They were talking about Noah and Penny,Max realised.Both would be finished with their two years as trainees soon and would be fully qualified solicitors.He held his breath and listened for a moment longer,knowing he shouldn’t.They’d clam up as soon as he came in the room.But if he got at least a hint of good news he could pass on to Noah…
“We can take someone from outside,”Mr Bell said.“I know some good men who are about to qualify.I mean,what has it come to when we’ve got a poof telling us to take on both a skirt and a darky?My father would turn in his grave.”
Max gasped and froze.
“Political bloody correctness,”Pringle agreed.
For a moment,Max was locked in place,common sense warring with rage.Fury boiled and bubbled inside him,desperate to burst out.It was met by common sense,trying to hold the line,trying to tell fury Max needed this job and he needed to keep it buttoned and pretend he heard nothing.
He unfroze and shoved the door open,rudely,no knock.The two senior partners looked at him with surprise.He marched to the table and,for a second,he nearly scattered the tray of coffee things across it.But if he did,it would be Mrs Barstow clearing it up later,not either of these two complacent bastards.Instead,he slammed it hard,making everything on it rattle and jump.The solicitors stared.
“You want to know something about that‘darky?’”he demanded,the word tasting as sour as bile in his mouth.“I’ve watched him work twice as hard as anybody else,at school,at university,and right here,to get not even half the respect.He’s still here at six and seven in the evening,when you’re home with your feet up.He grabs a sandwich and takes fifteen minutes for lunch,while you’re gone for two hours,guzzling,drinking,and sucking up to your cronies.”
Their faces were frozen masks of shock.Max’s raised voice brought Mrs Barstow to the door,and she stood there,staring at him.
it was exactly the same.Running twice as fast as anyone else to stay in the same place.“You’d be lucky to have either of the
.He was often here late,too.He went home carrying case files.And he was
ringle finally ma
ellend can pour you
spilled off the plate—bit it,and spun on his heel to march out.
shouted to her as Max ma
approached the exit,the door opened.Owen and Noah came in,talking,but then struck into s
”Noah
or.He didn’t have the patience to wait even five seconds for the lift,so slammed back the
gnored it,went on,crossed the building’s lobby,and hit the street.He sucked in a big breath in t
Didn’t even ma
*
d break down and ask Noah to bring them to him.But he didn’t want to face Noah yet.He’d not only messed up and lost a job yet again,he’d lost the job Noah had got for him,and it would reflect badly on Noah and hurt him at the firm.It was all ve
rgot you
’s winter coat.He towered over Max,who looked up at him squinting,as the sun poured