Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
AN1: BECAUSE I AM WAY AHEAD IN CHAPTERS, I DECIDED TO DO A DOUBLE UPDATE. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LEAVE A COMMENT.
Even though Louis warned him it still surprises Harvey to find Jessica and Mike drinking side by side when he walks into Jessica's office.
"You wanted to see me?" Harvey asks, looking between Jessica and Mike in suspicion.
"I did." Jessica tells him, "Take this and sit down." Jessica says, offering Harvey a third glass while Mike sips his drink, so that he can avoid talking.
"Okay." Harvey says, taking the drink and sitting down across from Mike and Jessica, "I'm missing something, aren't I?" he asks as he once more looks between them, trying to read them so that he can figure out what is going on.
"Yes." Jessica confirms, "There is something I should have told you a long time ago."
"Before you do that, I promised Grammy that I'd visit tonight." Mike tells Jessica, honestly, considering their history he is pretty sure that his mother should be the one to tell Harvey everything.
"You better go then." Jessica tells her son, knowing what he is doing and agreeing that it is the right choice, "Tell her I said hello." She requests.
"I will." Mike says, drinking the rest of his drink before standing up, "Harvey." Mike greats before heading out of the office.
"You know Mike's grandmother?" Harvey asks, sounding surprised by that, the second the door closes.
"It's a bit more complicated than that." Jessica admits, before taking a sip of her drink, "In 1997 I took in an eleven-year-old boy whose parents had been killed in a car accident and who's only family was a grandmother who wasn't fit to take care of him."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Harvey asks, sounding completely shocked as he can see where Jessica is going, he just can't believe that she is.
"A year later I adopted him, and he became Michael James Pearson-Ross." Jessica reveals, confirming what Harvey was suspecting.
"Mike's your son?" Harvey asks sounding shocked as there is one thing to suspect, it is another thing all together to have it confirmed, "Why didn't you tell me?" Harvey asks, honestly a little hurt by that.
"Because I like to keep my personal life personal. I decided a long time ago that if you asked, or if you ever ran into Mike when he was here I would tell you the truth, otherwise I wouldn't mention it." Jessica explains to Harvey.
"Then didn't you mention it when I hired him?" Harvey asks, angrily, "How'd he even end up in my interviews?"
"I didn't know he was going to do that." Jessica explains to Harvey, and he gives her a disbelieving look, "I didn't." Jessica stresses, "I got home the day I told you about your promotion and found Mike sitting on my couch. He didn't tell me what was wrong but I knew something was." Jessica explains, "He stayed at the house that night and next thing I knew I was getting an email from you saying that you hired him as your associate." Jessica explains.
"I'm guessing that you mentioned that I was looking for an associate." Harvey comments, realising that Jessica doesn't know why Mike left the DA's office, otherwise she would have said so, and honestly he has no intention of telling her.
"I did." Jessica confirms, "After I found out that you hired Mike I went to his apartment and I asked him what was going on. I told him that if he wanted a job he should have just asked me." Jessica reveals.
"What did he say?" Harvey asks, actually being curious about that as he's trying to figure out how he feels about everything that's going on.
"He said that if he did that then all anyone would ever say is that he got the job because he is my son." Jessica explains to Harvey, "He said that I taught him that if you're going to learn then you have to learn from the best, and that you are the best." Jessica says and Harvey smirks at that, "He said that he didn't tell you who he is because he wanted to prove to you that he deserved a chance that he can earn the job on his own." Jessica explains.
"I saw his resume, I'm now assuming things were left out, but he graduated first in his class, and has two years' experience at the DA's office. The makes him more than qualified for a Rookie associate job." Harvey comments.
"That was the exact same argument I made." Jessica admits, "But Mike said that he needed a chance to prove himself before people learnt who he is." She explains, "He asked to keep the truth from you for one case, so he could prove what he could do, and after that case would over we would tell you the truth." Jessica explains, "He also asked that once we tell you the truth I'm not to hold it against you if you don't want him to be your associate anymore."
