“Good morning, Max.”
“Good morning, Emily.”
“Mr. Grazewski would like to have a word with you.”
Max glanced down at his watch. It was nine o’clock. “You mean he’s here this early?”
“He has an appointment.”
“Oh.” Max thought this added some urgency to Mr. Grazewski’s request.
Max whistled a part of the tune stuck in his mind as he entered through the double doors separating the reception area from the offices. Off to his left were the offices of Patrick O’Toole, Sean Hennessy, Daniel McDonnell, Theodore Grazewski, and Douglas McGregor. As Max turned toward those offices he saw Mr. Grazewski and another man enter Mr. Grazewski’s office. They left the door to the office open.
“So tell me,” the gentleman said, “how did someone with the name of Grazewski wind up in the Irish corner of his firm?”
Mr. Grazewski laughed. “If you think that’s bad just consider McGregor, who happens to be a Scot. You wouldn’t believe the arguments he and the Irishmen get into over who makes the best whiskey.”
“I’d have to side with McGregor on that one, but I don’t think I’d pay him for defending my preference.”
“No need; just mention the subject to McGregor when one of the Irishmen are present and enjoy the show.”
The conversation told Max they had not gotten down to business yet. “We attorneys will argue about anything.” Max said it to let them know he was there. They laughed.
“Come in, Max. This is Stanley Walker from Wallers Insurance International. Stan this is one of our brightest associates, Max Stevens.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Max said.
“Likewise.”
Max and Mr. Walker shook hands.
“Max, the reason I left the message with Emily is because I want to know how you’re doing on our answers to the interrogatories in the Smith/Haller case.”
“I’ll have them on your desk by three-thirty today.”
“Good man.”
Max took this as his cue to leave. He turned and took several steps out of the office.
“He makes a good impression. Will he be working on any of our cases?”
“He already is.”
Max continued walking and did not hear any more of the conversation. What he had heard was enough to please him. Mr. Walker was the CEO of Wallers Insurance, and the law firm made millions of dollars representing that company and the clients of that company. Making a good impression on a man who was as important as Mr. Walker was would certainly raise Max’s standing with the law firm.
Max entered his own office. A copy of the interrogatories and a legal pad of notes containing the information he needed to answer the questions posed were sitting on his desk. The workload of an associate was usually too brutal to allow much time for a personal life. In the last few days, however, Max’s caseload had actually decreased, which is to say that the last urgent matter he had to attend to was answering those interrogatories. He set about his task as quickly and efficiently as possible. He was really looking forward to getting home at a decent hour and enjoying a weekend of some much needed recreation. It was almost one-thirty when Max finished dictating the answers. He took the tape to his secretary and went to lunch. He returned at two-fifteen. The transcript of his dictation was sitting on his desk. He finished editing the answers by three, and his secretary handed him the edited answers at three-twenty. He immediately took the finished product to Mr. Grazewski’s office. The door to the office was closed.
“Sorry Max, but Ted hasn’t returned from lunch yet,” Mr. Grazewski’s secretary said.
“The infamous two martini lunch with Mr. Walker, no doubt.”
“You’re probably right about that. Ted took him to the California Club.”
“Will you please give this to him as soon as he returns?”
“Hot date tonight?”
“No, I’m just looking forward to some much needed time off.”
She smiled sympathetically. “I’ll try to get him on it as soon as he returns.”
“Thanks, you’re a jewel.”
Max returned to his office. The fact that Mr. Grazewski was not there to review the answers and make the changes he deemed desirable was disappointing to say the least. Traffic was typically light on Friday mornings but by five pm it turned into a nightmare. Max’s Zippo cigarette lighter was sitting on his desk. People who spend a lot of time at the beach really like Zippo lighters because the wind rarely blows out the flame. The old adage about not spitting into the wind, however, also holds true for Zippo lighters. No one wants the wind to blow the flame from the lighter into his face. Max pulled a can of lighter fluid out of one of the drawers of his desk. He opened the Zippo and filled it with the fluid. At four-thirty Mr. Grazweski called and told Max the answers were fine as written. Max looked down at his watch. Well, at least he would not be delayed by having to change any of the answers. He shoved the Zippo into one of the front pockets of his trousers, and he headed for home. He did not arrive there until seven o’clock.
It was not until Max was getting out of his car that he realized his leg was wet. He must have over filled the lighter. At least the leaking fluid had not migrated to his crotch. He was grateful for that. To say it was unpleasant when that happened would be an understatement of the first order. After taking a shower he put on some white trousers, blue deck shoes, and a blue sports shirt. He picked up the lighter, but then thought better of it. It still might be too full of fluid. He set the lighter on the night stand next to his bed. There was a book of matches in his kitchen and he put that book in one of the front pockets of his trousers.
