Mollie From Montana Ch 02

Chapter 2

At the café while Mollie was forking up salad, Gary studied her. Mollie was tall for a woman, just over six foot, curvy and he thought if she really bothered with make-up and had her hair shaped and highlighted, she'd pass as an exceptionally good looker.

Mollie's icy blue eyes bored into him. "Like what you see?"

Gary immediately lowered his reddening face and remained mute.

"Look at me and answer Gary," she said firmly and he obeyed like a puppy being trained.

She snapped: "God-damn Gary, do you do everything you're told?"

Wiping away his apologetic look before she had time berate him for that, Gary managed a weak smile and said, "You have lovely boobs."

Molly froze and colored, her mouth falling open slowly.

Gary stared until she dropped her gaze and savored his small victory until he almost panicked, feeling her shoe between his ankles and slowly move up and down a bit, sending a high-energized sex charge sweeping through his body. What the fuck? The café was crowded and everyone could see what she was doing.

"It's all right Gary, no one can see what I'm doing," Molly whispered, presumably having read Gary's panic.

"Are you sure?" he said a little hoarsely.

"I have no idea but most people don't study feet. Anyone curious enough to look at you would be wondering were you too besotted with me to eat."

Gary snatched at his turkey on rye and bit into it, his mouth now too full to speak. He listened, attentively and was almost blown away.

"Your grandmother has recruited me Gary because she senses something about me. She has no idea that I was brilliant in my younger years caring for injured or sick animals but as I said, she senses something in me. This morning she knocked a guy off his bicycle and I went to her aid when I saw the hunk of a cyclist about to verbally assault her. I dealt with him -- bravely according to your grandmother -- and leveled an accusation against him, suggesting he had been cycling without due care and that his bicycle appeared unroadworthy. With a cruiser's siren in the distance he scampered. Apparently I continued to impress your grandmother, accepting her request for me to drive her home but when she found I was an attorney looking to be hired she had me drive her to her office. She found about me. I found out about her and your father and why he appears hassled and thereafter your grandmother and I just seemed to hit the same wavelength. Finally she decided to recruit me to team with you. Now don't throw up at that thought -- she believes it's possible I can turn on your lights."

"What?" Gary said, exhibiting half a mouthful of food.

"If you are deemed good enough to be invited to become a partner Gary, that would take some of the weight off your father. And if you grandmother resigns as chairman..."

"Never, she'll die in that office," Gary said, a few crumbs flying from his mouth.

"Well, she was shocked when I said it had to be. Your grandmother indicated your father had been hinting for that for some time."

Gary swallowed some food and said, "More than pressing -- he's become desperate about it."

"This is confidential between you and me Gary. I think as from this morning your grandmother has committed to moving out the day you gain partner status. Your grandmother sees me as the big hope of butt-kicking you to achieve that elevation and that's the reason she has over-ridden her prejudice against having another female attorney admitted into the company."

At that Gary knew the impudent, pushy and obviously highly intelligent manipulator facing him was telling the truth. He was unable to come to any other conclusion why his grandmother would recruit an attorney outside the established recruitment protocol and a female one at that. A fucking nurse-maid. He felt his anger rising and prepared to bite back.

"Gary," Mollie grinned. "If you wish to abuse anyone over this, go and shout and stomp your foot at your grandmother. This is all her doing. All I wanted was a job and she's given me one, a very specific one with an addendum attached. No way will I intentionally disappoint her, having accepted the condition, so please just accept this is for your own good."

His face colored again. "How can you allege that?"

"Well, this interfering bitch will ask you this question. Gary, you are thirty..."

"Thirty three and two months."

"Gary, you're at an age when you should be a partner in the law practice controlled by your grandmother and father who both desire to have you accelerated to partnership status, so what's the problem Gary?"

"Too much fucking interference and pressure," he whispered, face darkening.

Mollie smiled at him beautifully. "Then would not you agree with this interfering bitch that pressure alone is unlikely to count for anything beyond suppressing performance?"

"I suppose so."

"And erode confidence?"

"Could be."

"And that the quickest way out of this hole is to resign and try elsewhere?"

"I've been thinking about that."

"Or alternatively, have your smart-ass grandmother team you up with a personable mentor?"

