Change of Plans

Chapter Eight

Chapter 8

Luke stayed by my side, constantly assuring me that I would be fine and that I wouldn't be fired. I knew for sure that I wouldn't be fired. Everyone at the firm knew that Clemons didn't call people into his office to fire them. It was a waste of his time.

I laughed at Luke because while he'd been the one trying to comfort me about the meeting, it seemed like he was more nervous than I was.

He cupped my cheeks. "Beth. You have absolutely no reason to worry. You're the best associate I know. You've worked extremely hard your whole life and that's what landed you a job at Clemons & Faye out of hundreds of other applicants, okay?" He assured.

I rolled my eyes at him and pushed his hands away. "Jesus, Luke. Stop worrying, I'll be fine."

Luke wished me luck as we reached Mr. Clemons' office. I thanked him for coming with me and faced the door. There was an engraved gold-plated placard on the door. Rory Clemons, Founding Partner, it read. I let out a shaky breath and knocked. "Mr. Clemons? It's Beth Hilles."

"Come in," said a gruff voice.

I hesitantly walked into the large room and observed the surroundings. The floor was covered in a dark gray carpet, just as the rest of the firm was. The walls were a lighter shade of gray. Several silver photo frames were hung and my eyes scanned them as I walked. I remembered one of the women in the pictures as being Clemons' wife, whom I'd seen around the firm occasionally. A large glass desk sat at the very end of the room. On it weren't photo frames or knick-knacks, just a laptop, piles of documents, and a cup for pens. There was a large black filing cabinet beside the door and the wall where there were no pictures was occupied by a vast glass window that offered a stunning view of New York City. Mr. Clemons sat behind his desk in his large black office chair and his hands were folded neatly in front of him.

Mr. Clemons was a large man. Pleasantly plump, as my mom liked to call it. Everything about him was round, from his cheeks to his fingers. He was balding and a bushy moustache covered his upper lip so that even when he spoke or smiled, you couldn't see his teeth.

"Miss Hilles, I was going to have our meeting in one of the conference rooms, but I think it would be better in here, don't you?" I focused my attention back on him and nodded. He gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

I sat on the chair and crossed my legs, one over the other, and straightened my posture. Even if I was intimidated by the man sitting in front of me, I definitely didn't want him to know that. By sitting straight and speaking clearly and audibly, I could easily give off an air of confidence.

"Well," he began. "I'm sure you know why you're here."

"No, sir, I don't."

"Miss Hilles, don't be so humble. You are an excellent associate attorney and like all professionals, attorneys want to progress in their careers. You began working at Clemons & Faye immediately prior to law school. We hired you expecting great things and in the four years that you've worked here, you didn't disappoint."

"Mr. Clemons--"

"Let me finish," he insisted. "We've been watching you, Miss Hilles, to examine your quality of work, client relationships, and your general commitment to law practice. Normally it is expected that an associate work for six or seven years before advancing to partner, but I want to make an exception with you. The partners of the firm have voted to decide on whether or not they wanted you as a partner alongside them. Needless to say, few of them voted against the idea. We have approved you for partnership at Clemons & Faye, Miss Hilles."