Our law firm has an excellent reputation, and frequently we were asked to train legal interns for a short time. This year we decided to accept 3 of them. They were randomly assigned, and I ended up with Jane Dalton.
We interviewed her beforehand and she seemed like a good candidate - She graduated from Princeton with good grades and showed adequate knowledge in several areas of the law. She was quite shy, but we've seen multiple candidates who were scared and talked in a low tone during the interview.
On Monday morning, I came to work at 9 because I had to finish a personal errand. I entered my office and saw Jane sitting in the waiting room. I smiled, apologized for being late, and let her into my office. She wore a formal suit and waited for me to talk. I called Mila, my secretary, asked her to make my coffee, and gazed at Jane. She mumbled, "Tea, please, with a sweetener."
In the next 2 hours, I explained to her some of the logistics and administrative rules in our offices, and later showed her 3 cases I was involved in. Jane listened patiently and rarely talked. Her questions were reasonable and verified she was a smart gal.
At 11:30, it was time for lunch. Most times, when I was too busy, I ordered simple foods to be delivered to the office, but that day was nice and I took Jane to my favorite Thai restaurant nearby. Both of us had Pad Thai and a cold drink. Jane hardly talked. I asked her about her life outside work. She timidly said she had none. Noticing her reluctance to share details about her life, I decided to let go; after all, it was her first day.
When we returned to the office, I suggested discussing one of my cases and finding out if she had any ideas, comments, or suggestions. It was a robbery case, and I was the lead defense lawyer. There were no witnesses, and the defendant claimed innocence, but his fingerprints were found inside the house. According to my client, he worked on the electrical system a week earlier, thus his prints. With no witnesses or other suspects, and only circumstantial evidence, it was a case I was quite sure I'd free him. When I presented the case to Jane, she stayed silent for a while and then said, "Your client may still be guilty, but if there are no definitive proofs he did it, he will be freed." I chuckled, "You are right. He is my client and my job is to represent him as best I can. If there is no clear evidence he did it, I feel good winning the case."
She grinned, "Lawyers are judged by the cases they take and their winning percentage. What happens if you know your client is guilty?"
"My responsibility is to be there for my client. Period. I am not going to lie, but I'll do my best to win the case for him or her."
"Any regrets when you know your client is culpable?"
"Unless it's a murder case, I learned to live with it. Having too much conscience is a bad thing for a lawyer. However, about 5 years ago, I had a client who confessed to me he killed 2 women. The prosecutor was new and inexperienced. From the beginning, it was obvious, the case was over her head. I could not let my client roam free and continue killing other women, so one evening, I slipped a hint under her office door. It led to his conviction. I felt good about it, although, if anybody found out my role, I would have been disbarred."
Jane looked at me admiringly, "So you are not a heartless money grabber like most lawyers..."
I laughed, "I did it only once. And most times, I am not as nice as you think."
We stayed in the office for another hour and gossiped about another interesting case I participated in a year earlier. I noticed Jane began to open up. Her initial hesitation changed to talking logically, but still at a low tone.
At 5 pm, it was time to leave, and I asked her if she needed a ride. She blushed, "No, thank you. I'll take the bus."
"Where do you live?"
"I rented a room about 10 blocks from here."
"Do you have family or friends in town?"
"Not really. I heard that your firm is one of the best around and decided to dedicate my time to learning from you. I assumed I'd have enough time to socialize when I start working."
"Jane, not having company to talk to for over a month is not a good idea. Tell you what; our annual anniversary party is a week from now. Will you join me?"
"Shouldn't you take your wife?"
I smiled, "I am 38, but not married yet. Anyway, I think it's a good idea for you to be seen there: All the partners and the staff will attend, so I can introduce you to everybody. It will be fun. And when it's too much for you, let me know, and I'll drive you home."
"Even if I wanted to go, I do not have evening clothes here..."
"Jane, that's unacceptable. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll have a 2 hours break. We'll go to one of the luxury stores on Main Street, and you'll pick a dress and shoes. I do not want to hear any excuses."
She gazed at me, "Why are you doing it? You do not owe me anything?"
"Because I'll feel bad if you miss a good party and sit alone in your room."
"Sir, I hate to impose..."
"Jane, that's an order. For the next month, I am your boss, so you better obey."