"You agreed to that?" Harvey asks, being surprised by that.
"Yes." Jessica says with a nod, "It's what my son wants so I agreed." Jessica agrees, "Pearson-Ross was the name Mike went by at the DA's office and I know that, more than once, he faced people saying that he only got where he got because of his last name, that he only got there because of me." Jessica explains to Harvey, "We agreed to tell you now, but only you. As far as everyone else will now he's Mike Ross, he wants to prove himself before others find out about him, if you decide not to fire him that is."
"I don't know what I'm going to do yet." Harvey admits, "I'm guessing Mike spent a lot of time here growing up, how'd we never meet?"
"Luck." Jessica answers, "That's all there is too it, I was honestly surprised that you never met." Jessica explains, "Look Harvey, I'm sorry this from you, and I'm sorry for lying to you since you hired him."
"I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes, or Mike's." Harvey admits as he gets Mike's need to prove himself, though it does make Mike being worried about disappointing people make more sense, "I'm going to need some time to think about this, Jessica. I can't say whether I'll keep him on as my associate."
"Take all the time you need." Jessica tells him, "But Harvey, Mike's an incredible lawyer, and his mind is one of a kind. I honestly think he's the perfect person to be your associate and if I knew that he quit the DA's office I would have suggested him myself instead of making you do the Harvard interviews." Jessica admits.
"You would say that, you're not exactly unbiased." Harvey comments.
"True." Jessica admits, drinking the rest of her drink.
"Once I make my decision I'll let you know." Harvey says, standing up.
"Okay." Jessica says and Harvey heads to the door, "Oh, Harvey." Jessica says before he can leave and he turns around and faces her, "If you decide not to fire Mike I need you to tell me if he has any contact with a person called Trevor Evens." Jessica tells Harvey, "That's the only thing I ask, it's my one condition, otherwise I'll do my best not to get involved."
"Who's Trevor Evans?" Harvey asks, being sure that it must be something important for Jessica to make it her one condition if he agrees to keep Mike.
"Someone who's almost ruined Mike's life, more than once." Jessica says with a frown, "He an anchor and he drags Mike down every time Mike's around him." She says angrily, "But because of who Mike is, and because of what Trevor once was to him, Mike's never been able to completely cut him out, he's always left a door open and Trevor has used that, used him, more times than I can count, and Mike lets him." Jessica says angrily, as she thought that after Mike left for Harvard he and Trevor were completely done, but when Mike was in the city for holidays and since he's been back after finishing law school Jessica knows that he and Trevor have been in contact, and Trevor's gotten him into trouble more than once, including a time when she had to intervene, "So, if you keep Mike as your associate and if you know of him being in contact with Trevor I need you to tell me." She explains.
"I'll keep that in mind." Harvey says before walking out of Jessica's room, honestly interested in the details of Mike and this Trevor, but he is pretty sure that it's not his place to ask, especially with how angry Jessica is about whoever it is.
After leaving Jessica's office Harvey makes his way back to his own, his mind on Mike and the situation the entire walk. Once he gets back to his office Harvey isn't at all surprised to find Donna waiting.
"You knew, didn't you?" Harvey asks Donna as soon a she sees her, "What am I saying, of course you did."
"I did." Donna confirms, "I knew who Mike was the second he walked into the hotel room because I once helped keep an eye on him when he was here during a summer when he was a teenager." Donna explains.
"Where was I?" Harvey asks, finding it even more shocking that he didn't meet Mike.
"It was the summer that Hardman had all the associates busy on that big case." Donna reveals, "You barely had enough time shower let anyone realise the fact that there was a teenager spending all his time in our file room."
"Why was he?" Harvey asks curious, as he sits down at his desk.
"I don't know exactly what he did, but I knew he was here because Jessica wanted to keep an eye on him, because he did something to get into trouble." Donna explains, that having been one of the few things she's neve been able to figure out.
