“I'm really sorry, but no.” The computer guy shook his head.
“What about the other files on there? I have a lot of work stored on that thing.” Panic made my voice squeak a little. I had months of data and open cases on that computer.
“I'll be able to salvage that with some equipment in my office,” he assured me. “Since this is a firm computer, I'll put it on a new laptop and bring it up for you. I'm afraid you'll have to use a loaner computer until I get that done, though.”
“Thank you.” I tried to sound grateful, but it was hard. I hated the loaner computers and now I was going to be spending my lunch working on one. He nodded and hurried away with my broken laptop. I got to work as quickly as I could.
I finished the letter and handed it off just in time to make it to my review. I went to Calvin's office and said a little prayer before knocking on his door. This was the part of my day that should make up for the crappy morning.
The door opened just as I raised my hand to knock and I nearly ended up knocking on Alexa instead of the door.
“Holy crap, Lena,” Alexa shouted as she stepped back like I had actually hit her. “What's your problem?”
“I'm so sorry, Alexa!” I apologized, feeling my face blaze with color. “I was just coming to see Calvin.”
She glared at me and smoothed her designer suit across her slim hips. Alexa Jones was fresh out of law school and for whatever reason, she hated me. Someone said I looked like the girl her fiance dumped her for, but I couldn't believe someone as educated as she was could be that shallow. All I knew was that she despised me.
“I'll see you later tonight, Calvin.” Alexa gave Calvin a sweet smile before jostling me out of her way. She banged my shoulder against the door frame in the process, making me wince, but she didn't even look back.
As a paralegal, my review was with my supervisor, Calvin Abrams. He was a Jr. Associate who was expected to make the move upstairs to Sr. Associate by the end of the year. He was in charge of me and another paralegal, as well as the new hire associates. I liked him, and up until the time Alexa joined the staff, he had liked me.
For two years, I had been Calvin's go-to girl. Then, six months ago, Alexa had arrived and things changed between us. He stopped asking for me on his cases. I no longer went to court with him as a second chair. I was not a lawyer, and thus I suddenly was of no use to him.
“Come have a seat, Lena, and we'll get started,” Calvin said, not looking up from his desk. I sat down cautiously, still blushing from nearly knocking on Alexa's face. He pulled out a file with my name on it and placed it neatly on the desk. “I'd like to make this as quick as possible for both of us.”
I nodded eagerly and smoothed the stiff fabric of my skirt, but couldn't seem to get comfortable. Something about this meeting wasn't sitting well with me.
“I have some concerns about your performance, Lena.” Calvin frowned at the papers in front of him. There was a tension in the room that shouldn't have been there. This was supposed to be an easy review with a pretty much guaranteed raise, but now I was getting nervous. “Alexa asked you to assist her with the Preston case discovery. She said you told her no, and that you weren't polite about it. It is your job to assist the lawyers here, Lena. I know you don't get along with Alexa, but if she asks you to do something, you need to do it.”
I opened my mouth, but had nothing to say that would change his mind. It didn't matter that Alexa used me as her personal secretary. It didn't matter that I was already doing most of the work on all her other cases in addition to my other job duties because she didn't know how to do it properly. To be fair, I had snapped at her a little when she dropped the file for the Preston case in my lap. I was already behind with two other lawyers and it was her job, not mine. She just didn't want to do it because she had dinner reservations that night. I still couldn't believe she had brought it to Calvin, though. She tattled on me knowing my job review was coming up.
Calvin shuffled the papers on his desk before looking at me. His expression was the same as my father's when I had brought home a B- on my report card. I had gone from Calvin's favorite paralegal to problem child in his eyes. “I know you deserve this raise, but with what Alexa has said about your job performance with her, I can't in good conscience give it to you until you work things out with her. And honestly, it makes me question putting your name into the partners for the scholarship.”
“Calvin-” I started, but thought better of it and shut my mouth.
“I really wish you would be more like Alexa.” Calvin looked at me with such disappointment and pity that I felt sick to my stomach. “You'll just need to work harder. Like she does. I can't take your name out of the scholarship running, but I will have to tell them my concerns.
It took everything I had not to get up and murder Alexa right then and there. That scholarship was my dream and I had worked my ass off for the law firm to be the top contender. I was already a part of every opportunity the law firm offered, but the full ride scholarship to Harvard Law was what I really wanted.
“Would you like to add anything, Lena?” Calvin asked. There was a lot I wanted to add, but none of it would help me get a raise or even keep my job. Several expletives and obscene offers sat on my tongue for what he could do with his opinion of me from Alexa.
“I don't feel that Alexa's assessment is unbiased or a good example of the rest of my interactions with staff,” I said diplomatically. “If you look at the referrals written by some of the other lawyers, as well as my case numbers, you'll see that I've gone above and beyond the basic duties assigned to me. Mr. Joffrey's case, for example-”
“I don't care about Mr. Joffrey's case,” Calvin replied, cutting me off. “Alexa's concerns still stand. If you can't work with one lawyer, how can I expect you to work with the others?”
I bit my tongue, nearly drawing blood. My file clearly showed that I did work well with the others. The other lawyers loved my work. I took a deep breath and tried to come up with a way to salvage this. There was always a way to salvage things. If I wanted to be a lawyer, I had to learn to manage situations like this.
“Mr. Abrams,” I said slowly, using his formal title. “What do I need to do in order to prove to you that I am not only a reliable employee, but one of the best paralegals at this firm?”
He barked a laugh. “You may have the other lawyers willing to write nice things for you, but Alexa tells it like it is. I already told you, you need to be more like Alexa.”