silly and embarrassed. All this for nothing? But if Lord was lying? He
glanced again at the man, but the face was impassive. But why would he
lie? Jack could think of several reasons, but none of them made too
much sense. Could he have been wrong? Had he just made a complete ass
out of himself in front of the firm’s most powerful partner?
Lord’s voice was softer now, almost consoling. “Barry Alvis was let go
as part of an ongoing effort to clear out the deadwood near the top. We
want more attorneys who can do the work and produce the rain. Hell, like
you. Simple as that.
Barry wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. We’ve been working on
this for a long time, Jack. Long before you ever came to the firm.” Lord
paused and looked keenly at Jack.
“Is there something you’re not telling me? We’re going to be partners
soon, you can’t keep things from your partners.”
Lord chuckled inwardly. The list of secret deals he had had with clients
was a long one.
Jack was close to biting, but decided not to.
“I’m not a partner yet, Sandy.”
“Pure formality.”
“Things don’t happen till they happen.”
Lord shifted uncomfortably in his chair, waved his cigarette smoke like
a wand. So maybe the rumors that Jack was contemplating jumping ship
were true. Those rumors were the reason Lord was sitting here with the
young lawyer. They looked at each other. A smile tugged at Jack’s mouth.
Jack’s four million in legal business was an irresistible carrot.
Particularly because it meant another four hundred grand to Sandy Lord,
not that he needed it, but not that he would turn it down either. He had
the reputation of being a big spender.
And lawyers didn’t retire. They worked until they dropped.
The best made a lot of money, but compared to CEOs, rock stars and
actors they were strictly minor-league compensation-wise.
“I thought you liked our shop.”
“I do.”
“So?”
“So what?”
Sandy’s eye roamed the dining room again. He spotted another female
acquaintance encased in a sleek and costly business suit under which
Sandy had good reason to believe she wore absolutely nothing. He
swallowed the rest of his gin and tonic, looked at Jack. Lord grew more
and more irritated.
The stupid, green sonofabitch.
@’You ever been to this place before?”
Jack shook his head, surveyed the thick menu, searching for a burger and
fries and not finding it. Then the menu was yanked out of his hand and
Lord leaned into him, his breath heavy and saggy in Jack’s face.
“Well, why don’t you take a look around then?”
Lord lifted a finger for the waiter and ordered a Dewar’s and water,
which appeared a minute later. Jack leaned back in his chair, but Lord
inched closer, almost straddling the ornately carved table.
“I’ve been in restaurants before, Sandy, believe it or not.”
“Not this one though, right? You see that little lady over there?”
Lord’s surprisingly slender fingers sliced through the air. Jack’s gaze
fell on the congressional liaison. “I’ve fucked that woman five times in
the past six months.” Lord could not help but smile as Jack appraised
the subject and came away duly impressed.
“Now ask yourself why a creature like that would condescend to sleep
with a big old bag of fat like me.”
“Maybe she feels sorry for you.” Jack smiled.
Lord did not. “If you actually believe that, then you possess a naivete
that borders on incompetence. Do you really believe women in this town
are any more pure than the men?
Why should they be? Just because they have tits and a skirt doesn’t
mean they won’t take what they want and use any means at their disposal
to do so.
“You see, son, it’s because I can give her what she wants, and I don’t
mean between the sheets. She knows that, I know that. I can open doors
in this town only a handful of men can.
And the quid pro quo for that is she lets me fuck her. It’s a straight
commercial transaction entered into by intelligent, highly sophisticated
parties. How about that?”