Tish enjoyed being one of the rotating guests for the weekly legal show on one of New York City’s talk radio stations. Giving free legal advice to people who couldn’t afford it was an easy way to give back. It was an hour every few weeks that had actually brought her a few paying clients over the years. It was a good strategy to get her name “out there” when she first got out of law school and also helped her develop a reputation as a lawyer who was on the side of good. The show had a sizable listening audience. She’d often said, on the air, that she turned down clients with whom her philosophy differed. Anyone looking up her track record would discover she wasn’t kidding.
The studio was freezing cold as always, since broadcast equipment had to be kept from overheating. She adjusted her headset as the middle-aged host, James Berger, handed her a cup of hot chocolate and took a seat opposite her. “How’s it going, Tish? I’m surprised to see you after the thing with your house.”
She placed her hands around the mug to warm them. “Well, I’m lucky to be alive, so I’m counting my blessings. A house can be repaired. In the grand scheme of things, it’s just a thing.”
“Very true. But that was an incredible story about your cat.”
“Yeah, she saved my life. I don’t think I can feed her enough treats. Anyway, I’m living in a hotel during the week and with a friend on the weekend. I’ll be back in my house in a couple of months. Though right now it’s not my biggest problem.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “My biggest client was Clint Davies.”
“Oh, hell. I couldn’t believe his company went under. Loved his products. I guess we’ll have to find you some new business. You want me to say something today?”
“Nah, this show is for pro bono work. It would be tacky to solicit clients.”
“That’s the reason the callers love you. The rare ethical attorney. Tell you what, though, I could toss you a little work myself. Since I’m getting married I could use one of those pre-nups. It’s not a big project but it might pay your light bill for a month or two.”
“Pre-nup? You worried about your fiancée?”
“Twenty-three year old bikini model marrying an overweight, balding guy of fifty? The thought that she wants me for my money has crossed my mind a time or two. And my friends refer to her with the G-word.”
“G-word?”
“Golddigger.”
Tish shook her head. “Why do guys like you date women like that?”
He flashed a wicked grin as his eyebrows did a little jump. “Because we can.”
“Very funny. Typical man.”
“Anyway, if she refuses to sign it I’ll know she’s in it for the money.”
“In other words, you won’t have any trouble finding another young bikini model?”
“Fame is an incredible aphrodisiac. You’d be amazed at the women who approach me. And I know damn well they wouldn’t give me the time of day if I worked at the post office.”
“Well, best of luck with your marriage. And I appreciate the business but hope I will not have to handle your divorce proceedings. A new client is welcome right now. Though I will tell you it would be a lot cheaper for you to buy yourself a nice mid-life crisis convertible.”
“Already got one of those. It’s how I met her. The thing is a chick magnet.”
“Well, so much for that theory. You sure you want legal advice from me?”
“Absolutely. Anyway, I’ll come to your office this week and bring you a list of my assets.”
“Sure. And I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You won’t have much to talk about. She ain’t exactly Stephen Hawking.” He put on his headset and adjusted the microphone. “Here we go.”
*
Spencer started eating the chicken parmigiana he’d brought back to the office for lunch. Usually he listened to the sports talk radio station whenever he ate at his desk, but last week he’d heard about a show featuring lawyers giving free legal advice and wanted to check it out. He took a bite of his meal as he flipped on the radio.
“And welcome to Legal Briefs, I’m James Berger and our attorney in the house today is Tish McKenna—”
His jaw dropped a bit, sending a bit of red sauce onto his red silk tie. Thankfully it matched pretty well. He quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped it off, then turned up the volume on the radio.
“…amazing that you even showed up today after your house caught on fire. I know our audience appreciates it.”
“Well, in the grand scheme of things, a house is just a thing that can be repaired. As a lawyer it’s more important to put lives back together when you can.”
“Damn, I like that. Her stock just went up.”
“And that’s why Tish has always been a welcome guest on this show for so many years. Anyway, if you have a legal question, she will be here for the next hour to hopefully point you in the right direction. Our number is…”
Spencer took a sip of club soda as he grabbed a pen and wrote down the phone number.
Apparently Mrs. Spock was still a walking law library. Spencer sat in amazement at her ability to cite obscure cases without missing a beat while answering questions from the callers. The woman was much too fast to be looking stuff up on a computer while on the air.
She was still smarter than he was.
But what really surprised him was how she did it with such personality. The woman was a quick wit and very conversational on the air. Casual, almost, as she had a genuine rapport with the host and the callers as well. She’d obviously changed quite a bit. There was more to her than the cold, focused student he’d seen in law school.
Then again, he’d changed a lot since law school too…
And, of course, that voice of hers was mesmerizing. If she ever got tired of the law she had a real future as a narrator for erotic novels.
He finished his lunch, then paused a moment, wondering if this was the right thing to do. “Ah, what the hell.” He grabbed the phone and called the number to the talk show.
Busy.
He hit the redial button.
Five tries later the phone began to ring and then the call connected. “This is Big Apple talk radio, do you have a question for our attorney?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Need your first name and where you’re calling from.”
“This is Joe from Manhattan.”
“What’s your question, Joe?”
“I’d like to know…what should a client look for when choosing an attorney?”
“Okay, Joe, I’ve got two callers ahead of you and then you’ll be up. Remember to turn your radio down when it’s your turn.”
“Got it, thanks.”
“I’m going to put you on hold now but you’ll be able to hear the show. Please, no profanity as we do have a seven second delay.”
“Not a problem.”
He turned off his radio as he heard her voice through the phone. Her answer to his question would tell him a lot.
Ten minutes and one commercial break later, it was his turn. “Okay, we’ve got Joe from Manhattan. Joe, you’re on live with Tish McKenna.”