She whispered, "Thank you, sir."
...
The following morning, I arrived at 8:15. Jane sat in my office. When she saw me, she exited and returned 5 minutes later with a cup of coffee and my favorite donut.
"How did you know what I like for breakfast?"
"Yesterday, when you were busy on the phone, I asked Mila about your favorite food and habits..."
"Thank you. I want to discuss the second case I am part of with you, and tomorrow we'll go together to present it in court. Don't forget about buying a dress and shoes this afternoon. We'll have 2 hours, so find out which stores you want to check. I'd start by talking to Mila; she knows everything."
In my second case, I represented a middle aged man, who was caught selling drugs. I represented him twice before, and we both knew his punishment would be severe. My job was to minimize the time he'd spend in jail. The maximum he could get was 10 years, and I hoped to reduce it to 2 years, a rehab program, and a reasonable fine.
In the afternoon, I went with Jane to a small store Mila recommended.
Jane checked the stickers, blushed, and mumbled that everything was too pricey. I stared at her and blurted, "You are my date for the evening, so you should look fantastic; otherwise, it will reflect badly on me."
She watched me, "I do not know what you like."
I strolled between the various clothes, selected 3 dresses I liked, gave them to Jane, and said, "I have no idea about size, but anything similar that fits you, I'd like to see you try."
The first one looked good on her. It was loose around the shoulders and longer than I expected, but the color and overall impression weren't bad. She took a smaller size of the second dress and showed me. It was perfect! A long light blue dress that emphasized her cleavage. I asked her to try the third one. This dress was black and shorter, and her ample chest looked good in this one, too.
I said, "Jane, any of these 2 will be fine. Let's take both."
Next, we moved to a shoe store. I told Jane to buy 2 pairs of shoes that will go with the dresses we purchased. I suggested one pair with 3" heels. Jane measured several of them, and it took us almost an hour to find the right ones. She blushed when the seller announced the price, but I calmed her down, saying I had too much money. The following days flew rapidly - My client, who dealt drugs, received a year and 8 months of jail time, 5 years probation, and $10,000 fine. My 2 other cases required the help of private investigators.
During these 4 days, Jane and I started feeling more comfortable with each other. She began to talk more. She told me her relationship with her last boyfriend ended a year earlier because he was a wimp. Curiously, I asked what she meant. She responded that she needed a stronger person to date. I didn't push further and let it go.
On Friday, I reminded Jane I'd pick her up and we'd drive together to the party. She hesitated when I asked about her address. Apparently, she lived in a not-so-nice apartment or neighborhood. She wanted to meet me in front of a church near her place. I promised to be there at 8 pm.
...
I arrived 5 minutes early and waited for Jane. Right on time, I saw her walking toward my car. She looked amazing: Her blonde wavy hair was loose. She wore the short black dress with the 3" heels black shoes. Her walk was very sexy. It was more a sway than a stroll and emphasized her nice hips. When she was closer, I could tell she had on makeup and red lipstick. Her appearance was very different than the way she looked in the office. She looked very attractive!
I opened the door for her and commented, "Jane, you look gorgeous! I am very proud to have you as my companion at the party."
She blushed, again, "Thank you, sir. I am happy to hear it. By the way, you look very handsome too."
I laughed, "Good. Does it mean I have a chance with you?"
Her initial blush turned crimson red. She did not respond.
I grinned, "Jane, it was a rhetorical question. Anyway, I noticed you blush a lot. It looks good on you."
She remained silent.
We arrived at the party place at 8:30. Most of our staff was already there, drinking and chatting. I introduced Jane to 2 senior members and watched them ogle her body. Next, I grabbed her by the hand, and we went to the bar. Jane wasn't sure what to order. I asked if she preferred a sweeter or juicier drink.
She glanced at me and murmured, "You decide."
I ordered a Mojito for her and Gin & Tonic for me. She started drinking and seemed to like it. Jane moved to a faraway table, and we sat there. She finished her drink in the first 20 minutes. I smiled, "Are you used to drinking alcohol? The drink is sweet, but there is good amount of alcohol in it..."
She giggled, "I loved it."
"Jane, later, if you want, I can bring you another drink."
The orchestra started playing, and several couples began dancing.