"I see." Harvey responds, suspecting that that might have something to do with the Trevor person that Jessica seems to hate.
"Harvey, what are you going to do?" Donna asks curious.
"I don't know yet." Harvey admits, "You can go for the night."
"Okay." Donna says and she heads out of the office.
After Donna walks out Harvey walks over his record player and puts on some music before pouring himself a drink, and sitting on his couch, his mind on Mike the entire time.
Honestly the thought of hiring another associate fills him with dread, but keeping Jessica's son as his associate is going to present him with a whole lot of complications.
In the past few days he has seen just what Mike can do, and honestly he actually liked spending time with him, which is something else that has the potential to make his life very complicated considering who he really is.
Taking a drink Harvey just sits and listens to the music, thinking about what he should do and trying to figure out if keeping Mike is worth all the future complications that may present themselves.
Having spent a while with his grandmother Mike is just returning home to his apartment, even though he knows his mother wouldn't approve Mike really didn't feel like cooking and so he picked up some food on his way home, food that he is sitting on his couch eating.
Mike has been eating for a little while when he hears a knock on the door, and knowing that there aren't a lot of people who come to his apartment Mike prepares himself for a lecture, as he assumes it's his mother but to his shock when he opens the door it's not his mother standing on the others side, it's Harvey, and truthfully he's pretty happy to see him.
"Am I fired?" Mike asks simply, honestly preferring to get it over with if he is.
"Haven't decided yet." Harvey respond, giving Mike a look and Mike steps aside and lets Harvey into the apartment, "This is your place?" Harvey asks surprised as considering whose son he is he was expecting Mike to have a bigger place, though at least it is in a good neighbourhood.
"Not you too, I hear enough complaints from Mom." Mike says rolling his eyes and honestly it's not as odd as Harvey thought it would be to hear Mike call Jessica Mom.
"I'm surprised she didn't force you to move." Harvey comments, looking around, "What's with the panda?"
"I can be stubborn when I want to be." Mike comments, "And the panda was a gift from my grandmother." He reveals.
"Right." Harvey responds.
"Look I get that you're probably mad at me, but I wanted to prove myself first." Mike reveals, "But now you know I'll answer anything you want to know." Mike says as he walks over to the couch.
"And you'll tell the truth." Harvey tells him.
"Of course." Mike answers, "There's beer in the fridge if you want one." Mike comments and Harvey walks over to the fridge and grabs himself a beer before walking over to Mike's couch and sits down on the other end.
"Do you eat anything other than take out?" Harvey asks, noticing the take out containers around the apartment.
"Yeah, just not as often as Mom would like." Mike admits and Harvey gets an amused look on his face at that, as the idea of Jessica forcing her adult son to eat right amuses him, "What do you want to know?"
"Why didn't you tell me who you were?" Harvey asks, as he knows what Jessica said, but he would like to hear it from Mike.
"I quit the DA's office the day you got your promotion and I did it without knowing what I was going to do next, all I knew is that I didn't want to be anywhere near there." Mike explains to Harvey, "Mom told me that she named you Senior Partner, and that you were interviewing associates and as soon as she did the idea just came to me." Mike reveals, "Mom talked about you a lot. She's always been impressed by you, and I heard about your record when I was at the DA's office so I knew how good you were and I realised that if I was going to become a corporate lawyer then the only person I wanted to work for was you." Mike reveals, and once more Harvey looks rather proud of himself, "I knew that if you knew who I was you'd either hire me because of that or refuse to because of the same reason, and so decided to take who I am out of the equation all together." Mike explains, "I wanted to give myself one case to impress you. One case to show you what I could do and now that I've done that if you decide to fire me I'll be fine with that because I know that you have all the facts now." Mike explains, "But for what it's worth I really like working with you and really want to continue to." He says and he and Harvey drift into silence.
