for Jericho County went off without a hitch. The older attorneys in the office, and some of the younger ones too, were trying to disrespect her, but she called a meeting. She knew she was going to be a bitch in their eyes forever, but she had to put a stop to it from day one. Ira tried to, but his style was, in her eyes, too weak. Those tough ladies wasn’t paying him any attention. And, at first, they wasn’t paying her any attention either. Until she dropped the bombshell. “As Deputy D.A.,” she said, “I have been given authority over quite a few things, but hiring, firing, pay raises and promotions are four of those responsibilities that now rest with me.” And when she said that, she could hear a pin drop as the room became deafly quiet. But then, as it settled in their brains, she didn’t have to say another word. They were skinning and grinning and welcoming her aboard. Behind her back, she knew they were going to talk that talk about how she was Brent’s girl and how she slept her way to the top. And the fact that Brent had made a deal with Ira didn’t help that perception at all. But at least they now respected her authority. They may never respect her. But she believed, if she continued to work hard and prove that she was fair and just and her own woman, that level of respect would come too.
