The Millionaire's Tainted Legacy

The Unexpected

It was only the first day of the second week of her new job, and Caylee was already starting to feel at home. The work was challenging, but she was confident that she would quickly get up to speed in this area of the law, and she'd already gotten kudos from Ritchie on a research memo she'd drafted for him on Friday for an upcoming motion in a products liability case. In fact, he'd been so pleased with her work that he'd told her he'd decided to have her argue the motion when it came up for hearing in court.

This never, she realized, would have happened this quickly at her old firm. There an associate lawyer had to work for months or even years with a partner until they were trusted to even meet with the client to present their analysis of a case, much less argue the position in court.

And the atmosphere at Flanagan, Berrington, and Perez was just so much more . . .  friendly, that was word for it, Caylee thought as she walked through the lobby, exchanged hello's with the receptionist, and headed down the hall to her own office. Which was, by the way, a larger and much nicer office than she'd had at the firm in New York.

Of course she imagined space was at a little less of a premium in Miami than New York City, but still. Her office here was twice as big plus had a view of Biscayne Bay.

Her legal assistant Aleesha's office was directly across the hall from hers. No window view, but spacious with an open doorway and a built in desk and counter that was a significant step up from a typical cubicle.

"Good morning, Caylee," Aleesha said, smiling, and Caylee retuned the greeting. That was another difference here. The informality between attorneys and staff. In the New York firm, legal assistants and even junior associates were definitely not on a first name basis with more senior lawyers and partners, and even the junior associates were addressed by the staff as "Mr." or "Ms." It had been a social hierarchy that mirrored the separation between wealthy families and household staff that Caylee had grown up with. She'd hated it.

Here it felt like everyone was on the same team, and each person's contribution was valued and appreciated.

"You got a delivery," Aleesha continued. "I put it on your desk."

"Oh? I wasn't expecting anything."

When she walked into her office and saw the flowers her first thought was seriously, Tito? as a warm rush of pleasure hit her. Surprising and she would not have thought it his style at all. And she didn't miss the fact that it was an obviously expensive arrangement and an unusual one at that.

"How lovely," she said, as she pulled out the small white envelop and retrieved the card, while Aleesha lingered in the doorway.

She frowned, then turned the card over to check the other side. He hadn't signed it. The message was brief, typed on the front of the card.

Congratulations on the new job.

"That's odd," she said, turning back toward Aleesha. "The card isn't signed."

"Really?" Aleesha came into the room to look at it. "Congratulations on the new job. You don't have any idea who sent it?"

"No, I thought I did, but that doesn't make sense." If Tito had sent her flowers, she'd bet he would have sent something tropical and maybe a bit wild. Like birds of paradise and calla lilies. Unless she missed her guess, these were cymbidium orchids, in yellow, green, pink and white. They reached well over two feet tall, with at least a dozen stems. An arrangement like this probably cost at least $500.

"Orchids," she said, puzzling it out. "My mother grows orchids for a hobby."

"Oh," Aleesha said, "did she send them?"