As he and Mike sit in silence Harvey thinks about everything that Mike said. Having the son of his managing partner, his mentor, be his associate will make his life more complicated, Harvey doesn't doubt that for a second, but it will also make things a lot more interesting. Not to mention the fact that in the short time he has worked with Mike Harvey knows that he is a hundred times better than any other associate he could get, and so, as he drinks his beer Harvey makes his decision.
"Don't be late tomorrow." Harvey tells Mike as he stands up.
"I won't."
"And hang up your damn suits." Harvey says as he walks out of Mike's apartment, leaving Mike looking quite amused on the couch.
Not wanting to give Harvey a reason to fire him Mike makes sure that he gets up early and makes his way into the office and once he is at Pearson Hardman Mike goes to Harvey's office rather than his cubical.
"So, he's keeping you around." Donna comments when she sees Mike walking to Harvey's office.
"Yep." Mike says with a nod.
"Good." Donna says, actually meaning that, "You can wait in there." She says and Mike walks into Harvey's office.
Sitting down on one of the chairs Mike just sits and waits, but he doesn't have to wait for long until Harvey walks in.
"Good, you're here." Harvey says to him, "If we're going to do this there's a few conditions." Harvey tells Mike as after leaving the younger man's apartment he started to think about how things between him and Mike were going to work with Mike being Jessica's son and because of that he came up with a few rules.
"I figured." Mike says with a nod, "What are they?"
"You don't tell your mother details of what I'm doing to close cases." Harvey says as he sits down at his desk.
"Agreed."
"And you don't go running to her for help." Harvey adds as that would just give him a lot of headaches.
"Please, the only times I've gone to Mom for help was when I was in trouble a hell of a lot more than almost any amount of trouble I could get into working a case." Mike informs Harvey as he has never gone to his mother to help with work, and he won't start now.
"Sounds like there is a story there." Harvey comments, looking at Mike in interest.
"There is, maybe I'll tell you one day." Mike responds, being pretty sure that it's not the kind of story to tell Harvey now.
"In return I won't tell Jessica things you tell me, what you're doing, unless it something that she truly needs to know as either your mother or managing partner." Harvey tells Mike, "But I don't see that happening often."
"Thanks." Mike says gratefully and Harvey nods.
"Get to work Rookie." Harvey says and Mike nods and heads out of the office, as he does Donna gets up and walks in, "Did you need something?" he asks Donna.
"I'm just going to say one thing." Donna tells her boss, "He's Jessica's son. Whatever else you're thinking, whatever you're considering doing, you need to keep that in mind."
"I'm aware of that Donna." Harvey tells her, his voice slightly short.
"Doesn't mean you don't have to hear it." Donna says before leaving Harvey to his thoughts, his thoughts that are full of the young man who just left his office.
It has been a few hours since Mike left Harvey's office and instead of doing work like he was planning on doing, like he needs to be doing, Mike has found himself being dragged to the club by Louis, and after only playing a few sets of Tennis before Louis said they're done Mike suspects that Louis has a reason for dragging him to the club, and he is pretty sure that whatever the reason won't be good for him.
As another member of the club, Tom Keller, walks past Mike and Louis for the second time, and Louis fails to once more talk to him Mike becomes even surer of the reason why Louis brought him, he just can't see Louis's exact plan, yet.
"You know, ten years ago, before these dot-com millionaires, there were men of substance in this club." Louis says as Mike sits down on a bench, "You know, men who understood how business gets done.
"Well, maybe he's just not interested in talking business while he's in a towel." Mike assumes, trying to see where Louis is going with what he is saying.
"He's not interested because he doesn't think I'm cool." Louis corrects, "And he's a pothead who think that anyone who doesn't smoke is a nerd." Louis says, causing Mike to tense, seeing Louis's reason, as Louis removes his shirt and Mike looks away, "So, I treat my body as a temple? Does that make me uncool?" Louis asks, "I don't think so. No, but you on the other hand, you seem his type."
"Why do you say that?" Mike asks, becoming nervous as he can see what Louis is going to ask, and he's got to think of reasons to refuse.
