Dead Ringer

Julien laughed. “Here, let me walk you out.”

Be

“Thank you.” Georges reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You are too lovely a woman to be a lawyer.”

“That’s what I think,” Be

“Oh, yes, good call.” Julien’s gaze found Micheline in the crowd, and Be

“How thoughtful of you, Julien,” she said, almost purring, and went on tiptoe to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Be

“Thank you for having me,” Be

“You’re very welcome.” Micheline stiffened and extended a manicured hand, shaking Be

“I’ll take Be

“Don’t be too long,” Micheline said, wagging a finger at him. “I have some people I’d like for you to meet.”

“Sure, Micheline.” The elevator came and they went inside, and as soon as the doors slid closed, Julien grew serious. “There is something I wanted you to know, privately.”

“Sure.” Be

“I meant what I said about your continuing our class action, and I will ensure that, even when I’m not CEO anymore.”

“Anymore?” Be

“Confidentially, I’ll only be ru

“No?” Be

“It’s what my father wanted for me, but never what I wanted. I didn’t want to go to B school either, he made me. I want to do what you do, I always have. Start my own law firm, prosecute police and official misconduct. I want to fight the good fight, like you do.”

The child has no clue. “Julien, I’m flattered, but really, you have to think about this. I don’t even want to do what I do. Look, I’m a class-action lawyer. Don’t make any major decisions, especially now.”

“I’ve been thinking about this decision for a long time. I know what I’m doing.”

“Giving up a family business? It’s been in St. Amien hands since your great-great-grandfather, right?”

“Since Robert’s great-grandfather, not mine,” Julien corrected matter-of-factly. “St. Amien amp; Fils will survive just fine without me anyway. There are vice presidents at the plant, like you said. An operations VP, a financial VP. One of them can run it, with oversight from the headquarters in France.”

Be

“More than once. He disagreed with me, of course. He had his plan. I have mine, and now, I choose,” he said defiantly, and Be

“You mean because he… died, you’re going to do what you want?”

“Exactly.” Julien looked at her, his eyes full of pain. “It does have to do with his death. Because I don’t know if I would have had the guts to do this, really do this, if he had died a normal death and stepped aside for me. But that he died now, the way he died, it taught me something. It taught me that your life can be taken from you, just like that.” Julien snapped his fingers, with a bitter smile. “So you’d better live life the way you want to. No matter what you’ve been taught to do, or whatever promises you made. No matter what you told your father. It’s your life.”

“Julien, listen, I have an idea.” The elevator began to beep, but they both ignored it. “Next week, come over to my office.” If I have an office. “I’ll show you what it’s like, what we really do.”

“I’d like that. I’d love that!”

“Have you ever worked in a down-and-dirty, thrilled-to-break-even law firm?”

Beep beep beep. “No.”

“Have you ever worked in a law firm at all?”

Beep. Beep. “I wanted to, but my father said I was needed at the company.”

“The defense rests.” Be

“Like a joint-degree program? I know how to work hard.”

“Not like a joint-degree program, because that is school and this is real life. There’s very little reward in it, Julien. Not even the potential of a reward. Sometimes your firm even goes bust and you lose your house.” But Be

“It won’t work, Be

Be

“Take a minute and come outside with me, okay?”

“Sure.” Julien shoved his hands in the pockets of his Abercrombie jeans, and he and Be

Be

“I didn’t want you to think I was some type of corporate shill. I respect you. What you do, who you are.”

“And I appreciate that.” Be

“Yes.”

“Wait a year to make this decision. Accept my invitation about coming to the office and seeing my friends. If you still feel the same way in a year, and you decide to chuck it all and save the world, I’ll think it will be the smartest thing you ever did.”