Boys and Girls, Part II: Prince Charming
folder
Romance › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
16
Views:
4,576
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Romance › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
16
Views:
4,576
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Chapter 1 - The Interview
A/N: Okay, so the first chapter will be a little slow. You basically don’t even get to meet the heroine, but we all know her already anyway, and I wanted the chance to introduce you a little more to Joe. This is necessary exposition, people! Enjoy.
Chapter 1 - The Interview
“Did you eat your breakfast, Joey?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
Joseph “Joe” Estes shook his head as he finished brushing his teeth. His mother was the only person in the world capable of making him more nervous for his upcoming job interview than he already was. She was also the only person in the world – besides his sister, Maxine – who could call him ‘Joey’ and get away with it.
It was already the beginning of summer vacation, following Joe’s junior year of undergrad, and he was ready for the next phase of his life. After receiving his Bachelor’s and working a little, he was going to apply for law school and hopefully do what his father had been unable to do: finish school. But before he even thought about that next step, Joe needed to get some real-world experience, and he was almost certain that that would happen at Bracken, Garnett & Kaelin LLP – a very prestigious law firm in Southern California. The position would merely involve clerical duties, but Joe was aware that the experience of simply working in that high-powered atmosphere could prove invaluable to his future.
Joe wondered how many candidates landed even an interview to work at the firm as he rinsed the paste out and wiped his mouth with the towel. He had to admit, he was a little nervous. It was the same nervous he felt prior to the Tide Bowl against Alabama’s Grayson University that past January. They had lost that game.
Shit. Now was not the time for negative thoughts. Joe walked into his bedroom, straightening his tie. He pulled his jacket from where it hung on his chair and threw it on. As he was buttoning the cuffs, he felt his mother walk into the room. She gasped.
“Oh, my little boy!”
“Mom,” Joe answered pleadingly. “Don’t.”
Joe’s mother looked as if she was going to cry. “Joey, I’m just so proud –
“I don’t have the job yet,” he said, as he tugged the jacket down a little.
“You’ll get it, Joey. You always do so well at everything you try.”
“What about the Bowl game?”
“You did fine,” she huffed. “It was your teammates who let you down.”
Joe smiled. He didn’t need his mom to work up his ego. Yet, even though what she said probably wasn’t true, he still enjoyed hearing it.
Joe brushed the sleeves of his gray jacket. His suit had been a splurge that no doubt would cause his mother and sister to make certain sacrifices for the next few weeks. “I’m going now.”
“Okay Joey.” Joe’s mom stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on the cheek of her giant of a son. “Good luck.”
Joe gave his mother a smile before grabbing his apartment keys and his portfolio and heading toward the front door.
“Joey?”
Joe abruptly turned around. “Yeah Mom?”
“My vacation’s over tomorrow, so I’m going to have to catch the bus to Fresno before you come back.”
Joe’s heart sank a little. He wasn’t a little momma’s boy who couldn’t stand to be separated from his mother, but he felt sad for her all the same. After Joe’s father had passed away, almost a year ago, Joe had noticed his mother’s growing depression and the fact that she would plaster fake smiles on her face almost all the time. She so looked forward to seeing her only son, and he felt like he wasn’t doing enough to spend quality time with her.
“I’ll call you when I get back, okay?” Joe responded, feeling guilty that he couldn’t do more.
“Okay honey,” his mother answered, trying hard to hide her disappointment, yet knowing fully well that it wasn’t Joe’s fault.
Joe nodded to his mother and gave her a quick wave before leaving for the interview that could make or break the rest of his life.
****
The tall, black buildings that lined Pacific Plaza gleamed in the hot California sun. Palm trees swayed in the light breeze that cooled down the atmospheric heat. Stepping off the bus, Joe scanned the towers, looking for the building that he’d tracked down just days before to prepare for the interview; he hadn’t wanted to be late.
The people who lived in this district of North Mission were the richest and most elite and just walking among them helped Joe to imagine what his future would be like. He’d live in a condo along the beachfront and drive a luxurious BMW or Lexus – he wasn’t partial. He’d buy everything his mother and sister ever wanted – almost rewarding them for having lived so simply for so long.
Just as he approached his intended destination, Joe caught sight of a pretty brunette around his age. He smirked at the thought of all the hot girls who would be on his arms once he was making six - maybe even seven – figures a year. Sure, as the starting linebacker of North Mission’s wildly successful football team, Joe had his share of hot girls now. But once they learned about his financial situation, the honeymoon was basically over.