"God you are good Mollie. The only answer to that is yes."

"Good man," Mollie said, watching Gary raise his glass to his lips. "Now tell me what is it you like about my tits?"

Some of the ice water blown involuntarily from Gary's mouth splattered over Mollie's chest. She beamed and said that was an unexpectedly lively response. Gary just eyed her, pursing his lips while Mollie dabbed herself dry.

They returned to the office and Mollie talked to Stanley until all attorneys were back in the room. He called a meeting and introduced Mollie from Montana as Mrs King's protégé without offering an explanation until the oldest attorney Paul commented, "It's a bit rich having a woman dumped on us. Has Mrs King finally lost it?"

"Thank you for your comment Paul," Stanley said tolerantly. But he looked directly at Paul when he said, "Mrs King has deemed that Mollie has mentoring qualities and has explained this to me at length. Apparently she sees a lot of herself as a young woman in Mollie but if you wish to dispute the chairman's decision Paul please go to her office and have it out with her now or alternatively stay here and I'll ask Mollie to defend her appointment to this department. I suspect coming from hard graft in Montana she's more than capable of taking a very strong adversary role."

"In that case Mollie, please explain yourself," Paul said.

"No thank you Paul. If you have concerns go see Mrs King. I'm sure with her long experience she'll shred you in seconds. If I have to defend my appointment to people who supposedly are colleagues then I'm left with the impression I'm not in the right workplace."

People standing next to Paul moved away from him.

"Ah, quite right Mollie," Paul smiled. "Welcome to the team."

Then to Gary's embarrassment Stanley explained he had been charged with the task of accelerating Gary's progress to partnership status. Whatever are your views about this keep them private and remember this practice is called King & King Law and for good reason. I ask you all when preparing your briefs and believe you have an open and shut case please refer to me and I'll hand it on to Gary to increase his level of success stats. I know..."

"Stanley?"

"Yes Mollie? It is not usual here to interrupt me."

Mollie carried on regardless. "May I suggest you completely reverse that directive, that when guys think they have an unwinnable case they suggest you pass it on to Gary and me as his assistant. Mrs King and Stephen in monitoring Gary's progress will be focusing on quality of work more than quantity of work. Both non-equity and equity partners are required to be able and outstanding achievers."

Stanley digested that and appeared disgruntled until Gary said, "I think she'd right. What do you think guys?"

"Yes," several replied and Paul, who was Stanley's deputy, took everyone by surprise when he said, "Stanley that's quality analytical thinking from Mollie. Mrs King would have you nuts for breakfast if she found you responsible for manipulating outcomes."

"Do we have agreement on that," Stanley asked and received only affirmative replies. "Thank you for the quality of your teamwork," he grinned. "I suspect we are not in for an easy ride around here now that Mollie is on the team."

"Subject to documentation verification and licensing," Mollie reminded him.

"Oh yeah, Mollie's papers have yet to be filed with us and being just a tad short of five years' practicing may have to sit the bar examination after sitting the Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination."

There was no comment on how could Mollie have been hired if she'd not presented her papers. Mollie attended to that deficiency and handed in documentation later that afternoon.

* * *

Maureen King handed Mollie the keys and said she'd better drive.

"I've been thinking about what you said about having my eyes tested, and replacing this vehicle but I'm not going to a driving school to be grouped with kids or misfits who'll never drive."

"I don't blame you. Hire a tutor for private lessons. She'll come to your home or if that would embarrass you she'll meet you in some out-of-the-way place."

"She?"

"Yes but choose wisely. I think you'd scare the crap out of most male tutors."

Maureen didn't answer and then Mollie heard suppressed laughter breaking through. Maureen chuckled, "You act like a tonic on me Mollie. What sort of vehicle do you think I should buy?"

"A Hummer."

Maureen came close to hysterics. "God Mollie, you are a bit of a devil."

"I'm the youngest of five children. My two brothers, who are hard men in their early forties, were always tough on my two older sisters and me. My sisters retaliated by taking it out on me. I can cuss as good as most men and be just as abusive and when I reached my mid-teens my two sisters would only take me on together."

Molly had given her background to Maureen and Stanley, but not to this extent.

