Read The Lawyer for Free Online Page A

gotten married,” I backtracked. “I just mean that it would have been simpler and cleaner to not have gotten married in the first place.”
              “I’m not here to get in a moral debate with you, Elizabeth,” Alex told me gently. “I’m just explaining how the office works and what type of work we do here. Do you have a personal or moral objection to working for an office of lawyers who do handle divorces?”
              “No, I don’t.”
              “Good.”
              Alex handed me a stack of paperwork to review before his first client arrived, along with a manual for navigating the computer software I’d be using to handle his appointments and schedule. I settled in at my desk and began reading the manual. While it wasn’t interesting, it helped the time pass until 9:00am when the door to the waiting room opened and a sharply dressed older woman entered. Her heels clicked loudly as she walked across the floor to my desk. Seriously, what was that? Could Alex not afford something called a “carpet”?
              “Good morning,” I greeted the woman with a smile.
              “Who are you?” She asked, looking me up and down. “You new, young lady?”
              “Why, yes. I’m Mr. Smith’s assistant, Elizabeth. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You must be Mrs. Steinbaugh.” I felt instantly relieved that I’d remembered to glance over Alex’s schedule for today and learned the names of his clients.
              “I am. I have an appointment at 9:00. You might let him know I’m here, eh?” The woman had no time for nonsense or procedure and simply took a seat in one of the chairs. I nodded and knocked gently on Alex’s door. Peeking my head inside, I told him, “Mrs. Steinbaugh is here to see you.”
              “Send her in,” Alex waved at me without looking up from his computer.
              “Mrs. Steinbaugh,” I told the woman, “Mr. Smith is ready for you.”
              “Thank you. Elizabeth, was it?” Mrs. Steinbaugh stood and made her way quickly and loudly across the floor. She paused for a moment at my desk before entering Alex’s office and lowered her head toward me briefly. “You’ll do fine, Sweetie. Just keep your head up and don’t let any of Mr. Smith’s silliness go to your head.” With that, she entered the office and shut the door.

Chapter 7
                  While I had never really seen myself as the office assistant type, after a few weeks of working at Smith and Smith, I really began to feel comfortable and at ease. Getting up early was still a fight each day, but I got much better at styling my hair and applying my makeup while half asleep. My first paycheck was a shock. Alex and I, although it seemed silly, had not discussed salary. I was more than a little surprised at how much more I made working for him than I did even on my best tip days at the café.
              The first thing I did when my check came was to head to the store and buy some more suitable work clothes. I’d been rotating through the same three skirts and while no one said anything out loud to me, Isabelle’s smirking glare was more than enough to inspire me to get some new dresses. Fortunately, my check was more than enough to pay my rent, buy groceries, and get the clothes I needed. Shopping wasn’t my favorite thing to do, but it had to be done and I was glad to be able to pay in cash rather than running up my credit card.
              When I marched into work with my new sundress, new heels, and even new underwear, Isabelle offered me the first genuine smile I’d seen from her yet.
              “Good morning, Isabelle,” I said with a smile, handing her a cup of coffee.
              “What’s this?” She asked with a