and Ben’s due diligence, but when I did a lap of the floor at eleven, all three of their offices were darkened. I knew I had to seize the opportunity to get out of there, unnoticed, and spend some time with Jason. I deserved it after the day I’d endured. So, at eleven thirty I ordered my Seamless meal (I was allowed to expense $40 for dinner—enough for two with leftovers), slipped my BlackBerry in my pocket, and hoped I wouldn’t hear from anyone until the morning. Sitting in the Town Car on my way uptown to meet Jason with a bag of greasy Chinese food beside me, I silently congratulated myself for not crying and for holding onto my last shred of dignity by resisting the urge to bend down and pick up the shreds of paper on my way out of Saul’s office.
“Wow. That guy is a sociopath masquerading as a lawyer.” Jason exhaled a tiny snort and speared a piece of chicken before passing the take-out box to me.
“And you should’ve seen how crazy he looked! Completely insane.” I shook my head in disbelief, picturing his deranged, crimson face. “Unfortunately for me, the inmates are running the asylum at F&D.”
“In your department they sure are.” Jason snickered.
“Speaking of inmates, have you seen my BlackBerry?” My eyes darted around, suddenly fearful that I would miss an email from Ben demanding an immediate response. Saul may be making me lose my mind, but I wouldn’t let him cost me the secondment too.
“Oh yeah, it’s right here.” Jason picked it up off the side table and peered down. “No new emails,” he reported before tossing it to me.
“How did it get all the way over there?”
A funny look flickered across his face. “I just needed to text Alex when you were in the bathroom.”
“Why didn’t you use yours?”
“My battery was dead and I didn’t think using yours would be a problem. Is that okay?” He drew out the word “okay” in a tone that was uncharacteristically condescending.
“Of course. I know you two can’t go more than a minute without contact.” I tried to lighten the mood that suddenly prickled with an inexplicable hostility.
“Very funny.” He grinned, squeezing my hand. “So are you going to tell me anything about this mystery deal other than Saul’s atrocities?” He jammed a forkful of chow mein noodles into his mouth and passed the container to me.
“I wish I could, but you know the rules of the Chinese Wall. I can’t utter a word to anyone that isn’t working on the deal. I even have to use codenames in internal emails. It’s all very James Bond.”
“Ah, okay, Double O Seven.”
“Hey, haven’t you heard ‘loose lips sink ships’?” I teased, pointing my chopstick at him.
“Only in times of war, Mac.” He winked.
“Well, if word gets out that this company is being purchased and the stock price runs up there’s a good chance Saul will start a war.”
“Are you’re worried I’m going to pick up my direct line to Reuters and leak the news?” He smirked.
“Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.”
“My little Girl Scout.” He rubbed my knee. “Either that or you have a God complex and just love knowing what’s going to happen before the rest of the world does.”
“Ha, ha,” I responded dryly, but there was some truth to what Jason said. One of my favorite parts of the job was being part of a select inner circle of knowledge. The first time I worked on a high-profile deal was thrilling. Billions of dollars at stake meant the business media was hungry for details. Is Keystone Foods for Sale? was splashed on the business section of national papers, flooding me with a giddy jolt of pleasure. I, Mackenzie Corbett, was in on a secret that not even reporters from the Wall Street Journal were privy to. But now I was more concerned with avoiding the wrath of Saul than the thrills of a secret.
“I know you want to follow the rules, but I’m just worried you’re keeping it all bottled up. I can see the stress
“Wow. That guy is a sociopath masquerading as a lawyer.” Jason exhaled a tiny snort and speared a piece of chicken before passing the take-out box to me.
“And you should’ve seen how crazy he looked! Completely insane.” I shook my head in disbelief, picturing his deranged, crimson face. “Unfortunately for me, the inmates are running the asylum at F&D.”
“In your department they sure are.” Jason snickered.
“Speaking of inmates, have you seen my BlackBerry?” My eyes darted around, suddenly fearful that I would miss an email from Ben demanding an immediate response. Saul may be making me lose my mind, but I wouldn’t let him cost me the secondment too.
“Oh yeah, it’s right here.” Jason picked it up off the side table and peered down. “No new emails,” he reported before tossing it to me.
“How did it get all the way over there?”
A funny look flickered across his face. “I just needed to text Alex when you were in the bathroom.”
“Why didn’t you use yours?”
“My battery was dead and I didn’t think using yours would be a problem. Is that okay?” He drew out the word “okay” in a tone that was uncharacteristically condescending.
“Of course. I know you two can’t go more than a minute without contact.” I tried to lighten the mood that suddenly prickled with an inexplicable hostility.
“Very funny.” He grinned, squeezing my hand. “So are you going to tell me anything about this mystery deal other than Saul’s atrocities?” He jammed a forkful of chow mein noodles into his mouth and passed the container to me.
“I wish I could, but you know the rules of the Chinese Wall. I can’t utter a word to anyone that isn’t working on the deal. I even have to use codenames in internal emails. It’s all very James Bond.”
“Ah, okay, Double O Seven.”
“Hey, haven’t you heard ‘loose lips sink ships’?” I teased, pointing my chopstick at him.
“Only in times of war, Mac.” He winked.
“Well, if word gets out that this company is being purchased and the stock price runs up there’s a good chance Saul will start a war.”
“Are you’re worried I’m going to pick up my direct line to Reuters and leak the news?” He smirked.
“Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.”
“My little Girl Scout.” He rubbed my knee. “Either that or you have a God complex and just love knowing what’s going to happen before the rest of the world does.”
“Ha, ha,” I responded dryly, but there was some truth to what Jason said. One of my favorite parts of the job was being part of a select inner circle of knowledge. The first time I worked on a high-profile deal was thrilling. Billions of dollars at stake meant the business media was hungry for details. Is Keystone Foods for Sale? was splashed on the business section of national papers, flooding me with a giddy jolt of pleasure. I, Mackenzie Corbett, was in on a secret that not even reporters from the Wall Street Journal were privy to. But now I was more concerned with avoiding the wrath of Saul than the thrills of a secret.
“I know you want to follow the rules, but I’m just worried you’re keeping it all bottled up. I can see the stress
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