glinting with amusement.
“I know that, but he’s still got the business in Texas and he’s still in charge of thousands of people’s futures and he’s not fit for it. He should’ve at least stepped down from the company. I don’t know why the board didn’t insist upon it. But no, he’s going about his daily business like nothing’s changed.”
“Believe me, if McNeil is forced to step down, then he’ll push several people out with him. He won’t go easily. There’ll be job losses and the share price will fall even further and it won’t be pretty. Don’t forget that this guy has been a CEO for years. He’s got friends in high places. He’s best buds with the Texas governor. He’s an all-American success story.”
“He’s a crook,” Ryan retorts.
Joseph snorts and raises his eyebrows. “Yeah, don’t let anyone hear you say that out loud.”
“Shit, yeah, sorry. I shouldn’t say that. I know. It’s just—” He sighs. “Man, I’m sorry. I can see what you mean.” He breaks off, glancing across the desk at Joseph. The guy’s watching him interestedly, giving him a look that’s impossible to interpret. “I can get a bit soapbox-y, I know that. Daisy’s always telling me that.”
“Daisy?”
“My fiancée.” He blushes and immediately hates himself for it.
Joseph nods and taps a finger against the sheets of paper. “Rewrite it. The essence of it is good. Believe me, I’d be telling you otherwise if it wasn’t. But just dial it down a little.”
Ryan nods slowly, swallowing back the disappointment. He knows that Joseph is right, but he still feels like he’s just been given a C+ on a term paper he’s busted his ass on.
“And, Ryan, go home. You don’t have to prove anything to me by burning the midnight oil. You don’t win a bonus for putting in the most time at the office.”
He doesn’t say anything, just thinks of the stack of e-mails in his in-box and the files of other cases Paul is still expecting responses on. And now he has to rewrite this report. He’s not trying to prove anything; he’s just trying to get through the day. But of course, he can’t say that to Joseph. That would be admitting to weaknesses that he can’t afford to show in front of his boss.
He nods and gives Joseph a tired smile. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Joseph repeats, getting up from the chair. He reaches over the desk, drops his hand on Ryan’s shoulder, and squeezes gently. “And listen to me. You’ve got great potential. I’d never have hired you if you didn’t. You can be a great attorney. And I appreciate the work you’re putting in. Don’t think that I don’t notice, I always notice. But you’ve only been here a month, Ryan, don’t burn yourself out too quickly. I want to see great things from you.”
He nods, feeling his cheeks start to burn, this time with pleasure. Joseph squeezes again, removes his hand, pats his arm a couple of times before he turns to leave.
“Go home, Ryan!” he calls over his shoulder. “I am!”
Ryan stares after his retreating back. His shoulder tingles where Joseph touched him and he drags his fingers self-consciously against the material of his shirt. He wonders if Joseph knew he was deliberately touching him in exactly the same place as he did on the night of the awards.
“S O , HOW are things in Joseph Van Aardt country?” Tim puffs out as they come skidding to a halt under one of the huge oak trees in their favorite corner of the park.
Ryan bends over, putting his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath. He cranes his neck up and repeats, “Joseph Van Aardt country?”
“Yeah. That’s where you live these days, man. A better, more exclusive country than where the rest of us poor schleps are forced to scrape out a living.”
Ryan snorts and rolls his eyes at him. “Dude, dramatic much?”
“Whatever.” Tim shrugs. He turns his back on Ryan and moves to brace himself against the tree, stretching out his calf muscle.
“I know that, but he’s still got the business in Texas and he’s still in charge of thousands of people’s futures and he’s not fit for it. He should’ve at least stepped down from the company. I don’t know why the board didn’t insist upon it. But no, he’s going about his daily business like nothing’s changed.”
“Believe me, if McNeil is forced to step down, then he’ll push several people out with him. He won’t go easily. There’ll be job losses and the share price will fall even further and it won’t be pretty. Don’t forget that this guy has been a CEO for years. He’s got friends in high places. He’s best buds with the Texas governor. He’s an all-American success story.”
“He’s a crook,” Ryan retorts.
Joseph snorts and raises his eyebrows. “Yeah, don’t let anyone hear you say that out loud.”
“Shit, yeah, sorry. I shouldn’t say that. I know. It’s just—” He sighs. “Man, I’m sorry. I can see what you mean.” He breaks off, glancing across the desk at Joseph. The guy’s watching him interestedly, giving him a look that’s impossible to interpret. “I can get a bit soapbox-y, I know that. Daisy’s always telling me that.”
“Daisy?”
“My fiancée.” He blushes and immediately hates himself for it.
Joseph nods and taps a finger against the sheets of paper. “Rewrite it. The essence of it is good. Believe me, I’d be telling you otherwise if it wasn’t. But just dial it down a little.”
Ryan nods slowly, swallowing back the disappointment. He knows that Joseph is right, but he still feels like he’s just been given a C+ on a term paper he’s busted his ass on.
“And, Ryan, go home. You don’t have to prove anything to me by burning the midnight oil. You don’t win a bonus for putting in the most time at the office.”
He doesn’t say anything, just thinks of the stack of e-mails in his in-box and the files of other cases Paul is still expecting responses on. And now he has to rewrite this report. He’s not trying to prove anything; he’s just trying to get through the day. But of course, he can’t say that to Joseph. That would be admitting to weaknesses that he can’t afford to show in front of his boss.
He nods and gives Joseph a tired smile. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Joseph repeats, getting up from the chair. He reaches over the desk, drops his hand on Ryan’s shoulder, and squeezes gently. “And listen to me. You’ve got great potential. I’d never have hired you if you didn’t. You can be a great attorney. And I appreciate the work you’re putting in. Don’t think that I don’t notice, I always notice. But you’ve only been here a month, Ryan, don’t burn yourself out too quickly. I want to see great things from you.”
He nods, feeling his cheeks start to burn, this time with pleasure. Joseph squeezes again, removes his hand, pats his arm a couple of times before he turns to leave.
“Go home, Ryan!” he calls over his shoulder. “I am!”
Ryan stares after his retreating back. His shoulder tingles where Joseph touched him and he drags his fingers self-consciously against the material of his shirt. He wonders if Joseph knew he was deliberately touching him in exactly the same place as he did on the night of the awards.
“S O , HOW are things in Joseph Van Aardt country?” Tim puffs out as they come skidding to a halt under one of the huge oak trees in their favorite corner of the park.
Ryan bends over, putting his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath. He cranes his neck up and repeats, “Joseph Van Aardt country?”
“Yeah. That’s where you live these days, man. A better, more exclusive country than where the rest of us poor schleps are forced to scrape out a living.”
Ryan snorts and rolls his eyes at him. “Dude, dramatic much?”
“Whatever.” Tim shrugs. He turns his back on Ryan and moves to brace himself against the tree, stretching out his calf muscle.
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