Page 2 of The Associate
He kept his pace steady, careful not to look lost as he followed the small, sleek directory signs toward the HR office.
Ahead, two employees stood near a recessed printer alcove, their voices low enough that Samuel shouldn’t have been able to hear them, but the acoustics in the hallway carried sound in strange, clear ways.
“…he tore into Mark in front of the entire floor.”
“Should’ve known better. Wise doesn’t tolerate sloppy work.”
“You think he’s in a mood today?”
“When is he not?”
He forced himself back into motion just as one of the employees looked up.
She gave him a polite but brief smile, and returned to her conversation as if he’d never been there, the moment of acknowledgment already forgotten.
Samuel stopped once he reached the door markedHuman Resources. He took a deep, deliberate breath, and then knocked once, firmly, before stepping in.
The space was smaller than he expected. Papers were stacked in clean, precise lines, and a single white orchid on the filing cabinet looked like it had been alive far longer than seemed reasonable. An older woman looked up from her monitor, a headset angled over her severe blonde bob.
“One moment,” she said to him, her voice crisp and clear. “No, send me the updated draft first… yes. Before lunch. Not after.”
She ended the call with a practiced tap and removed the headset, placing it neatly beside her keyboard.
“You must be Samuel Ruiz.”
“Yes,” he said, stepping fully inside and letting the door sigh shut behind him. “Good morning.”
“I’m Lauren,” she said, motioning with her hand toward the single chair positioned across from her minimalist desk. “Head of HR. Go ahead and take a seat.”
He sat, keeping his posture straight, lowering his briefcase next to his legs. Lauren clicked through a series of screens on her dual monitors, her expression unreadable.
“Alright,” she said, her eyes scanning his information. “Welcome to Voss & Wise. Orientation’s handled department by department on this floor, so I’ll give you the essentials and get you to your desk.”
She tapped a key, bringing up a detailed, color-coded floor map.
“This level is primarily litigation and corporate strategy. Partners and senior associates along the perimeter with the window views, the junior associates and support staff in the center pods. You’ll have keycard access to all shared resources; the research rooms, the document suites, the conference pods. You’ll pick up the rhythm quickly enough.”
She looked at him over the thin, steel rim of her glasses. “It’s fast here. Faster than whatever you’re used to. No one will say that out loud, but I prefer new hires aren’t completely blindsided by the pace.”
Samuel nodded. His fingers tightened slightly on the edges of his folder. “I understand.”
“Good.” She clicked to the next screen, a dense block of text. “Your desk is in the west wing, workstation B-14. Second pod on the left past the main corridor. The paralegals there are excellent; you’ll lean on them more than you think. Don’t try to take on everything alone just to prove you can. People burn out like that.”
“Yes,” he said. “Thank you.”
Lauren slid a slim, sealed packet across the polished surface of the desk. “This covers building access codes, security restrictions, and document handling guidelines. You’ll need to read the confidentiality policies by the end of the week; preferably tonight. There’s a digital orientation module as well, but don’t bother with the videos. They’re outdated.”
He opened the packet just enough to confirm his name was printed correctly on the top sheet.
“Now,” Lauren continued, returning her attention to his digital file, “your team assignment.”
Samuel sat a little straighter, the fabric of his suit pulling across his shoulders.
“We place new associates based on department need and partner load. The decision was finalized this morning.” She clicked once more, then paused, her gaze fixed on the screen.
“You’ll be assigned to Senior Partner Gael Wise.”
His breath tightened in his chest before he could stop it. Not visibly, he hoped, but the air in his lungs felt suddenly thinner, his chest cavity smaller.
