Tied to the Law

The waiting room of J.B. and Fox Associates was just as Sophie had pictured it would be. Dark wood panelling covered the walls whilst sleek leather armchairs and concrete and glass tables added a contemporary flare to the room. Floor to ceiling windows on the street side looked out over the New York skyline, the busy traffic and bustling crowds looking minuscule from eighty floors below her. The artwork that hung from the walls was tasteful and clearly very, very expensive and the gentle splashing of a Japanese style water feature in the centre of the room created a peaceful atmosphere. Everything about the room exuded wealth and power and made Sophie feel very, very out of place.

"Here you are, Hon."

She looked up and smiled at the receptionist as she handed her a tall glass of iced water with a wedge of lime floating at the top. "Thanks," she said nervously as she took the drink.

The receptionist gave her a reassuring smile. She was maybe five or ten years older than Sophie was but was clearly suited to her role. She was impeccably dressed in a smart, knee length pencil skirt and powder blue blouse. Discrete yet still expensive looking stud earrings glinted in her ears beneath auburn coloured hair that was wound into a tight bun atop her head. Sophie had never really been attracted to other women but she had found herself staring at the receptionist when she had introduced herself.

"Nervous?" the woman asked, mistaking her distant look for anxiety.

Sophie smiled weakly, swilling the heavy glass in her hand. "A bit," she admitted.

The receptionist smiled. "You'll be fine," she said. "Mr Adams would not have wanted to interview you if he didn't think you were up to the job."

"Thanks," Sophie said, feeling her cheeks flush at the compliment.

The elevator rung behind them and the receptionist looked up. "Ah, that'll be the other candidate. Excuse me."

Sophie nodded and went back to focusing on not making a fool out of herself. She sipped her water slowly, running over everything Professor Fisher had told her about J.B. and Fox and specifically his friend Mr Adams, one of New York's finest attorneys. The receptionist walked past, her heels clicking on the marble floor, as she led the second candidate to her desk to sign in. He was tall and thin, his sand coloured hair a little scruffy and his shirt poorly ironed. He smiled at Sophie as he passed and she couldn't help but smile back at him, pleased to see someone else looking as out of place as she felt.

"Hi," he said as he took at seat opposite her after signing in.

"Hi," she replied, a little sheepishly.

"I'm Tom," he said.

"Sophie," she replied.

"Are you here for the internship program?" he asked.

She nodded. "You?"

"Something like that," he said with a shrug. He tilted his head and said, "England, right?"

"Finally," she muttered. "Sorry. It's just most people here think I'm from Australia for some reason. Yes, I'm from England. I'm studying here."

"That's cool," he said. "I've always wanted to go to England."

She laughed. "It's not that special, not compared to here at least," she added as she gestured to the skyline.

"I dunno," he muttered. "After a couple of years it all starts to look the same."

She frowned at the note of bitterness in his voice. To her New York had always been the most amazing place on Earth. She remembered visiting the city on holiday with her parents when she was little and ever since that point she had known that one day she was going to live there. Even in her two and half years of studying in the city there was still so much that she hadn't seen or done and she could not imagine how a person could ever get bored of being there.

She looked up as the receptionist came over. "Miss Jones?" she said kindly. "Mr Adams will see you now. Mr Fox, if you wouldn't mind waiting a while longer?"

"No problem," Tom said with a nod.

"Fox?" Sophie repeated, staring at the man opposite her. "As in..."

He smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, as in..." he gestured to the building around them as he trailed off.

Sophie stood quickly, smoothing down her old jacket as she felt her mouth turn dry. She surely hadn't just spent the last five minutes chatting to the son of the firm's owner?

"Good luck!" Tom called after her.

"Was that really..." she began as she followed the receptionist out of the waiting room.

"Thomas Fox," the woman said. "He's here to learn about his father's company."

"Shit," Sophie hissed under her breath.

"Don't worry," the receptionist chuckled. "I've met him a couple of times and have never seen him that talkative before. I think you made a bit of an impression on him."

She blushed as the receptionist pushed open the door and led her into a large atrium that ran the length of the building. Large, smart offices and conference rooms with views over Central Park sat on one side of the atrium whilst on the other side were a number of smaller offices and what appeared to be a break room. The wooden floor was spotless and the large, open atrium was once again stylishly decorated with more expensive artwork, water features and comfortable sofas and armchairs.

