Mollie from Montana

Fifteen minutes later, on Maureen's instruction, Stanley called Gary to the chairman's office.

When he knocked Maureen smiled at Mollie and called brightly, "Come in Gary."

A lean guy with curly brown hair, less than sharply dressed and standing about 6ft 2in, entered and smiled at his grandmother and said "Good morning Mrs King."

"Hello Gary. I'll let you make the introduction Stanley.

"This is Mollie from Montana, Miss Mollie O'Rourke Gary. She is being employed to my department and at my suggestion it has been decided to team Mollie with you because she comes from a small rural practice where since graduating four years ago she's covered many areas of law and appears strongest in auto accidents and personal injury. Mrs King agrees Mollie would benefit from having a mentor so I suggested you before perhaps she did."

"Hello Mollie."

"Hello Gary."

"Why this practice – we don't have many female associates and none as a partner?"

Mollie looked at him unruffled. "That's rather archaic but isn't Mrs King a licensed attorney and a equity partner?"

"Yes of course, but that's different."

"Why is that Gary?"

"I'd rather not say."

"Come on Gary, I would think your grandmother won't bite your head off, but if you're that afraid when don't you get a position elsewhere."

"Because I'm a King."

"I am aware of that Gary. Do you think you can answer my question without stonewalling?"

"Neither my grandmother nor my father like female attorneys because they can be time-wasters, are too emotional and run off to have babies."

"Well, I'm not having sex at the moment so that perhaps answers any doubt about babies for the time being, I'm not afraid of men so that probably means I'm not too scatty and don't overload emotionally and I have a reputation for having my head down, ass up while working had to achieve success for clients with time being the essence. So perhaps I might fit into the office culture here but don't expect me to wear trousers every day, go without perfume or not to show cleavage especially on hot days."

"W-why are you t-talking like this?" Gary asked.

Maureen and Stanley appeared spellbound.

"To convince you I want to become a pal Gary rather than be regarded as some dumb broad you've had foisted on you."

"I wouldn't pre-judge you."

"Oh asshole, now you tell me. Sorry to have put you through this Gary."

He grinned, she grinned while the two older adults pursed their lips and remained mute until it appeared the exchange had ended.

"Well, it appears we have run out of discussion," Maureen said dryly.

"Then it's okay if I show Mollie around the department and then take her to lunch?"

Maureen said of course and asked Mollie to return by 4:00 with relevant documents including her academic record. "Oh, we dress semi-formally for dinner."

"Oh, no cut-offs and bikini top?"

Maureen smiled indolently and said, "I see you can be quite a tease Mollie. Some of the seniors around here can be quite stuffy."

"I'll bear that in mind ma'am," Mollie said straight-faced and giving the chairman a full curtsy.

That drew a smile: "Around halfway between those extremes should be about right."

As the young couple walked to the elevator Gary said, "I cannot believe my grandmother has decided to engage you as an attorney without you being put through the regimented recruitment process that includes confirmation of your academic qualifications and close examination of your performance record."

"I know; it's scary for the regimented, isn't it? I could be a silver-lipped charlatan. She really is flighty and patently irresponsible."

"Who, my grandmother? I think you don't understand. She has a well-deserved reputation..." He stopped when he saw Mollie's teasing grin. "I don't know how you achieved it but somehow you have impressed my grandmother deeply."

"Oh, I know I'm that kind of person," Mollie said airily and then as the doors shut struck like a snake. "Oh Gary, regarding my comment about being without having sex recently – are you able to help me out here?"

Gary cringed, knowing he was trapped. He fended instantly, croaking, "Is that any way for a lady to talk?"

The journey down to the second level was completed in silence.

They toured the department that took all of three minutes because only three of the six attorneys were in the room. Stanley's office and the connecting office of his PA faced down the room to the central line of desks of the four support staff with a conference table behind them and a small library and interview room at the end of the room with the entrance door on one side and the coffee center at the other end with a fire escape beside that. Three glassed-in cubicles for attorneys were on each side of the room – a bit cramped but functional, thought Mollie.

The four support staff and Stanley's PA greeted Mollie warmly when she was introduced as a new attorney. The three male attorneys were guarded but pleasant enough. Mollie could see a question etched on their faces and surmised it was the same wording, 'Are we getting a fucking woman to assist with the workload?' The expression on the other attorney's faces changed to anything from surprise to bewilderment when Gary said, as if very impressed, "Mollie has been appointed by Mrs King as her protégé."

Mollie resisted the instinct to kiss the darling for saying that because she knew it would assist in her induction. She knew the comment was akin to saying, 'Although this addition to the department is not male you are warned not to treat her dismissively unless you'd welcome my grandmother down here to wring you neck'.

The reaction from the guys interested both Molly and Gary:

Burton: What is the largest personal injury claim you're achieved?

Mollie: $9.6 million in a pre-trial settlement.

John: I guess you sometimes have won in Court in auto accident actions?

Mollie: Sometimes. My success record in representing defendants is around 15% on acquittals, and touching 25% is winning reduced penalties on the comments of judges accepting convincing points in my submissions. Winning cases for my plaintiffs is in the low nineties.

Paul: What is an 18-wheeler?

Mollie: You're kidding me, right?

Paul (a little aggressively): If you are working with us we need to have confidence in you.

Mollie: A tractor and trailer unit. Typically the trailer has ten wheels on three axles – the front or street axle has two tires and the tow rear or drive axles with dual tires. The trailer is connected via the so-called fifth wheel more commonly known as the horseshoe and the trailer's eight wheels are on axles at the rear. The units are typically up to 80 feet long and are driven through 10-gears. loaded they weigh up to 40 tons and because of that weight take almost as twice as long as a car to brake to a stop. The driver must hold a current A-class commercial license and adhere to strict driving regulations. The trailer can jack-knife under severe braking or in adverse conditions. Rigs are involved in many serious accidents often caused by other road users. Some accidents are due to rig driver's falling asleep or being illegally affected by alcohol or drugs and some accidents are caused by inattentive drivers running into the back of a rig through inattention or attempting to 'draft' to cut down their fuel usage. I could go on. I have been through a training school for rig drivers and have studied causes of road accidents and know intimately the safety systems built into rigs and federal controls and regulations imposed by companies who employ rig drivers including drivers who own their own rigs.

Paul (grinning): Thank you Mollie. I am more confident we haven't been landed with a bunny.

Gary: Look here Paul..."

Mollie: Leave it Paul. Can't you see that derogatory term is not aimed at me – Paul is smiling?

Gary: Agreed.

To be Continued