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My heart sinks. Hawaii might sound like paradise to most, but to me, it’s nothing more than a hurdle—a thousand miles away from my meticulously planned schedule. “Hawaii?”
Jeff nods solemnly. “This case is too big to ignore, Paige. You’re the best person for the job.”
I think about the stack of files on my desk, the names of my loyal clients waiting patiently for my attention. “What about my other cases?”
“I’ll have the junior attorneys oversee the paperwork,” Jeff reassures me. “This is your moment, Paige. Seize it.”
Reluctantly, I agree. “Fine. When do I leave?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Jeff replies. “And the whistleblower suggested you fly private—just in case someone is following you. I told you, he’s paranoid.”
Flying private feels excessive, but I understand the need for caution. If Finance Wise Bank is as powerful as they say, they won’t hesitate to silence anyone who threatens their empire. “Okay, when?”
“Now.”
“Now! I have a deposition in an hour!”
He smiles, telling me he was joking. “I’ll call the company we normally use. I’d like to get you out there as soon as possible. Does tomorrow morning work for you?”
It wasn’t like I could say no. “I’ll be packed. How long should I clear my schedule?”
“Let’s plan on three days,” he answers. “We’ll play it by ear. If it looks like this is real and we might need you there longer. There will need to be interviews to dig into his story.”
I nod, my mind whirling. “Who’ll be my co-counsel?”
“No one. Not yet. I can’t afford to send two of you out of the office. We’ve got that class action suit to work on. If this looks like it’s going to pan out, we’ll go from there. For now, it’s just you.”
Inside I’m jumping for joy. I mean, hello, my own case. My own really big case. This might be my chance to prove I’m ready for partner. “Okay. I’ll be ready.”
“Pack a bathing suit,” he says as I get to my feet. “You might be able to enjoy a little fun in the sun.”
I snort at the idea. “Sir, I’ll be there to work.”
“No one expects to fly all the way to Hawaii and work around the clock. Seriously, take some time to enjoy the beach. It’ll do you good. You work too hard.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say.
As I leave Jeff’s office, my mind races with the possibilities—and the risks—of this new case.
I make it to my office and close the door behind me. As usual, rain drops slide down the windows with gray skies as far as the eye can see. It's Seattle. It truly does rain all the time, especially in the late spring. I am lost in the thought of what this could mean for my career. I sit down and take a deep breath. I need to mentally prepare myself for the undoubtedly chaotic task of rescheduling appointments and doing some homework on insider training. And I'll need to pack.
In the process of clearing my desk, I find myself staring at the giant stack of case files - each a client depending on me. With a sigh, I summon my assistant, Harper, to delegate some of my workload.
"You're leaving?" she asks with horror all over her face. "It's the middle of the week. You've got a full schedule."
"I know. I need you to push back the ones you can. Anything that absolutely must get done this week will need to be delegated to others. If you aren't sure if it's possible, get to me. I'll talk to Jeff. Now, I need that file, the one for the disposition today."
Harper, the efficient assistant, hands me the file quickly. "Just yesterday you told me that you could never leave your clients hanging, what's changed?"
"I have no choice, Harper," I reply, and explain about the hush-hush case in Hawaii. She nods, understanding but still upset.
"All right then," she says finally. "I'll make the necessary calls. And I'll also need the documents for the cases to be passed on."
"Thanks, Harper," I respond gratefully. It's one less thing to worry about.
With her gone, I turn my attention back to my desk. It has always been comforting in its organized chaos. Piles of documents, each neatly stacked and labeled by case. Today, it looks more like an impending storm than my safe harbor. Shaking off the nerves, I start pulling files for Harper to distribute. I know all the junior associates. I have spent time collaborating with them and know who is better at what.
My phone pings. A reminder pops up for the deposition. I glance at the clock—only forty minutes left. Inhaling deeply, I try to refocus on the task at hand. The deposition wouldn’t take long, hopefully, and then I could immerse myself in preparing for Hawaii.
