Except there were two more messages from Malaburn.

To: Audrey Willems

From: Lawrence Malaburn

Date: December

Subject: Associate Mentoring Committee

Audrey, please respond immediately. I need to talk to you today about the associate mentoring committee. I left you a voicemail on your work number.

Lawrence M. Malaburn

Because that would be the best way to reach a sick person who isn’t checking their email—by calling that person in their office.

To: Audrey Willems

From: Lawrence Malaburn

Date: December

Subject: Associate Mentoring Committee

Audrey, I left you a voicemail on your work phone and wrote you three emails. As you know, it is firm policy to respond within 24 hours to emails.

Lawrence M. Malaburn

From clients. Didn’t he see her out-of-office message? Well, the twenty-four hours hadn’t passed yet.

Eve knocked on the door.

“You aren’t working, are you? You look like shit.”

“That’s how I feel too. Hopefully sleeping and the steroids will help.” She took the quart of soup from Eve and heated it up. “Malaburn is mad at me because I didn’t respond to his three emails today, even though my out-of-office message states that I am sick and I won’t be checking email.” Audrey set the soup on the table and slumped into the chair.

“Are you sure you want to continue working in this shark tank? It’s like you’re down bleeding and they’re circling.” Eve sat across from her.

Audrey spooned up the soup. “This is soo good. Thank you. I don’t know. I’m too tired and sick to think about it now. I’m going to respond to him—within the 24 hours—that I’ve just gotten back from my doctor and I’m sick with bronchitis and that I would be delighted to discuss when I am better and I’m back in the office. Back off. But without adding the back off.”

“Way to act like a partner.”

“More like: way to piss off a partner—a week before the decision.”

“That too.”

Audrey just shook her head. “I’m worn out. I’ll cc Tim and ask him to follow up with Malaburn.”

“Do it now so you don’t continue to think about it.”

“You know me too well.” Audrey typed a response and put the phone down. It immediately beeped. Both women stared at the phone.

“He probably wrote ‘feel better.’”

“You think?” Audrey asked skeptically, picking it up. Her eyes widened and she coughed.

“No?”

“No, he’s asking a whole bunch of questions, most of which I’d need to think about. Maybe it’s for Tim.” She scrolled up to the email addresses. “Except he only sent it to me.” She sighed. She added Tim to the email and asked him to respond.

Eve raised her eyebrows. “It doesn’t seem like Malaburn wants Tim to respond.”