The Retainer

Abigale looked over at Simone, the young blonde deep in thought as she worked away in the office across the room, and beamed with pride. She'd finally done it.

Well, more accurately, they'd done it. The small office wasn't much, but the name on the door, Murray and Associates was all theirs. One day it would be Murray, Brassard and Associates, but until Simone finished her law degree, Abigale would have to remain the sole name on the door.

But that was only a matter of time, Simone wasn't a stereotypical blonde by any means. She was smart, driven and a serious person all around. She'd been going to night school while they had both been working at Donaldson, Gregson and Connolly, and Abigale had no doubt she'd easily pass the bar once she graduated.

Of course in the meantime, she was the perfect law clerk, keeping everything in order and making sure nothing was filed late.

The thought of her old firm brought a frown to her face. Donaldson, Gregson and Connolly was internally referred to as DGC but most of the female clerks and lawyers referred to it as Don't Get Cocky as the glass ceiling in the place was just above their desks.

To be honest, she wasn't sure how the firm hadn't gone under from an avalanche of sexual harassment lawsuits from the way they treated many of the female personal assistants and other staff. Though none of them seemed to complain and there was never any move made against the female clerks and lawyers as far as Abigale could tell.

Simone had relayed the same experience when they had first started to talk about leaving DGC. While neither had any direct issue to file a complaint about, they both felt the crushing pressure of the glass ceiling that they knew they would never break.

A reminder sounded and broke Abigale's train of thought as Simone looked up from her computer and frowned, "Abigale, do we really have to keep this client?" Simone called across the conference table that sat between their two offices.

Abigale let out a sigh, she knew what Simone meant, but he was the only client that she'd been able to bring over from DGC. The retainer he was giving their small firm each month paid for, well, everything. And it wasn't like he required a lot of time, he currently had no active legal matters underway and all he expected was a one-hour meeting every two weeks.

"You know the answer to that already Simone, he pays a generous retainer and I checked, he hasn't had a legal matter beyond some simple power of attorney and land transfers for over a decade with DGC. And so what if he's a little... odd."

"Odd? He gives me the heebie-jeebies every time he walks into the room." Simone replied giving a slightly exaggerated shutter as she did so.

"Yeah well, get over it. Maybe once we have some other paying clients we can talk about it again. But for now, suck it up and put on a smile."

Simone rolled her eyes and then plastered on a big fake smile, "Oh, you mean like this? *tee-hee*" she said as she tilted her head to the side and put her index finger on her cheek.

Abigale only just managed to contain the burst of laughter but failed to do so with the snort the followed.

It was an in-joke they'd started shortly after they'd met at DGC, the female staff there were divided into two groups really. The first group, made up of clerks and lawyers, were as you would expect, professional, hardworking people that took their jobs seriously. The second group, made up of the support staff and office workers, seemed to all be bottle blonde bimbos with bright smiles plastered across their faces at all times.

It was this second group that got all of the obvious sexual harassment but never file a complaint about it.

Abigale had tried to talk to one of them... once, only to find the vapid airhead impossible to get through to. Though strangely enough, when any of them were given a task to do, they completed it quickly and competently. Then they'd end up going right back to giggling with the others about fashion or makeup or some other nonsense.

After that Abigale had kept her distance, wanting nothing to do with them as she worked hard to get ahead. Of course, it hadn't taken her long to realize the DGC would never promote her from junior counsel. As soon as she did she started planning her "escape" plan.

It had been harder than she thought, even with Simone's considerable help it was hard to start up a new law firm. She'd spent months tenderly approaching several of the clients she was working on, never saying outright that she was leaving, but trying to find a few that might consider following her.

Only Raymond Quandary had shown any interest, but after looking at his account, he was more than enough.

And so, after wining and dining him for a few weeks, on DGC's expense account of course, she had her first client.

Two weeks later, she'd found their small office a few blocks away from DGC where the rent was cheaper. Simone and her had spent a week setting up the office after they'd both turned in their resignation letters, and so here they were, their first client meeting since opening their door.

