“He said he can’t represent me because Rob already came to him thismorning and tried to hire him. He says he’s ‘conflicted out,’ even though he didn’t accept the case.”
“Wait. Rob told him about this and Seth didn’t fuckingtellyou?”
“I don’t think he can? Legally? I don’t know. He gave me the numbers of a couple other attorneys he said are good.”
“Jesus.” I am flooded with a sudden, all-consuming feeling of betrayal. “I’m going to call him right now and talk to him. I’ll get him to do it. There must be a way.”
I hang up before she can say anything, and speed-dial Seth.
He picks up immediately.
“Hey,” he says in a somber tone.
“Please tell me it isn’t true that you refused to help Dezzie.”
“Whoa,” he drawls out. “Refused to—I told her—wait. What’s going on? Are you upset with me?”
“Yes,” I hiss. “I am extremely upset with you.”
I drum my gel nails aggressively on the table, glad they are long and spiky for the satisfying clack they make.
“I didn’t refuse to help her,” he says. “I can’t really say anything beyond that—conversations regarding legal matters are confidential—”
“Oh, please,” I interrupt. “You can’t invoke attorney-client privilege if you won’t take her as a client. And I can’t believe you didn’t tell her right away when fuckingRobshowed up at your fuckingoffice.”
He sighs.
“Molls, I’ve been devastated all morning, but my hands are tied. It would be completely unethical for me to share that information. And I would love to represent Dezzie, but Rob got to me first. We’ve been working together on the nonprofit, so he thought I’d take the case. But obviously I would never represent him against Dez, so I said no. Unfortunately, the fact that he consulted me means I can’t represent her either.”
He’s being so patient and reasonable that I want to throw the phone at the wall.
“Why can’t you make an exception?” I shout. “You’ve known Dezzie for decades. She’s mybest friend.”
He sighs. It sounds awfully long-suffering. LikeIam the problem here.
“Like I said, it’s unethical. I feel terrible, but there’s nothing I can do to change that.”
I have no words.
Oh, wait. I do: “You’re fucking over my friend.”
“No, I’m not,” he says, in his firmest lawyer voice. “She’s my friend, too. And I’ve given her the names of the best people in Chicago. She’s going to be in very good hands, whoever she chooses.”
I don’t say anything. This does not deserve a response.
“Molls, I have a client waiting. I’ll call you in an hour, okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Whatever.”
I hang up the phone before he can say goodbye and call Dezzie back.
“Hi,” I say. “I’m really sorry but I can’t get him to change his mind. He says it’s a matter of ethics and he’s being completely intransigent.”
“It’s fine,” she says. “I understand.”
She might, but I don’t. He’s a senior partner at his firm. He can’t bend the rules one time? If not for her, then for me?
“Molly,” Dezzie says. “Really, it’s fine. He was nice and super apologetic.”
