First Impressions
"Diane."
You shut your eyes, grunting quietly enough that you're sure he couldn't have possibly heard you before setting down your overly expensive ink pen, the one Jonas Stern gave you the day you made partner, and you look up, not surprised to see Stern himself standing in your doorway. It's only now that you admit to yourself that... You really hate this guy; his smile, his suits, his eyes, his attitude, and most of all his morals. Well, more like his lack of morals.
"Yes, Jonas?"
God you're tired and you know that he can tell, because in an instant one of his bushy, caterpillar eyebrows shoots up, and he's walking towards you. You realize that he's probably forgotten- not surprisingly- that you've been working nonstop for the past 48 hours, only three of which were unintentionally used for sleep. Respect for others is another area that your good friend Jonas is lacking in.
"Remember the young man that I told you about last week, William Gardner?"
Oh great. Because on top of a huge case who's client could either make or break this firm, you really have time to deal with yet another pompous ass. And you can't seem to recall the two of you actually considering this guy for the position of third name partner, in fact the only time that the name 'William Gardner' had ever come up in your conversation was when Stern mentioned him, and your exact response was a resounding maybe.
"The name does sound familiar."
You take off your reading glasses, because they're really just making the world a blur, and you glance in the direction Stern had just nodded in. At the mere sight of him your agitation sky rockets. The way he's leaning almost all the way back in one of the conference room chairs, clearly attempting to discretely show off his leather shoes by resting one foot on the opposite knee, just screams douche. And you don't even want to get started with that god awful smirk plastered on his face, the smugness practically radiating off of him.
"I phoned him yesterday. He was the only candidate that we both seemed to show any interest in, I figured a meeting would help us decide faster."
At this, you can't stop the bitter chuckle that slips past, your head shaking and your right thumb and index finger beginning to slowly massage your temples. For some reason, you can't comprehend what's going on right now; perhaps it's because of the lack of sleep, but it's most likely due to the fact that somehow, Jonas Stern always manages to surprise you with his thoughtlessness.
"And you didn't think that, perhaps, you should have talked to your partner before making such a monumental decision?"
Your question comes out much sharper than intended, but you'd be lying to yourself if you said he didn't deserve it. He sighs, acting as if you two have had this conversation every single day for the past who knows how many years, when in reality you're always trying your best to avoid it at all costs.
"Diane, the kid is already here, can we just act civil towards each other for the time being?"
Honestly, you want him to grovel. You want him to drop to his knees and say "I know I'm a prick, please Diane, please just do this and I'll worship you forever." But you know that there's no way in hell Jonas Stern will ever beg you for anything. So you stand up, run your hands over your dress, raise your head ever so slightly to give yourself a subtly intimidating look, and move from behind your desk, brushing past Jonas Stern and exiting your office briskly. He seems to notice you through the glass walls, for he is no longer lounging in his seat and is instead sitting ramrod straight. The smile that appears on your face is somewhat genuine, which is strange because you can't remember the last time that you actually smiled. But you just did. And it's nice. And you don't know why. You chalk it up to your amused reaction to Will Gardner's quick once over of himself, trying to make sure he's presentable- clearly forgetting that these walls are made of glass. You push the conference room door open and you may or may not have intentionally tried to close it in Jonas' face, causing you to stifle a laugh. Gardner stands, holding his hand out and you accept it, your hands clasping together firmly and shaking twice before releasing each other.
"Mrs. Lockhart."
He just had to say that. Mrs. Lockhart. You want to explain, like you have to almost everyday when a client incorrectly states your title, but you're cut off by Jonas Stern, which seems to be a reoccurring theme these days. So you sit along with them and listen as the so called master begins his pitch.
"I know you're wondering why we've called you here Mr. Gardner. As you may have heard, we're looking for a new name to put on the letterhead... And we think yours would fit perfectly."
Your eyes roll without your permission after the use of the word 'we', though luckily enough Stern didn't seem to notice. However, the younger man sitting across from you most definitely did, and his smile widens, an amused look sparkling in his eyes.
"Are you asking me if I want in, Mr. Stern?"
His dark eyes flicker away from yours and shift to the older man beside you, his eyebrows rising ever so slightly in question. You decide then that you've had enough of Jonas Stern's shit for today so you cut him of this time, leaning forward against the conference table with your hands clasped on top of the wood.
"No. You're lucky that we're even offering you this position. Because from what I've heard about you, which is absolutely nothing, you are not a very accomplished man Mr. Gardner- though you do dress very well- and suddenly, I'm finding myself wondering... Why we're even considering you in the first place."
The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and you know that your jeer at your partner was not subtle in the slightest. But your pissed. Pissed that he doesn't tell you anything- that he's never told you anything- pissed that he's thrown you into a conference room with this kid when he knows how much you've been going through, and pissed because you're tired and in great need of a glass of wine. Yet Will Gardner smirks, even when faced with your misplaced bitchiness, and he's looking at you again.
"It would be a great honor to work with one of the best firms out there but... That's only if everyone is willing to accept me."
