Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie

Author:Catherine McKenzie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2022-08-23T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

On my way to work on Friday, I got a text from Karma asking for a status update on the hiring of one Julia Sanders, the Harvard grad I was supposed to hook up with a job at my firm. I was standing on the subway platform, sweating in the heat, wishing I’d followed through on my plan to leave more clothes at the office so I could arrive in shorts and change there.

I made this plan every year and I never did it.

Julia had reached out to me a few days before and sent me her résumé and transcript. She was in the top third of her class and had all the usual accomplishments you might expect of a Harvard Law graduate except that she didn’t have a job. She’d interned at Good Karma when she was in college, which might’ve been how Karma knew her, though I doubt she had time for interns. She looked presentable, seemed to have friends, and didn’t post anything inappropriate online. Why did she need a leg into the firm? Using one didn’t help your career, I’d found, watching the trail of sons-and-daughters-of who’d summered at the office or spent a few years there before they realized they were never getting anywhere and left.

I texted the group. Are we supposed to do favors for each other even when the favor isn’t a good idea?

Like what? Athena answered.

I hesitated. I didn’t know the protocol about requests, but I had an instinct Karma wouldn’t approve of me broadcasting it.

I switched to a private message with Athena.

Karma wants me to get a job for someone at my firm.

What’s the problem?

Well, assuming I can even get it done, which is a big if, it won’t be good for this girl. Everyone will know she pulled strings to get in and that’s frowned on. Besides, she doesn’t even need it. She’d get hired on her own.

Karma asked you though.

Yeah.

I’d do it, personally.

Okay thanks.

The subway car pulled up, blowing its usual hot breeze across my face. It smelled fetid, but walking to work in this heat was a no go. I put my phone away and got on, hoping that a minimal number of bodies would be pressing against me.

Every day seemed to bring a new stress. The fight with Dan after his mother and sister had finally left the night before, in which I made it clear that they weren’t going to be invited to our new place. The thick SulliVent file that weighed down the bag slung across my shoulder, which I wanted badly but was anxiety-producing, nonetheless. The need to try to find a moving truck for all our things and the endless exhaustion of packing. And now I had to convince Thomas to give Julia a chance at an open associate position when there were no such positions available.

The subway jolted away from the stop as my phone received a new message from Athena.

Ask for what you need, and you’ll make it happen, she’d written.

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