It had been a long time since Joe had had any kind of a relationship, and he was hoping that a successful future might lure a winning wife – someone that would exude all the positive virtues of the wealthy and elite. Also, as a rich man, Joe hoped that this perfect wife of his wouldn’t be tempted to leave him for financial reasons either.
Joe sometimes wondered how well he would do if he just stuck it out with football and decided to play pro, like his friends Jason Kent and Ryan Mackey. He’d definitely be making more than six figures. Joe knew he was pretty talented, but the lure of a college education being put to actual use was too tempting to him. He couldn’t imagine banking on a career that could be instantly cut short due to a torn ACL or whatever.
Joe walked into the cool, air-conditioned building and took the elevator to the seventh floor – headquarters of Bracken, Garnett & Kaelin, LLP. Once he reached the floor, he was greeted by a set of glass doors with the name of the partners. Through the doors, he glimpsed an older, poised secretary sitting behind a black marble bureau with BRACKEN, GARNETT & KAELIN, LLP emblazoned in gold lettering. It was so outrageously overdone, yet Joe ached to be a part of this world.
He pushed the door and confidently strode over to the marble bureau. The woman at the front corner regarded Joe with a stunned look. He wasn’t surprised – his 6’4”, 240-lb frame had a tendency to evoke stares from everyone.
“Joseph Estes. I’m here for an interview.”
The woman snapped out of her staring state. “Y-yes.” She began punching the keys on her keyboard. She looked back up at Joe, this time more focused on the task at hand. “Mr. Kaelin will see you now. His office is on the opposite end of the floor. You can take either the right or left corridor.”
Joe blinked. “Mr. Kaelin?”
The secretary looked dumbfounded. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
Joe was quick to explain. “No…no. I didn’t realize that any of the partners would be conducting the interview.”
The secretary smiled as she proudly stated, “Mr. Kaelin always meets with his applicants.”
Joe hid his surprise and gave a small nod to the secretary. Carrying his portfolio, Joe took to the right and walked down the long corridor to the office of Stephen Kaelin.
****
“Yes?” a deep voice sounded from past the door that stood slightly ajar.
Joe pushed the door open and peeked in. He was surprised to find that that fairly booming voice came from the mouth of such a small man. No, that wasn’t fair. Everybody seemed smaller compared to Joe. Even though he sat behind his mahogany bureau, Joe could tell that Kaelin wasn’t much taller than 5’8” or 5’9”. Yet, as his money green eyes peered up at Joe through stylish glasses, Joe was struck with an image of a man who somehow scared the bejeezus out of him.
Worried that he was beginning to seem like a shy child, Joe quickly pushed the door open and stood in the doorway. Standing tall, Joe knew he looked imposing, but Kaelin didn’t look fazed or intimidated in the least.
Joe cleared his throat, then walked closer to Kaelin, extending his hand. “Joseph Estes.”
Kaelin regarded Joe’s extended hand with what could best be described as disdain. His green eyes shot up to meet Joe’s dark brown eyes.
Joe swallowed the rising lump in his throat but kept his hand extended. Joe imagined that he was out on the gridiron in the conference game. He eyed the offensive formation of the opposing team as he thought up a strategy to keep that team from advancing. He knew he had one of the most intimidating stares in college football-dom. It was the stare he shot at the entire offensive line of the rival team. That was the stare that he leveled at Stephen Kaelin because Kaelin’s resolve just would not budge.
All of a sudden, a big grin broke out on Kaelin’s face and he clapped his hands together once. “I knew it!”
Joe snapped back. What the hell?
Kaelin jumped up and walked around his desk. Instead of accepting Joe’s hand, he did his best to wrap his arms around the gigantic linebacker and pulled him in for a hug. Joe was…a little uncomfortable.
“Sit down, sit down,” Kaelin said, as he pulled away from the hug. He walked back over to the other side of the desk and plopped down on his leather swivel armchair. He exhaled a sigh of relief and regarded Joe with all the admiration in the world.
Joe stared blankly at Kaelin and wondered if he was supposed to remember something he couldn’t recall?
“How you feeling son?”
“F-fine, Sir,” Joe answered, still confused. He leaned forward and placed the portfolio in front of Kaelin before reverting to a rigid posture in the seat opposite Kaelin’s – his sweaty palms set on top of his thighs. “Just thought I’d bring some more information about myself, Sir.”
