Jessica looked up wearily at the clock on the far wall of her office. Her eyes were tired from several hours of staring at her computer screen, and as 9:30pm ticked by, she realised it had been an age since she'd had so much as a coffee break. The work was as draining as it was engrossing, and though she wouldn't trade her job for the world, there were times when the life of a high-powered city lawyer didn't live up to it's exciting, vibrant issue.
Tonight, for example.
Proof-reading contracts drawn up by the Hong Kong office was vital, as even the slightest grammatical error could cost the firm's clients literally millions. But even those most passionate about subtle legal nuances had their limits, and Jessica had found hers several clauses and sub-paragraphs ago. Unfortunately, none of it could be left for the following morning, which at the very least gave her a sense of pride that the firm's partners had entrusted her with it.
Struggling to stifle a yawn, Jessica realised that she needed refreshing if this was going to get done properly. Stretching her legs and kicking off her heels, she tiptoed across the carpet to the door and peered around at the bullpen outside. Aside from a couple of associates, just as absorbed in their own work as she had been in hers, the office was empty. Even the cleaners had finished up and gone home for dinner with the family, and there weren't any interns she could order to fetch her caffeine and fast food. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, she thought. The food around here was pretty terrible, and a meal might just send her right to sleep.
With so few people to enforce the firm's strict dress code, Jessica felt free to undo a couple of buttons from the top of her blouse. The straps of her bra were digging into her shoulders, and she began to seriously consider taking it off and letting the girls breathe. Her tights, too, were feeling a little itchy, and she would have loved to get rid of them and expose her bare legs to the air-conditioned atmosphere of the hallway. But somehow that seemed unprofessional. Even when no one was watching, it was important to maintain standards.
So how do the professionals relax and reinvigorate themselves? Stress balls and yoga felt a bit too 1980s. Jessica began asking herself what senior partners do when they're in her situation. What do they do when they have important work to do, but need a quick, refreshing moral boost?
She was muttering the hypothetical question to herself, but she already knew the answer before she'd finished the question, and it caused her to grin with excitement at the prospect. She skipped back hurriedly to her office, and to the pile of business cards on her desk. She flipped through them hastily, looking for one very special card in particular. It was luckily near the top, where she'd purposefully left it from the last time, knowing that she would soon use it again.
It was plain white, with nondescript black lettering in a simple font. There was no company name on the front, there didn't need to be, only a telephone number. All the girls on Jessica's floor had the same card, and they all knew the business it advertised simply as 'The Service'. It was given to every new female employee as a sort of welcoming gift by the more senior lawyers, who all knew from experience how valuable The Service could be in keeping workers happy and productive. They provided elite 'packages' to stressed professional women pushed for time and they were available 24/7, ideal for after-hours.
She dialled the number on the card, and it was answered on the second ring by a polite female voice.
"Good evening ma'am, how may we serve you this evening?" the voice asked.
"I'd like a package please, as soon as you can", Jessica replied eagerly.
"Certainly ma'am, our computer says you are in the Hart Building on Parliament Street, do we have that correct?"
"Yes, that's me, Butler and Wessing LLP, I'm on the 17th floor."
"Excellent ma'am. Delivery time is approximately 15 minutes. Now if I could just take a few details, what size package would you like?"
"I'll take an 8, or a 9 if you have one"
"We do indeed have a 9 available, and he's just started his shift so it will be his first delivery this evening. However, I should warn you that this 9 does come with an extra large deposit, is that to your liking?"
"Yes, please!" Jessica confirmed, giddy with her luck "the bigger the deposit, the better, I haven't eaten since lunch so I could use the nutrients!"
"Very good ma'am, and I can assure you that the deposit will not only be highly nutritious, but also conforming the highest standards of taste, I'm told he's very sweet."
"That will do nicely. Thank you very much indeed, I'm looking forward to it, goodnight."