Elisa McKeanna-- Chief Legal Officer 7:51 am
It was supposed to be a standard day in the office when Elisa showed up to work. She led the corporate legal team and was scheduled to conduct a job interview for a potential hire later that morning.
At 8 am, she was called into the boss's office. It was normal to be summoned for impromptu legal services. With a company as large as theirs, there were always issues popping up and it was smart to err on the side of caution.
Elisa entered the large office where she saw an unusually nervous Mr. Callahan, who was far from his confident self. Before she could exchange the usual greeting or take a seat, a bombshell was dropped on her.
"I need your help," Mr. Callahan said with a forced smile.
"Good morning to you, too. How may I assist?"
Elisa stood tall and with the posture of a military officer, assuming it would be another quick exchange of legal advice. Usually she could answer his questions immediately, rarely needing to do research.
"I have a big meeting with investors today," he said, getting to the point. "They're willing to put $200- $300 million dollars in our firm over the next decade. European clients."
"Any of them single?" she asked with her trademark dry humor.
"Look, you know it's still a man's world. Strippers, escorts, you know the drill. It's standard for New York business dealings."
"Are you okay, sir? You seem incoherent."
Elisa was forced to give her boss a critical eye, wondering if he was having a nervous breakdown. She had seen this before. It was normal for intense pressure to get the best of someone.
"I'm fine," Mr. Callahan said. "It's just that my favorite assistant, Mindy, quit this morning."
"That's unfortunate, sir."
"Yeah, well, it's really unfortunate. Can you keep a personal secret? I know we talk a lot, but this is highly sensitive information."
Elisa nodded. "Of course, sir. Whatever you tell me in private will always be confidential, unless it presents a danger to others, or this company."
"I've been enjoying a sexual relationship with her for the past year. I mean, my god, she was the best!"
Mr. Callahan sighed in regret and Elisa was annoyed by his pathetic whining and self-pity.
"That's not a big surprise," she answered. "I got that impression from her. It's common practice for men in high positions to hire strippers and escorts as their office pets."
"Yeah, but she was different. She was the best. The absolute fucking best."
Elisa was unmoved. "She was the best because of the paperwork she put on your desk? Or what she did
underneath
your desk?"
"Underneath," he meekly replied. "She gives the best... nevermind..."
"She gives the best blowjobs?" Elisa said with a raised eyebrow. "Good for her. I'm assuming you're going to be sued by this woman. Sexual harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination? Pick your poison."
He shook his head. "I told these clients all about my special assistant. I promised them some friendly relief after the long flight over here."
"They'll have to attend the meeting without receiving oral sex. I'm sure they'll somehow survive."
"That's not the point," he replied. "If I can't deliver on a promise, then my reputation is in the trash."
Elisa didn't flinch. "They'll survive. So will you."
"No I won't. My job depends on closing this deal. We're having a rough patch lately."
This time, she sighed. "As chief legal counsel, I
cannot
advise that you hire a sexual professional to help with this. But as your friend, I'm sure there are plenty of women you can call."
"Well... I'm talking to a gorgeous woman right now."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Me?"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But you get what I'm hinting at, don't you?"
"You want me to perform as your little sex kitten?" she asked dryly.
"Everything discussed in these meetings is highly sensitive financial information. I can't just let anyone walk through those doors."
"Fair enough, but I think you've lost your mind, with all due respect."
"I need you," he said firmly.
"Why not ask someone else that works here? Someone younger."
Mr. Callahan softened his tone. "You dated Brett Leonards a few years ago, didn't you? I remember he told me a few, umm, things about you."
"A few things, like what?" she asked, seething with her arms crossed.
"Promise you won't be mad?" he gulped.
"What did Brett say about me?"
He gulped again. "Well, I was told that you give world-class oral sex. And that you have a fantasy of being used by a group of men."
It took every ounce of energy in Elisa's being to keep herself composed like the high-quality lawyer she was. However, her poised demeanor was on the verge of collapse, something she couldn't allow in the workplace.
"Never repeat that statement," she fumed with laser beam eyes. "If I ever hear that again, I'm quitting on the spot and I'll file a lawsuit. Understood?"
He nodded profusely. "Our secret forever. But this is an emergency. We're on track to have another quarter of losses. Our competitors have received huge investments from Asia. Unless we can match them, we may have to explore the possibility of big layoffs."
The last word stopped Elisa in her tracks.
Layoffs?
It felt like a gut punch. She loved this company and everyone who worked here, from the CEO to the janitors. She'd do anything for these people. They were family.
"How many layoffs are we talking, hypothetically speaking?"