You can feel the frustration radiating off of the man next to you and it takes every piece of your strength to stop yourself from bursting into a fit of laughter on the spot. You don't know why you're so amused by this situation, since it isn't really all that humorous. Huh, maybe you've finally lost your mind.
"Diane, can we talk?"
Talk? You look over at him, your eyes connecting with his steely gaze. You're sure that he wants to strangle you right about now, which is just fine by you since you've felt the exact same way ever since you set foot in this building all those years ago. He stands then, gesturing for you to follow and you comply, tailing him outside and shutting the door behind you. You both move into the conference room located in the corner of your office, your arms crossing over your chest as you look at him incredulously.
"Is there a problem, Jonas? Because lord knows I would never want to upset you."
He's obviously annoyed by your sarcasm as he begins pacing the room, his hands shoved into his pockets as he tries to think of something to say. Or maybe he's trying to calm himself down. Either way, you're glad that he finally seems to be acknowledging you. Oh lord. Now you're wondering if maybe you're only doing all of this for attention... No, no way. You're to sophisticated of a human being to act like this for attention. You need a cat, or a dog, or a goldfish. Something to make you feel appreciated.
"We need him, Diane. I know you don't want to accept the fact that we need help, but we do. Bringing Will Gardner won't hurt us and you know it. Come on Di, trust me on this."
You sink into one of the conference room chairs, propping an elbow on top of the armrest and resting the side of your head into your palm. Trust him. He wants you to trust him. You don't want to, there's a voice in your head screaming at you to just up and leave the building all together. But you can't do that. You've worked to hard to get where you are and you've given up a hell of a lot to get here too. So you give in, your eyes moving up to meet his and show your resignation.
"Okay, Jonas."
He smiles at you, turning and exiting your office in an almost rushed fashion. It's like he's trying to get as far away from you as possible just in case you self destruct in the next five seconds. Which is highly possibly.
"No Diane, work on the case... Just work on the case..."
You don't care that you're talking to yourself, because it helps you push out the world around you and focus on what's important. The case. You have no idea how long you've been working but everything is dark now, and you can feel someone's hand on your shoulder. For a moment, you're confused. The hand is shaking you and it has a voice connected to it that's clearly trying to get your attention. You lift your head up, and it's then as you look around your office in a haze that you realized what must have happened. You fell asleep, at your desk, again. You're definitely going to have to see your chiropractor after this case.
"Diane?"
You jump, a part of you thinking that you'd just imagined the voice. Your head turns to look up at the man standing next to your desk, his hand still resting on your shoulder and his eyes staring down at you with a mixture of concern and amusement. You honestly expected it to be Stern, checking in to see if you've gotten anything else on the case. But you're pleasantly surprised to see that it's none other than William Gardner. Your new business partner just shook you awake. That's not embarrassing at all.
"What are you... What time is it?"
Your eyes move to the window to find that it's much darker outside than it was the last time you checked, and you begin to wonder how long you've been out.
"It's almost nine. You've been sleeping for about three hours."
Oh great, he knows how long you've been asleep. How many other people noticed? Why the hell did no one bother to wake you up? Your hands sweep through your hair, since you can only imagine how terrible it looks right now, and you push yourself onto your feet, wincing at the sharp pain in your back. You're thankful that he doesn't seem to notice.
"What are you still doing here, Gardner? And don't try to be smart and ask me the same thing, because I have a very good reason."
He laughs, watching as you move to a small cabinet and pull out two tumblers along with a bottle of scotch, setting all three down on top of your desk.
"Stern already has me on a case. I've been working on it since he showed me my office."
You nod as you open up the bottle of liquor, pouring just enough into each glass before handing one over to him, lifting up your own. He looks skeptical, but you give him a small smile for reassurance.
"Will, you've just become a name partner of a fairly well known firm. That's something to be celebrated."
He shrugs, glancing down at the amber liquid before tapping his glass against yours, both of you lifting the drink to your lips. You move around your desk, your eyes focusing on the file that is still demanding your attention. You reach for it then, but the papers are pulled from your grasp and your eyes shift up to connect with his.
"This case will still be here tomorrow. You should go home, get some sleep."
You scoff at him, shaking your head as you snatch the file away from him. But instead of doing what you originally planned, you shut the file and slide it into your purse, hoisting it onto your shoulder.
"I appreciate the concern, but I don't need another man trying to tell me what to do. Jonas Stern is already too much to handle on his own."
He smiles at you as you walk towards your office door and you turn back, returning his smile with a small one of your own. A part of you regrets insulting him earlier, but then you remind yourself that you weren't insulting him- you were insulting your jackass partner.
"Make sure you lock up before you go, alright Gardner?"
He nods, bidding you a goodnight while simultaneously raising his glass towards you. You return the favor with a nod of your own before stepping out into the dark hallways of Stern & Lockhart...No.
Stern, Lockhart & Gardner.
You smile at the new name that will soon grace the letterhead and you can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, this Gardner guy won't end up being all that bad after all.