Chapter Text
Rio spent 20 minutes in front of her mirror adjusting her shirt. It started when she noticed the collar sat too high on her neck, so she gently lowered it. But then she realized having all the buttons fastened made her feel like a Mormon or a waitress rather than a future lawyer. So, she unfastened two of the buttons. Better, until she bent over to pick up her bag and flashed herself through the mirror. Rio swiftly stood back up and fastened one of the buttons; she figured there was always a chance she could be assigned to a pervy man who had a habit of looking down women’s shirts. Then she took a step back and thought the shirt looked wrinkled tucked into her pants, and well, this went on for 20 minutes. It likely would have gone on for longer if it weren’t for Alice, her new roommate, who eventually yelled at her to hurry up and mentioned something about bad luck being late on the first day. And if there was one thing Rio couldn’t afford, it was messing up the opportunity to work at Calhart, one of the largest and most renowned law firms in New York City.
It had all felt like a dream, even reaching this moment. Just three months ago, Rio had graduated from college at the top of her class at Berkley, double-majoring in history and philosophy. Two internships, four clubs, and a 60-page thesis later, she had been accepted to work as a paralegal at Calhart, one of the most coveted postgrad positions for pre-law students. Not only for its prestige and beneficial appearance on a resume, but also because a successful year at Calhart meant a full-ride scholarship to any law school of her choice. And in a time where higher education costs more than a house, there was nothing Rio wanted more. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and she was not going to fuck it up. At least that’s what she had told herself before wasting 5 more minutes adjusting her outfit, until finally her door burst open. “Rio, you’re stressing me out. Either grab your shit, or I’m leaving without you,” Alice declared, jumping on one foot as she slipped into her boots.
“Relax, I’m ready,” Rio reassured, picking up her bag and stealing one last glance in the mirror before leaving her room. She quickly slipped on her loafers and followed Alice, who was already stepping out the door.
They walked 2 blocks toward their subway entrance and rushed down to the platform with 3 minutes to spare before the next uptown train arrived. Rio was still new to the whole New York thing, while Alice had grown up here and seemed to be a natural at navigating the subway. “We’ll take this train up to 51st, then it’s just about 3 blocks away,” Alice explained, shouting over the arrival of a train on the opposite platform.
Rio nodded, nervously gripping the handle of her briefcase. Alice somehow seemed completely fine. How could she be fine at a moment like this? “How the hell are you so calm right now?”
Alice chuckled. “What do I have to be nervous about?”
Rio sighed. “Starting this job? Making a good impression?”
“The only stressful part was getting you out the door on time.” Alice retorted, prompting Rio to roll her eyes. “The hard part is already over. Why do you think it’s so difficult to get this gig in the first place? As long as you don’t fuck up astronomically, we are all guaranteed to get those scholarships.”
Before Rio could respond, the train finally arrived, and she rushed into one of the cars with Alice in tow. Given how full it was, they opted to stand, leaning against a pole near the doors. The ride was as smooth, and the longer Rio pondered Alice’s words, the less worried she felt. It was true that they gave scholarships to all of their first-year paralegals, and it’s no wonder why. The application process alone consisted of a five-page cover letter, three letters of recommendation, an LSAT score above 160, and two nerve-wracking interviews. Getting to this point was a feat in itself, and unless she did “fuck up astronomically,” which she had no plans of doing, the scholarship was guaranteed.
After a 25-minute ride, Alice pulled Rio from her daze, and they rushed out of the subway platform alongside a cohort of business-clad professionals. They proceeded to speed-walk down the street until they reached a building with a sleek black exterior, gold accents, and a small plaque near the doors that read “Calhart LLP.” Upon entering, they were greeted by an interior that was equally as elegant: black-and-tan marble floors, an ornate chandelier, deep-brown wooden moulding, and red elevators that reminded Rio of The Shining. Standing near the elevators were 10 other young adults waiting nervously in their business attire. The welcome email stated it was tradition for all of the new paralegals to arrive on the 18th floor together, with Alice and Rio’s arrival completing the group.
