There were banners and balloons, food and drink, and a huge cake with “Congratulations” on it as well. I looked up at everyone and smiled. “Thank you so much, everyone.”
Mr. Farthington came over to me and shook my hand. “A job well done, as always, Marilyn.” He looked out at everyone and said, “Can I please have everyone’s attention?” He turned back to me. “We are not here solely to congratulate you on your superb performance in the courtroom but also to welcome you in partnership. Please accept our invitation to join our team as a partner, starting today.”
I couldn’t feel my knees, and my heart started pumping with joy as tears welled up in my eyes. I took a deep breath and expelled it slowly.I made it. I’m a partner!I couldn’t believe I actually did it! “Thank you so much, Mr. Farthington. I won’t disappoint you.”
One by one, everyone came to congratulate me. Even Cheryl. “I see you made your way to the top.” She eyed me apprehensively. “I suppose I’ll have to accept you and treat you like you deserve to be treated. Like one of the family. Congratulations, Marilyn.”
She extended her hand, and I took it. “Thank you, Cheryl. I’m always here for you if you need help in any way. Teamwork and all that,” I told her.
I’d never seen Cheryl smile, so when one spread across her face, I was shocked and happy. “Teamwork was your only hurdle to get up here. Come with me, and I’ll show you to your new office.” I followed her, and unfortunately, my new office was right beside hers. I wasn’t that upset, though, because the view out this window was much better than the one from the other office, and if Cheryl was going to be nicer to me, then it was all good.
I turned to look behind me, and there was a stream of men coming my way. One had my monitor, another had my computer, and another had my phone. They kept coming until everything from my old office was in my new office. I didn’t have to worry about where anything went because this office was twice the size. I even had my own powder room.
“These are yours as well,” Cheryl told me. She handed me two plastic cards similar to credit cards. “This one is an access card to the gym on the eighth floor, and this one is to the roof, where there is a garden and pool. You must not tell anyone as this is exclusively for partners and managers.”
“Wow! That’s amazing. Thank you,” I said. This was the best day of my adult life.
“This is also yours. Come over here and look down into the parking lot.” I followed her to the office on the other side of the room and looked down.
“See that white Lexus down there? That’s now yours. I’ll get everything set up for you, and we can go down and take it for a spin,” Cheryl said.
I was shocked that she was being so nice to me but chalked it up to the fact that I was the only other female on the floor, and maybe she was tired of all the testosterone.
“Thank you so much, Cheryl. I really appreciate it. I’m looking forward to working with you,” I said.
“Likewise. I’ll leave you to get organized. Let me know if you have any questions or issues or need my help. Welcome aboard.” She smiled and went back to her office.
I’d finished setting up my computer and putting everything in its place when Mr. Farthington waved me over to his office. “Come right in, fellow partner.”
We sat down, and he handed me a Visa card. “You’ll need this for taking people out, gas, and any other purchases you need to make for the business.”
“Thank you. This is so amazing.” I felt extremely happy.
“We have one item to clear up before we move ahead, and that is your pregnancy,” he said as he opened a folder on his desk.
My heart stopped, and I looked up at him like I was a cat that have the canary in its mouth.
“Yes, I know you’re pregnant. You’re likely wondering how I found out, right? Well, I have six children of my own, and I know how a woman acts when she’s carrying. You’re in your second trimester, am I correct?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I should have said something earlier, but things went by so fast, and I was so busy.” I felt like an absolute moron.
“Understood. There are two things I want you to know. The first one is that trust is the most important thing here, and we need to be able to trust you one hundred percent. Are we clear on that?”
“Yes,” I said. I knew that was a dig at me not telling him I was pregnant. I felt guilty, but I was worried about not making partner. It just went to show how great he was, knowing I didn’t tell him, knowing I’m pregnant and still making me a partner. I really loved this guy. I would make sure I was a better person after this.
“Second, family is all I’m about. I want you to take a month off before the baby comes to get your home in order, nest, and relax before your whole life blows up with the birth of that precious little one. You are entitled to eight months of pregnancy leave, and I urge you to take it. However, as I know you, you’ll likely take as little time as possible. You must take a minimum of four months off. Agreed? Don’t worry about anything here. We’ll be here when you’re ready to come back,” he said and smiled warmly.
“Wow, thank you, Mr. Farthington. I really appreciate it. I’m going to see how everything is going. It’s possible the father might want to take some time off as well. About the father, you should know that—”
“Chris is the father? Yes, I know.” He winked at me.
“How did you know?” I asked.
“I’m not the best lawyer in town from not being observant. I see everything, Marilyn. Absolutely everything, and I don’t miss a thing. Congratulations on getting your dream job, dream man, and dream baby all in one shot!”
We laughed together and made some other small chit-chat before I went back to my office to finish settling in.
At 6:00 p.m. sharp, Chris came by my office. “How’s it going?”