"Because you're young, and you think of yourself as Hip. Whatever, I guess. You know, I'm sure you enjoyed the occasional bong hit." Louis tells Mike.
"No. No, I don't smoke." Mike lies as even though he promised his mother he would never smoke again after he was arrested he hasn't managed to keep that promise, though it's been a little while.
"I mean, that's a little strange." Louis says with a chuckle.
"Why is it strange?" Mike asks, wondering what Louis knows, or what he thinks he knows.
"I mean, because the drug test you took, well that I made you take. Would indicate otherwise." Louis says handing Mike over a piece of paper that Mike knows is a fake, though a pretty convincing one at that, results that says he failed the drug test.
"This is a fake, and I'll fight you on it." Mike tells Louis.
"You maybe Harvey's golden boy, you may be Jessica's new favourite but which of us do you think she's going to believe?" Louis asks Mike and hearing that Mike realises that there is a chance that Jessica would believe he got high as she knows that he on occasion, gets high, "I talked to my cousin, he was a couple of years below you at Harvard and he was more than happy to tell me about the time third year law student Mike P.-Ross got high at a party." Louis reveals and hearing that Mike is glad that he went by initials at Harvard, at least around people who he didn't know well, "You going to deny that?"
"No." Mike says with a sigh, having known that his actions at that party would come back to haunt him as it was one of the very few parties he actually went to, something he regretted after.
"Relax Mike, I won't go to Jessica if you don't fight me." Louis informs him.
"What do you want?" Mike asks, knowing that Louis wouldn't do that for nothing.
"I'm just saying, you know, back in the day, to woo a client you would take him to dinner, you would by him a drink. But that's not gonna work with Tom. Not in a million years. Not with me, anyway. But with someone of his generation who shares the same proclivities."
"You saying you want me to smoke pot with him?" Mike asks, filling with dread as he knows how much trouble he would be in if his mother finds out, not to mention he would likely disappoint Harvey.
"I'm saying you can help me land him as a client." Louis comments.
"Which is the only reason I'm here." Mike realises, knowing that he should have seen this coming.
"No, Mike. Stop. Just stop, okay? I assure you, no one was more disappointed than me when I heard that story, when I found out the results of your drug test, okay? Then I had to say to myself, "Louis, do what you do, make lemonade"' Louis tells Mike.
"And if I don't?" Mike asks wanting the whole story so that he can make his decision.
"You're a smart kid. And I really wanna see you succeed." Louis says before dropping his town and walking out of the room, once more trying to talk to Tom as he leaves.
Getting up and walking over to the locker Mike quickly runs through everything in his head and he realises that he just doesn't have the two options Louis thinks he has, he has a third card that he can play, and a fourth though the fourth isn't something he would do, and so instead he goes with the third option.
"Dude creeps me out, man. And he never wears a towel, ever." Tom says once Louis leaves.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Mike responds, knowing that it is time to put his plan into action and that if it doesn't work then he will go back to the option Louis gave him, "Hey, I know you must hear this all the time, but I'm totally addicted to your website, man." Mike reveals.
"All right, who placed six in passing yards last year?" Tom asks, wanting to make sure that Mike isn't just lying.
"Carson Palmer. 3,970." Mike answers, "How many sacs did James Hall have?"
"Eleven?"
"Nope, ten and a half." Mike corrects.
"Yeah, I know, I rounded up." Tom corrects.
"Well, your league doesn't or I would've come in better than twentieth." Mike reveals.
"Your Ross's raiders?" Tom asks surprised, Mike having used that name as it sounded better for a football team.
"Yeah, Mike Ross." Mike says, introducing like that as for his plan to work he needs to hold out on revelling his real name.
"Tom Keller." He says, returning Mike's handshake.
"Good to meet you."
"Congratulations, man, you got a nice little team there." Tom tells Mike.
"Yeah." Mike says, not believing that.
"No, if Roethlisberger hadn't let you down you'd have been top ten for sure, I'm telling you." Tom tells Mike.
