“We have,” I agreed. “I’m glad to see that the view hasn’t totally deterred you from joining us.”
Zach frowned. “The view?”
Alex turned that beautiful, beaming smile on him, and I watched as Zach softened slightly.Interesting, I thought. “When I met Mr. Porter, I was contemplating whether or not I could actually handle working on the 42nd floor.” She flushed the prettiest, softest shade of pink I’d ever seen. “I’m a little afraid of heights.”
She’s adorable, I mused. “I told her the usual haunts for our paralegals aren’t near the windows.”
Zach nodded. “That’s true,” he agreed and then seemed to remember himself. His “professional” face locked back into place. He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. “Thomas could use your help today,” he told Alex. “He’s preparing to file a lawsuit and could use the extra set of eyes.”
I didn’t. The paperwork was nearly complete, but I understood Zach’s desire to ease her in. The woman Alex was replacing had been an absolute workhorse, and her absence had been missed. “Come on,” I said to Alex. “I’ll show you my office and introduce you to my assistant, and then we can get started.”
She nodded and glanced at Zach. “Thank you,” she said.
Zach held up his hands in an “unarmed” gesture. “I didn’t do anything,” he insisted. “Have a great first day.” With a nod to me, Zach disappeared down the hallway.
“He’s very serious,” Alex commented.
I laughed outright. I couldn’t help it. “I’m pretty sure Zach’s picture is in the dictionary next to the word ‘serious’,” I said. “If I ever heard him laugh, I’d go into shock.”
“I heard him laugh,” Alex said. “I mean, it wasn’t a big laugh or anything, but—”
“Helaughed?” I couldn’t have been more shocked.
“Chuckled,” she said and shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal. We were just talking during my interview.”
“He laughed during an interview?” I shook my head, letting out a low whistle. “The sky is going to fall.”
She giggled, and the sound shivered down my spine. Alex was too cute for her own good. “Come on,” I said, and we started down the hall toward my office. “Generally, I like to set up in a conference room, but I think both of them are booked today, so we’ll spread out in my office.”
Alex nodded. “Tell me about the case?”
“It’s fairly straightforward,” I explained. “It’s a dispute over a rental property. The landlord is demanding that the former occupants pay for damages, but they are claiming that the damages had existed beforehand and were documented thoroughly at the lease-signing.”
Alex’s brow wrinkled. “If it’s documented, why the lawsuit?”
“Intimidation,” I said. “They’re hoping they can bully their way into a settlement because they’ve got no real case.”
She shook her head. “I’ll bet the landlords have a lot more money too.”
“They do,” I agreed. “They’re spending plenty of it to keep me on retainer.”
Alex stopped walking. “Wait,” she said. “You’re representing the landlord in this case?”
I nodded. “I’ve explained that they have no case, and I have no hope of winning when we get in front of a judge.”
“But you’re taking their money.”
“We’re a for-profit firm,” I said, “and they’re the ones insisting on going to court, against my advice.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “You want to be a lawyer, right?” She nodded. “Sometimes, you represent assholes who have no case because everyone deserves representation in the courts.”
Her nose wrinkled, but I could see her thinking it over. “I know you’re right,” she said, “but it just seems... gross to represent someone so clearly in the wrong.”
“Not every case is a winner,” I said. “And if you want to take every hard-luck case, I suggest finding a nonprofit or doing pro-bono work.”
We stopped outside my office, and I pushed it open to let her in. My assistant, Trevor, was making coffee at the sidebar. “Trev,” I said, getting his attention, “this is Alex Beechum, our new paralegal.”
Trevor was twenty-three and looked like he belonged in a gym. He had the dude-bro vibe that seemed very popular with the twenty-somethings. “Hey,” he said in his laid-back style that made Jake and Zach’s blood boil. He didn’t particularly bother me, so long as he was professional with any clients he might encounter.
“Hi,” Alex greeted, but her eyes didn’t linger on him like I would have expected. All of the women in the office stared at Trevor.