Vince’s face was on every news channel, and the clip had garnered over 150,000 hits on YouTube. He was a ready-made celebrity, and everyone was contacting me, his lawyer.
Fascinating factoid: the man who played Robin in the Adam West series of Batman has re-homed more than 15,000 dogs through his charity, and as he specialises in dogs like Great Danes, most are bigger than him.
I couldn’t get a read on McCray but I guessed that the senior partners weren’t happy with me … unless I could turn this into a media coup for the company. I kind of hated them a little for that because it was supposed to be about homeless dogs, not how some very wealthy lawyers could spin this for their own benefit. But I was cynical enough to know how the corporate game was played.
Vince still hadn’t replied to my messages and I needed a break. Luckily, I was meeting my BFF for an early supper before I headed back to the office to do my real job.
Cady looked fabulous as always as she sashayed into the restaurant, plopped down at my corner table and immediately slid one of the blintzes I’d ordered onto her plate.
“Grace, sweetie, you’ve got ugh-face. What’s up?”
“My face is ugh?”
“Stop stalling. What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing,” I moaned.
She peered across the table and raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve been your best friend for 19 years and I know you. I call bullshit.”
“I can’t tell you.”
“What? Of course you can!”
“I really can’t!” I whimpered, feeling utterly pathetic.
“Hmm, well, mime it then.”
“Mime it?”
“Yes, you know, charades.”
“Are you serious?”
“As serious as my love of lemon-glazed donuts.”
“Fine.”
I leaned back in my seat and raised five fingers, then mimed the harbinger of my doom.
“Um … five letters … um … it’s got a horn? A rhino? No? Uh, unicorn? Not a unicorn. Dinosaur?”
“Ugh, no! You’re teasing me!” I yelped.
“Well … could it be … knob-head?”
I nodded.
“So, is it Vince?”
“Of course it is! You were enjoying that, weren’t you? You’re evil!”
“Nah, I’m your BFF.”
“Same thing.”
“If you say so. So what’s the knob-head done now? Apart from getting himself arrested and his face appearing on every news channel and gossip website.”
I dropped my head into my hands. “Isn’t that enough? Although it gets worse. He never answers his phone and I’ve promised a statement from him that reporters are waiting on. I thought four hours would be enough but so far he hasn’t even read my email or returned my calls! And that’s still not the worst of it!”
Cady pulled a face. “There’s more? What’s up, Grace? You’re putting me off my blintzes, and that never happens.”
“Nothing important,” I laughed hysterically.
“It’s bothering you; you’re my bestie BFF…”
“What are we, twelve?” I said snarkily.
“…so if it matters to you, it matters to me.”
“It sounds pathetic…”
“Please! You listened to me whine about Rick last year, all moody about whether he liked me or not.”
“You were never moody.”
“Thank you, but that’s not the point. You’re re-directing, Counselor.”
“I know. Okay, fine. I have no one to go to the annual staff party with. Again.”
Cady blinked. “You hate the annual staff party. You usually go for five minutes then make an excuse and run for it.”
“I hate it because I’m the only person there who doesn’t have a date. Everyone stares and looks sorry for me.”
“Screw ‘em! You’re a strong, successful, beautiful…”
“Thank you. You’re right, I know it. But I just feel…”
“I’ll come with you,” said Cady cheerfully. “I’ll be your date.”
I gave a reluctant laugh. “Thanks, but the senior partners already think I’m a closet lesbian.”
“Seriously? Did I already say screw ‘em? So spice it up. Let them think it! Anyway, I think you’re hot. But really, does it matter what they think?”
“Unfortunately, yes, if I want to make partner any time in the next decade.”
“That attitude is Stone Age!”
“Welcome to corporate law. But Carl McCray came into my office today and that never happens. Then he mentioned Vince and all the press coverage and now he wants to meet him—at the staff party! It wasn’t a request!”
Cady leaned back in her chair, her expression aghast. “Are you telling me that Vince is going to be your date to the annual staff party?”
“YES!”
“Wow! That’s … unexpected.”
“You bet your ass it is! What am I supposed to do? It’ll be a disaster.”
Cady finished her blintze. “At least it’ll be memorable.”
I let my head rest on my arms and moaned.
Then my phone rang.
“It’s him! Knob-head!” I stared at the phone as if it was about to bite me.
Cady