Max went to a little place near the pier. He had a basket of shrimp and French fries, which he ate at one of the tables outside. Then he drove to one of his favorite places on the bay. It had a restaurant on the first floor, but he always felt self-conscious when he ate there alone. He took the stairs to the second floor. There was a terrific bar there with a dance floor and live music. He walked up to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic. He noticed an attractive lady walking toward him as he took a sip from that beverage. He also noticed a book of matches sitting on the bar. The cover of the book was open to expose the matches. He picked up that book of matches without thinking and stuffed it into a front pocket of his trousers. The exposed matches must have rubbed against the striker pad of the book of matches already in his pocket because those matches instantly burst into flames. He pulled the burning matches out of his pocket, threw them on the bar, and blew out the flames. The attractive lady was now standing next to him, and she was laughing.
“Nice going, hot pants. Did you get burned?”
Max laughed with her. “I can’t believe I did that. My leg and hand are a bit tender, but there’s no serious damage.”
“I could actually see your hand through the material of your pants. It was quite a show.”
“Glad you enjoyed it. I’m Max.”
“I’m Alice. I’m here with my fiancé, but my friend is available.”
“Oh?”
“She’s at the third table back. She has long brown hair and is wearing a green blouse.”
“She’s very attractive.”
“Help me carry the drinks I’m ordering and I’ll introduce you to her.”
“Thanks, that’s very kind of you.”
When they reached the table Alice set one drink in front of her fiancé and the other in front of the chair next to him. This told Max he was carrying the drink for the other lady, and he set that drink in front of her.
“Max, this is Karen and Jim. Karen and Jim, this is Max.”
Max said he was pleased to meet them and they said they were pleased to meet him.
“Have a seat, Max.”
“Thanks, Alice.” He sat next to Karen.
Alice looked at Karen and smiled. “See I told you you were going to meet someone hot tonight, and he’s so hot he literally lights up his pants.”
Karen blushed.
“I’m afraid she’s being a bit too generous. I acted more like a clown than a Casanova.” He then went on to explain what happened, much to the amusement of the people at the table.
“See,” Karen said. “Cigarettes are dangerous.”
“Granted, but I didn’t think they’d cause me to burn myself.”
“Are you badly burned?”
“Just a little tender.”
“Let me see your hand.”
He held up his right hand with his palm facing her.
“You have a blister on your middle finger.”
“That means I’m one of those rare individuals who can make a disdainful gesture and still be a sympathetic character.”
She smiled. “I’ll buy the character part.”
“I really enjoy this song. Would you like to dance?”
“Yes.”
Max and Karen were having a good time. They danced and flirted with each other all evening. Max was disappointed when the bar tender finally announced last call.
“I’d like to take you to the beach tomorrow and to dinner afterwards. May I have your telephone number?”
“Sure.” She wrote her name, her phone number, and her address on a cocktail napkin and handed it to him. “No need to call tomorrow, just drop by my place at ten in the morning.”
She left with Alice and Jim. Max drove to her house the next morning as they had agreed. Since he did not know whether she would want to shower and dress for dinner at her place or his he threw some clothes in the back seat of his car.
She was wearing a bathing suit when she answered the door. Her smile was beautiful but what he really noticed was her terrific figure.
“The fact that your wearing a bathing suit tells me you’ve probably eaten already.”
“I didn’t want to assume that you were taking me out for breakfast. I made macaroni salad and some sandwiches to take with us. There’s enough to have a sandwich now if you’re hungry.”
“You’re beautiful and thoughtful, but I rarely eat breakfast anyway.”
She picked up her towel and the container holding the food. “I guess we’ll need to pick up a cooler on the way.”
“There’s one in the car. It has ice and beer in it, but there’s enough room for the food as well.”
“Good.”
They spread their towels out on the sand and set the cooler next to them. Max was delighted to see that she was the athletic type. She went into the water with him, and they played in the surf. When they returned to their towels they had lunch.
“What do you do for a living?” he asked.
“I’m a decorator who specializes in restaurants, offices and other businesses, but I suppose most people would say I’m a sales person.”
“That should give us some privacy because we’re the sort of couple other people tend to avoid.”
“Because I sell?”
“And because I’m an attorney.”
“So you’re argumentative.”
“That’s the common belief, but I rarely argue when I’m not being paid to do it.”
“Ah, the all mighty dollar.” She presented him with a seductive smile. “But I’m guessing you also use your persuasive skills to get other things you want.”
“I’m afraid the only professionals at seduction are gigolos, but you’re certainly inspiring me to make the best of my amateur talent.”
She laughed. “You really are an attorney.”
“What do mean.”
“It’s the phrasing. You’re not going to argue with me if a say no, are you?”
“Arguing rarely works, and it’s detrimental if you want to see the lady again.”
“So you’re a man of experience.”
“I come pre-trained. My ex-wife taught me to say ‘yes, dear.’”
“Then you’ve been married?”
“Yes, and you?”
“No. It’s not something I’ve been looking for, but who knows?”
“I have the same attitude. I’m not real eager to try it again, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”
“Was the divorce painful.”
“Painful enough for me to make some rather rude jokes about marriage, but I can’t really blame her, or myself for that matter. Sometimes things don’t work out. You have to accept it and move on.”
