Rick is a former colleague at the PDO. A good guy and a good lawyer we worked together for two years and became friends. He came to me one day to say that he was leaving.
"Why? Had enough?
"Not really but Lucy has accepted a position at UNM in Albuquerque and I want to move there with her."
"What about the Albuquerque office?"
"Nothing there and, anyway, Gerry and I don't get along."
True enough. Not many people did get along with Gerry.
"What are you going to do?'
"Hang out a shingle. About time I gave it a try."
"How long?
"A month, more or less."
"OK.You know I'm sorry to see you go. We'll kill a couple beers before then."
"You bet."
I was sad to see him go. Good talent was hard to find for the PDO and harder to keep out here in the desert.
Rick struggled for a while. Mainly small cases and some minor contract work for the PDO but it got rolling and it began ro lift off.
I got a call from him one Monday. "Hey Les. It's Rick. What's new?"
"Nothing. Same old shit, different day. You?"
"Gonna be in town Wednesday. You use a sandwich?"
"Sure. What brings you back to the wilds?"
"Got a case up there. I'll tell you about it. How about that Chinese place? At one?
"See you then."
I was early as per habit and Rick strolled in about five after. We ordered lunch (always good here) and he told me about the case he had here. It involved meth, money and mistaken identity. I knew of the case and was glad to see him on it. A good purse for him.
"I gotta tell you about this case I declined. You'll laugh your ass off."
"Yeah?'
"Well, this guy walked into the office, said he needed a lawyer. Wanted to sue a strip club and a dancer there."
My interest perked I peered at him over my iced tea.
"Seems he went there a couple weeks ago for a little R and R and payed for a lap dance."
"As you do."
"Right. As you do."
"Is this a 'the dance wasn't erotic enough...' complaint?". You hear of them occasionally.
"No. Listen. Anyway he was enjoying this dance when the dancer accidentally poked him in the eye with her nipple, thereby dislodging a contact lens. They couldn't find it. Those places are dark."
"So I've heard."
"Right. So you've heard. Anyway he had to get a cab home, thirty bucks, and explain to his wife how come his car was left at a skin joint."
I could imagine the conversation.
"He wanted to sue the club and the dancer for new contacts, cab fare and punitive damages for inconvenience and negligence, all that."
"You declined it?"
"It would have been at best frivolous and certainly ridiculous."
"Could have been fun."
He was right. I laughed my ass off.
"Why? Had enough?
"Not really but Lucy has accepted a position at UNM in Albuquerque and I want to move there with her."
"What about the Albuquerque office?"
"Nothing there and, anyway, Gerry and I don't get along."
True enough. Not many people did get along with Gerry.
"What are you going to do?'
"Hang out a shingle. About time I gave it a try."
"How long?
"A month, more or less."
"OK.You know I'm sorry to see you go. We'll kill a couple beers before then."
"You bet."
I was sad to see him go. Good talent was hard to find for the PDO and harder to keep out here in the desert.
Rick struggled for a while. Mainly small cases and some minor contract work for the PDO but it got rolling and it began ro lift off.
I got a call from him one Monday. "Hey Les. It's Rick. What's new?"
"Nothing. Same old shit, different day. You?"
"Gonna be in town Wednesday. You use a sandwich?"
"Sure. What brings you back to the wilds?"
"Got a case up there. I'll tell you about it. How about that Chinese place? At one?
"See you then."
I was early as per habit and Rick strolled in about five after. We ordered lunch (always good here) and he told me about the case he had here. It involved meth, money and mistaken identity. I knew of the case and was glad to see him on it. A good purse for him.
"I gotta tell you about this case I declined. You'll laugh your ass off."
"Yeah?'
"Well, this guy walked into the office, said he needed a lawyer. Wanted to sue a strip club and a dancer there."
My interest perked I peered at him over my iced tea.
"Seems he went there a couple weeks ago for a little R and R and payed for a lap dance."
"As you do."
"Right. As you do."
"Is this a 'the dance wasn't erotic enough...' complaint?". You hear of them occasionally.
"No. Listen. Anyway he was enjoying this dance when the dancer accidentally poked him in the eye with her nipple, thereby dislodging a contact lens. They couldn't find it. Those places are dark."
"So I've heard."
"Right. So you've heard. Anyway he had to get a cab home, thirty bucks, and explain to his wife how come his car was left at a skin joint."
I could imagine the conversation.
"He wanted to sue the club and the dancer for new contacts, cab fare and punitive damages for inconvenience and negligence, all that."
"You declined it?"
"It would have been at best frivolous and certainly ridiculous."
"Could have been fun."
He was right. I laughed my ass off.
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