Page 2 of The Allure of Ruins

“Most people can’t keep up with the pace in our department,” Libby said snidely to Natalie, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“I heard they’re moving Taylor Kwan to litigation,” I said to offer something to the conversation. When I talked to Taylor yesterday, helping her move desks, carrying a box for her, she told me how happy she was to get away from Mr. Redmond to work for Ms. Mata.

“Well, I hope she likes the pace better there, as she couldn’t handle how fast we move in family law,” Libby snapped, sounding snotty.

I squinted at Libby, because really, her statement made no sense. Yes, family law made more coin, but litigation was much faster and far more furious.

“I think she could have handled it easily,” Natalie defended her friend. “But Brize expects too much, and he has the communication skills of a mime in a body cast.”

Libby and I stared at her.

“What?” she asked me.

“What does that even mean?” Libby was as confused as I was.

“You know, like, a mime doesn’t speak, and if they can’t act shit out, what are they good for?”

I shook my head at her. “That’s a particularly terrible metaphor.”

She rolled her eyes and turned to Libby. “Whatever. Your boss has insane expectations, which is why he can’t keep associates or support staff. You’re the only one he likes. I mean, seriously, Libby, all his paralegals hate him. I know this because they tell me all the time. The other assistants hate him too, as well as the investigators.”

Libby scoffed. “They just want to be coddled.”

“It goes without saying that the associates, myself included, hate him, and that’s why we all would rather work in the pit of pro bono rather than family law.”

“Hey,” I said defensively.

“You know what I mean,” she grumbled.

Libby gave her a dismissive wave.

“We all know Gates is an asshole too,” Natalie went on, “but you don’t see people quitting left and right out of his department. That’s because Pax here is a great buffer, while you suck at it.”

Several beats went by, and I girded myself for the blast.

“I’m sorry, what did you say to me?” Libby’s tone was colder than it was outside, and it had to be below freezing at this time of night.

“Oh, come on, we both know you enjoy seeing your boss chew people up and spit them out, unlike Pax. He stands between Gates and his staff. You don’t.”

She grunted. “We all have to pay our dues.”

Which basically meant she’d been yelled at and treated like dirt and survived, so they had to suck it up as well.

“More importantly,” I soothed Libby, “you have a family to take care of. I don’t, so you can’t babysit your people. That’s not your job.”

“That’s right. That’s exactly right,” Libby granted, smiling at me and then glaring at Natalie.

“It’s all over the firm that there’s yet another associate who refuses to work with him,” Natalie remarked, her eyes flicking to me, then back to Libby. “So there’s that.”

I used to think, when I met people, that the things they worried about were small. But the older I got, I realized it was all relative. The things I’d concerned myself with when I was younger were life and death, but to Libby and Natalie, office politics were just as important. To make a living, to take care of the people they cared for, they had to navigate the waters at the law firm. I had learned not to be judgmental, even if to me, personality clashes didn’t seem so very important.

“You know,” Daisy Higgins, a third-year associate, chimed in from the other side of the appetizer table, “I think you should apply for the position in litigation too. Pilar was complaining the other day that she needs a really strong assistant. Melinda is not cutting it as Ruby’s second.”

“I thought Melinda was doing well over there.”

Daisy shook her head. “No. HR training caused her some trouble, so she has to go and do all these modules and then retake the test. If she fails a second time, she’s out.”

“What tripped her up?”