“Where were we?” the tall, toned man asked as he sat in his chair.
“I wanted to know why your offer is so… generous,” I answered.
“Ah, yes,” the dark-eyed man said, and his smirk turned into a small smile that revealed dimples. “Most people wouldn’t be so worried about being paid too much.”
“I’m just… cautious,” I replied.
His smile grew for a moment, and then he motioned to the warehouse behind me and then to the shipyard behind him.
“We’re a small company in the shipping game, but we move some high-priced objects through here,” he said. “It allows us to take care of our employees, and we like to do that so we don’t have to keep hiring people. All our crews are specially trained to handle delicate items, which is why people trust us with them. Now, I could spend all that effort to train them, and pay them the usual crap that you find down here, and they’d walk away after a year or two, and I’d have to train some other guy. That puts me out of a lot of money, so I’d rather hang on to the ones I have.”
“But don’t you already have a lawyer?” I asked.
I needed answers before I could accept the offer, even though the salary would ensure that mom could stay in her own home. I wanted to be sure I knew what I was really getting into before I walked away from both the Public Defender’s Office and the Hancock, Garcia, and Smith offer.
“We have had some trouble with our reputation,” Cruz sighed.
“Your reputation?” I asked as I pictured the mysterious president of Fuentes Shipping as some stereotypical cartel leader.
“Yes,” Alvaro answered. “We’ve been told we’re a ‘brand risk’.”
He put air quotes around the words ‘brand risk’, and his almost black eyes flashed with an irritation that I was glad wasn’t directed at me.
“I understand,” I said as I nodded my head, though I was almost positive that not all of their imports were strictly legal. “But I’m sure that there are more established lawyers that you can hire.”
“It’s a hassle,” the vice president sat back in his chair as he crossed one leg over the table. “And I value Diego’s opinion. He said you were able to have his case tossed with almost no effort.”
“It was open and shut,” I responded. “I was told I’d be doing corporate work for your company?”
I glanced toward the filing cabinets, and then the poorly typed contract that I had been handed. If all of their business offers were in the same state, I would be able to help them at least seem a little more professional in that respect, and that might help with their questionable reputation.
“Yes,” the tall man said as he followed my gaze to the filing cabinets.
I had to admit, the man in front of me was exactly what I would expect a criminal enforcer to look like. And though he’d said I’d do corporate work rather than criminal, I would still need to look into the company before I could seriously entertain the offer. The proposal from Hancock, Garcia, and Smith was only ten percent more than I made at the Public Defender’s Office, but it was a prestigious law firm that I knew I could trust, and if I stuck with them, I could someday make the same amount that the company was offering. Someday.
My mother was sick now, though, and the out of pocket expenses would pile up quickly. She’d blow through what little savings she had left after paying for my law school, and then she’d have to find another way to cover the costs.
“I think I could help your company,” I said after a few agonizing moments of silence. “However, I would need to think about your offer before I can formally accept.”
“That’s reasonable,” Alvaro nodded his head once. “Though I’m sure you’d like to get out of the Public Defender’s Office and make some real money.”
“I would like to move on,” I answered. “But in an effort to be transparent, I should let you know that I’ve recently received another offer of employment from Hancock, Garcia, and Smith.”
“Ah,” the dark-haired man said in that soft tone that still held a hint of a threat to it. “I appreciate you letting me know.”
He ran a hand over the top of his hair and then down the scruff that dotted his angular jaw, and I wondered if the prestigious law firm would be given a reason to withdraw their proposal.
“Of course,” I responded.
“I’m confident that you’ll make the right decision,” Cruz replied with a small nod.
I glanced back down at the rough contract that I held in my hand. It was more generous than I could expect from any other company despite the typos. And while there wouldn’t be anyone to help train me in corporate law, I still had my old textbooks and figured I could pick up the rest as I needed it.
“What kind of corporate work would you need help with?” I asked.
“It will vary,” the dark-eyed man replied with a smile that revealed dimples that did nothing to take away from his intimidating appearance. “Mostly paperwork. More than likely some import hoops.”
He gestured to the filing cabinets that lined the walls, and then made a rasping sound that might have been a laugh.
“You’ll need to review our current business deals to ensure that they’re written well,” he added when he finished laughing. “Make sure everything is… what’s that word? Kosher?”
“Of course,” I said.
We stared at each other for a moment, and then the cell phone on his desk started to chime. He flipped the device over, frowned, and then turned it