Kaelin nodded and opened the folder. He skimmed through the material that Joe had spent hours collecting and formatting, nodding the entire time. He closed the folder probably ten seconds after opening it. “Good, good.”
Joe just nodded in response but didn’t say anything more; he expected Kaelin to ask all the questions, but the man just kept looking admiringly at Joe. It didn’t creep him out, it just…confused him.
Finally, Kaelin just came out and said it. “That was a spectacular tackle in the fourth quarter, boy.”
Joe finally got it. He was dealing with another fan. He didn’t even have to ask Kaelin which ‘fourth quarter’ he was referring to. Joe’s tackle had prevented Grayson from scoring another touchdown and allowed NMU to stay in contention, even though they had ultimately lost the game.
“How’s that shoulder feeling?”
Joe’s shoulder was fine. It had hurt a lot after that tackle, but he was surprised that Kaelin remembered it. “Good, Sir.”
Kaelin just stared at Joe with a smile on his face, like a five-year-old meeting Brian Urlacher for the first time. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly composed himself and handed Joe’s portfolio back to him.
“Well, everything seems to look good. Now, let’s get down to the important stuff.” He poured himself a steaming mug of something from the coffeemaker located in the corner of his room, took a sip, and then set the cup down. “So are you considering entering the draft, Estes?”
Joe was totally floored by this. What the hell was going on? Were they going to talk about law or the NFL? “Uh…no, Sir. I fully intend on getting into law school and eventually practicing as a district attorney.”
“You want to be a D.A.?” Kaelin asked, as if Joe was being an idiot. “You must know that all the money’s in defense and corporate law these days.”
“I do know that,” Joe answered calmly. “However, I would like to be a prosecutor, Sir.”
Kaelin regarded Joe questioningly before his mouth erupted into one of those friendly grins. “You’re not going to contradict your interviewer, are you son?”
Joe knew Kaelin was kidding, but he stayed firm in his resolve. “I have to, Sir.”
That got a deep chuckle from Kaelin. He opened his mouth to say something when a beep sounded from the phone on top of his bureau. “Mr. Kaelin, your daughter’s here to see you.”
Kaelin appeared apologetic and reached over to press the return button on his phone. “I don’t have any more credit cards to give her, Maggie.”
“I heard that!” a huffy, girly voice sounded from the other end. “Daddy, I am soooo mad at you!”
Kaelin rolled his eyes. “Princess, I’m a little busy right now.”
“Oh, that’s fine…” the same girly voice answered on the other end. “…then, I’ll just have mom call you and –
“Dammit, let her in,” Kaelin grumbled to his secretary. He looked up at Joe and began to rise from his seat, extending a hand. “Thank you son. It’s been a real pleasure.”
Joe began to panic. Had his interview been so bad that it was going to be cut short due to a spoiled daughter? “Uh, wh-when should I expect a call, Sir?”
Kaelin looked dumbfounded. “Excuse me?”
Shit. This is bad, Joe thought. “A call about the…uh…
Suddenly, understanding dawned on Kaelin’s face and he broke out in a smile. “Estes, you’ve already got the job, son.” He reached over and gave Joe an encouraging pat on the back. “You had the job before you walked in.” He circled around the bureau and walked Joe to the door. “I just wanted to meet NMU’s star linebacker in person.”
Joe’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Uh…isn’t that a tad unfair to the other candidates?”
Kaelin frowned.
Shut up you ass, Joe thought to himself. Take it and go! Take it and go! Yet, despite his drive to succeed, Joe didn’t want any kind of favoritism to grant him concessions. He wanted to succeed at this based on his academic credentials and natural charisma.
The, just as quickly, Kaelin’s frown inverted into a genuine smile. “Estes, you can’t talk like that if you want to be a successful attorney.”
The look of confusion still lingered on Joe’s face. “Sir?”
Kaelin shook his head. “There were no other candidates, Joe. I don’t interview anyone who I don’t find up to par to work at my firm.” He began ushering Joe out of the door. “Nobody else came close to your credentials. You had excellent grades and excellent references, so don’t think that you got this job just because I’m a little star-struck, understand?”
Joe grinned and nodded.
Kaelin patted Joe on the back as he opened the door to leave and leaned in to whisper something to Joe. “Now I suggest you haul ass out of here before you meet the wrath of my only daughter.”
Joe snickered, shook hands with Stephen Kaelin one last time, and ducked out before meeting this girl…some spoiled brat named Stephanie Kaelin.