“Finally,” One woman huffed. She was tall with short black hair, wearing a blush pink blouse that perfectly complemented her dark complexion.
“We’re on time,” Alice remarked.
“And last to arrive. Not really impressive, is it?” The woman added, brushing past Rio to press the elevator button. Alice glared back, opening her mouth to reply to the woman’s sly comment, when a hand was extended in her direction. “Jennifer Kale, Harvard.”
Rio observed the interaction carefully as Alice begrudgingly shook Jennifer’s hand. “Alice Wu-Gulliver, Columbia.”
The handshake lasted only a second, prompting Jennifer to turn her attention to Rio. Rio thought the woman would say something, but she just stared in silence, apparently expecting Rio to just join in without bothering to greet her. “Rio Vidal, Berkley.”
“Berkley? That’s nice. I got in there, too, though five minutes later I was accepted to Harvard, and well, the rest is history. Did you like it? Berkeley, that is?” Jennifer asks.
Rio nods. “Yes, it’s a great school.”
“I heard it’s ranked number one, of the public schools, that is. But overall, I believe the East Coast still dominates.” Jennifer adds.
Rio keeps nodding. She doesn’t actually remember ever stopping. “Yep. Those Ivy Leagues.”
Unfortunately, Jennifer opened her mouth again. “Everyone else seems to have attended one—I’ve been going around introducing myself. Well, everyone except Yelena, she went to Michigan. And you, of course.”
Rio stops nodding at the sound of a sudden ding to her left. “Elevators. Guess it’s time to go up,” she remarks, choosing to ignore how awkward that came out in favor of quickly dragging herself and Alice over to the opening red doors.
“Pretentious bitch…” Alice mumbled into Rio’s ear. The two giggled quietly to themselves as the elevator filled with bodies, Jennifer included, who was already talking the ear off of another poor soul.
When the doors opened again, and the group filed out of the elevator, they were greeted by two older women Rio recognized instantly as the founding partners of Calhart: Lilia Caldereau and Sharon Hart. Looking at them now for the first time in person, Rio instantly realized their reputations were, in fact, on the nose. Lilia stood out immediately, wearing a shawl and funky jewelry with her grey curls tossed up in a loose bun. She had a small smile on her face, but also looked like she wanted to be anywhere else. Lilia was known for her quirky legal practices; her decisions were often motivated by intuition rather than typical legal procedures, but she somehow managed to win the majority of her cases, earning her a reputation as a legend amongst lawyers in the city. Sharon stood beside Lilia, a bright, warm smile flashed across her face, her eyes filled with sincere enthusiasm as she looked upon the group, as she was clearly the one who most valued the elevator tradition. But that was exactly the kind of person Sharon was known for being, always genuinely kind with clients and her legal peers. It was in the courtroom when her demeanor truly shifted, revealing a strategically concealed cutthroat nature that always intimidated even the most experienced of lawyers. Lilia and Sharon couldn’t be more different personality-wise. But as legal partners, they were perfect, two women who had built their careers on outsmarting those who underestimated them—and together, built one of the most successful legal practices in the state.
“Hello everyone! Oh, it is just so lovely meeting you all face-to-face!” Sharon beamed. Lilia nodded in agreement. “Well, I’ll just get right to it then, so that we can send you all on your way! We are so happy to welcome you all to Calhart. We know you have worked so hard getting to this point, and we thank you for your dedication. As I’m sure you are all aware, this is when we assign you to the partner you will work with for the duration of your time with us. We, of course, specialize in many areas here at Calhart, including Criminal, employment, environmental, immigration, civil rights, and Family law. We have always prioritized being a human-based law practice. Per tradition, you are placed at random.”
