"Stop your bitching," I said sternly toCharlie as she glared daggers at me. "You're already enrolled andit's the best school in Manhattan. Lucky for you, it's close to the firm and here."
"In what damn wayis that lucky for me?" she snapped back.
Oh with the attitude again, I thought with an internal sigh; you never give Mike or anyone else this much grief. When didI become the luckyone?
"Charlie, just get ready. I need tohead for a meeting and you'll hang out with Donna until Ray takes you to school."
"You make me feel like I'msome precious person like the First Kids or something."
I smirked. "I amthe best closer in New York."
She gave me the same lookof 'I really don't give a flying shit' that her mother would have given me. "So? That only would get you some enemies."
"Which means I should have protection for my daughter."
She gave a look of disgust. "When you put it that way, it sounds creepy as hell."
I laughed as she walked into her roomto change, something in her mind turning and clicking. That's what freaked me out the most because I had a hard time reading her and looking into her thoughts like I could with almost everyone. Hell, it was my damn job to read people. That's what got me to where I am.
Soon Charlie came out with what was probably the best she was going to get with her uniform. She ditched the school tie that donned the school crest and left the last couple buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of her large chest. Charlie even somehow made the school blazer not look right. She wore heeled boots instead of the loafers the school provided. The skirt even rode up a little on her thighs. I sighed.
"Uniforms are there for a reason."
"Don't care, just be glad I didn't destroy anything."
"You can't have different colored hair either."
"Does it honestlylook like I care, Harvey?"
I sighed again. "Come on, Ray is waitingfor us. I need toget to the firm while you come with me. I am not having you stay here on the off chance that you would skip."
That earned me a deep groan as I followed her out. We rode the elevator down and got into the car Rayhad waiting for us. I got in after her, watching her put in her ear buds much like Mike would do when he was working, and drown out the world as she texted some friends and looking more and more cross with everything than before. I wondered vaguely what theywere talking about, but dismissed it as soon as Rayand I started our talk about music. Good music and not the shit she probably listened to.
"Harvey, dowe needto talk about what the hell you're doing bringing her into the office?" Jessica asked as soon as she closed the door before we had to go tothe meeting I'd rather have no part in.
"Are we really starting with this?"
"Yes, because I need toknow if there will be a consistent streamof moody teenagers in my firm."
"It isn't like she is one in many."
"No, but she is a Specter, so it's like that."
"Since when?"
Jessica gave me a look of 'I amnot even going there'. "Harvey, please, I ammerelytrying to protect my business; and it is MY business."
I sighed. "It might be everyday she has school for a while. She and I aren't seeing eye-to-eye and this might become a thinguntil her...mood changes."
Jessica gave me the look that could easily intimidate andkill me. Or at least would like to kill me. "She's seventeen, Harvey. Being moody is what's going to happen for us, andyoubetter give her a change of mood quickbefore I lose clients on account of a teenager whowants to be a rebel with a cause. I don't care how you do it, either. I just want it done."
I sighed and nodded, knowing it was easier said than done. Charlie was definitelymy daughter. It showedin almost everything she did. As much as I likedthe fact that she was already grown up and could eventually give her the freedomshe probablywants. But it wasn't like I could flip a switch and make her listen to my orders and make her happier. If it was that easy, I'd expect something to go wrong.
"Fine," I said, agreeing to the nearly impossible. "Now what about this meeting we are supposed to go to?"
Fromthere, Jessica clued me in. Our investment bankers needed totalk to us about our money. Something simple; I was pleased. It shouldn't take that long. I hoped. But as Jessica went on, it started to sound like we were saving money for the next storm. Considering how in about eighteen months, we ousted Hardman, dealt with drama with that, merged withDarby, which, lucky for me and Mike, was linked to our case with Hessington Oil, got rid of Darby, and put me in it's place. Yeah, I can see where our bankers were a little worried and requested this meeting.
"And you will keep your mouth shut, Harvey," Jessica said whenshe stood fromher couch and smoothed her dress to looklike the picture of elegance and sophistication among the disorder and chaos of a law firm.
I nodded. "I will make no such promises."
"You will because our firmdepends on it."
"You just said it was yours."
She smirked a little. "That's because we were talking about you andyour bundle of joy."
"Oh she's a bundle alright."
Jessica chuckled. "I love how you thinkI am joking. But I'm not. Mouth shut."
Wow, if Jessica didn't just sound like me with Mike, I didn't know what would. I stood and buttonedmy suit jacket unconciouslyas I followed her out of her office andto the conference roomwhere the meeting was to take place. Walking in, I hoped Donna and Mike would make sure Charlie got intoRay's car and I didn't have to get a call in the middle of this seemingly important meetingfromher school saying she never showed up.
I knew as soon as the door shut andI began shakinghands with our investment bankers that this was it. There was no walkingout unless for a recess. There was just hoping that everything would work smoothly. Even if my hoping was all I needed, I needed insurance. So I textedDonna.
'Make sure Charlie gets intoRay's car on time, please. -Specter'
Almost immediately, I receiveda text back.
'Oh ye of little faith. -Donna'