A few minutes before the top of the hour, said door swung open and in walked Raymond Quandary. He was in his late forties, a little overweight and of average height, well dressed, balding but with short cropped hair as he was clearly not trying to hide it. He projected confidence with every step he took and every movement he made.

"Good morning ladies, how are my two favourite lawyers doing today?" he said with a warm smile. Most, at first glance, would have found the smile easy going and sincere, but after having seen it dozens of times, Abigale found it unsettling at best.

There was something off about it, nothing she could quite put her finger on, but something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She knew Simone felt the same way but just as she'd joked earlier, she'd put on a smile so Abigale did the same as the two of them stepped out of their offices and into the middle of their space where the conference table was.

The meeting was simple enough, he had a few land transfers for them to do, he was selling one property and purchasing two others. Nothing Abigale was needed for and Simone took down all the details she would need to get the paperwork in order.

When he left, they both looked at each other and let out a sigh of relief, a palpable weight lifted from their shoulders with his presence gone.

* * *

Abigale stepped out of her office and looked over to Simone, a stack of papers on her desk with a dozen little yellow stickies protruding from them.

"Is that Raymond's paperwork all set?" she asked. Simone had spent the last two weeks working on it and now all that was required was his signature.

"Yeah..." Simone responded with another eye roll, "Can't we..."

"Not another word Simone. You know we can't, not yet at least." Abigale cut Simone off before she could complete the sentence and gave her a finger wag of admonishment.

"You're going to meet a prospective client?" Simone replied, raising a hopeful eyebrow.

"Yes, but don't get your hopes up quite yet. It would take a dozen of these kinds of clients to replace Raymond." Abigale didn't like having to skip out on the meeting with Raymond, well actually she did, but it still wasn't good to blow off their only paying client on their second meeting. But the prospective client had been quite insistent that this was the only time he had available and so she'd agreed.

"Yeah, but we have to start somewhere, right?"

Abigale nodded and headed to the door just as it opened and Raymond stepped through, she put on her best smile once more, "Hello Raymond, how are you today?"

"Abigale! Very good, on your way out to a meeting?" Raymond replied with the same off-putting smile he always wore.

"Yes, I'm sorry I won't be here for your meeting, but Simone has everything under control."

"Oh, no worries Abigale, I'm sure she does." he said, lightly touching her shoulder as he passed by her. Abigale turned for just a moment to watch him walking to the conference table where Simone had just sat down with the stack of papers.

Something in the back of her mind desperately wanted to stay, a small voice telling her that there was safety in numbers, but she pushed it down and let the door close behind her.

* * *

Abigale sat in her office and frowned, the new client had kind of been a bust. Sure, technically they'd hired her, but the work was little more than a small claims court filing and would hardly be worth her time.

She shook her head, "No, no, no. There are no small clients!" she admonished herself and continued to read the details of the file.

As she finished she heard Simone's office door swing open and she looked up to see Simone step out, a hand on her forehead as she rubbed it. It was strange that the door had been closed when Abigale returned and remained that way for the rest of the day, as neither had closed their doors since moving into the office a month ago. But then again, that's what the doors were for and Abigale hadn't disturbed Simone when she'd returned.

"Hey, you alright Simone?" she called out and Simone visibly winced.

"Not so loud please..." Simone replied as she walked around the conference table and stood in Abigale's doorway.

"Got a migraine or something?" Abigale asked, lowering her voice as much as she thought she could and still have Simone hear her.

"Yeah, or something. It started just after Raymond left and I closed my door to take a quick nap."

Abigale raised an eyebrow at the news that Simone had taken a nap, not in disapproval, but in surprise that the hard working woman would even consider it. But Simone failed to notice and Abigale let it slide.

"How did it go with Raymond."

"Oh fine, he signed all the paperwork and even dropped off a few more items for me to do. I have another meeting with him next week."

"You couldn't put it off until our next bi-weekly with him?" Abigale said with sympathy in her voice.