Lilia takes a step forward. “But stepping out of tradition, we would also like to note a change that is being made to this program as of this year. Due to budget constraints and the recent exorbitant rise in law school tuition, we will only be able to provide scholarships to eight of you rather than all twelve. We apologize for the sudden change, but all other benefits to the program remain the same. I, for one, hope this encourages true displays of grit amongst all of you. A healthy dose of competition.” Lilia notes, ending her announcement with a small smile.
“However, if you have any concerns, please feel free to schedule an appointment with either one of us, as we know this is usually a key facet of the program!” Sharon adds. She then lifts her clipboard and begins reading off the names of paralegals in alphabetical order, and the partners they are assigned to.
Rio does not hear the names, drowned out by every ounce of panic she had buried on the train now flooding her mind once again. She needed that scholarship; federal loans would no longer cover the full amount, and private loans were out of the question. And here she was, standing in a room of some of the smartest, most cutthroat postgrads who had just turned from colleagues to competition. Suddenly, Jennifer’s comment about Rio being one of the few paralegals to attend a public school felt all the more intimidating. Rio was smart; she knew that. But so was everyone else. She was standing in a room filled with people who were also at the top of their class, with prestigious internships under their belt and a thesis to brag about. It was the uncertainty of it all that bothered Rio the most; her mind suddenly filled with a million what-ifs: What if she did fuck up? What if she performed well, but not well enough? What if one of her new colleagues were desperate enough to sabotage her? What if the partner she was assigned to hated her?
Rio was soon pulled from her doomed thoughts with a tap on the shoulder from Alice, who had leaned over and whispered in her ear: “Jennifer just got Danvers.”
Immediately, Rio’s heart sank, and she was only capable of acknowledging Alice’s comment with a nod. Obviously, the selections were made at random, and there was a 1/12 chance of Rio getting any of the partners, but Carol Danver had always been an ideal match in her mind. She was one of two partners alongside Monica Rambeau, leading the immigration legal team. Danvers was known for accepting challenging cases, always willing to help people that no other lawyer wanted to take on. She was also known to be absolutely ruthless in the courtroom and even got suspended once for punching a lawyer from the opposing counsel who called one of her clients a slur. It was clear that Danvers cared about her clients, which is what made her one of the most successful lawyers in the field. And she was everything Rio aspired to be. So, of course, of all people to be assigned to her, it had to be Jennifer “Harvard” Kale.
Only four other people were standing in the room with Lilia and Sharon: Rio, Alice, and two other people whose names she didn’t know. Once names are called, paralegals are given their partners’ office numbers and sent off to find them. Rio cursed at herself internally for not paying attention until now, as she had no idea which of the partners were left. She had done extensive research on all of them, just in case, and knew there was no point in holding out hope for anyone in particular. But she did know exactly who she did not want, the one partner in the entire firm who had a reputation for being particularly difficult to work with. Every firm has one, it would seem, but in this program, with all the sudden changes, and the scholarship at stake, the last name Rio wanted to hear next to hers was—
“Rio Vidal, you have been assigned, Agatha Harkness!” Sharon exclaimed. “You will find her on the 20th floor in the employment wing, room 2028.” Rio smiled and nodded, thanked Sharon and Lilia, then waited until she had climbed a flight of stairs before she let her face fall.
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK, the word she repeated to herself with every additional step she took until reaching the 20th floor. Of fucking course it was just her luck that she would be assigned Agatha Harkness. “It’s fine, it will be just fine. You’ve never even met the woman, you can’t panic solely based on information you found on the internet,” she said to herself, walking in circles on the landing as she worked up the courage to step through the door. “I worked hard for this. I deserve to be here. Everything…is going to be just fine.”