"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you get high right before the draft." Mike comments that having been the last time he was high and unsurprisingly he was with Trevor at the time.
"You get high?" Tom asks, giving Mike a look.
"Sometimes."
"Bet you need it working for that guy." Tom comments, clearly referring to Louis.
"I've only just started working for him, but I am tempted." Mike admits, telling the truth.
"Want to come back to mine?" Tom asks curious, "Smoke a bit?"
"Honestly, yeah." Mike says, once more telling the truth, "But my big boss, who also happens to by my Mom, would kill me if she found out I smoked." Mike reveals, "I kind of promised I wouldn't during working hours." Mike says, not exactly lying.
"Jessica Pearson is your Mom?" Tom asks surprised as he knows what firm Louis works for.
"Yeah, two other people at the firm knows though, and thankfully neither are Louis. I think if he did he'd see me as nothing more than his ticket to success, he's devious like that." Mike reveals and Tom looks amused at that, "Mike Pearson-Ross is my real name."
"Well, you don't have to get high, but you want to come hang for a bit?" Tom asks, curious wanting to spend some time with Mike, wants to get to know him better.
"Sure."
Over two hours later Mike is returning to the office, having spent a lot of time with Tom, having not gotten high, though he did spend time with him and Mike suspects that even though he told Tom about Louis's plan that he might have made headway into getting Tom to sign with Pearson Hardman.
"There you are; he's been looking for you." Donna says as Mike walks towards Harvey's office.
"I know, blame Louis." Mike says simply as he walks into Harvey's office.
"Where the hell have you been?" Harvey asks as Mike walks in, "You work for me and you're no good to me if you're not here."
"Blame Louis." Mike reveals, "He dragged me to the club, blackmailed me and tried to get me to break a promise I once made Mom, a promise that I've broken way too many times."
"He did what?" Harvey asks angrily.
"Don't worry, I can handle Louis." Mike assures Harvey.
"I'm not worried." Harvey quickly says.
"But, hey is there any chance you that you can get me a copy of my drug test results?" Mike asks as he knows that if he is going to get Louis off his back then he is going to need that.
"Yeah, I can." Harvey tells him, "But what does your drug test results have to do anything?" Harvey asks, wondering what he is missing.
"Louis showed me a fake test where I failed. I knew it was a fake and I was prepared to fight him, but then Louis revealed he knew a story of something that happened at Harvard that he knew thanks to his cousin." Mike explains.
"Why didn't Louis's cousin tell Louis who you really are?" Harvey asks, being pretty sure that if he had then that would have been the first thing Mike said.
"At Harvard I mostly went by Mike P.-Ross or even Mike Ross, except for in class. I wasn't ashamed, but if people knew who I really was then…."
"They'd want to use you to succeed or accuse you of only getting where you were because of your last name." Harvey says, knowing how people could be at Harvard.
"Yeah." Mike says with a nod, "After Louis told me that I realised my case was even rockier than I thought because if Louis went to Mom chances are she would believe his lie." Mike explains to Harvey.
"You really don't think your Mom would give you the benefit of the doubt?" Harvey asks, sounding disbelieving as that doesn't sound like Jessica.
"Not about this." Mike admits, as he picks up one of Harvey's baseballs, "I once promised Mom that I wouldn't get high again, and I broke that promise more than once. Me failing a drug test wouldn't surprise her. Once I explained that I haven't gotten high for months she would believe me, but by the then the damage would have been done." Mike explains to Harvard, who is honestly a little shocked by that, though he admittedly likes getting to know other sides to Mike.
"What Louis blackmail you into doing?" Harvey asks, wondering how badly he has to kick Louis's ask.
"He wanted me to get high with a potential client, or he'd go to Mom. I went with another option." Mike reveals.
"Good boy." Harvey says with a small smile, and honestly Mike doesn't want to acknowledge how hearing that makes him feel, "Louis had a gun to your head and you found another option, that's exactly what you should have done." Harvey says, very much approving of Mike's actions, "You manage to sign the client?"
