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My best friends had known of my deepest secret, but they’d never tell anyone. It was something I was one hundred percent certain of. Of course I’d known their secrets too, so there was that.
As I pulled into the rear parking area, I saw Tanner’s big truck and a smaller bright blue car, which I assumed was Imogene’s. Cute car.
I knocked on the locked door.
Tanner let me in. There was a tightness in his jaw.
“You okay?” I asked as he locked the door behind me.
“I will be.”
“That bad?”
We’d walked toward the front of the building where Imogene was dusting off the reception desk. She looked up and answered before Tanner had the chance. “I heard every word. Carson’s an asshole.”
That unexpected description, while so accurate, made us both snort with laughter. “Hi, Imogene. It’s nice to see you again.” I’d met her on several occasions as a resident in town, though I couldn’t say exactly where and when.
“Yes, it’s lovely to see you again, Carly.” She turned to Tanner. “I’d like to get some cleaning supplies and do a good wipe-down of everything. Looks like it’s been deep cleaned, but there’s dust.”
Tanner nodded. “Yes, I had the place cleaned a couple weeks ago, but not since. I think there are some products under the sink in the kitchen upstairs if you want to check there first.” He pointed toward the stairs.
Imogene nodded and she was off.
“Did Carson throw any legal stuff at you?” I wanted to help if I could.
“No. There’s nothing he can do. He didn’t even bother to bluff. Just said I could leave only when he said I could. Can you believe it?”
I shrugged. “He’s a child, it sounds like.”
“An old angry one.”
“Let’s see what we can do to get this place ready for business. I’ve got some ideas about marketing the practice to start.” I pulled my iPad from the tote I’d slung on my shoulder. “I made notes. I hope you don’t mind.”
Tanner’s shoulders seemed to relax a little. “I’m glad I hired you.”
We sat down at the newly wiped conference table to discuss our business relationship, contracts, and first steps. The contract would be loose and open-ended should I get a fantastic opportunity elsewhere, as we’d agreed.
“You’ll need a website as quickly as we can get one going. That way, when someone looks you up for representation, they can find you. I don’t know what you can do to get your name off the old firm’s site, but at least the option will come up to click on your new firm’s website.”
*
Tanner
A website. Tannerhonestly hadn’t gotten that far yet. “Can you find a good company for that?”
Carly nodded. “That will take a little time to get up and running, but we can get your social media done right away. Instagram, Facebook, and the rest. Those go live without delay. I’ll need some professional and casual photos.”
Social media wasn’t his forte. Of course, Carly was younger and likely more informed about such things. “These are things that aren’t in my wheelhouse.”
Carly smiled at him as if he were an infant. “Don’t worry, theyarein my wheelhouse. We had classes in school on the smart marketing of your practice.”
“That’s new and sounds useful in today’s world. But keep in mind, this is Cypress Bayou, and we’re still about a decade behind the times with the older crowd.”
“Ah, but the younger crowd needs legal representation too. We can cover a more diverse population by grabbing their attention with smart marketing.”
He grinned at her, feeling a little bit of the earlier stress slide off his soul. “Did I say how glad I am that I hired you?” Tanner was becoming more and more impressed with Carly by the minute. “I’ve been working with a dinosaur for so long that I’ve missed out on the new tech.”
“Let me guess, y’all still used paper filing cabinets for your client files. And a paper appointment book?”