With one last deep sigh, she slowly opened the door and walked into the 20th floor, which was entirely dedicated to the employment division of the firm. A division spearheaded by none other than Agatha Harkness herself, one of the top employment lawyers in the city. After navigating the long hallway, she finally found the lobby, occupied by a wooden desk, the same red elevators, and a pair of large wooden doors with glass panes that gave Rio a peek into the next year of her life. She slowly walked through the doors, her senses immediately picking up on the furious typing, chatter, and smell of coffee and fresh printer paper in the air. She was standing along the mezzanine near the railing that overlooked the ground floor, crowded with desks and busy employees. The same patterned marble floors from the building’s entrance were used in this space as well, except for the staircase to Rio’s left, a curved wooden structure that matched the railing. To her right, the mezzanine extended into a long hallway, with small tables, chairs, and couches situated near the banister, and closed wooden doors along the wall. Rio walked down the hallway, her attention bouncing between the room numbers beside each door and the massive chandelier that cascaded down the tall ceiling. At the end of the hall, Rio discovered a smaller wooden staircase leading to the ground floor, and directly across from it, a pair of double doors with a plaque beside them with “Room 2020,” and “Agatha Harkness” inscribed below. She extended her arm, allowing her hand to graze against the door handle as she mustered the courage to open it, but after a moment of hesitation, pulled away. What am I doing? Knock, just knock.
Before more thoughts could fill her head, Rio knocked on the door. A bit harder than she had anticipated, but the deed was already done. The doors were thick, but standing so close allowed her to hear the muffled sound of a woman’s voice saying, “Come in.” It was then that she allowed her hand to return to the door handle and slowly open the door, peering her head inside for a moment before swiftly navigating the rest of her body across the threshold and closing the door behind her. Sitting 20 feet away from her behind a large mahogany desk was Agatha Harkness. Rio’s first thought was that the photo on Calhart’s website did not do the woman justice; she was far more intimidating in person than in the photo—and more beautiful. Their eyes met in an instant, and Rio watched as Agatha brushed back a strand of her brunette hair to take in her visitor, the rest pulled back into a professional updo that matched her photo. The woman’s lips were pursed, staring back at Rio with some of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Eyes that quickly transformed from curious to stern amidst the prolonged silence. “Do you plan on standing there all day?” Agatha asked.
Rio stiffened slightly, the woman’s harsh question catching her off guard. “What?”
“‘What?’” Agatha mocked. “Do you expect me to repeat myself? Either take a seat or leave; I will not have you wasting my time.”
As if her feet had a mind of their own, Rio found herself walking across the room and sitting in one of the chairs by Agatha’s desk before she had even processed the words. The proximity did nothing to calm her nerves, but Rio took another deep breath and did her best to pull herself together. She needed to make a good impression, and was already off to a poor start. Rather than continue to stare mindlessly, she turned her lips up into a smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Harkness. I’m Rio, Rio Vidal. I’m really looking forward to working with you.”
A beat of awkward silence followed before Agatha gently placed her palms on the desk, her gaze never leaving Rio. “The first thing you must know about working with me is to address me as Harkness alone. No Mrs or Ms before it, understood?”
Rio could feel her palms beginning to sweat. “Yes, of course. I apologize, it will not happen again.”
Agatha turns away from Rio and picks up a file from her desk, appearing to be reading its contents. “I assume, based on your resume, that you have no experience with employment law. Is that correct?”
Rio nods. “Yes.”
“Inconvenient as it is, that’s nothing new. Given the random assignments, we do not expect the paralegals who join this firm to possess an in-depth knowledge of our chosen fields. This does, however, mean that you will be tasked with learning the basics of employment law in order to work with me.” Agatha explained, then slid a small packet across the desk that was filled with a long list of acronyms. “A list of laws I need you to learn and memorize. And this…” She slides another, thicker packet across the desk in Rio’s direction. “Is a list of other key legal concepts you will need to know.”
"Of course, I will learn them as soon as possible.”
“You will have the morning to find your feet, familiarize yourself with our case management software and filing system. I will provide you with a template to memorize for when you draft any documents I request. But by noon, I expect you to begin working on the actual tasks I have lined up for you. I am swamped, and without a paralegal for the past two weeks, there is much that needs to get done.”
