By Gee
Mercury Rising #7, August 1992
My nondescript Wednesday afternoon was finally gaining some momentum.I was standing on the 33rd floor of Heller, Ehrman. The lawyer in frontof me and the paralegal beside me were working feverishly, almost ready,"and "just making copies now." When my watch showed 3:40, I calmlytold the paralegal it would cost $18 now instead of $9 to get the documentto Superior Court by 4:00 closing time.
Fine," said the lawyer, running headlong for the copy machine."The taxi's outside, said the paralegal, hanging up the phone. "Doyou want to take it in the cab?"
Waaal, I don't know," I said, "I have other things to dropoff after this and I have to get back with your stamped copies. Could Itake my bike in the taxi trunk?"
Could you make it on your bike?"
At this point, yeah. It takes about seven minutes to get to Civic Centerat full speed." That settled that and they got back to work. I didn'twant to disturb them but I asked my question anyway. "This has gotto be filed today, right? If it misses today it's no go?"
"Right."
"And you've had this deadline for a while, right?"
"Yes."
"That's what I figured, I said, pausing. "I've always wonderedthis wouldn't it have made more sense to have finished this up yesterday?"
They both stopped still for half an instant, and I felt some vague threatthat I would be punished for looking this gravy horse in the mouth. Then,they went back to work with the paralegal half yelling, "We've beenon this non-stop since Saturday!" And, added the lawyer calmly, Wedo have other cases we're working on."
I see, I see," I said timidly, sorry to have disturbed them, "Yeah,I guess there's always something..." They went back to their bustlefor another while.
But," the lawyer said then, pausing for a few precious five secondsas a small smile crept over his face, the answer to your question is- yes,it would have made more sense to have finished this up yesterday."Well, that's what I thought, I thought, but didn't say for fear of offending.That was about it, copies done, in the envelopes.
"Can you make it?"
"Yes I can. And in a second or two I was waiting for the elevatordown, feeling the building up of adrenaline in my system, soon to be mixedwith the sweet nectar of endorphin from exertion, forming my favorite cocktailright there in my own bloodstream.
I was just getting on the elevator and giddy enough to tell myself tocalm down and be careful on the ride, when the lawyer came running fromaround the corner.
"Here," he said, and I saw a twenty in his outstretched hand,Buy yourself a six-pack!"
I took the bill, already too focused on the ride ahead to be able totell him that I knew of no six- pack that cost that much, or that I wasn'tmuch of a drinker anyway.
"Thanks," was all I got out. I wish I was nimble enough toarticulate to him that the job he'd sent me on was my favorite drug.
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