11. Chapter 11
Jasmine
Isit at the long conference room table, taking notes of the weekly wrap-up meeting on my legal pad. I know we live in the age of technology, but there’s just something therapeutic about writing notes by hand. Besides, it helps me remember the tiny details.
“Miss Baker,” Todd says gruffly to gain my attention and single me out among the rest of the team. “How have you settled in this week?”
“It’s been a great start. I’m confident I have my bearings and am ready to hit the ground running.” I attempt a small smile.
He doesn’t return my expression; instead, I could describe his as almost a glare. “I’m surprised you’ve been able to do much at all since you’ve been going out with your clients and playing games.”
My smile vanishes, and my jaw tightens at the accusation. “Excuse me?”
“Would you care to explain why you left the office to get cozy with Dario Caruso in his casino before gambling your money on some slot machines?”
I can’t stop my eyes from darting around the table. A couple of the other women in the room refuse to make eye contact, while all the men either stare at me with daggers in their eyes or smug grins on their faces. “Mr. Caruso asked me to accompany him, and I declined.”
“So are you saying you didn’t go out with him?” Todd asks accusatorially.
I sit up taller. “I did go out with him, for business purposes. I joined him at his casino. He wanted me to be aware of the caliber of properties he and his family seek out. As their primary real estate attorney, it made sense.”
“It made sense for you to leave the office and play while on the company’s dime? You may be new here, but you weren’t born yesterday,” Todd scoffs. “Someone with your expertise can surely understand why that isn’t exactly a great first impression of an attorney here at our office.”
I shake my head. “It didn’t make sense. That’s why I denied Mr. Caruso, but Mr. Jorgensen stepped in and insisted I did as Mr. Caruso asked.”
“I see,” my direct supervisor says with a gravelly voice. He snaps his attention away from me and looks at everyone around the room. “I think that will be all for today. Thank you for coming in. Everyone have a good weekend.”
Taking my time, I allow everyone else to clear from the room so that I may speak to Todd on my own.
I don’t appreciate being called out in front of the team, nor will I be accused of being anything but professional.
I watch my colleagues shuffle through the door, and when the last of them leaves, I take in a deep breath and stand.
“Mr. Delaney, I’d like to make a request.”
He is still seated at the head of the table, shuffling through his papers and avoiding eye contact. When he says nothing and doesn’t even glance in my direction, I continue.
“If you have any concerns about my work performance or think I am doing anything unethical, I would ask that you come to me directly.”
Slowly, he tilts his head up and looks in my direction. “Do you plan on me having further concerns?”
“No, but I didn’t expect these initial concerns, either,” I say, trying to keep my composure. “Above all, I am a professional, and I simply asked to be treated as such.”
I continue to hold my ground as he pushes away from the table and stands.
At five-eight, I’m fairly tall for a woman, and my heels add a couple of inches.
Earlier this week, Todd smiled at me as we ate lunch and talked about our experiences at law school.
Now, I can’t miss the disdain on his face when he comes to stand in front of me, trying to lengthen his body, and getting pissed when he realizes he can’t use his height as an intimidation tactic.
“You’re not who I thought you were, Miss Baker.
We hired you because you were fierce and appeared to put men like Dario Caruso in their place.
I never expected you to spread your legs for them.
” His eyes scan my body, and I immediately want to shield myself from his gaze.
“This is Jorgensen it’s a demand.
You are not to fraternize with Mr. Caruso or any of our clients again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal,” I say before turning around on my pumps and walking out of the office with my head held high.
Getting away from the law office for the weekend sounds great. And having a reason to dismiss Dario Caruso sounds even better.
“Work has kicked my ass this week, Pen,” I complain to my best friend as I peel off my burgundy top and matching slacks to change into my joggers and T-shirt.
“Is it that bad?”
I sigh, plopping down on my bed with a grimace.
I am in desperate need of a new mattress, but who has the time to look for one?
“That handsome client I was telling y’all about?
He is an absolute pain in my ass. He’s richer than rich, so of course, he expects to come in and everyone to bow down to him.
And they do, Pen! I don’t understand why society caters to people like that. ”
“It happens in education too, ya know?” she relates.
“Certain kids bypass punishments and consequences simply because of who they are or how much their family donates to the schools. It’s sad that it never really goes away.
” I know that isn’t even the worst of what Penny sees every day, but it hurts my heart how other kids witness that special treatment at such a young age. “Tell me what happened.”
I recount the events of this week to my lifelong pal, who is the most exceptional listener. “And then today we had a team meeting. As I was finishing my notes, the same man who hired me started throwing shade. He accused me of going out with Dario like it was some sort of date.”
“Did it feel like a date?”
