Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95421 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
She narrowed her eyes. “That was mean.”
I chuckled and sat down. “How’s your hand?”
“Turns out I need surgery. The bones set wrong, so they need to put in pins and stuff.” Naomi lifted her pink cast. “I’m going to be wearing this thing for a few more months. That’s why I haven’t been able to find a job.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I’m kidding. Gotcha.”
I shook my head. “Guess I deserved that.”
“You did indeed.”
I sat back in my chair and steepled my fingers. “So…do you have a resume?”
“I do.” She opened a leather satchel and retrieved a padfolio. Slipping a sheet of paper out, she set it on the desk and started to slide it over, then stopped. “Actually, would it be okay if we talk about my qualifications first, rather than going over this?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
“Thanks.” She let out a big breath. For the next fifteen minutes, Naomi rattled on about her experience. She’d spent a few months working as a paralegal at Watson & Portnoy, a small, general-practice firm in Virginia, but it sounded like she knew her shit. She’d done everything from client intake to drafting complaints.
“It sounds like you’re more than qualified. But I have to ask… Why don’t you want to practice law anymore?”
She looked away. “Being a paralegal is a lot less stressful.”
I was certain that was true, but still seemed like there was more to the story. She didn’t offer it, though, even after I waited and gave her time to elaborate.
“Okay. Well, Ben said you worked at the DA’s office in Virginia.”
She nodded. “I worked at the Richmond County Prosecutors office.”
“You were a trial attorney?”
“Yes.”
“How long were you there?”
“Four years.”
“Tell me more about that. What kind of cases did you work on?”
“I started out doing class five and six felonies—animal cruelty, child neglect, forgery. After a year I was promoted to major cases. I worked on everything from capital murder to racketeering.”
“So you’re familiar with drafting discovery requests, opposition motions, and prepping witness and exhibit lists?”
“Very.”
“And you’re good with doing client intake and answering calls?”
“I’m good with whatever it takes for a job. I’m a hard worker.”
It almost seemed too good to be true. So I dug deeper. “Can you tell me about a difficult case you worked on?”
Naomi nodded and told me about a capital murder case she was part of at the DA’s office. A guy had been indicted for killing his boss, whom his wife had been having an affair with. Midway through the trial, new information came to light that pointed to the wife as the murderer and not the husband who was currently mid-trial. The state subsequently dropped the charges against the husband and indicted the wife, only to have the husband take the stand and confess to the murder. Naomi explained all the complications of the case, including double jeopardy, spousal privilege, and tainted evidence. She even cited civil-procedure rule numbers that she clearly had memorized.
The more she talked, the harder it was to remember it was a bad idea to hire a woman I was attracted to. “What kind of salary are you looking for?”
She frowned. “I made fifty-five thousand at my last job. But I’m hoping for more here because the cost of living is higher than in Virginia.”
Fifty-five thousand with all that experience? Margaret had a lot less, and I’d paid her more than eighty grand. I knew attorneys who paid good paralegals well into six figures. The cost of living was more in New York, but it wasn’t that much more than living outside of Washington, DC. Why did everything about this interview seem too good to be true?
“When would you be able to start?”
“Immediately. I’ve been doing some temp work through an agency, but it’s a day-to-day-type deal.”
Someone was going to snap this woman up with all her experience. I was tempted to hire her on the spot, yet something held me back. “It sounds like you’re more than qualified, but I have a few more people to interview. Can I let you know in a day or two?”
She smiled. “Sure. That sounds great.”
I stood and walked Naomi to the door. “Thanks for coming in so late in the day.”
“No problem. Thanks for taking the time after you were apparently bamboozled into interviewing me.”
Awkwardness set in as we stood in the lobby, or at least I felt it. I wasn’t sure how to say goodbye. I suppose it might’ve been because I didn’t really want to say goodbye. While I was busy mulling over stupid shit in my head, Naomi stuck her hand out.
“Thank you for considering me.”
I clasped. “I’m assuming your number hasn’t changed from when you gave it to me at the wedding?”
“No, it hasn’t.”
“Great. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Naomi opened her mouth like she was going to say something more, but then pressed her lips together. Eventually, I opened the glass door that led from the lobby to the hallway. “Thanks again for coming.”