behalf of injured individuals.” Gray paused and met his uncle’s gaze. “I’d prefer writing trusts and wills to settling class-action suits if my choices should ever come down to that.”
“I wish you’d change your mind. It would make your grandpa awfully proud if he’s looking down—or up—from the hereafter. Still, I can appreciate you wanting to keep some distance between yourself and your mother.”
“Yeah.” Gray couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if he put himself into Tampa’s social whirl, which he’d have to do if he went to work at Winston-Roe. That would put him on his mother’s 24/7 radar, which he wasn’t going to let happen. “I’m glad you understand. I’ll be in touch when I get back from this next assignment.”
“You take care of yourself, not because you’re the only male in your generation of our family but because we love you.” With a quick hug, Gray bid his uncle goodbye.
● ● ●
On the elevator, Gray ran into Ted Peters, a high school classmate who’d taken an associate position in the firm’s criminal division—a slot Gray himself would have stepped into right out of law school, if not for the expectation that he’d follow his uncle’s and father’s footsteps into Estates and Trusts, or Corporations, which had been Grandpa’s specialty of choice.
“Hey Ted, how’ve you been?”
Ted grinned. “I’m getting along. Tom Ellis lets me try a case every now and then, but not any that are particularly challenging. The interesting cases usually go to Tony Landry. He’s a hotshot just a year out of law school. The really tough ones, Tom does himself, usually with Tony as second chair.”
“Tony sounds like the kind of lawyer I’d want if I were ever accused of a felony, but I’m sure his coworkers don’t appreciate him.”
“Yeah, we do. Sometimes we bitch, but Tony’s incredible at trials, and he’s no slouch at legal knowledge, either. It would be almost impossible to resent him even if that weren’t the case, because he’s an okay dude—single, with more women than he can handle, so Hank and the other unmarried associates score just through association with him.”
Gray wondered if he’d have been as good a trial lawyer as Tony if he’d been able to talk Uncle Guy into letting him practice criminal law. He’d loved the mock trials back in criminal law classes and thought that he’d do a great job, defending accused felons. He’d even scoped out information for legal clinic clients back in Cambridge that ultimately helped them win acquittal. “Tony sounds like a guy I’d like to meet,” he remarked.
“Word has it he’s going to be transferred to the Miami office. They don’t have a partner in the criminal division there, so they need a stronger associate to handle their criminal trials. Until the transfer happens, the rest of us will keep splitting our time between research, arraignments, interviewing potential clients who probably can’t afford our fees, and so on. Want to go have a drink at Bennie’s Place? I might be able to introduce you to one of the chicks who works for the State Attorney”
“Sure. I’m pretty much at loose ends now, until my new assignment starts next Monday.”
“We may as well walk. It’s hard as hell to find a parking place close to Bennie’s—or the courthouse for that matter. I’m glad the firm picks up my parking tickets, otherwise I’d be too broke to go out for drinks.”
The sun beat down on them as they strolled the six blocks. It was only May—but summer was already crowding out the short spring that Gray had always enjoyed. “I hope Bennie’s Place is air conditioned.”
“It is. Don’t tell me you’ve never been there.”
“I’ve never practiced law,” Gray reminded Ted. “From what I hear, the place caters to attorneys who spend much of their time across the street in the courthouse.”
They turned the corner and stepped inside double swinging
“I wish you’d change your mind. It would make your grandpa awfully proud if he’s looking down—or up—from the hereafter. Still, I can appreciate you wanting to keep some distance between yourself and your mother.”
“Yeah.” Gray couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if he put himself into Tampa’s social whirl, which he’d have to do if he went to work at Winston-Roe. That would put him on his mother’s 24/7 radar, which he wasn’t going to let happen. “I’m glad you understand. I’ll be in touch when I get back from this next assignment.”
“You take care of yourself, not because you’re the only male in your generation of our family but because we love you.” With a quick hug, Gray bid his uncle goodbye.
● ● ●
On the elevator, Gray ran into Ted Peters, a high school classmate who’d taken an associate position in the firm’s criminal division—a slot Gray himself would have stepped into right out of law school, if not for the expectation that he’d follow his uncle’s and father’s footsteps into Estates and Trusts, or Corporations, which had been Grandpa’s specialty of choice.
“Hey Ted, how’ve you been?”
Ted grinned. “I’m getting along. Tom Ellis lets me try a case every now and then, but not any that are particularly challenging. The interesting cases usually go to Tony Landry. He’s a hotshot just a year out of law school. The really tough ones, Tom does himself, usually with Tony as second chair.”
“Tony sounds like the kind of lawyer I’d want if I were ever accused of a felony, but I’m sure his coworkers don’t appreciate him.”
“Yeah, we do. Sometimes we bitch, but Tony’s incredible at trials, and he’s no slouch at legal knowledge, either. It would be almost impossible to resent him even if that weren’t the case, because he’s an okay dude—single, with more women than he can handle, so Hank and the other unmarried associates score just through association with him.”
Gray wondered if he’d have been as good a trial lawyer as Tony if he’d been able to talk Uncle Guy into letting him practice criminal law. He’d loved the mock trials back in criminal law classes and thought that he’d do a great job, defending accused felons. He’d even scoped out information for legal clinic clients back in Cambridge that ultimately helped them win acquittal. “Tony sounds like a guy I’d like to meet,” he remarked.
“Word has it he’s going to be transferred to the Miami office. They don’t have a partner in the criminal division there, so they need a stronger associate to handle their criminal trials. Until the transfer happens, the rest of us will keep splitting our time between research, arraignments, interviewing potential clients who probably can’t afford our fees, and so on. Want to go have a drink at Bennie’s Place? I might be able to introduce you to one of the chicks who works for the State Attorney”
“Sure. I’m pretty much at loose ends now, until my new assignment starts next Monday.”
“We may as well walk. It’s hard as hell to find a parking place close to Bennie’s—or the courthouse for that matter. I’m glad the firm picks up my parking tickets, otherwise I’d be too broke to go out for drinks.”
The sun beat down on them as they strolled the six blocks. It was only May—but summer was already crowding out the short spring that Gray had always enjoyed. “I hope Bennie’s Place is air conditioned.”
“It is. Don’t tell me you’ve never been there.”
“I’ve never practiced law,” Gray reminded Ted. “From what I hear, the place caters to attorneys who spend much of their time across the street in the courthouse.”
They turned the corner and stepped inside double swinging
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