Page 3 of Client from Hell

Dr. Lakset sat behind his desk and gestured for me to sit. “While the circumstances have changed, a situation has come up you might be ideal for, especially since you won’t be able to attend classes any longer. It would also allow you to remain enrolled and keep your full-time status despite your inability to attend classes moving forward.”

That caught my attention, and I sank onto the chair across from him. “Sir?”

“We have a client, and he wants a student to assist him in some basic tasks. As you’re not an esquire and cannot offer legal advice, you will be functioning as a rather well-educated secretary and researcher for the remainder of the semester. Your academic skills are excellent, and you’re within a year and a half of qualifying for your JD. The assignment would allow me to preserve your standing in the school, credit you for your classes at your current GPA, and allow me to issue an exemption for most of your finals. The assignment is a higher-level difficulty than the exams would be, and they would demonstrate your knowledge to sufficient degree. It’s unusual, but it benefits you—and it allows me to give the client a good resource. The client is also reasonable, and I’m certain an arrangement can be found so you can work around your treatments.”

“What’s the catch?” As my current GPA fell into the slightly better than perfect territory thanks to extra credit, I’d be making off like a bandit. When something sounded too good to be true, a catch lurked in the nearby shadows, waiting to catch the unwary in its nasty claws. The Devil had nasty claws when he wanted. Through his shroud, I’d witnessed flickers of his various forms, and his malevolent form, the one he whipped out in the darkest part of his hells, did a good job of keeping me awake at night.

Those claws could tear through flesh without any effort, and they glistened with some rank fluid I bet made any injuries he inflicted hurt even worse.

The Devil ruled the hells, after all—not a meadow filled with pretty white unicorns farting rainbows.

Dr. Lakset sighed. “It involves extensive travel, so for the period of the contract, your housing would be arranged by your client. The school has issued minimum requirements, which he would need to meet or exceed. I’ve reviewed the locations you would be staying at, along with an itinerary of hotels. The client will also be required to notify the college of any changes to your lodgings.”

“That’s unusual.”

“He travels a lot, and he needs someone who can handle paperwork for him on the road. That someone will be you. You’ll be working with his attorneys as well, but you’ll be serving as the right-hand woman for him and his executive secretary for the duration of your contract. There will be an NDA you will need to sign.”

Getting a law student to assist a client and his executive secretary made sense; while I couldn’t offer legal advice, I could keep an eye out for anything that seemed sketchy and pass those to the real attorneys. I’d also be able to get good experience dealing with corporate law, one of the more lucrative branches of legal work.

If I could beat the cancer, I might be able to build a future off the internship. The terms seemed sane enough, too. The client handling the expenses would make my life easier, and if I didn’t have to pay my lodging bills for the rest of the semester, I might be able to salvage something should I survive the cancer treatments. The NDA didn’t bother me; I’d been warned from the day I’d started my formal schooling I would learn to live with them or fail at being an attorney.

Secrets drove the legal world.

Still, some questions needed to be asked. “And what if I’m pressured in court regarding something included in the NDA?”

“You are expected to maintain all legalities, and you will be expected to be truthful under oath. The NDAs bar you from discussing the client’s matters outside of court to unauthorized individuals.”

I could work with that. “Is it an unpaid internship?”

Money made the world go round, and I had no idea how I’d be paying my medical bills once the grace period ended, assuming I survived. A lot hinged on my survival.

“No, you will be paid for your work. It will be your responsibility to negotiate your hourly rate. I insisted on that, as it will be good experience for you down the road.” Dr. Lakset grimaced before opening his mouth.

I held up a hand to prevent him from either apologizing or rambling about my current situation. “The chemotherapy could work. I’m not the kind to give up without a fight. I’ve just accepted I am in the situation I’m in now, and that means accepting I have limitations I simply cannot overcome.”

“No, you’re not the kind to give up without a fight. Still, I feel I should have been more aware of your situation.”

“The cancer hit fast, it hit hard, and I have a high tolerance for pain. The doctors are concerned that the cancer has somehow damaged my ability to sense pain, although they haven’t detected any signs of actual leprosy, for which I’m grateful.” I shrugged. “The client should be aware I’m a walking debt magnet at this point. My medical bills are extensive, and you know how student loans are, even with scholarships. If my credit is a problem for him, it is what it is.”

“I will discuss the situation with the client. I will email you with any updates. If the client remains eager to move forward with you, would you be amenable to a phone call?”

I pulled out my cell from my purse, opened up the contacts, and gave him my number. “Please text first from the number that it’s about the client if possible, otherwise leave a voice mail. I only answer when known contacts call.”

“I’ll make sure to do one or the other, and I’ll let the client know you may not immediately answer until his number is added to your phone.” Dr. Lakset engaged in a staring contest with my cell. “I expect he’ll replace that for you. He is a technology snob. Can that even use a browser?”

“Only if I want to wait thirty minutes for a page to load. I got it for emergencies. I didn’t see a point in getting a new phone when it’ll likely outlive me, and the one before this was used to death. It was old, and then it stopped working, so I got the cheapest one money could buy.”

“Email me with a list of your personal tech, please. The client is, frankly spoken, rather elitist when it comes to technology. He has opinions.”

“If he’s coming to the university to sponsor a paid internship, he likely has money to go with his opinions.”

Dr. Lakset chuckled. “He absolutely does.”

“That’s fine. It’s his money to waste. He can hand it off to someone else after I reach my expiration date.” At Dr. Lakset’s disapproving look, I added, “I’m just being honest about my situation. There’s no magic on this Earth that is getting me out of this alive, and even if I knew some divine to ask for a cure, I definitely can’t afford that bill. I’m under no delusions; I haven’t done enough good things in my life to justify that sort of charity. It’s really okay. I’ve come to terms with it. It’s okay if you come to terms with it, too.”

“Your honesty is part of what makes you an excellent student in this field. There are a lot of people in this world who will sacrifice their integrity for a win. You want to win while maintaining your integrity.”

Did burning the Devil’s house down count as an act of integrity? I supposed, as I’d made sure there had been nobody inside the house at the time, including even the smallest pet fish, I had some form of integrity or sense of justice. Their pets, no matter their nature, carried no blame or guilt in why I’d decided I wanted to go out with a bang and an act of arson. “I appreciate that, Dr. Lakset. Will the client have a problem with my condition?”