Meghan Ross: Con Artist in Training

Dirty Little Secret (Part 1)

It was Harvard Trivia night at Pearson Hardman in Louis' office. The reward, while yet to be determined, was likely a pro-bono case, so Meghan didn't know why Mike's opponent, Seth, was trying so hard to win. The Firm wasn't getting paid for this case, which also meant the lawyer representing the client didn't get paid.

The lightning round had begun, and Meghan was assigned to man the score board. It was ridiculous to her, but because there was a pro-bono case involved, the time spent as scorekeeper counted toward her community service.

Mike had gotten the first question wrong on a technicality because he didn't use the full title of the Gutenberg Bible, the oldest book in the Harvard library. It was a tie until the lightening round, which consisted of five questions, and now Mike was in the lead. There was only one question he couldn't answer at all.

"Ross, square pizza. Where do you get it?" Mike froze. Meghan could see his world spinning and vision blurring. This one question was likely to make or break at least one of their dirty little secrets. When no answer came to mind, Louis, along with every other started to laugh in disbelief that someone who graduated from Harvard Law school didn't know about square pizza. "Are you kidding? Any self-respecting Harvard alumnus would know the answer to that. Late night studying and you want square pizza, where do you go?"

"Um... You know, I'm more of a burger guy. I study better on protein," Mike replied. He shot Meghan a look as if saying thanks for not laughing. He corrected Seth's answer about the US supreme court justices, which Louis had said was right until he realized it was wrong.

~***~***~

Louis knows, Mike thought. It didn't take a genius to see Meghan thought the same thing. She could see the panic in his eyes. To someone who wasn't in the know, it just could have been about forgetting, but everyone at the firm knew of his memory.

Mike went out to the hall where Harvey to express his concerns.

"Louis knows what?" Harvey asked, not slowing down for even a second.

"My dirty little secret."

"You're Canadian?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Mike laughed in response. "No, he knows that I didn't go to Harvard."

"No, he doesn't."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"Because you're walking with me right now."

"He did this whole Harvard trivia thing, and then he brought up this pizza—"

"Doesn't mean he knows."

"Look, I think we need to hack into Harvard's system or something. You know, put my records in."

"I can't, I'm booked this weekend. I'm breaking into fort knox. I gotta return some stolen doubloons."

"Okay, hilarious. I'm serious."

"Listen, nobody's gonna check into your past unless you give them reason to. Louis is devious, but he's not bold. He won't think we did this. Because he'd never think to do it himself. Besides... if there's anyone we need to be worried about at the moment, it's that girl you got Jessica to sign off on... kid outright admitted to being raised by con artists."

"First of all: Doubloons?"

"The ridiculousness of your suggestion warranted the use of a silly word."

"Got it."

"And second?"

"If she was raised by con artists, don't you think she has some of her own secrets that could lose her this position?"