“Penny!” I exclaim, unsure of whose side she’s on. “I would not date my clients. Do you know how unethical that would be?”
Penny sighs. “Okay, maybe you shouldn’t date your client, but it wouldn’t be horrible for you to date someone, Jaz. I mean, when was the last time you went out?”
I try to think of the last time I went on a date, but my silence is telling.
“See?” Penny says, and I huff. Neither of us speaks for a bit, so she finally changes the subject. “Your parents say hi, by the way.”
Ugh. I’ve been avoiding their calls all week. I should reach out, but I’m afraid they’ll hear the defeat in my voice, and if my dad offers to fly me back home and give me my position at his office again, I’m not sure after the week I’ve had that I’m strong enough to turn it down.
“Have they been driving you crazy since I haven’t been answering their calls or texts?” I cringe thinking of how overbearing they can be, knowing I left my friend behind to deal with them.
“No, actually. I ran into Cody yesterday at the grocery. He told me he was grilling out and invited me to dinner, so last night was the first I had spoken to any of them.”
My nose scrunches up. “You went to dinner with my brother?”
“Well, I’ve been reading this book with a best friend’s brother trope and thought I would test that out in real life.”
I vomit in my mouth a little. “That’s gross, Pen. You better be kidding.”
“What do you mean?” she asks, her voice taking on a teasing tone, granting me some relief. “Cody is such a catch.”
I bark out a laugh, and Penny joins me. My brother is the exact opposite of a catch.
He’s a nice enough guy, but he lacks any ambition.
He does the bare minimum at work, then goes home and plays video games all night.
Though he has taken up grilling, and last year he bought a smoker.
We had so much meat that summer, I considered going vegetarian the rest of the year.
The last date he went on, he picked her up and brought her back to my parents’ house. He asked our mom what she was cooking for dinner, then had his date sit beside him on the couch while he played some shooting game. Poor girl.
“I’m only teasing, Jaz. I would never go after Cody. Now, Paige, on the other hand…”
I laugh as I think about how my other childhood friend has never been shy about her infatuation with my brother. Unfortunately for her, he’s always seen her as more of a pest.
When the conversation grows stale between us, I ask the question I’ve wondered but dreaded to hear. “Did my parents have much to say?”
Penny sighs heavily, and I brace myself for her answer. “They’re just worried about you, Jaz. They want to make sure you can survive Sin City without falling into the pits of hell.”
“Surviving is about all I accomplished this week,” I complain again.
“Is it only that one client of yours that’s an issue?”
I consider her question. Dario Caruso is a lot, but he isn’t unmanageable. “He’s a lot of it, but no. It’s such a different vibe out here, you know?”
“I thought that’s what you wanted?”
Her question has me tangling my hair into a makeshift bun. “It was. It is. There are so many opportunities here that I didn’t get back home. I’m already learning new things, and I love the challenges I’ve already come up against.”
“Like handsome Italian men who drive you crazy?” she teases.
I snort. “But that’s the problem. When I was home, I worked in an office with my dad and brother. It didn’t matter that I was a woman because I was a Baker. The town knew me and knew I was competent regardless of how good I looked in a pair of heels.”
“Which is damn good,” she reassures, and I can’t help but smile knowingly. There is a reason I wear them.
“Here, though? I thought nobody would care who I am, and I could have a chance to prove what I’m capable of and be valued for my own merits. Unfortunately, when my boss looks at me, all he sees is a woman taking up space in a man’s world.”
Penny growls through the phone, and I have to cover my mouth not to laugh. Men give me the ick, for sure, but nobody dislikes them as much as she does. “That’s bullshit. You should report him for that.”
I sigh. “I’m afraid that will only make things more tense. I just need to give it more time and show them what I can do and what an asset I am to the firm. They’ll see it eventually.” I hope.
“You know,” Penny says in a voice that tells me I’m not going to like whatever it is she has to say, “I’m sure your dad would welcome you back with open arms if you wanted to move back home.”
I groan. “That’s not what I want, Pen, and you know it. As much as I miss you all, I want more than what my dad’s office can give me. Besides, Dad only has another year or two left in him, and then he will pass the business over to Cody.”
“What if he decided to hand it over to you?”
I consider what she says, knowing that even though Cody is older, he wouldn’t put up a fight if my dad decided to split the business between us.
Ultimately, I know returning to my hometown is not what I want.
I love the small town and familiarity, but this city has already grown on me.
The street noise has taken some getting used to, but having somewhere to order takeout from at any hour of the night is a major perk.
“The answer is no, Pen. At least not now.” No, right now I want to stay in Las Vegas and prove to the people at Jorgensen & Munson that I am an absolute professional. I’ll just have to keep some distance between me and a certain client to help my case.