The receptionist led Sophie to the office at the far end of the atrium. It was the biggest of them all and Sophie noted that it boasted a corner position with views to match. Low, cream leather sofas and armchairs sat around a glass coffee table in the centre of the room whilst a large, wooden desk sat in the corner of the room. The receptionist knocked softly on the glass door and the man inside beckoned them in.

"Mr Adams?" she said politely. "Allow me to introduce Miss Jones."

Mr Adams was nothing like Sophie had imagined he would be. He was younger than she had expected, late forties if she had to guess. He was pushing six feet tall with broad shoulders and dark hair shot through with streaks of silver on the sides. His Armani suit was perfectly pressed and a silver Rolex was just visible beneath the cuff of his immaculate white shirt. He smiled as he stepped forward and extended his hand, white teeth dazzling her as she found herself transfixed by the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

"Thank you, Maddie," he said as he shook Sophie's hand. "That will be all for now."

Maddie nodded her head, flashed Sophie one final reassuring smile, and backed out of the office, leaving her alone with Mr Adams.

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to the sofa. He strolled over to a copper coloured drinks trolley beside his desk and casually picked up a bottle of whiskey. "Drink?" he asked.

Sophie licked her lips nervously as she perched on the edge of the sofa. "No thank you, sir," she said.

He shrugged, but she thought she detected a note of approval in his expression. "Suit yourself," he said as he poured himself a glass before settling himself on the arm of the chair opposite her. "So, Sophie Jones. Tell me, why do you want to become a lawyer?"

"I've always been interested in law," she said, taking care not to speak too quickly. This was an easy question. She'd been asked it at every junction of her education so far and by now she had her answer pretty much memorised. "I enjoy problem solving and what to do something where I can make a difference..."

He held up his hand, the crooked smile he wore telling her that he saw right through her answer. "Something you should know about me, Miss Jones," he said. "I appreciate honesty from the people that I work with. Fuck knows there's not enough honesty in this business without us bullshitting each other."

Sophie blinked, her mouth hanging open in mid-sentence as he swirled his drink and took a long sip.

"Try again," he said. "Why do you want to be a lawyer?"

She bit her tongue, feeling her heart pounding against her chest as her eyes darted about the room. She took in the expensive art, the picture of a shiny red Ferrari on Adams' desk and the collection of aged spirits sitting on the drinks trolley and understood what answer he was expecting.

"When I was little I came to New York with my parents," she said slowly. "From that point onwards I always knew that i wanted to live here so I knew I needed a career that would pay well. I want to be a lawyer because I want to earn enough money to make my dream come true."

His smile widened, his emerald eyes twinkling in approval as he swigged his drink. "I appreciate your candour, Miss Jones," he said. "Never be ashamed of wanting to make a good life for yourself."

She nodded feeling herself relax a little. Professor Fisher had told her that Adams wouldn't waste any time in their interview. He was charming, Fisher had said, but he was a busy man and she would need to be on her toes if she was going to impress him.

Adams indicated a file on the table and she recognised the symbol of the New York Law School in the top corner. "I've been looking through your file. You have certainly impressed Professor Fisher," he said. "Sadly the same cannot be said for me."

Her smile faltered, her chest tightening as she tugged nervously at the hem of her skirt. Fisher had also warned her that she would have to fight for her place as Adam's intern. "With respect, Mr Adams," she said carefully. "I have been top of my class for the last two years. I've passed every assignment with the highest grades possible."

"I noticed," Adams replied cooly. "But classroom assignments are very different to the real world. To put it simply, you have the knowledge, Miss Jones, but very little first hand experience."

"That's why I am here," she said swiftly. "I want to learn from the best."

"Flattery will earn you nothing," he said, though she saw his lip twitch again. "But you're right. I am the best and I can see some potential in you. You start on Monday. Maddie will send through all the details. Don't be late, I have no patience for people who waste my time."

She blinked, her heart in her mouth. Had he just hired her then and there?