Rio’s eyes narrow slightly in confusion. “Oh, I thought—”
“Oh? You seem to get confused easily. Is that a common trait of yours? What exactly is it that you thought would be happening here?” Agatha snapped back.
Fuck. Rio desperately didn’t want to respond, but she was in too deep now, Agatha’s eyes glaring back at her like daggers. “I just meant…we were informed that the first week would be an adjustment period.”
“Adjustment to…” Agatha waved her hand in a circular motion, signalling for Rio to continue.
“The job.”
“The job! Correct. Now, I can’t speak for my fellow partners or how they understand the meaning of that term, but I have always believed that to adjust to something, you must…do it. As in, doing the work I assign you. Nod if you are following.”
Rio nods.
“Good…good. Now I really just need to know one thing from you before I give you your first assignments and get you out of my office. Can I count on you not wasting my time? Are you capable of that?”
“Yes, I want to do a good job—I will do a good job,” Rio reassures.
Agatha slowly nods her head. “Good. I need you to do some research for a case I’m working on. This binder will tell you everything you need to know. Find me any relevant cases dated from now back to 2015. Take those cases and draft me a motion for summary judgment.” Agatha tosses another binder onto the table. “This is another case I need you to familiarize yourself with and draft discovery requests for each of the defendants; it’s an early case. I also have some letters I need you to drop off. This stack goes to the Southern District court, and this stack to the Civil court. And I have six potential clients I will need you to call. Get their stories, but make sure to keep them brief. People in crisis always like to vent. Oh, and the opposing counsel for another one of my cases is sending over a few thousand documents I requested for discovery. I will need you to start sorting through that as well, but feel free to get to that last.”
Rio had been furiously jotting down notes, trying to keep everything straight in her mind. Draft documents, research, phone calls, drop off letters at the civil court, and the…fuck, was it the Southern District? Eastern District? Southern, it was Southern one.
"Vidal?” Agatha addressed. Rio stopped her scribbling and raised her head, praying to god there wasn’t more. “That is all. You may go. Dottie will help you find your desk and answer any further questions you have.”
This bi– Rio took another deep breath. “And if I have a question for you?”
“You know where to find me. But if you plan on walking up all those stairs to ask me a question, better make it count. Alright?” Agatha replied with a sly smile.
“...Of course. Thank you for your time, Harkness.” With that last remark, Rio stood from her chair and gathered the various packets and binders Agatha had handed her during their meeting. It was not lost on Rio that Agatha had not even bothered to respond, returning to her work the moment Rio started walking toward the door. Was this how it would be all year? Working tirelessly for a woman who barely acknowledged Rio’s existence?
She took her leave from Agatha’s office, gently shutting the door behind her before descending the staircase to the ground floor. Once away from the daunting gaze of Agatha Harkness, Rio at least felt more relaxed to begin her many tasks. She soon found Dottie, a veteran paralegal who bounced between associates and seemed to manage much of the floor. Dottie led Rio to her desk, which, of course, happened to be the vacant one right beside the staircase that led to Agatha’s office. Great. I get to work right beneath her.
After getting situated at her desk, Rio got to work, carefully listening as Dottie explained the firm’s case management software and filing system. Once that was taken care of, she began reading from the binder of the first case Agatha assigned to her, familiarizing herself with its contents before researching similar cases. As she discovered relevant cases, she would simultaneously highlight every cited law, cross-reference them with the list Agatha gave her, and write down the definition. The hours seemed to fly by as Rio jumped from task to task. It was easy to stop stressing about the scholarship and how much Agatha clearly disliked her when she had too much work to focus on anything else. But by the end of the day, a day in which she had read so much that her eyes were sore, spent hours drafting documents she could barely comprehend, running around the city, and talking to chatty potential clients, she was completely exhausted. And those same feelings she had buried returned as she slumped back in her chair.. She was tempted to close her eyes and sleep right there until she was snapped out of her daze by her phone buzzing against her desk.
ALICE (5:45) - You coming down soon? Some of the other paralegals and I want to go to dinner to celebrate the first day! Come on!
