CHAPTER SIX
" have to do something to generate a positive cash flow, guys," I said. We were sitting around the big oval table in the conference room that we'd outfitted to impress clients. The room was a testament to Jordie's impressive design skills and the functionality of modular furniture bought at one of the office furniture outlet stores near Skid Row. It was impressive, but that wasn't helping us attract clients, only impress them once we got them in the door.
"Chill out, Brooke," Roger said as he sipped coffee from a cup that said “Hang Ten” and “Chillaxe” on the side in red letters. His surfer dude attitude irritated me.
"Chill out? You want me to chill out, do you?" I said, fighting to hide my irritation. "We're months behind in everything except our insurance payments, and we have exactly three clients on our roster. I'm not sure why you're advocating the 'chill out' approach when what we really need is a 'step it up and get some business' approach."
"Look, don't stress out on me," Roger began.
"Stress out on you? Stress out on you?" I shouted. "I'm stressed out in general, and it might help if you were a little less chilled!"
"Guys, guys, guys," Jordie intervened. "It's not going to help if we start attacking one another. We need a game plan, so let's focus our considerable brain power on formulating one, shall we?"
I shot Roger a dirty look as he gave Jordie a thumbs up and a lopsided smile. Jordie's look pleaded with me to relax, so I sank back in my chair and waited to hear what he had to say.
"We need to expand the practice and attract new clients, that's for sure," he said. "But what we really need is a just one really high profile case that will get our firm on the front pages."
"Oh, so we need to find someone who's a murderer or something," I said dully.
"Well, that would be ideal," Jordie replied. "But it's probably not very likely, so we need to look at some of the sketchier elements in town and see if there's anything we can do to get them to use our services."
"Oh, cool," Roger said. "So, we need to get in bed with the mafia? All Godfather and shit?"
"Roger," I warned. The other reason Roger infuriated me was that his cool surfer dude persona was totally an act. He talked like a lunkhead while the three of us were together, but when he got in a room with a client or in a courtroom in front of a judge, he was as sharp as a tack and didn't miss a beat.
"What?"
"Guys, I'm serious," Jordie said. "We need a high profile case – just one – then we win it and everyone will flock to us for help."
"But what about the illegal activities of the folks you are talking about attracting?" I asked.
"Brooke, seriously," Jordie said. "Everyone deserves legal representation."
"Even the bad guys?" I asked.
"Dude, the bad guys need it most of all," Roger interjected. "They always get the short end of the stick and never the benefit of doubt. They have to work ten times harder to prove they're innocent, whether or not they are. I think these are the kinds of cases we could really win."
"So, what do we do when we're defending drug dealers and thugs?" I asked.
"We represent them," Jordie said. "We don't lie; we simply represent them to the best of our ability."
"Jesus, Brooke," Roger said in an exasperated tone. "You need to come down off your high horse and join the real world where things aren’t all good or evil and black or white!"
"Wait a minute, that's not fair!" I shouted. "You're the one who is always bouncing between extremes, not me!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" he shouted.
"I mean, you're in love with a new woman every other week, but you can't see the forest for the trees!" I yelled. I had a vague sense in the back of my mind that I was now being unreasonable, but Roger had a tendency to push me over the edge – kind of like my brother, Teddy, did.
"What the hell does my love life have to with this firm's clients?" he yelled.
"It's an indication of your inability to make sound judgments when it comes to clients and business!" I knew I was treading on thin ice, but my frustration overruled my brain and I headed perilously close to the edge.
"Oh really?" Roger said with a raised eyebrow. "If we're going to start judging each other based on our romantic relationships, then I'd say that you're at the base of our problem, Brooke."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You take perfectly good men and crush them under the weight of your expectations about how much they can take when it comes to your devotion to your job," he said calmly. "I'd say that about defines the problem, wouldn't you?"
Dumbfounded, I stared at Roger. He'd hit a nerve and I could feel the blow reverberating through my body. I took a deep breath and said, "Fuck you, Roger."
"Truth hurts, doesn't it, baby girl?"
"Dammit, you two!" Jordie shouted. "I'm so sick and tired of your constant attempts to top each other and prove you're each the alpha dog. Fuck you both! This is my firm, too, and I want to do something to save it, not tear it apart and leave the pieces in the gutter!"
No one said a word for a couple of minutes and then Roger muttered, "I'm sorry."
"Me too," I replied.
"Back to work?" Jordie said hopefully.
"Back to work." I nodded and we sat down and started to map out a plan for saving our law firm.