"Congratulations, Miss Jones," he said, standing and offering her his hand. She took it, still dumbstruck by her sudden and rapid change of fortunes.

"Thank you, sir!" she breathed, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him. "I promise, I won't let you down."

"I hope you don't," he replied as he opened the door for her. "Oh, and Miss Jones?" he called after her as she stumbled at the threshold. "Get yourself some new clothes. Something more suitable for a woman of your aspirations."

"Yes, Mr Adams. Thank you again."

He winked at her and closed his door, leaving her to make her own way back to the reception desk. She felt like dancing and couldn't keep the smile from her face as she stole furtive glances around the office, her new office. This was what she wanted. This was the start of all her dreams coming true.

"Someone looks happy," Maddie said as she walked back into the waiting room. "Shall I assume it went well?"

"He gave me the job!" Sophie practically squealed as she walked up to Maddie's counter. "I'm starting on Monday!"

"Congratulations!" Maddie exclaimed. "That's brilliant, Sophie!"

"Thanks!" she beamed. She glanced over her shoulder feeling a small pang of disappointment that Tom wasn't still there for her to tell the news to, though she supposed there was every chance she might see him again.

"I'll send through your hours and a list of details that we need from you," Maddie said. "As you know, the internship is unpaid but you will be allocated a small expense account after your first few weeks."

"Right," Sophie said. "Um... Mr Adams suggested I upgrade my wardrobe but I don't..."

Maddie laughed. "Yeah, I got that same advice when I started here." She picked up one of her cards and scribbled an address on the back. "Here, this is your best bet. The prices will make your eyes water but honestly, it's your best bet if you want to impress him."

"I do," she said as she took the card. "Thank you, Maddie."

She smiled back at Sophie. "You're welcome. Now go out and celebrate and I'll see you on Monday!"

****

"I shouldn't have let you talk me into that last round," Sophie groaned as she and Katy stumbled down the sidewalk.

"Oh come on!" Katy replied. "How often do you get to celebrate landing a job with New York's top law firm?"

Sophie winced in a ray of sunlight reflected off a taxi's windscreen. It wasn't that she was annoyed with Katy for throwing her one of the best nights out that she had had in a long time... She was just annoyed that yet again her best friend showed zero signs of having any sort of hangover despite having drunk far more than she had.

"Do you ever calm down?" she groaned, pushing her sunglasses higher up her nose.

"No," Katy said flatly. "Now come on, we have shopping to do!"

They stopped for a much needed coffee before hitting the shops. Katy was after a new dress for her and her boyfriend, Mike's, anniversary and Sophie was happy to trail after her as they flitted around the Brookfield Place mall. Another of Katy's annoying habits was her ability to look stunning in whatever she tried on and she ended up buying three completely different dresses with the idea of deciding which one she liked best on the night.

"You can borrow these whenever you want," Katy offered as she slung her bags over her shoulder.

That was the benefit of being the same size as her best friend. They would often borrow each other's clothes though Sophie wasn't sure she had the confidence to pull of any of the dresses Katy had bought that day.

They stepped out into the sunshine, Sophie no longer wincing in the bright light now that she had managed to walk off the worst of her hangover, and hailed a cab. Sophie slid the business card that Maddie had given her out of her bag and asked the driver to take them to Greene Street in Soho. She watched the city sail past as she listened to Katy tell her all about her big anniversary plans with Mike, much to the cab driver's amusement, and soon began to see high end clothing stores, jewellers and designers boutiques out of the window.

"Wow. This is fancy," Katy said once they had paid the driver and stepped out of the cab. "I'm not sure we belong here!"

"Maybe not yet," Sophie replied. "But we will one day."

They crossed the street and stepped into the boutique that Maddie had recommended. It was a small shop with an emerald green awning and gold letters that read 'Starlings'. Two mannequins sat in the window dressed in stylish jackets, blouses and skirts. The door bell jingled as they stepped tentatively inside the small shop. Michael Buble was crooning over the speakers and warm lights illuminated well spaced racks of office attire. An older lady with red hair smiled thinly at them as they entered, her eyes clearly darting to the H&M bag that Katy carried in a disapproving sort of way.