Food. Rio had completely forgotten about food. The moment she read the word “dinner,” she could feel her stomach beginning to rumble as if on cue. She had done enough for the day, right? The letters were delivered, the documents drafted and emailed to Agatha for review; she had even somehow found time to start looking at the documents that had been delivered. For the millionth time that day, Rio let out a deep sigh, this time out of relief. She had actually managed to do it all. Deciding to take her victory in stride, Rio gathered her belongings, tucking the packets of employment laws into her bag to study at home. She took the same stairs she had walked down that morning, and paused a moment to stare at Agatha’s office doors. Should I knock and tell her I’m leaving? Rio knocks just in case, but receives no response. Perhaps Agatha had already left? Choosing not to overthink it, she made a beeline for the exit. Free at last, or at least until 8 AM the next day.
Rio met up with Alice just outside the building, standing beside four other paralegals, Jennifer included. As they walked to the restaurant, Alice explained that she had been assigned to Monica Rambeau, the other partner specializing in immigration law, and would be working closely alongside Carol Danvers and Jennifer. Rambeau and Danvers also took Jennifer and Alice to lunch, which Rio was not at all envious of in the slightest. She also finally learned the names of some of the other paralegals. The short blonde with the Russian accent was Yelena Belova, the one Jennifer had mentioned earlier. Beside her was Kate Bishop, who was apparently rich and had offered to pay for dinner, and trailing behind all of them was a tall, skinny boy named Billy. After such an awkward interaction with Jennifer that morning, Rio had expected their conversations to be stagnant, but their little group surprisingly seemed to click well. Even Jennifer—Jen, Rio learned she preferred, seemed far more tolerable now. Well, she still made an uptight comment every once in a while, but she was also funny and had been leading the charge in determining Billy’s age. “There is no way you are in your 20s. When I first saw you this morning, I genuinely thought to myself, ‘What is this kid doing here?’” Jen surmised.
Billy groaned. “I’m an adult! I just…skipped a grade and graduated from college early.”
“Wait, oh my god, how old are you then?” Kate asked.
Poor Billy slumped his shoulders as if anticipating an overzealous reaction from his coworkers. “Nineteen.”
Everyone’s eyes immediately widened, a moment of silence broken by an eruption of laughter that prompted Billy to roll his eyes. “Nineteen!? A teenager? I cannot believe we are working with a teenager, you are barely old enough to have this job!” Alice exclaimed.
"I turn twenty in November! That’s in three months!” Billy insisted, even going as far as to hold up three fingers.
“Whatever you say, teen.” Rio retorted, sparking another round of laughter.
The restaurant Kate chose was perhaps the fanciest Rio had ever stepped foot into. The waitstaff were all wearing bow ties, and the menu was written in French, which Kate and Yelena kindly translated for them. She wasn’t entirely sure what she had ordered, but Yelena had reassured her that it was some sort of pasta dish. They began the dinner by getting to know each other better. Kate had grown up in the city like Alice, but lived in an entirely different reality, thanks to her family’s immense wealth. She had attended the Spence School and Yale, majoring in political science. Jen had apparently grown up in Boston, raised by her doctor and professor parents who also happened to be Harvard alumni (shocking). Yelena did not divulge much information, just that she grew up in Russia and came to the States for school. But much of the time was spent rehashing their first day of work anyway. In addition to being taken out for lunch, Alice and Jen were actually being given a week-long adjustment period to memorize laws, learn how to navigate Calhart’s systems, and gradually receive assignments. Kate, Yelena, and Billy also mentioned receiving similar instructions from their assigned partners. Unfortunately, once they had finished sharing stories about their days, Jen turned the attention to Rio. “Alright, you’ve been too quiet. Alice mentioned you got assigned to Agatha Harkness. I need to know what that was like.”
Kate, Yelena, and Billy all widened their eyes in sync. “Oh my god, I was wondering what poor soul was assigned to her!” Kate exclaimed.