****
A/N: Okay, so this plot point of Joe not being familiar with Stephanie works because he does not see Stephanie. He’s only met her once before at Thai Palace, but he didn’t know her name. Just thought I’d point this out though!
Chapter 1 - The Interview
“Did you eat your breakfast, Joey?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
Joseph “Joe” Estes shook his head as he finished brushing his teeth. His mother was the only person in the world capable of making him more nervous for his upcoming job interview than he already was. She was also the only person in the world – besides his sister, Maxine – who could call him ‘Joey’ and get away with it.
It was already the beginning of summer vacation, following Joe’s junior year of undergrad, and he was ready for the next phase of his life. After receiving his Bachelor’s and working a little, he was going to apply for law school and hopefully do what his father had been unable to do: finish school. But before he even thought about that next step, Joe needed to get some real-world experience, and he was almost certain that that would happen at Bracken, Garnett & Kaelin LLP – a very prestigious law firm in Southern California. The position would merely involve clerical duties, but Joe was aware that the experience of simply working in that high-powered atmosphere could prove invaluable to his future.
Joe wondered how many candidates landed even an interview to work at the firm as he rinsed the paste out and wiped his mouth with the towel. He had to admit, he was a little nervous. It was the same nervous he felt prior to the Tide Bowl against Alabama’s Grayson University that past January. They had lost that game.
Shit. Now was not the time for negative thoughts. Joe walked into his bedroom, straightening his tie. He pulled his jacket from where it hung on his chair and threw it on. As he was buttoning the cuffs, he felt his mother walk into the room. She gasped.
“Oh, my little boy!”
“Mom,” Joe answered pleadingly. “Don’t.”
Joe’s mother looked as if she was going to cry. “Joey, I’m just so proud –
“I don’t have the job yet,” he said, as he tugged the jacket down a little.
“You’ll get it, Joey. You always do so well at everything you try.”
“What about the Bowl game?”
“You did fine,” she huffed. “It was your teammates who let you down.”
Joe smiled. He didn’t need his mom to work up his ego. Yet, even though what she said probably wasn’t true, he still enjoyed hearing it.
Joe brushed the sleeves of his gray jacket. His suit had been a splurge that no doubt would cause his mother and sister to make certain sacrifices for the next few weeks. “I’m going now.”
“Okay Joey.” Joe’s mom stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on the cheek of her giant of a son. “Good luck.”
Joe gave his mother a smile before grabbing his apartment keys and his portfolio and heading toward the front door.
“Joey?”
Joe abruptly turned around. “Yeah Mom?”
“My vacation’s over tomorrow, so I’m going to have to catch the bus to Fresno before you come back.”
Joe’s heart sank a little. He wasn’t a little momma’s boy who couldn’t stand to be separated from his mother, but he felt sad for her all the same. After Joe’s father had passed away, almost a year ago, Joe had noticed his mother’s growing depression and the fact that she would plaster fake smiles on her face almost all the time. She so looked forward to seeing her only son, and he felt like he wasn’t doing enough to spend quality time with her.
“I’ll call you when I get back, okay?” Joe responded, feeling guilty that he couldn’t do more.
“Okay honey,” his mother answered, trying hard to hide her disappointment, yet knowing fully well that it wasn’t Joe’s fault.
Joe nodded to his mother and gave her a quick wave before leaving for the interview that could make or break the rest of his life.
****
The tall, black buildings that lined Pacific Plaza gleamed in the hot California sun. Palm trees swayed in the light breeze that cooled down the atmospheric heat. Stepping off the bus, Joe scanned the towers, looking for the building that he’d tracked down just days before to prepare for the interview; he hadn’t wanted to be late.
The people who lived in this district of North Mission were the richest and most elite and just walking among them helped Joe to imagine what his future would be like. He’d live in a condo along the beachfront and drive a luxurious BMW or Lexus – he wasn’t partial. He’d buy everything his mother and sister ever wanted – almost rewarding them for having lived so simply for so long.
Just as he approached his intended destination, Joe caught sight of a pretty brunette around his age. He smirked at the thought of all the hot girls who would be on his arms once he was making six - maybe even seven – figures a year. Sure, as the starting linebacker of North Mission’s wildly successful football team, Joe had his share of hot girls now. But once they learned about his financial situation, the honeymoon was basically over.
It had been a long time since Joe had had any kind of a relationship, and he was hoping that a successful future might lure a winning wife – someone that would exude all the positive virtues of the wealthy and elite. Also, as a rich man, Joe hoped that this perfect wife of his wouldn’t be tempted to leave him for financial reasons either.