“Do you have any children?”
“No, and that’s probably a good thing when it comes to divorce. If you have children you have to see each other while you’re still in pain. I really hate it when I see couples using their children as weapons to punish each other.”
“I don’t think you’d do that.”
“I sure hope I wouldn’t.”
“How do feel about your ex-wife now.”
“We rarely see each other. Each of us has built a new life, but I’m at the point where I could accept her as friend.”
“That speaks well for you.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“You’re welcome.”
The fact that she did not take any clothes to the beach told Max she wanted to shower and change at her place. The only question in his mind was whether she expected him to go home to shower and change and then come back to pick her up.
“I notice that you brought some clothes.”
“I hope you don’t think I was presuming anything by doing that.”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll carry the clothes if you carry the cooler.”
They entered her apartment.
‘Set the cooler there.”
He set it down. She put his clothes on a chair. Then she opened the cooler and removed two beers. “Two can shower as cheaply as one,” she said, handing him a beer.
They took the beers into the shower. He soon had an erection. She looked down at it and giggled.
“Body surfing obviously makes you as horny as makes me,” she said.
“And people wonder why a love the ocean so much.”
After the shower they went to her bedroom and made love. She got up when they finished. She walked over to the telephone and started dialing a number.
“I hope you like Chinese. It’s one of the few good restaurants that delivers.”
Max spent the entire weekend with her. He took her to dinner on Sunday then returned to his place. He was sitting in his office on Monday morning when Mr. Grazewski’s secretary called to tell him to come to Ted’s office.
“Max we have a new case. I’m thinking of naming you as co-counsel. Here’s the complaint. We’re fulfilling Wallers’ obligation to defend Bracket Dunn Accounting and its auditors against charges resulting from an alleged Ponzi scheme perpetrated by A&P investments. Here’s a copy of the complaint and a motion to combine the cases for the purpose of discovery. I think we can assume there will also be an attempt to make this a class-action. Read over the complaint and try to put the charges into layman’s terms. I’ll arrange a meeting with Bracket Dunn and its auditors.”
Max wanted to cheer. Being named co-counsel on such a large case was the professional opportunity he had been dreaming about.
He carefully reviewed the complaint he had been given. It was representative of all the complaints filed on behalf of the people bringing the suits. The motion to combine those cases for the purpose of discovery named all of the individual plaintiffs. The name of one of the plaintiffs was all too familiar to him; it was Karen Anthony. He felt as though his heart had taken a giant leap and was now lodged in his throat. He rose from his chair and walked to Mr. Grazewski’s office.
“I might know one of the plaintiffs.”
“You might?”
“Well, I don’t know if the Karen Anthony bringing the suit as the same Karen Anthony I just spent the weekend with.”
“Was it an intimate weekend?”
“Very.”
“How long have you been seeing her?”
“I just met her.”
“Well, that’s a plus. It means the judge will be more likely to let us build a wall around you. You need to find out if it’s the same Karen Anthony. Do it today, Max.” Mr. Grazewski did not need to add that Max was off the case for now.
Max did not have Karen’s work number, and she did not answer her phone until seven o’clock.
“Hi, sweetheart. This is Max.”
“It’s good to hear from you.”
“I hope it will be.”
“That doesn’t sound good. Why the doubt?”
“Are you involved in a law suit?”
“Yes. I’m suing some scum bags who stole fifty thousand dollars from me, but why do you ask?”
“Is it A&P Investments?”
“How did you know that?”
“My firm is representing one of the defendants.”
“You mean you’re defending the crooked bastards?”
“We’re not representing A&P. There are a lot of defendants, such as attorneys and accountants, and the extent to which they might be culpable has yet to be determined.”
“Spoken like a true attorney.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
“Don’t worry. I can’t work on the case. No one at our firm can even discuss it with me.”
“I glad to hear that.”
“Yes, but here is something else.”
“Oh?”
“Your attorney is sure to advise you not to see me again until the case is resolved, and my firm is bound to put pressure on me not to see you until then.”
“How long do you think it will take before the trial is over?”
“It could be years.”
“Damn it! I’m really going to miss you, but I can’t ignore the advice of my attorney. I hope you understand.”
“I do, honey. Maybe when it’s over…”
“Maybe.”They both knew that maybe meant unlikely. They said goodbye to each other and hung up. Max had lost a golden opportunity at the firm and perhaps a meaningful relationship with a lady he really cared about. He could not help thinking there were times when life kicked you in the crotch, and there is nothing you can do about it. The only choice he had was to stand up and keep trying. He told Mr. Grazewski about his conversation with Karen.
“I’m not blaming you,” Mr. Grazewski said. “You had no knowledge of the suit when you met her, but I hope you had a great weekend.”
“Not great enough to justify the consequences.” Max smiled. “I guess I just have to grin and bear it.”
“I’m afraid so.”
First published in macsbackporch.fictionforall.com on Jul 20, 2011
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