LEO POV
"I know, Bree, I know... Okay, I'll see you at lunch since I have work to do until then."
I hung up my phone and leaned back against my desk with a huff.
Preteens more of an apex predator than some of the attorneys I've sparred against.
My daughter was a few months away from turning 13 and while I loved her and was glad she was with me most of the time, her persistence can be tiring. She rarely asks to leave school and was always able to settle in with her phone in my office if needed so hopefully I can pick her up soon and still get my busy schedule accomplished.
I smiled softly at my laptop screen, a photo of Bree grinning at Christmas with her new Harry Potter set of DVD's. She never asks for much and I was always glad she picked up my love of reading and fantasy novels, especially since movie marathons are something we frequently enjoy.
A knock at my office door drew my attention away and I looked up to see one of my law firm partners, Aaron Gregory, peeking in.
"Meeting time, Leo." He offered a smile that was disarming with his wrinkles and white hair. "Don't forget, the new paralegal is starting today."
I let out a groan and followed him down the hallway to the conference room. The office suite we settled into a few years ago was open, with glass walls blocking off our private spaces and a few other desks available for support staff. We had one main conference room with a great view of downtown, and were able to get to the Courthouse two blocks away easily as well.
Our receptionist, Mandy, was already waiting with her laptop and gave me a flirty grin. She was nice enough and did a good job keeping track of calls but I was never that social so did not know much about her. Bree knew more, thanks to the time she spent hanging around after school, so as long as my little girl is comfortable I am happy.
Dave Spencer, the third partner of Gregory, Spencer, and Wainwright, breezed in a few minutes later with a cup holder that had coffee for each of us. He had a grin on his face and was more energetic than usual for a Monday morning.
We had a great reputation thanks to Aaron. He worked as adjunct faculty at State and was established as a lawyer when he started our family law practice about 10 years prior. While I had been working as a junior partner at a bigger firm, the idea of switching somewhere with more flexibility was appealing.
I was glad Aaron mentioned wanting me to join. It's been a great position and allowed me to spend a lot of time with my daughter in spite of how packed our schedule stays.
"Sorry for the delay, guys. Is Whitney here yet?" he asked, handing me my Americano. Dave and I met through Aaron and I respected how easily he worked with clients. I was more of a book nerd that dug into case law while Aaron and Dave had the social skills to keep our firm solid. It was a healthy balance that could easily be shattered by the wrong employee joining our team.
Mandy shook her head, "Aaron told her 9 and it's barely 845 so I am sure she'll be along shortly."
"So, I wanted to make sure we were on the same page before she starts today. Whitney came highly recommended by Joe Madison and worked with his firm the last 4 years after getting her Bachelor's. Since he is retiring and his partner is now working with the District Attorney they were checking around to help her find a new position. I met with her and was impressed."
I had known Aaron Gregory since he was one of my professors in law school. He rarely has a kind word to say about anyone aside from his wife and kids. Aaron had an affable nature but was a tough lawyer that did not take shit from anyone. His praise gave me a bit of relief but I was still nervous about having someone new nearby.
