proposal—because three days later she called Carley at home after work.
“If you’re serious, Carley, I can make it happen. And I’m willing. I interviewed for another job yesterday at a 30% pay increase, and they offered me the position today.”
Carley jumped off the couch at hearing the news. “Oh Anna, how wonderful! I’m so happy for you!”
The following Monday, Anna gave her two weeks’ notice. Before the end of the month, she was $10,000 richer and Carley had her dream job.
It was actually a hectic job, and didn’t pay all that well. No wonder Anna wanted out. Carley, of course, didn’t care. She was now positioned right where she wanted to be. During the first few weeks, she had several face-to-face meetings with Rick, where she learned how to handle the firm’s client trust account and became familiar with his frequent travel habits. Carley was careful about using her new high-pitched voice with the Boston accent, and always wore full-length skirts and business suits for fear of Rick recognizing her legs. She never displayed any cleavage, either. He gave her curious looks sometimes, but Carley always played it cool and Rick gradually accepted her at face value. Most of her hands-on training came from one of the several other staff members—especially Marla, his senior paralegal.
Rick was a typical edgy, stressed-out litigator around the office. Although he tried to appear calm and in control, he wasn’t. Carley was used to the type. He was always scrambling at the last minute, relied on his staff to know which end was up about a case, and when it was over he boasted and bragged about his organizational skills. His staff never seemed to share in the glory of their successes.
It was an interesting, ironic twist that Anna was the one coming to the office to pick up Carley for lunch at the pub on occasion now, but those occasions became less and less frequent as the weeks and months went by. So did their phone calls and cocktail hours together. Anna’s new job was on the other side of the city, and she was making new friends at her new office. It didn’t take too long before Carley and Anna fell out of contact altogether. Things weren’t the same after the job switcheroo anyway. A new tension hung between the two of them. Carley knew it was because of the money, but she wasn’t sure whether it was because she paid Anna too little or too much. In any case, it was better if Anna was out of the picture entirely.
Rick gave Carley an insignificant raise after three months. The thought of it made Carley laugh. If he only realized how much time the two of them had spent in bed together, how much passion they had abandoned themselves in. It was worth a heck of a lot more than what he was now paying her by any scale. Not to mention her qualifications. Truth be known, she could do Marla’s job much better than Marla was doing it. But then, Marla was likely underpaid as well.
Carley settled into the daily routine of working at a civil law practice and time began to go by. She didn’t learn much about what was happening in Rick’s home life. He never talked about his family, and he never asked anything about Carley’s life outside the office. Rick’s wife never phoned on the office line, nor did his children. Only once did his mother phone the office on the main line. Carley was taken aback by that at first, but kept her distance in a rather short conversation. Carley never met—or even talked to—Rick’s wife. He never once asked Carley to call her for him regarding his travel schedule, as he used to have Anna do.
The mail told Carley that Rick was behind in some of his payments. She confronted him about it and volunteered to straighten out the firm’s finances. Rick appreciated it. For a moment he seemed more human, and even invited her to lunch. Carley politely declined, rubbed her stomach and said she didn’t feel good that day. He laughed and said it might be a good idea if he stopped eating
“If you’re serious, Carley, I can make it happen. And I’m willing. I interviewed for another job yesterday at a 30% pay increase, and they offered me the position today.”
Carley jumped off the couch at hearing the news. “Oh Anna, how wonderful! I’m so happy for you!”
The following Monday, Anna gave her two weeks’ notice. Before the end of the month, she was $10,000 richer and Carley had her dream job.
It was actually a hectic job, and didn’t pay all that well. No wonder Anna wanted out. Carley, of course, didn’t care. She was now positioned right where she wanted to be. During the first few weeks, she had several face-to-face meetings with Rick, where she learned how to handle the firm’s client trust account and became familiar with his frequent travel habits. Carley was careful about using her new high-pitched voice with the Boston accent, and always wore full-length skirts and business suits for fear of Rick recognizing her legs. She never displayed any cleavage, either. He gave her curious looks sometimes, but Carley always played it cool and Rick gradually accepted her at face value. Most of her hands-on training came from one of the several other staff members—especially Marla, his senior paralegal.
Rick was a typical edgy, stressed-out litigator around the office. Although he tried to appear calm and in control, he wasn’t. Carley was used to the type. He was always scrambling at the last minute, relied on his staff to know which end was up about a case, and when it was over he boasted and bragged about his organizational skills. His staff never seemed to share in the glory of their successes.
It was an interesting, ironic twist that Anna was the one coming to the office to pick up Carley for lunch at the pub on occasion now, but those occasions became less and less frequent as the weeks and months went by. So did their phone calls and cocktail hours together. Anna’s new job was on the other side of the city, and she was making new friends at her new office. It didn’t take too long before Carley and Anna fell out of contact altogether. Things weren’t the same after the job switcheroo anyway. A new tension hung between the two of them. Carley knew it was because of the money, but she wasn’t sure whether it was because she paid Anna too little or too much. In any case, it was better if Anna was out of the picture entirely.
Rick gave Carley an insignificant raise after three months. The thought of it made Carley laugh. If he only realized how much time the two of them had spent in bed together, how much passion they had abandoned themselves in. It was worth a heck of a lot more than what he was now paying her by any scale. Not to mention her qualifications. Truth be known, she could do Marla’s job much better than Marla was doing it. But then, Marla was likely underpaid as well.
Carley settled into the daily routine of working at a civil law practice and time began to go by. She didn’t learn much about what was happening in Rick’s home life. He never talked about his family, and he never asked anything about Carley’s life outside the office. Rick’s wife never phoned on the office line, nor did his children. Only once did his mother phone the office on the main line. Carley was taken aback by that at first, but kept her distance in a rather short conversation. Carley never met—or even talked to—Rick’s wife. He never once asked Carley to call her for him regarding his travel schedule, as he used to have Anna do.
The mail told Carley that Rick was behind in some of his payments. She confronted him about it and volunteered to straighten out the firm’s finances. Rick appreciated it. For a moment he seemed more human, and even invited her to lunch. Carley politely declined, rubbed her stomach and said she didn’t feel good that day. He laughed and said it might be a good idea if he stopped eating
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