"Goodness, but what about intervention by your parents?"

"Dad dominated the family, especially mom and the boys and in my mid-teens when he found he could not longer bend my will, no matter how hard he tried, I became his pet. I can tell you that really was no treat for me as my siblings became very jealous of me."

Molly drove Maureen to tears when she learned of Mollie's father's death in the road accident than left her mother a crippled and with brain damage and how she was forced to take over the care of her mother whenever she had a break from college and was left to financially support her mother from the time she began working in law.

"You poor darling," Maureen said, patting Mollie's shoulder.

"Oh, many people are far worse off than me," Mollie said. "I had my three escapes -- going off to college, and then on return escaping into law, and then in my final escape from my family after my poor mother's death."

"God Mollie, however have you managed to bounce up from all that?"

Mollie grinned and turned to deliver a throwaway line to Maureen but turned away, astonished to see the hurt on the face of the elderly woman who'd befriended her.

"What time is dinner Maureen?"

"About 7:00 if that suits you. We are very early."

"Well let's go and trade this car for either a new car or last year's model."

"What, a larger car?"

"No a slightly smaller one but with better vision than this model."

"I really don't know. Shouldn't we wait till I have my eyes tested and have tuition?"

"We can kill time by kicking tires."

Maureen and Molly arrived at the large home just before 7:00 in a new Honda Civic auto with leather trim. Maureen parked in the garage without hitting anything.

"This car is so easy to drive and I didn't look like scraping the gate posts or the garage doors."

"That's because this car is YOU Maureen. It affords excellent vision, you don't take your eyes off the road changing gears as you did in that manual model with its much heavier steering."

"You're right and I really like the metallic blue color. Thank you for pushing me Mollie."

"Pushing you -- I only made suggestions. You made the decisions."

"I am not deceived. Thank you, and I mean it."

A pleasant-faced woman in her late forties, a tad plump and fashionably dressed, said to Maureen and Mollie as they emerged from the vehicle, "And what do we have here?"

"My new car -- Mollie made me buy it."

"I'm sure she didn't Maureen but it seems an excellent choice for you, and without dents it would appear. Hello Mollie. I'm Elaine King, Gary's mother. He's called to say he's been given -- now let me quote him correctly -- an impressive, pretty and super-intelligent minder."

"Oh, Mrs King, I'm sure Gary is just..."

"Gary tends to understate rather than overstate dear. Please call me Elaine."

"Yes Elaine," Mollie said demurely and was rewarded with a warm smile.

"Don't even bother attempting to out-maneuver her Elaine. This girl has been to hell and back."

Intrigued, Elaine laughed softly. "Welcome to the home of Kings Mollie. I'm also an outsider to some degree so it gives me a kick saying that."

"She's also a bit of a tease," Maureen sniffed, "but is the nicest one of the extended family, although with your assistance I'm expecting Gary to rise to Elaine's level."

"Maureen, please don't over-expect."

Before Maureen could reply Elaine said incredulously, "She allows you to call her Maureen?"

"Yes but what's so unusual about that?"

"Oh, if you only knew."

Appearing a little tight lipped, Maureen then said, "Elaine only has her charity work to occupy her mind Mollie so she tends to make a big moment out of anything that appears outside the square."

"And dealing with you and your sharp mind she'd never be short on practice," Mollie observed, to the delight of both women.

"Come on you two," Elaine said, taking each woman by an arm. "Let's give the men something to think about. It's to your credit Mollie that Stephen has arrived home half an hour early to dress to dinner. You appear to have knocked him out of his square."

Stephen and Gary, in jackets and casual shirts without ties, put down their drinks and moved to meet the women.

"Good evening Mollie, welcome to our home," Stephen said with a wide smile.

Mollie answered firmly, "Good evening Stephen."

If Gary disappointed Mollie by not stepping forward and kissing her she didn't show it. He did smile and say she looked lovely. When returning to the boarding house earlier to collect her professional documents, Mollie had showered and changed into a low-neck dark blue gathered tulle dress that showed off her light coloring and fair hair to perfection and, with the hem just above the knees, revealed well-shaped legs above the white satin peep-toe shoes.