Rio raised her hand.
“I heard one year she made her paralegal have a mental breakdown in the middle of the office and fired her on the spot,” Billy shared.
“I heard she rarely ever leaves her office unless it’s for a client. She barely interacts with any of the staff, partners included, unless it’s required of her. One of the associates told me he’s worked here for five years, and has only ever seen her interact with a couple of people on her floor, Caldereau, and Hart.” Alice added.
“She probably wouldn’t even be a partner if it weren’t for how many cases she’s won. The last lawyer I interned with told me becoming a partner isn’t only about your client list; it’s about building a relationship with the people in your firm.” Jen explained.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if nepotism had something to do with it,” Kate added.
The group leaned in. “What do you mean?” Rio asked.
“You guys don’t know? Agatha Harkness is the daughter of Evanora and Richard Harkness. Her family’s loaded, way richer than mine, with old money stemming back to the colonies. My parents are acquainted with them. I remember seeing her at parties when I was young.”
“Well then, why the fuck is she working as a lawyer then? If I were born with that kind of money…Well, I would not be doing this, that’s for sure. I’d be in fucking, Bermuda right now.” Alice rambled.
“It is possible she wanted to be a lawyer. I know that’s why I’m here at least,” Kate suggested.
“Yeah…I’m definitely here for the money.” Alice reaffirmed, prompting another round of laughter.
“Ok, but spill, Rio. What did you do all day? What’s she actually like?” Jen pressed on.
Rio sighed. “Work. Lots of work. The moment I walked into her office, she wouldn’t stop criticizing my every move and word. Then she just gave me a long-ass to-do list and shooed me from her office. She told me she doesn’t believe in the traditional adjustment period. So, I spent all day working my ass off, panicking that I was about to fuck something up. And I’m kind of worried that that’s just how it’s going to be the entire year. Working tirelessly for someone I rarely see, like she’s a ghost who just spawns when she wants to dump more work on my lap.”
“Maybe she gets off on torturing new paralegals every year, hm?” Yelena comments.
The table chuckles, and Rio continues. “God, and she makes me feel so stupid! And she said this whole thing about me not ‘wasting her time’ as if asking a question to do better work for her is an inconvenience. I mean, that’s the whole point of this job, isn’t it? Lawyers teaching future lawyers? She was just such a…”
“It’s ok, just let it out,” Alice reassured.
“Such a heartless, soulless bitch! I mean, she has to know that’s what everyone thinks of her, right? I even tried convincing myself the rumors were wrong, but of course, the moment I stepped through that door—”
“Vidal!”
That voice. That fucking voice that had been echoing through her ears all day. One single word, and her heart was in her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do at this moment was turn her head, but it was unavoidable now. Agatha Harkness was standing directly next to where she sat in the booth. Slowly, her head twisted to the right and lifted to meet her boss’s gaze. A small smile was plastered on the woman’s face, an uncharacteristically kind gesture that only made Rio’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. Had she just walked in and seen them? Had she heard them talk about her??
“I was in the booth right behind you. I thought I heard your voice.”
Well, fuck.
“And these must be some of Calhart’s other paralegals. What…bright futures you all have ahead of you.” Agatha added. Of course, Rio’s coworkers were incapable of responding, just as wide-eyed and petrified by Agatha’s presence as she was. “Well, I’ll be going now. Enjoy your evening. I’ll see you tomorrow, Rio. First thing.” As Agatha turned on her heels and walked toward the door, Rio simply watched, too shocked to move, too mesmerized by the billowing of Agatha’s trench coat with each step she took until she was no longer in view.
When she finally turned her attention back to the table, her companions were all hunched over on their phones. “What are you guys doing?”
“LinkedIn. We’re so getting fucking fired.” Jen responded.
Rio didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Instead, she pulled out her phone and joined her coworkers on their mindless LinkedIn search. As it turns out, she could fuck up astronomically on day one. Always the overachiever.