wanted bright and airy.
“I might have to have one of the walls redone to put in a couple of windows. I can’t stand the thought of not being able to look outside on occasion.
That would depress me even more than just the big, bulky furniture in there. ”
After Kahana left for his work, she gathered up her things and started to leave as well.
But just as she was going out the door, she decided to take pictures of her office with the thought of it being something she could work with, even if Katie, the boys’ mom, didn’t want anything to do with helping her.
It would be a big project to undertake, and she didn’t know if the older Hathaway had time for that sort of thing.
She went to see Katie first. That way, she could tell Axel that she really was having work done on her office at home, and it would take a while.
Katie was having a cup of tea with her husband, Benson, and they were having a good time.
Debra almost hated to interrupt them while they were enjoying their time together.
“We were just talking about the twins and how much we’re enjoying having babies around.
With Mac pregnant now, it won’t be long before we have little ones around of our own.
Have you and Kahana talked about children?
” She said that she and he were trying only because they both had demanding jobs.
“I understand that. I had a job when I had the two oldest. I never worked so hard in my life, and that’s when we decided I’d be better off at home with them rather than paying someone nearly all my check to watch over them.
Best decision that I’ve ever made. What can I do for you? ”
She explained to her about the office and how it was a man’s place.
After showing her the pictures of the room, Katie agreed that it needed a more womanly touch than it had now.
Debra told her that she wasn’t opposed to having a wall taken down to put in a few windows, either.
She loved the bright sunshine when she was working.
Then she asked if she’d help her with the project.
“Oh, I would love to do this for you. Yes, I can see changes now in my head.” She started telling her about the desk that she needed, as well as how big the windows needed to be.
“You need your own space that doesn’t have tons of dust on it, too.
What are you going to do in the meantime?
I mean, while the office is being redone? ”
“I’m going to ask Axel if I can use his extra space.
Not as a partner, but just use it until I can either get myself a place on my own or just work from home.
My grandda left a few cases on his desk when he died that I’m going to take care of.
Plus, I can be helpful to the family as well.
” Katie said he was on his way over anyway for them to have a meeting about their wills.
“Kahana and I need to change ours as well. My grandda was of the opinion that if it’s been five years since you changed your will, it’s time to get on it.
Things can really change in that little bit of time. ”
“Oh, yes they can. We went from having two children when we first did ours to having six when we got around to it later. And some of the people that we had down as our children’s godparents had passed away.
It was just updated about ten years ago, and we thought that we should make another change.
” She said she was glad that things were getting updated for them.
“I am as well. My sister left her things undone, and when she passed away, it was a nightmare to get things settled. I think there are still some things that aren’t taken care of, but we did the best we could without a will.
Everyone should have one, even if you don’t think you own anything worth it.
It’s not going to leave the people you love scrambling around trying to figure out what to do with your stereo equipment.
I know that’s not quite right, but you understand what I mean. ”
“We have wealth, too, that needs to be dealt with if we pass. Even though we’re both single, the two of us have a lot for someone to have to deal with.
” She asked when they were getting married.
“Tomorrow afternoon. The judge said he’d come by and do it for us so that there is one less thing we have to worry about.
Kahana and I both agreed that something at the courthouse was better than having a large wedding that no one will remember years from now. ”