he’s been missing.
***
“Welcome,” says an older woman sitting at the
reception desk of the law offices of James A. Parker. Her grey hair
is done in a very trendy, spiky style, and she’s wearing more
makeup than I’d ever consider putting on my face. “You must be
Josephine, our new paralegal,” she says with a slight southern
drawl.
I plaster a huge smile and reach out my hand
to her. “That would be me.”
She stands up and shakes my hand. “I’m
Debbie. We’re glad to have you on board. James is in court right
now, but he told me to show you around and take you to your office.
He even left some work for you to do, but feel free to take some
time to get settled in,” she says.
“Thanks, Debbie. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too! Now follow me,” Debbie commands.
She shows me the small the kitchen, the bathroom, and then James’
office. “Your office is right here next to James.”
I take a step into my office and I’m shocked
to see tons of paperwork stacked in various piles on my new desk
with notes from James lying all around. Debbie wasn’t kidding.
“Your e-mail is all set up, and I stocked
your desk with supplies, but if there’s anything else you need just
holler, and I’ll help you out. I’ll leave you to it now,” she
says.
“Thanks, Debbie,” I say as she walks back
towards reception.
Debbie seems really nice. She kind of reminds
me of Paula Deen. I image that she has a ton of grandchildren and
that she makes huge Sunday dinners and bakes cookies. When I was a
kid, I had always wished that I had a grandma like that. My mom
wasn’t close to her mother, and she died when I was a baby having
never met me. I have a few memories of my dad’s mother, but she
disappeared from my life when my dad did. I was always jealous of
other kids who spent summers with their grandparents and received
birthday cards filled with cash every year.
I turn on my computer and see that my e-mail
is all ready to go. I even have an e-mail from James:
To: Josephine O’Shea
From: James Parker
Sorry that I couldn’t be there to welcome
you, but I trust that Debbie is helping you settle in. I’m also
sorry about the paperwork on your desk. We’re behind on everything,
so the sooner you can get started the better. I’ll be in this
afternoon. Text me if you have any questions.
I rearrange a few things in my office and
then organize the stacks of work that James has left for me. I
spend a few hours working on a “motion for discovery and inspection
of evidence” for a drug possession case. It’s very different from
the business law projects that I worked on at the firm, but I’m
definitely up for the challenge.
I’m enthralled in the motion and don’t hear
James come into my office.
“How’s it going, Jo?” he says. I look up from
my work and see his handsome face staring down on me and suddenly
feel insecure.
“It’s going well. I’ve been working on this
‘motion for discovery’,” I say as I point to the paperwork on my
desk.
“Oh, good. We need to file that by
Wednesday.” James seems pleased that I’ve gotten started on things.
“Hey, do you want to grab some lunch? I’m famished and it will give
us a chance to go over some things.”
“Sure,” I say. “I could eat too.”
“Great. You ready now?”
“Yeah,” I say as I stand up and move from
behind my desk.
“Wow! You look really…um...nice. Are you
going to dress like this every day?”
I try to hide my smile. “I guess we’ll see,”
I say coquettishly.
Chapter 1 1
James opens the door for me at Dominic's
Trattoria, and puts his hand on my lower back, guiding me into the
restaurant. I welcome the contact. His touch still drives me
crazy.
“Long time, no see,” says the waitress to
James and me. “It’s been quite a while since you two have been in
here.”
James and I used to meet up at Dominic’s for
lunch when we were dating. It was close to both of our
***
“Welcome,” says an older woman sitting at the
reception desk of the law offices of James A. Parker. Her grey hair
is done in a very trendy, spiky style, and she’s wearing more
makeup than I’d ever consider putting on my face. “You must be
Josephine, our new paralegal,” she says with a slight southern
drawl.
I plaster a huge smile and reach out my hand
to her. “That would be me.”
She stands up and shakes my hand. “I’m
Debbie. We’re glad to have you on board. James is in court right
now, but he told me to show you around and take you to your office.
He even left some work for you to do, but feel free to take some
time to get settled in,” she says.
“Thanks, Debbie. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too! Now follow me,” Debbie commands.
She shows me the small the kitchen, the bathroom, and then James’
office. “Your office is right here next to James.”
I take a step into my office and I’m shocked
to see tons of paperwork stacked in various piles on my new desk
with notes from James lying all around. Debbie wasn’t kidding.
“Your e-mail is all set up, and I stocked
your desk with supplies, but if there’s anything else you need just
holler, and I’ll help you out. I’ll leave you to it now,” she
says.
“Thanks, Debbie,” I say as she walks back
towards reception.
Debbie seems really nice. She kind of reminds
me of Paula Deen. I image that she has a ton of grandchildren and
that she makes huge Sunday dinners and bakes cookies. When I was a
kid, I had always wished that I had a grandma like that. My mom
wasn’t close to her mother, and she died when I was a baby having
never met me. I have a few memories of my dad’s mother, but she
disappeared from my life when my dad did. I was always jealous of
other kids who spent summers with their grandparents and received
birthday cards filled with cash every year.
I turn on my computer and see that my e-mail
is all ready to go. I even have an e-mail from James:
To: Josephine O’Shea
From: James Parker
Sorry that I couldn’t be there to welcome
you, but I trust that Debbie is helping you settle in. I’m also
sorry about the paperwork on your desk. We’re behind on everything,
so the sooner you can get started the better. I’ll be in this
afternoon. Text me if you have any questions.
I rearrange a few things in my office and
then organize the stacks of work that James has left for me. I
spend a few hours working on a “motion for discovery and inspection
of evidence” for a drug possession case. It’s very different from
the business law projects that I worked on at the firm, but I’m
definitely up for the challenge.
I’m enthralled in the motion and don’t hear
James come into my office.
“How’s it going, Jo?” he says. I look up from
my work and see his handsome face staring down on me and suddenly
feel insecure.
“It’s going well. I’ve been working on this
‘motion for discovery’,” I say as I point to the paperwork on my
desk.
“Oh, good. We need to file that by
Wednesday.” James seems pleased that I’ve gotten started on things.
“Hey, do you want to grab some lunch? I’m famished and it will give
us a chance to go over some things.”
“Sure,” I say. “I could eat too.”
“Great. You ready now?”
“Yeah,” I say as I stand up and move from
behind my desk.
“Wow! You look really…um...nice. Are you
going to dress like this every day?”
I try to hide my smile. “I guess we’ll see,”
I say coquettishly.
Chapter 1 1
James opens the door for me at Dominic's
Trattoria, and puts his hand on my lower back, guiding me into the
restaurant. I welcome the contact. His touch still drives me
crazy.
“Long time, no see,” says the waitress to
James and me. “It’s been quite a while since you two have been in
here.”
James and I used to meet up at Dominic’s for
lunch when we were dating. It was close to both of our
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