allowed. “We’re both going through difficult times right now, so how about we play nice. I won’t quote drunk-driving statistics if you don’t quote cookie calories. By the way, I’m driving you home in your car when you’re ready to leave. You can treat me to a cab ride back.”
Shannon’s bottom lip protruded a little. “I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Josh. It’ll never happen again.” She raised her fingers in a Girl Scout salute. “Promise.”
Joanne sat on the edge of the desk, thinking how funny that was as she had been the Girl Scout, not Shannon who refused to join because she hated the uniforms.
But looking at her sister’s sad face, and those big eyes welling with fresh tears, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy. So what if her sister drove her crazy most of the time, right now she needed a friend.
“Okay, I won’t tell him. So what happened?”
In a rush of words, Shannon explained that she’d gone shopping yesterday for a “super-cute” metallic gold Prada mini-shoulder bag that was on sale, adding that she also picked a make-up kit for Joanne. “It’s called Red Hot, with make-up for redheads with freckles, but that’s not what made Josh angry.”
“Good, but you know I’m not the make-up type.”
Her sister made a you-poor-thing face that reminded Joanne of that pink-haired juror a month ago. “But men like bright, shiny girls.”
“Then maybe they should buff them with silver polish.”
A comment Shannon didn’t hear as she was continuing her shopping tale.
“…the most darling set of ceramic plates, perfect for a brunch, which I couldn’t resist buying…”
Soon the story devolved into a tale of woe where that evening Josh cut her plastic credit card in half in front of the children followed by his calling the credit card company and ordering them to terminate her account.
“He actually told those credit card strangers that I needed interests other than shopping . Like I’m not a good mother.”
As Shannon fussed with the gold-braid trim on her sleeve, Joanne said gently, “I think you’re comparing apples to oranges. You are a good mother, a terrific one, in fact, which is a world apart from Josh’s comment. He wants you to…get a hobby, I guess. Have something to do that’s more constructive than shopping.”
“ Hobby ,” Shannon repeated, as if saying a foreign word. “You mean learn to knit or something?”
“C’mon, Shannon, you know what I’m talking about. There’s things you might enjoy doing like...coordinating people’s wardrobes…or diet counseling.”
“I like volunteering at my daughters’ school, but that’s not really a hobby. Plus they’re growing up so fast…I need to figure out shomething…” She cleared her throat. “Something that I can do on my own.”
Her gaze wandered around the room, finally landing on the tufted leather armrest of the swivel desk chair. “Oh my…this is an exquisite piece of furniture. You found this in a second-hand store?”
“No, my landlords loaned me the chair and desk.”
“Cherry wood,” she murmured appreciatively, running her manicured fingertips over the desk surface. “Look at that carved dragoon border and the sinuous curves on the sides of that desk…handcrafted in the late eighteen hundreds, I would guess. People will see this desk and know you’re the kind of lawyer who deserves big retainers.”
Joanne snorted a laugh. “Wish it could also ask for those retainers.”
“I’ve never understood how you can stand in a courtroom and eloquently ask for things for your clients, but when it comes to asking for things you want…”
“I know.”
She straightened, her eyes sparkling with a thought. “You need someone to negotiate for you.”
“No, it’s a problem when clients know their attorney’s fees before the attorney even knows they’re a client.”
Shannon frowned in confusion. “What’s the part after before the attorney ...no, wait, I get it. You need
Shannon’s bottom lip protruded a little. “I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Josh. It’ll never happen again.” She raised her fingers in a Girl Scout salute. “Promise.”
Joanne sat on the edge of the desk, thinking how funny that was as she had been the Girl Scout, not Shannon who refused to join because she hated the uniforms.
But looking at her sister’s sad face, and those big eyes welling with fresh tears, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy. So what if her sister drove her crazy most of the time, right now she needed a friend.
“Okay, I won’t tell him. So what happened?”
In a rush of words, Shannon explained that she’d gone shopping yesterday for a “super-cute” metallic gold Prada mini-shoulder bag that was on sale, adding that she also picked a make-up kit for Joanne. “It’s called Red Hot, with make-up for redheads with freckles, but that’s not what made Josh angry.”
“Good, but you know I’m not the make-up type.”
Her sister made a you-poor-thing face that reminded Joanne of that pink-haired juror a month ago. “But men like bright, shiny girls.”
“Then maybe they should buff them with silver polish.”
A comment Shannon didn’t hear as she was continuing her shopping tale.
“…the most darling set of ceramic plates, perfect for a brunch, which I couldn’t resist buying…”
Soon the story devolved into a tale of woe where that evening Josh cut her plastic credit card in half in front of the children followed by his calling the credit card company and ordering them to terminate her account.
“He actually told those credit card strangers that I needed interests other than shopping . Like I’m not a good mother.”
As Shannon fussed with the gold-braid trim on her sleeve, Joanne said gently, “I think you’re comparing apples to oranges. You are a good mother, a terrific one, in fact, which is a world apart from Josh’s comment. He wants you to…get a hobby, I guess. Have something to do that’s more constructive than shopping.”
“ Hobby ,” Shannon repeated, as if saying a foreign word. “You mean learn to knit or something?”
“C’mon, Shannon, you know what I’m talking about. There’s things you might enjoy doing like...coordinating people’s wardrobes…or diet counseling.”
“I like volunteering at my daughters’ school, but that’s not really a hobby. Plus they’re growing up so fast…I need to figure out shomething…” She cleared her throat. “Something that I can do on my own.”
Her gaze wandered around the room, finally landing on the tufted leather armrest of the swivel desk chair. “Oh my…this is an exquisite piece of furniture. You found this in a second-hand store?”
“No, my landlords loaned me the chair and desk.”
“Cherry wood,” she murmured appreciatively, running her manicured fingertips over the desk surface. “Look at that carved dragoon border and the sinuous curves on the sides of that desk…handcrafted in the late eighteen hundreds, I would guess. People will see this desk and know you’re the kind of lawyer who deserves big retainers.”
Joanne snorted a laugh. “Wish it could also ask for those retainers.”
“I’ve never understood how you can stand in a courtroom and eloquently ask for things for your clients, but when it comes to asking for things you want…”
“I know.”
She straightened, her eyes sparkling with a thought. “You need someone to negotiate for you.”
“No, it’s a problem when clients know their attorney’s fees before the attorney even knows they’re a client.”
Shannon frowned in confusion. “What’s the part after before the attorney ...no, wait, I get it. You need
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