"Oh, I guess I could have, but he's not so bad." Simone replied, almost a smile crossing her lips as she did so.

Abigale's eyebrow, already raised from before tried to crawl it's way to her hairline but failed to.

"Anyway... I'm going home to take a nice hot bath. Have a good night Abigale." Simone said, turning and leaving without waiting for a response.

* * *

Abigale watched Raymond walk into Simone's office and close the door behind him. He'd arrived a few minutes ago for his meeting with Simone and dropped by her office first to exchange pleasantries which she managed to do with a smile on her face. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up as always when he was in her presence.

On her desk were several files, a few more new clients, all with small legal matters for her to deal with, but no big fish like Raymond.

She'd known it would be hard to start fresh, but she'd never thought it would be this hard. She'd established a good reputation in her time at DGC and promoted herself, if quietly, she believed effectively at every chance she had. That alone should have gotten her some bigger clients by now.

But instead, a steady stream of small fish had kept coming in, taking up her time. It was getting frustrating.

It was almost like someone was working against her. Oh, she knew that DGC would have blacklisted her as soon as she left, but even their reach wasn't this vast. No, as much as she'd like to think it was all a grand conspiracy against her, it was just hard going.

At least Raymond had been unflinching in his support for them. Between the land transfers and other work he'd given them, they'd actually been able to bill more than just his retainer in their first month. And by the look of the papers he carried under his arm before entering Simone's office today, there was more to come. He stepped in to Simone's office and closed the door behind him.

Abigale continued to work away on the papers in front of her for nearly an hour before Simone's door opened and Raymond emerged. He smiled and waved to her as he walked out of the office, closing Simone's door behind him once again.

It was a few hours later that Simone's door opened once more and she emerged. A smile on her lips and, dare she say it, almost a skip in her step as she came over to Abigale's office.

"Hey Boss, what's up?" Simone asked.

Simone had never called her "Boss" before, after all they were partners, even if it was only Abigale's name on the door.

"Not much, just these new clients. You feeling alright? I saw your door closed again."

"Ugh... yeah, had another migraine, but it's gone now and I feel great!" Simone replied with real enthusiasm.

"Did I see Raymond bring in more work for us? Anything you need me on?" Abigale replied, almost hopeful that Raymond had something she could sink her teeth in to.

"Yeah, he had a couple more property deals, but nothing for you Boss. Anyway, I'm going to get back to it, talk to you later..." Simone replied and turned back to her office and to the work waiting there.

* * *

The hairs on the back of Abigale's neck were standing straight up once more as Raymond sat across from her desk in her office.

"I'm sorry Simone isn't here to walk you through these herself, but she was really feeling under the weather today..." Abigale said and Raymond nodded his head in understanding.

"Not a problem Abigale, she's done great work for me."

Abigale's entire body seemed to be on edge as Raymond signed the papers in all the required spots, each of the little yellow "Sign here" stickies being taken care of one by one.

When Simone had called in this morning with a migraine Abigale had been unsurprising by it. The last week or so Simone had been acting, well, weird was the best way to put it.

Oh, she was still the same dedicated, hard-working, clerk she always had been, but there was also something different about her. Subtle things like a slight change of clothing, or the way she walked around the office, or the way she kept calling Abigale "Boss".

Nothing that couldn't be dismissed as Simone trying something different, but taken together, seemed, well, *weird*.

Raymond finished signing the papers and place the pen on top of the stack of papers, "There we go, all done." he said and leaned back into his chair.

"Thank you Raymond, I'll make sure Simone gets these tomorrow when she's back in the office."

"That's great." he replied, pausing for a moment with an apprehensive look on his face, "There is... something else I'd like to talk to you about. It's a little embarrassing though..."

"Of course Raymond, everything you say here is protected by client-attorney privilege, you can tell me anything."

A look of relief crept across his face and a shiver of fear ran up her spine as it did.

"Well... I think I've made a mistake while I was in Vegas a few weeks ago..." he said, pulling a folder out from his briefcase.

