Junior Year Box Set

I thought about what Ms. Dixon had just said. I was smart enough to recognize that I didn’t need Cal or Mr. Fox’s head on a pike at this time. What I did need was to get this behind me. Uncle John had taught me that when you did a deal, everyone had to feel like they got something out of it. If that meant that Cal got to keep his job for a year, so be it. I didn’t want Lacy or Pam to suffer financially from this. From what I’d seen, if Cal were given the time, he would talk his way into another job. That is unless Rigby, Thompson and Associates torpedoed his efforts. I wondered if something similar had occurred in California. My PR agent, Frank Ingram, had said he had information on Cal that Tom Dole admitted they hadn’t uncovered when they hired Cal.

Something that stuck in my craw was that Thomas Fox wasn’t being punished in all this.

“Why can’t we go after Mr. Fox for his part?” I asked.

“I want you to think about something for a moment: if I had screwed up and handed the opposition the smoking gun that wrecked your case, would you be inclined to pay me?” Ms. Dixon asked.

“You scare me enough that I would

pay you,” I said, but saw her point.

I think she took that as the compliment that I intended it to be. The more I was around her, the more I realized that I hadn’t been represented by the very best until Ms. Dixon came on board. That wasn’t a slap at Tom or Kendal; Tom had been asked to take over the new Entertainment Division, and Kendal was right out of college. It was inevitable that there would be learning curves, like when they gave away my work product (photos) to clients, staff, and friends. That event had triggered the need for more security. The implementation of the software that tracked access to my files was eventually the other side’s undoing. Well, maybe not Tom and Kendal, but it was obvious someone had to have given Cal access to my files. Ms. Dixon seemed to think that was just something that should have always been in place.

“If I were Cal, I wouldn’t pay Mr. Fox a dime. It was through his negligence that Cal is on the hook for half of my fees and those of IDC. You saw Mr. Fox’s office, or should I say lack of one. If Cal doesn’t pay him, it will be a big hit on his bottom line. Combine that with all the social media you put out about him in regards to the restraining order, plus him losing this case, and you have the perfect storm for him going out of business. Who wants to hire or refer anyone to someone who doesn’t win, especially where the local state’s attorney actually gave a press conference to clear you of false charges? Trust me, he’ll be flipping burgers sooner than you think,” Ms. Dixon assured me.

Her last statement put a smile on my face. I was a teenager, after all, and had a need for instant gratification. The mental image of Mr. Fox in a fast-food uniform would satisfy that need for today.

◊◊◊

We walked back into the conference room. Something I noticed was that since we had been in last time, my picture no longer hung in the entry where their clients were displayed, nor in the conference room. It was a not-so-subtle shot that we’d parted ways.

Pam and Lacy entered the room, and I was surprised when Lacy sat Pam down next to me. Pam still hadn’t made eye contact with me, but when I reached under the table to hold her hand, she gripped it tightly. She then looked up at me and seemed like she was about to cry, so I stuck my tongue out at her, which surprised her. Lacy burst out laughing at me. Pam and I gazed into each other’s eyes, and I knew she’d be okay with her mom there to support her. I still had a burning hatred for her father because of what he’d put us both through, but Pam just wasn’t the type of person to be mean-spirited.

“I’ve read this, and I can tell you right now I have no desire to pay any of David’s expenses,” Cal said.

“I’ve had just about enough from you,” Mom said. “At some point, you’re going to have to grow up and realize that there are consequences to picking on two teenagers. I’m not a teenager, and you’ve crossed the line for the last time. David has tried to hold off his attack dog of a lawyer out of respect for you as an adult. What sickens me as a parent is how self-centered and childish you’ve been.”

“Back off, lady. Your son got my daughter pregnant as soon as she came back from her summer vacation. I tried to keep them apart because I knew that something like this would happen. At some point, he has to learn that his actions have consequences. If you hadn’t raised him to defy his betters, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Cal said.