Gary looked up from studying Mollie's chest to find her studying him. He nodded awkwardly, leaving Mollie wondering slyly why wasn't he interested in her hair since she'd spent a lot of time combing it up to be admired.

"You have lovely hair," Stephen purred and caught unaware Mollie said thank you, almost as a whisper, and blushed slightly and her color deepened when she saw the other two women looking at her admiringly. Only then did she realize she was standing directly under the chandelier in the dark-paneled room with the shades drawn against the strong low-level sun.

Stephen poured the women a light dry wine and when Elaine went to the kitchen to attend to dinner, Maureen invited Mollie to look at her 'apartment'. Maureen occupied half of the second floor of the house originally built by her late husband's paternal grandfather but since then the house had been upgraded several times.

"It's like living in the country as we are on two acres and yet are less than ten minutes drive from the office," Maureen said. When she went off to 'freshen up' for dinner, Mollie went to the kitchen where Elaine stopped working and hugged her.

"Stephen has told me what mom is up to and I'll worm the full story from her late tonight. I hope you can succeed where we have failed -- he's such a fine boy Mollie. I know it's a psychological blockage. An eminent psychologist described it as 'anti-materialism defiance'. Have you seen his car?"

"No, I don't think so," Mollie answered curiously.

"It is white and nondescript, with more dents that mom's old car. He's refused to allow me to buy him a new and better vehicle."

Mollie, who was getting used to Elaine referring to her mother-in-law as 'mom' said, "You mean that Japanese rust-bucket just inside the compound at the office?" and Elaine said yes and appeared set to weep. "He only dresses up a bit for the office because Stephen refused to allow him into the office unless he did so."

"But why would Gary back down and agree to conform?"

"Because he's almost as confused about his behavior as we are. Mom sees you as our great hope Mollie and over the years I've learned to trust her judgment implicitly. She's fading now but Maureen has been a really awesome woman. Gary was raised to succeed her but we now realize we applied too much pressure much too early. Please don't misinterpret what I'm about to tell you Mollie but already I believe you have the inside running -- I saw him when you arrived looking at you in a way I've never seen him look at a female before."

Initially confused, Mollie then clicked. "You mean the way he looked at my tits?"

Elaine came close to slapping a hand over her mouth in shock. Her eyes bulged and then she caught Mollie's steadfast smile and began to chuckle and they both were almost giggling.

"Mollie -- that word. May I point out this is not Montana?"

Mollie laughed and replied, "Elaine, may I point out that conservatism rules in Montana. I just happen to be a misfit. I see the meat has been resting. May I carve it for you?"

"Yes, of course. How lovely of you to offer. I'll get the knife." Elaine reached for an electric knife from its plastic box.

"No, a real knife please."

"Very well, but please take care not to cut yourself," Elaine said, pulling an ancient carving knife from a drawer.

"And the steel," Mollie said, testing the edge of the blade with her thumb.

Elaine watched in awe as the knife flew along the surface of the steel sharpener being held vertically.

"Oh my goodness, I have not seen knife-work like that since Grandfather King was here in the early days when I came to live as a new bride."

"Have you always lived in the King family household?"

"Yes, since I was nineteen."

"Well, you appear to have retained your personality and individuality."

Elaine's shock was over in seconds and she smiled warmly at her new friend. "You are so open and even be outspoken Mollie. Aren't you afraid that could get you into trouble?"

"Don't let the bastards and bitches grind you down -- that's my motto Elaine. Be afraid and they'll have you."

"Oh Mollie, be like that if you find it necessary but leave space in your heart to love and be loved."

"Are you a lay preacher?"

Coming close to producing a belly laugh Elaine smiled, "Oh Mollie, you are a wonderful young lady. I can see why mom is smitten and why even my stoic man finds himself reluctantly impressed. I want you to unlock my son Mollie and suggest you hold back otherwise you will overwhelm him."

"It's okay Elaine. He's no different to a mistreated young dog or a yearling calf that is literally the butt of the herd."

"What?"

"I shouldn't have said that Elaine. Just maintain your confidence that I'll deliver to you eventually a son your boy really wants to be. However, don't automatically think his future lies with you and the family and King Law. I'll not manipulate him to that extent because he can't be freed unless he feels free."