"Hello, can I help you both?" she asked, her voice clipped in a way that made it seem that helping them was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Yes, please," Sophie said. "I'm starting a new job on Monday and a friend suggested this might be a good place to get some new outfits."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "I can certainly show you a few things, my dear," she said with a note of sarcasm. "Whereabouts is it that you work?

"Thank you," Sophie replied. "I'm starting at J.B. and Fox."

It was amazing how quickly the woman's attitude changed once she knew where Sophie worked. She offered them coffee and biscuits and sat them down as she began to pick out a number of outfits for Sophie to try on. Sophie couldn't help but enjoy the pampering and as it turned out, the older woman had a wicked sense of humour and a brilliant sense of style. In the end Sophie picked out two outfits; a knee length, tight fitting grey dress with a modest neckline and a black pencil skirt with silver clasps and a scarlet coloured blouse. She paid for everything through gritted teeth, knowing she would have to try and pick up a few extra shifts at the bar she worked at if she was going to eat that month, but telling herself it would be worth it in the end.

"I can't believe you just spent that much!" Katy hissed as they left the shop.

"I know, I know," she replied gripping her bags as if they were made of gold, which they might as well have been. "Come on, lets go home before I spend any more money!"

They hurried back to Midtown where the shared a dorm in one of the city's newer student housing blocks. The lobby was fun and exciting with bright orange chairs and abstract pieces of artwork on the wall and it was all very clean but beyond that the dorms were bland and uninspired. Katy complained a lot about the grey walls and the cramped dorms but Sophie was just happy to have found a place that she could afford in Manhattan to begin with. She liked their cosy dorm, with the beds so close they could reach out and hold hands as they slept, the fairy lights that they had strung around the wardrobe that they shared and Katy's collection of Taylor Swift posters from the last six of her concerts that she had been to.

"I'm going out with Becca and Milly tonight," Katy said as she watched Sophie carefully hang up her new outfits. "You in?"

"Are you kidding?" Sophie scoffed. "Not after last night and certainly not now I've spent my entire wage for the month! Besides, I need to do some work."

"No you don't!" Katy laughed. "Your the smartest person on this course! What more do you need to do!"

"I want to be ready," she said. "Look, I've got the lunch shift at the bar tomorrow and then I want to be as ready as I can be for Monday. I'll catch up with you later."

Katy rolled her eyes but eventually let her off with the promise that they would go out again later in the week. She left later that evening wearing a dangerously short dress and Sophie settled down to study, nursing her bruised bank account with a pot noodle that had been part of her latest care package from her parents back in England. Tiredness crept up on he as the excitement of the previous evening began to catch up and she moved from the desk that was crammed in between the wardrobe and the door to lie on her bed, balancing her laptop on her boobs as she reviewed some of J.B. & Fox's most recent cases.

Another hour passed her by before she finally admitted that she was too tired to do any more work. She pushed her laptop shut and stretched out on her bed. She was already dressed for bed, wearing her grey school hoodie, 'New York Law School' emblazoned in slightly faded sky blue letters across her boobs, an old pair of lace panties and white, knee high socks. She tugged the scrunchy out of her light brown hair, letting it fall messily down her back as she flicked off her bedside light, slid under the covers of her bed and closed her eyes.

She lay there for a moment, listening to the odd sounds of people moving about in the corridor outside, before allowing her mind to wander. An image of Mr Adams in his crisp suit, his dazzling green eyes peering into her soul, came to her suddenly and she felt her lips twitch in a smile. He was the best lawyer in the city and he had chosen her as his intern. She thought of his strong arms, the feel of his hand in hers and the sound of his voice as he offered her the job once again. Without realising it, her hand moved to her panties, her fingers slowly massaging her pussy as she replayed their meeting. She bit her lip and moved her other hand to her tits, squeezing them through her hoodie as she thought of the power that he had. She wanted that herself. She wanted to prove that she could be just as strong and confident as he was.

She fumbled with the drawer of her bedside table in the dark, managing to locate the small but potent bullet vibrator that she kept in the bottom draw. It thrummed to life as she slid it beneath her panties, pressing the vibrating tip against her dripping pussy with a low moan of pleasure. She arched her back, continuing to massage her tits as she felt her pussy grow warmer with each new wave of pleasure.