“Hi, Ms. McKenna, thanks for taking my call.”
“Sure thing, Joe. What’s your question this afternoon?”
“This is pretty simple compared to what everyone else is asking. You mentioned earlier that you only choose a certain type of client. So let’s reverse the point of view. Basically, what should someone look for when choosing a lawyer?”
“Well, Joe, that depends on the case and what kind of person you are. Some people are out for blood and will hire the biggest shark they can find. Others base the choice on money. Some people think an expensive lawyer will be better than one who charges less, and that’s not true. My advice to you is to find a lawyer whose values are closest to yours. And you want a lawyer who honestly cares about you. If an attorney is simply in it for the money, you’re not going to get the kind of representation you would from one who not only believes in your case, but you as well. I’m not saying you need to pick a lawyer like you’d choose a friend, but I will say that at least in my case, I fight a lot harder for someone who I care about. It’s one reason I never take a case where I don’t feel a client is in the right.”
“That’s very noble, Ms. McKenna.”
“Well, if you saw me in court sometimes, you might not call me noble.”
“Actually I did see you in court recently, and I will tell your audience that you owned the room and seriously kicked butt. The opposing lawyer didn’t stand a chance. You wiped the floor with her star witness.”
He heard Tish and the host laugh. “Well, thank you for the compliment, and thanks for calling, Joe. Best of luck in your search for an attorney.”
The call ended and Spencer turned the radio back on.
“Well, there goes your reputation as a nice person,” said the host. “I guess I need to drop by the courthouse and see who I’ve been dealing with all these years.”
“James, you can still be nice, but you have to fight with all your heart for every client. The jury has to actually feel your passion, believe in your cause. If they think your heart’s not in it, they’ll be less likely to consider your argument. But once the trial starts, my gloves come off. You can be really tough as long as you’re fair.”
He heard Ariel return to the office and her heel clicks on the marble floor approaching his office. “I’m back!” she yelled.
“Come on in, you gotta hear this. Hurry up!”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming. What the hell is so urgent?” She entered his office, tossed her jacket on a chair and cocked her head at the radio. “That’s not WFAN. Why aren’t you listening to sports talk?”
“This is that legal call-in show we heard about the other day.”
“Oh, yeah. Is it any good?”
He heard Tish’s voice come through the speaker. “Recognize the voice?”
She listened a bit, then her eyes grew wide. “Oh my God, that’s your courtroom crush!”
“Yep. And what a brilliant legal mind. The woman is amazing. She can answer the most obscure questions off the top of her head.”
“Still smarter than you, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Just the opposite. Anyway…uh…I called her.”
“You called a woman to ask her out on a radio show?”
“Jeez, Ariel, do you think I’m that clueless when it comes to women?”
Ariel stood up straight and folded her arms. “You really want me to answer that?”
“Counsel withdraws the question, your honor. Anyway, I called with a legal problem.”
“You tried to stump her?”
“Nope. Don’t think I could. I asked what a person should look for in a lawyer. And from the way she responded she sounds like one of the most ethical attorneys on the planet. Only takes good clients.”
“I think the universe is trying to tell you something.” Ariel listened to the radio for a moment and heard the woman crack a joke. “Also sounds like she’s grown a personality. Does this sound like the gal you knew in college?”
“Not remotely.”
“Interesting. So what’s your strategy now?”
He shrugged. “Since you implied that I’m clueless about women, I will admit that I have no clue. But I have to meet her. You got any more ideas since she didn’t show up at the class reunion thing?”
“Let me think about it. But perhaps we’re approaching this the wrong way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe I’m the one who needs to meet her first.”
“Huh?”
*
Socks, like every cat, had a world-class nose. Able to smell something good to eat from a hundred yards.
And something smelled really good coming through that vent. It reminded her of her days as a kitten, when the woman who’d saved her and her siblings shared dinner with friends, and the one with the dark hair brought food that smelled like this. And tasted really good.
All was quiet, even though it was the middle of the day. Her person was not around and neither was the other woman who shared the place.
Her dish was filled with treats, but something else smelled a lot better. Besides, the treats would still be there when she got back. There were no other cats around to eat them.
Socks jumped off the desk, headed into the vent, followed the scent and emerged in the other place, not finding the nice man there either.
But that wonderful smell was stronger.
She followed it, finding the source in a plastic container next to a trash can.
A few scraps were left. She took a little taste. Mmmm. Chicken and cheese and a lot of delicious red sauce.
She licked the container clean, then headed back home through the vent.
*
Tish walked back to her office from the conference room with Shelley close behind. The meeting had gone well, the prospective new client with deep pockets seemed impressed. Though he did say he was talking to two other firms. So while nothing was definite at least she was finding some prospects.
Tish found Socks at her usual spot on her desk, busy washing her face. She scratched the cat’s head as she plopped down behind her desk while Shelley took the chair on the other side. “So, waddaya think?”
Shelley nodded. “I think we’ve got a good shot. And he’s our kind of client. Seems like a decent human being and he’s got a good argument.”
“Yeah, I like the case. Sure hope we get it. Meanwhile—” She stopped and sniffed the air. “Did you have Italian for lunch?”
“No, why?”
“Because I’d swear you had something from my friend A.J.’s deli.”
“I had a roast beef sandwich. And I do actually use mouthwash.”
“Hmmm.” She leaned toward the cat and sniffed. “Why does Socks smell like an Italian restaurant?”
“Beats the hell out of me. You feeding her ravioli from a can or something?”
“No, just cat food.” She picked up Socks and held her close. “It’s definitely her. They must put something in the food to make it smell attractive to the cat. Who knew?”
“Like I said before, cats have it better than us.”