Joe sometimes wondered how well he would do if he just stuck it out with football and decided to play pro, like his friends Jason Kent and Ryan Mackey. He’d definitely be making more than six figures. Joe knew he was pretty talented, but the lure of a college education being put to actual use was too tempting to him. He couldn’t imagine banking on a career that could be instantly cut short due to a torn ACL or whatever.
Joe walked into the cool, air-conditioned building and took the elevator to the seventh floor – headquarters of Bracken, Garnett & Kaelin, LLP. Once he reached the floor, he was greeted by a set of glass doors with the name of the partners. Through the doors, he glimpsed an older, poised secretary sitting behind a black marble bureau with BRACKEN, GARNETT & KAELIN, LLP emblazoned in gold lettering. It was so outrageously overdone, yet Joe ached to be a part of this world.
He pushed the door and confidently strode over to the marble bureau. The woman at the front corner regarded Joe with a stunned look. He wasn’t surprised – his 6’4”, 240-lb frame had a tendency to evoke stares from everyone.
“Joseph Estes. I’m here for an interview.”
The woman snapped out of her staring state. “Y-yes.” She began punching the keys on her keyboard. She looked back up at Joe, this time more focused on the task at hand. “Mr. Kaelin will see you now. His office is on the opposite end of the floor. You can take either the right or left corridor.”
Joe blinked. “Mr. Kaelin?”
The secretary looked dumbfounded. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
Joe was quick to explain. “No…no. I didn’t realize that any of the partners would be conducting the interview.”
The secretary smiled as she proudly stated, “Mr. Kaelin always meets with his applicants.”
Joe hid his surprise and gave a small nod to the secretary. Carrying his portfolio, Joe took to the right and walked down the long corridor to the office of Stephen Kaelin.
****
“Yes?” a deep voice sounded from past the door that stood slightly ajar.
Joe pushed the door open and peeked in. He was surprised to find that that fairly booming voice came from the mouth of such a small man. No, that wasn’t fair. Everybody seemed smaller compared to Joe. Even though he sat behind his mahogany bureau, Joe could tell that Kaelin wasn’t much taller than 5’8” or 5’9”. Yet, as his money green eyes peered up at Joe through stylish glasses, Joe was struck with an image of a man who somehow scared the bejeezus out of him.
Worried that he was beginning to seem like a shy child, Joe quickly pushed the door open and stood in the doorway. Standing tall, Joe knew he looked imposing, but Kaelin didn’t look fazed or intimidated in the least.
Joe cleared his throat, then walked closer to Kaelin, extending his hand. “Joseph Estes.”
Kaelin regarded Joe’s extended hand with what could best be described as disdain. His green eyes shot up to meet Joe’s dark brown eyes.
Joe swallowed the rising lump in his throat but kept his hand extended. Joe imagined that he was out on the gridiron in the conference game. He eyed the offensive formation of the opposing team as he thought up a strategy to keep that team from advancing. He knew he had one of the most intimidating stares in college football-dom. It was the stare he shot at the entire offensive line of the rival team. That was the stare that he leveled at Stephen Kaelin because Kaelin’s resolve just would not budge.
All of a sudden, a big grin broke out on Kaelin’s face and he clapped his hands together once. “I knew it!”
Joe snapped back. What the hell?
Kaelin jumped up and walked around his desk. Instead of accepting Joe’s hand, he did his best to wrap his arms around the gigantic linebacker and pulled him in for a hug. Joe was…a little uncomfortable.
“Sit down, sit down,” Kaelin said, as he pulled away from the hug. He walked back over to the other side of the desk and plopped down on his leather swivel armchair. He exhaled a sigh of relief and regarded Joe with all the admiration in the world.
Joe stared blankly at Kaelin and wondered if he was supposed to remember something he couldn’t recall?
“How you feeling son?”
“F-fine, Sir,” Joe answered, still confused. He leaned forward and placed the portfolio in front of Kaelin before reverting to a rigid posture in the seat opposite Kaelin’s – his sweaty palms set on top of his thighs. “Just thought I’d bring some more information about myself, Sir.”
Kaelin nodded and opened the folder. He skimmed through the material that Joe had spent hours collecting and formatting, nodding the entire time. He closed the folder probably ten seconds after opening it. “Good, good.”
