me, we’re with you one hundred per-2
cent. But I’m going to need to ask you some questions.”
3
Mills’s voice was gentle, soothing. He might have been speaking 4
to a lover. Kate found herself admiring his diplomacy, his capacity 5
to focus on the problem at hand. Michael had been like that, too, 6
possessed of a scientist’s capacity for abstraction. She stopped her-7
self short, annoyed at the turn her thoughts had taken.
8
When Thorpe didn’t answer, Mills went on.
9
“First of all, I’d like to ask you about the plaintiff — Stephanie 10
Friedman.” Mills’s voice carried a hint of apology for the imposi-11
tion. “I’ve got some of the basic information from Mr. Epstein here, 12
but I’d like to get your perspective.”
13
Thorpe exhaled audibly. “Whatever. Okay. What do you want 14
to know?”
15
“I understand that Friedman was your secretary?” Kate was 16
struck by Mills’s offhand use of Stephanie Friedman’s last name.
17
It seemed to depersonalize her. Which, she supposed, was the 18
idea. Stephanie Friedman was no longer just a former employee.
19
Having threatened to file a complaint, she’d become the opposing 20
party. As such, she’d given up all claims to sympathy, let alone re-21
spect.
22
“Yup. My assistant.”
23
“How long did she work for you?”
24
“About five years.”
25
“And she resigned ten months ago?”
26
“Yeah.”
27
“Any contact with her since then?”
28
“Nope.”
29
“Good. What sort of work did she do?”
30
“She did, you know, what assistants do. Typing, filing, phones.
31
That sort of thing.”
32
“Attractive?”
33
Thorpe snorted. “ She thinks so.”
34 sh
“She claims” — Mills scanned his notes — “that you regularly 35 re
9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 66
6 6
A M Y G U T M A N
1
demanded that she discuss her sex life with you, and that you re-2
counted your own . . . assignations.”
3
“ Assignations. Christ. What century is this? Look, Mr. Mills, I’m 4
sure you’re a very fine lawyer, but you don’t have the slightest idea 5
how to run my magazine. Did I ask Stephanie who she was fucking?
6
Sure I did. Did I ask her what he did to her? What got her excited?
7
Sure. And did that turn me on? Absolutely.
8
“But you know why I asked those questions, Mr. Mills? Because 9
that’s the sort of magazine I run. It’s a sex magazine, Mr. Mills, in 10
case you haven’t noticed. Sure we write about politics, culture, all 11
that shit — just because a guy likes to look at tits doesn’t mean he’s 12
stupid. But the bottom line is sex. I go to my staff for ideas.
13
Stephanie knew what she was getting into when she took the job.
14
What’d she expect, Good Housekeeping? ”
15
Kate struggled to keep her mind focused on the facts, to separate 16
her visceral reaction to Chuck Thorpe from the argument he was 17
making.
18
Mills smiled. If he shared Kate’s distaste, it didn’t show. “This is 19
actually quite helpful, Chuck — and please, call me Carter. You 20
see, without focusing too much on the law at this point, it’s signif-21
icant that she didn’t complain. To prevail in this suit, she’d have to 22
convince a jury that your conduct was unwelcome. But from what 23
you’re telling me, she never told you — or anyone else you know 24
of — that she had a problem with it.”
25
“A problem? Stephanie? Don’t make me laugh. She’d have had a 26
better chance of offending me than I would have of offending her.
27
Compared to Stephanie, I’m a puritan.”
28
“So she had an active sex life?”
29
“You could say that.”
30
“Do you remember any names?”
31
“Some guy named Bob, I think. She talked about him a lot.
32
That’s really all I remember specifically.” There was a tray of past-33
ries in the middle of the conference table. Thorpe reached for a ort 34
tiny cheese Danish and tossed
cent. But I’m going to need to ask you some questions.”
3
Mills’s voice was gentle, soothing. He might have been speaking 4
to a lover. Kate found herself admiring his diplomacy, his capacity 5
to focus on the problem at hand. Michael had been like that, too, 6
possessed of a scientist’s capacity for abstraction. She stopped her-7
self short, annoyed at the turn her thoughts had taken.
8
When Thorpe didn’t answer, Mills went on.
9
“First of all, I’d like to ask you about the plaintiff — Stephanie 10
Friedman.” Mills’s voice carried a hint of apology for the imposi-11
tion. “I’ve got some of the basic information from Mr. Epstein here, 12
but I’d like to get your perspective.”
13
Thorpe exhaled audibly. “Whatever. Okay. What do you want 14
to know?”
15
“I understand that Friedman was your secretary?” Kate was 16
struck by Mills’s offhand use of Stephanie Friedman’s last name.
17
It seemed to depersonalize her. Which, she supposed, was the 18
idea. Stephanie Friedman was no longer just a former employee.
19
Having threatened to file a complaint, she’d become the opposing 20
party. As such, she’d given up all claims to sympathy, let alone re-21
spect.
22
“Yup. My assistant.”
23
“How long did she work for you?”
24
“About five years.”
25
“And she resigned ten months ago?”
26
“Yeah.”
27
“Any contact with her since then?”
28
“Nope.”
29
“Good. What sort of work did she do?”
30
“She did, you know, what assistants do. Typing, filing, phones.
31
That sort of thing.”
32
“Attractive?”
33
Thorpe snorted. “ She thinks so.”
34 sh
“She claims” — Mills scanned his notes — “that you regularly 35 re
9858_01_003-152_r5hb.qxd 9/28/00 3:57 PM Page 66
6 6
A M Y G U T M A N
1
demanded that she discuss her sex life with you, and that you re-2
counted your own . . . assignations.”
3
“ Assignations. Christ. What century is this? Look, Mr. Mills, I’m 4
sure you’re a very fine lawyer, but you don’t have the slightest idea 5
how to run my magazine. Did I ask Stephanie who she was fucking?
6
Sure I did. Did I ask her what he did to her? What got her excited?
7
Sure. And did that turn me on? Absolutely.
8
“But you know why I asked those questions, Mr. Mills? Because 9
that’s the sort of magazine I run. It’s a sex magazine, Mr. Mills, in 10
case you haven’t noticed. Sure we write about politics, culture, all 11
that shit — just because a guy likes to look at tits doesn’t mean he’s 12
stupid. But the bottom line is sex. I go to my staff for ideas.
13
Stephanie knew what she was getting into when she took the job.
14
What’d she expect, Good Housekeeping? ”
15
Kate struggled to keep her mind focused on the facts, to separate 16
her visceral reaction to Chuck Thorpe from the argument he was 17
making.
18
Mills smiled. If he shared Kate’s distaste, it didn’t show. “This is 19
actually quite helpful, Chuck — and please, call me Carter. You 20
see, without focusing too much on the law at this point, it’s signif-21
icant that she didn’t complain. To prevail in this suit, she’d have to 22
convince a jury that your conduct was unwelcome. But from what 23
you’re telling me, she never told you — or anyone else you know 24
of — that she had a problem with it.”
25
“A problem? Stephanie? Don’t make me laugh. She’d have had a 26
better chance of offending me than I would have of offending her.
27
Compared to Stephanie, I’m a puritan.”
28
“So she had an active sex life?”
29
“You could say that.”
30
“Do you remember any names?”
31
“Some guy named Bob, I think. She talked about him a lot.
32
That’s really all I remember specifically.” There was a tray of past-33
ries in the middle of the conference table. Thorpe reached for a ort 34
tiny cheese Danish and tossed
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