Evie's Job

Epilogue 3: Evie

Evie stood beside Rachel, watching the human resources people work their way around their floor. She was glad Rachel was there. Standing beside someone else helped make it more bearable.

Evie watched for a while, and suddenly realized there was a pattern after all. “They’re keeping all the assistants,” she said quietly to Rachel. “You’ll be fine.”

Rachel nodded. She must have noticed too.

The assistants, but not the paralegals, Evie saw, which made a kind of sense. The assistants were paid less and could do some of the same work.

They watched a little longer, and then Rachel cleared her throat. “You’ll be fine too,” she said, hesitantly, probably trying to be supportive now she knew she was safe. “Your billing’s in the top half of first-years.”

“Only just.”

“You know judges.”

“Through Natalie,” Evie said, glumly. All the judges she knew, anyone useful she knew, the firm already had access to through Natalie. Evie’s contacts weren’t worth very much, not when Natalie had all the same contacts.

“It’s enough,” Rachel said quietly. “Even if they don’t want to keep you, they can’t actually lose you. They can’t let you go anywhere else.”

“Oh,” Evie said, surprised. “Yes, I suppose so.”

“I just mean you’ll probably be all right,” Rachel said.

Evie nodded.

“Even if your billing isn’t…”

“Could we not?” Evie said.

“Of course, I…”

“Um, shut up,” Evie said.

Rachel looked at her, a little startled.

“Sorry, but shut up just for now. Please.”

Rachel nodded, and smiled, and squeezed Evie’s arm.

The human resources team reached Evie’s wall and began making their way down it. Evie could see more clearly what was happening now. The system was quite simple. The human resources people were walking straight past anyone who was staying, ignoring them, doing them the kindness of not even saying hello and causing unnecessary worry. They would stop at an office and hand the occupant a letter and say a few quiet words, probably reassurance there’d be severance pay and help with rehiring. The security guards were right behind the human resources people, stepping into offices past their former occupants, closing files and logging off computers even while the human resources people delivered the bad news. Once people were away from their files, away from the computer, and unable to do much harm, they were given a few minutes to get themselves together, to shout or cry or warn someone at home they had bad news. Then, a pair of guards with a trolley stacked with file cartons came past and asked how many they needed. There were a lot of security people, Evie thought, maybe more than there were usually people working on this floor. Enough to be in every office, Evie supposed, and watching every laid-off staff member. Enough to make sure everyone stayed calm, and nothing got out of control. It was cold-blooded but efficient. Horribly, heartlessly efficient. Evie couldn’t think of a worse way to do it, but she couldn’t think of a better way, either. It was quick, she supposed, and it spared those who were leaving a long drawn-out departure, and spared those who were waiting to learn their fate a long delay too.

Evie watched, and began to feel a little better. She could see more clearly who had survived now. People who she knew billed less than her were still in their offices. People who billed less, in less profitable departments. If they were staying, she ought to be staying too.