Joe just nodded in response but didn’t say anything more; he expected Kaelin to ask all the questions, but the man just kept looking admiringly at Joe. It didn’t creep him out, it just…confused him.
Finally, Kaelin just came out and said it. “That was a spectacular tackle in the fourth quarter, boy.”
Joe finally got it. He was dealing with another fan. He didn’t even have to ask Kaelin which ‘fourth quarter’ he was referring to. Joe’s tackle had prevented Grayson from scoring another touchdown and allowed NMU to stay in contention, even though they had ultimately lost the game.
“How’s that shoulder feeling?”
Joe’s shoulder was fine. It had hurt a lot after that tackle, but he was surprised that Kaelin remembered it. “Good, Sir.”
Kaelin just stared at Joe with a smile on his face, like a five-year-old meeting Brian Urlacher for the first time. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly composed himself and handed Joe’s portfolio back to him.
“Well, everything seems to look good. Now, let’s get down to the important stuff.” He poured himself a steaming mug of something from the coffeemaker located in the corner of his room, took a sip, and then set the cup down. “So are you considering entering the draft, Estes?”
Joe was totally floored by this. What the hell was going on? Were they going to talk about law or the NFL? “Uh…no, Sir. I fully intend on getting into law school and eventually practicing as a district attorney.”
“You want to be a D.A.?” Kaelin asked, as if Joe was being an idiot. “You must know that all the money’s in defense and corporate law these days.”
“I do know that,” Joe answered calmly. “However, I would like to be a prosecutor, Sir.”
Kaelin regarded Joe questioningly before his mouth erupted into one of those friendly grins. “You’re not going to contradict your interviewer, are you son?”
Joe knew Kaelin was kidding, but he stayed firm in his resolve. “I have to, Sir.”
That got a deep chuckle from Kaelin. He opened his mouth to say something when a beep sounded from the phone on top of his bureau. “Mr. Kaelin, your daughter’s here to see you.”
Kaelin appeared apologetic and reached over to press the return button on his phone. “I don’t have any more credit cards to give her, Maggie.”
“I heard that!” a huffy, girly voice sounded from the other end. “Daddy, I am soooo mad at you!”
Kaelin rolled his eyes. “Princess, I’m a little busy right now.”
“Oh, that’s fine…” the same girly voice answered on the other end. “…then, I’ll just have mom call you and –
“Dammit, let her in,” Kaelin grumbled to his secretary. He looked up at Joe and began to rise from his seat, extending a hand. “Thank you son. It’s been a real pleasure.”
Joe began to panic. Had his interview been so bad that it was going to be cut short due to a spoiled daughter? “Uh, wh-when should I expect a call, Sir?”
Kaelin looked dumbfounded. “Excuse me?”
Shit. This is bad, Joe thought. “A call about the…uh…
Suddenly, understanding dawned on Kaelin’s face and he broke out in a smile. “Estes, you’ve already got the job, son.” He reached over and gave Joe an encouraging pat on the back. “You had the job before you walked in.” He circled around the bureau and walked Joe to the door. “I just wanted to meet NMU’s star linebacker in person.”
Joe’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Uh…isn’t that a tad unfair to the other candidates?”
Kaelin frowned.
Shut up you ass, Joe thought to himself. Take it and go! Take it and go! Yet, despite his drive to succeed, Joe didn’t want any kind of favoritism to grant him concessions. He wanted to succeed at this based on his academic credentials and natural charisma.
The, just as quickly, Kaelin’s frown inverted into a genuine smile. “Estes, you can’t talk like that if you want to be a successful attorney.”
The look of confusion still lingered on Joe’s face. “Sir?”
Kaelin shook his head. “There were no other candidates, Joe. I don’t interview anyone who I don’t find up to par to work at my firm.” He began ushering Joe out of the door. “Nobody else came close to your credentials. You had excellent grades and excellent references, so don’t think that you got this job just because I’m a little star-struck, understand?”
Joe grinned and nodded.
Kaelin patted Joe on the back as he opened the door to leave and leaned in to whisper something to Joe. “Now I suggest you haul ass out of here before you meet the wrath of my only daughter.”
Joe snickered, shook hands with Stephen Kaelin one last time, and ducked out before meeting this girl…some spoiled brat named Stephanie Kaelin.
****
A/N: Okay, so this plot point of Joe not being familiar with Stephanie works because he does not see Stephanie. He’s only met her once before at Thai Palace, but he didn’t know her name. Just thought I’d point this out though!