"I think I made an impression, but it's too soon to tell." Mike admits.
"Okay, get back to work." Harvey tells him and Mike nods, put Harvey's baseball down, and heads to the door, "Mike." Harvey says once Mike gets to the door and Mike turns around, "Next time Louis tries something like this, because there will be a next time, come to me first." Harvey tells him, "I know you don't want to play the Mom card, but coming to me isn't that. I hired you, you're my associate, my responsibility and as long as I have your loyalty, you'll have mine." Harvey reveals and honestly Mike very much likes the idea of him being Harvey's.
"Thanks Harvey." Mike says before heading out, planning on shutting himself in the file room and getting done with any grunt work that has been left to the associates.
"Donna, Louis in his office?" Harvey asks once Mike has walked down the hall.
"Yep."
"Good." Harvey says, getting out and heading out of his office, planning on giving Louis a piece of his mind and making it clear that he's not to move in on his associate.
Having stayed in the file room into well into the night Mike went home to get a few hours of sleep before returning to the office where he picked up more work form Harvey and once more shut himself in the file room to work.
At a little before lunch Mike, with all of Harvey's finished work, is walking back into Harvey's office.
"Here, everything you asked for." Mike says, putting the files down on Harvey's desk.
"Don't you ever work at your cubical?" Harvey asks, without missing a beat.
"I prefer the file room." Mike responds.
"Why?"
"Because I learnt a long time ago that people don't interrupt you down there." Mike reveals.
"That where you spent most of your time when you were here?" Harvey asks curious.
"Yep." Mike answers, "What else do you need done?" Mike asks curious but before he can answer Donna says,
"Mike your Mom wants to see you in her office." Through the intercom.
"I'll have more work for you once you get back." Harvey tells Mike who nods and heads out of the office.
A couple of minutes later Mike arrives at his mother's office.
"You wanted to see me?" Mike asks, knocking on the glass.
"I did, come in." Jessica says, from her desk, and Mike walks in and closes the door behind him, "I'm proud of you, Mike." Jessica tells her son, as he walks over and sits down across from her.
"You are?" Mike asks, sounding a little surprised as he doesn't think he has done anything to make his mother proud lately.
"Yes." Jessica says with a smile, "Louis told me what you did at the club." Jessica tells her son.
"He did?" Mike asks, wondering how much Louis told her.
"New business is hard. People will promise you the world but until they sign that engagement letter, it means nothing." Jessica tells her son with a proud smile, "Now I don't know what you told Tom Keller, but bringing in a client in at your age, that reminds me of me, and Harvey." Jessica tells her son, "You've done incredibly well, Mike."
"Thanks Mom." Mike says and before Jessica responds the door opens Louis walks in with Tom Keller.
"Jessica, before we get started there's something in the retainer that pointed out." Louis reveals.
"It's not a big deal, really. We were just…." Tom explains.
"No, no, no, no, non. Like I said, we're here to make you happy." Louis says as he walks over to Jessica and Mike walks over to Tom.
"I thought you wanted nothing to do with him?" Mike ask Tom surprised.
"I didn't. But then I thought about it. And he might be a very good person, but a little deviousness is the sort of thing you look for in a good lawyer. I mean, the other guy I was with, he was too nice. We were buddies, we went to school together. It's time I grew up, got a real shark." Tom explains, "but honestly is important to me to, which is why I insisted that you be my point man. I want someone being devious for me, not to me." Tom explains and Mike gets a surprised look at that, "What?"
"If you didn't do that Louis would have taken all the credit for himself, not even admitted that I had anything to do with it." Mike says to Tom gratefully.
"Hey, the way I see it, the three of us stick together, we'll make a pretty good team." Tom reveals.
"You know, I got a better idea." Mike says with a smirk, coming up the first of a few things he is going to do to get back at Louis for what he did, and get him off his back in the processes.
