Chapter Four, Part 1

If you're new here, or just want to catch up, the everything that has happened up to this point is here.

Chapter Four ~ An Important Life

“Okay, thanks Lynette – I’ll come in Thursday. See you then.” The voice came from the phone cradled between my ear and shoulder, while my perfectly manicured fingers rested on a keyboard on a gorgeous cherry desk. I didn’t have time to think. I responded into the phone, “Great, thanks, see you then,” and quickly replaced the receiver.

I checked out the stunning office in which I found myself. Elegant, understated, clearly professionally appointed, the wood on the furniture gleamed; photos and degrees hung on the walls, artfully arranged. A heavy door blocked out the rest of the world. Perfectly angled on my desk sat a thick cut-glass frame with my wedding photo in it! I stared at it fascinated. My face shone with joy from underneath a simple veil, and a very attractive man.. Tom! . . . stood beside me, grinning in what I remembered had been a cheap tuxedo. Because we couldn’t afford more, I recalled, we pulled off a lovely but simple wedding on a shoestring because I was still paying off law school. Ooooh – law school! I’m a lawyer. In fact, checking the cards in the matching cut-glass cardholder, my title seemed to be “General Counsel”.

“General Counsel at 29?? Dang I’m good!” I let the title roll off my tongue and just tasted it. Already I had some vague memories of my co-worker-crushing climb to the top of this department. While the company name wouldn’t drop your jaw, it’s nationally known. I had minor guilt pangs about the way I’d achieved such a goal, but they paled in comparison to the delicious feeling of knowing the older employees envied me and the younger ones feared me. I’d never been feared before. It’s quite intoxicating, like being in love, but less sappy.

And I’d had to climb fast because Tom had been consistently, well, less than successful. I couldn’t dredge up any details, just the knowledge that even though I loved him, he’d never really pulled his own weight salary-wise. But, man, look at him! I thought, admiring the photo again, who’d have thought I’d get a hottie like that? And I knew he made me laugh a lot. We didn’t have children - a sore spot, I decided, feeling the creeping dread in my stomach from the thought. I wondered why it bothered me so, considering I’d never felt a strong maternal instinct, or maybe I didn’t want any and he did?

The flat screen monitor on my desk displayed a document I’d been editing, and it occurred to me that while in this life-path I had finish law school, the “me” that’s here now had never even watched Law & Order, let alone learned the intricacies of corporate law! I jumped up, almost in a panic – what if I’m due in court or something? What if I have to, uh, take a, what-cha-call-it? Deposition! Crap!

I strode toward the door to my office, intent on finding the nearest ladies’ room so I could have a little chat with Death. I mean, being “Nettie” the musician is one thing, but representing a company in a court of law when the only legal term I know is “habeas corpus” and I don’t even know what means – well, that’s something else entirely!

I flung the office door open (noting my name in gold on the front, lovely – but not as interesting as it would have been a minute ago) and almost bowled over a young woman trying to slide behind the desk that guarded my door.

“Mrs. Rathing, may I help you with something?” She looked startled and vaguely guilty, but I didn’t have time to care. Oh, and Rathing – that had been the name on the business cards, that must be my married name, I’d been too intent on the title for that to register

“No, uh . . . no”, her name escaped me entirely, “Thank you, I just need some air.” I took off down the hall, not caring if she thought I’d gone nuts. I knew all the admins compared notes on their bosses, but if the worst thing she could tell the others is that I bolted outside for no discernable reason one afternoon, well, I’d had worse things said about me than that.

Striding almost blindly down the halls while underlings dived out of my way, I almost missed the entrance to the executive women’s room. Just being in the cool, softly-lit powder room calmed me, especially once I checked to ensure no one else occupied the stalls or sitting area. The mirror sparkled in the immaculate room and, after a recheck of the stalls, I leaned with both hands on the slick table in front of it.

“Death? Hello?” I barely dared speak louder than a stage whisper – the last thing I needed was someone overhearing me talking to Death in the bathroom. “Look, I’m sure you’re very busy and all, but we’ve got a problem here. I can’t be a lawyer! I didn’t even win that time in traffic court! I don’t want to just give up this life-path, but I don’t want to screw an entire corporation’s legal affairs, either .. . hello? Are you there?”

The mirror flickered, and I whipped around to see Death, to my great relief. What a change from the first time! If I could have hugged the incorporeal form, I would have.

“You can not just summon me each time you have a concern.”

“I know, I know, but I’m in charge of the legal department and I could seriously mess with people’s lives and money and stuff here.”

“I understand. You will, as in previous life-paths, continue to acquire memories from this life, in due course.”

“I get that, but when, how fast? What if law school is like, the last thing I remember?”

“I will ensure that you will know the things you need to know when you require the knowledge.” Death faded, leaving only a faint hint of disapproval lingering in the air. I sighed and shrugged. What else can I do? Why would Death lie? I guess it’ll be okay. Or, at least, I hoped it would.