Abigale took it between her fingers and opened it, inside was a marriage certificate. One of the names on it was Raymond's, the other was "Candi Starr".

She raised a questioning eyebrow, "It was a fling, just friends having a good time together!" he said defensively.

"But, I might have had a few too many. Maybe we both did. She's a fine woman of course, but, well, is there anything you can do?" he asked.

She scanned over the file as her head started to thump, "I... I'm sure if you were... intoxicated when you signed it... we can get it annulled..." she replied, her hand raising up to her forehead and rubbing it as her eyes went cross-eyed and the room spun out of control.

* * *

Abigale blinked several times and rubbed her head as she looked across her desk, the empty chair sitting there confused her.

When had Raymond left?

She looked down at the time on her computer and the confusion only intensified. Her meeting with Raymond had been at 10 am, Simone's paperwork had only taken 20 minutes or so to go through and she'd only started talking to him about the annulment. But her computer said it was almost 11:15... where had the extra 45 minutes gone?

The throbbing in her head intensified and she let out a low moan as she opened her desk drawer to find some aspirin. A quick swallow of the pills followed by a swig of water from the bottle on her desk calmed her if not doing anything immediately for the pain.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax as best she could, after a few minutes she rose from her chair and laid down on the couch to take a nap.

When she woke up, it was almost 5 o'clock but the headache was still there. She rolled off the couch and packed up for the night, what she needed was a nice hot bath and that's exactly what she intended to do when she got home.

* * *

Abigale looked across the office at Simone and smiled, it was so strange to see her hair in anything but a tight knot at the back of her head. But Abigale had to admit that the new style really suited Simone, her hair was almost down around her shoulders, but styled to frame her face with her straight blonde locks.

It wasn't the only thing that was different these days with Simone though, gone were the drab greys and blues of her old suits, replaced with flower print dresses and bright colours as well. She had even started wearing an inch or two of heel!

Abigale was almost jealous of how well the clothing fit Simone's slim frame, but was definitely envious of how much happier it seemed to make Simone.

It wasn't like Simone had ever been unhappy of course, it was just that now, each morning when she arrived at the office, she had a smile across her face that lit up the room.

When Abigale had first noticed the change she'd asked Simone about it and they'd talked for quite a while about it. But in the end, it had seemed to boil down to the simple fact that the new colours and style made Simone *feel* happier so she *was* happier.

Abigale had failed to find any counter-argument to that logic and had shrugged her shoulders. After all, it wasn't like it was effecting Simone's work. She was still the hard-working legal clerk she had always been, just happier.

And who was Abigale to deny her that?

The only downside to it was the fact that Raymond had taken a liking to her new style as well. He'd been meeting with Simone every week, sometimes twice a week, to go over some new paperwork or some such.

Though Abigale couldn't complain all that much, they'd just completed their second month in business and Raymond's billable hours were through the roof.

The main door to office swung open and a moment later Raymond waved to Abigale and a small smile almost crossed her lips. He turned to the other side of the office and walked into Simone's office, closing the door behind him, but not before Abigale saw the broad smile cross Simone's lips. Not the practiced, fake smile that she had used so many times in the past, but a genuine one that sent a little shiver down Abigale's spine.

He was here for their bi-weekly meeting, though they'd split it up into two meetings really. The first with Simone to go over whatever paperwork she had for him. And then a second for him to meet with Abigale to go over the annulment.

It was nearly half an hour later when Simone's door opened and Raymond stepped out and walked over to Abigale's office. As he did, Abigale saw a satisfied smile across Simone's glowing face and raised a curious eyebrow.

But before she could say anything Raymond stepped into the doorway and closed it behind him.

* * *

Abigale reclined in the tub, the warm scented waters working that last bits of stress from her body as the deepest tendrils of the headache finally released her brain.

She'd spent a few hours on the couch in her office after her meeting with Raymond, her mind still trying to recall the details of what they discussed, until the worst of the headache had left her. She'd gotten up and walked over to Simone's office, mumbled something about heading home early and then staggered out of the office.