Lady Killer

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

M ary lingered at the open door to Be

“Be

“DiNunzio.” Be

“By the way, congratulations on your trial. I forgot to tell you the other night.”

“Thanks,” Be

She just needs to save face, which is why you have to apologize. It has to be the first thing you say.

“I’m pleased with the newspaper coverage, aren’t you?” Be

Apologize. “I thought the same thing.”

“Against my nature to have her confess, but it really did serve the client and the greater good.”

“It did. Thanks for coming to the rescue.” Mary smiled, softening. As angry as Be

“You’re welcome.” Be

“She’ll be fine, I think. Her friends will help.” Now. Say it. “I’m sorry about the other day, when I left the office.”

Be

“I would like to have my job back, if that’s possible.”

“First things first.” Be

“You do?” I mean, you do.

“Now that I’m involved with the case, I see what you were dealing with and I can understand why you went to such lengths to find Trish. I’m sorry I gave you an ultimatum.”

Wow! “Thanks,” Mary said, shocked.

“You know, I was remembering when you came in, that morning not long ago, asking me to hire you help.”

“I remember.”

“You said you were bringing in a significant amount of new business, and that would justify hiring an extra person.”

“Yes.”

“You were right, in a way. The fees you brought in for the past year have been very significant to the firm. The past two years, in fact.”

So Judy had been right.

“It’s not that my cases don’t bring in money, but they are a slow pay. They’re bigger, as you know, and so many of my fees are recoverable only by application to the court, under the civil-rights statutes and such. It creates a chronic cash-flow problem.”

It was just what Judy had said.

“Big picture, the firm has enormous resources. We have several million dollars from the class-action representations, and for a long time now, I’ve been pla

“You mentioned that.”

“Yes, but what I didn’t tell you is that my long-term plan is to buy my own building, not keep leasing.” Be

“I bet.” Mary had had no idea, and Be

“It’s a good time, and I feel ready for the move, but that’s why I didn’t want to hire anybody right now. I’m in negotiations to buy a building uptown and I expect the deal will be final by the end of next month.”

“That sounds great.” But will I be working there?

“You should also know that the other relevant part of my business plan was that after the move, I pla

Gulp. Mary couldn’t believe her ears.

“Bottom line, I’d like very much for you to come back to work. I think you deserve your job back, and you’re a terrific lawyer and associate.”

“Thank you,” Mary said, but the sudden darkness in Be

“That said, it’s only fair to tell you that I don’t see making you a partner anytime soon, not after what you did. I’m no longer sure that you’d make a terrific partner.” Be

Surprisingly, Mary did. But it didn’t mean she liked it. She shifted in her chair. A sunbeam from the window caught the prism of a cut-crystal award and sent shards of light shooting around the office.

“I run a very successful law firm, DiNunzio. That takes pla

Mary felt an ember of resentment flare in her chest.

“You identify with your clients, and that’s the reason they love you. South Philadelphia’s throwing itself at your feet because of your loyalty. But that strength can also be a weakness, in a partner. I need your first loyalty to be to our firm as an entity, and to me.” Be

For a second or two, neither woman said anything. Be

It was Be

“No, it doesn’t,” Mary said, though it did. She’d always liked being an employee, but she didn’t like being told she couldn’t be a partner. She thought that even though a firm was composed of many clients, it made sense that some matters would be more urgent than others.

“So, DiNunzio.” Be

“No,” Mary heard herself answer. She felt like walking out on her job, right now, but that would be impulsive, proving the wrong point. And she needed the job, to finally get her house.

“Pardon me?” Be

“I don’t want to come back on the terms that I may never make partner.”

Be

“I’d like to come back, do my job, and talk about partnership in six months.”

“Really.”

“I think I deserve it, and the business I bring in justifies it.” Mary was making it up as she went along, but she was convincing herself. “We have our different spheres of influence, but that’s good. The fact that you don’t agree with the way I handled one situation doesn’t mean I’m not mature.”

Be

“What do you say?” she asked.

“No,” Be

“No?”

“Six months isn’t enough. One year.”

“Let’s split the difference,” Mary said, relieved. She’d thought she was getting fired again. “Nine months, then.”

Be

“We’ll see, then. I can’t decide now, on impulse.”

“You don’t make impulsive decisions.”

“Never.” Mary smiled, and so did Be

“Fair enough. Done.”