The law firm of Osborn and Wilke was big. With 350 attorneys, it ranked third in the state. So, Sarah felt proud to be a new associate...and intimidated. Never the most secure person to begin with, she tried to convince herself she belonged.
She knew there were many other 25-year-old attorneys ready to take her spot if she faltered. One way or another, Sarah was determined not to let that happen. But, it didn't mean she wouldn't be insecure. That was just her way.
Sarah also knew her looks alone wouldn't help her now. She was an extremely attractive young woman with short blonde hair. But, one of those was in every third office. And if the attorney was average, the secretary might be a model. Showing a little cleavage wouldn't buy Sarah any breaks within Osborn and Wilke.
This was not a good day for showing skin anyway. It was late November, but felt like January. Sarah rushed from her car to the office with her head down against the biting wind.
She took the elevator to the third floor and headed down the hall. The smell of coffee made her feel somewhat warmer as she neared her office.
"Good morning, Chris," Sarah said cheerfully as she passed the secretary's cubicle.
"Hi, Sarah. Can you believe how cold it is?"
Sarah turned the key in her door and it swung open.
"No. This is crazy. I'm not ready for it," she said while throwing her coat over the back of a large chair.
"We have white chocolate cappuccino again in the machine. Do you want one?"
Chris was leaning around the corner of Sarah's office, watching her settle into the chair behind her desk.
"Oh, cool," Sarah said. "Yes. Please."
Chris enjoyed working for the young attorney. Although Chris was 34, she looked much younger and the people in Human Resources were probably the only ones that knew she wasn't in her twenties.
Chris did little to dissuade people from thinking she was younger, but her maturity couldn't be denied. She was particularly adept at picking up on other people's strengths and weaknesses.
In Sarah she saw an intelligent, beautiful attorney capable of going wherever she wanted in life, but with a fear of being revealed. What was behind this insecurity, Chris didn't know. She was still working on that one.
Chris returned with two cups of steaming brown cappuccino, setting one on Sarah's desk.
"Thanks," the young woman said.
In the three weeks they had worked together Chris learned to tell when Sarah wanted company or to be left alone. The tone of the attorney's voice, the shuffling of papers—they all gave clues.
This morning Chris interpreted things as "leave me alone." So, she was surprised when Sarah invited her to sit and talk.
The conversation took no specific direction until Chris mentioned how well she thought Sarah was adjusting to the firm.
Sarah stared at her intently.
"You really think so?" she asked.
"Sure," Chris replied. "I've seen older attorneys take longer than you to figure everything out. Especially the guys. I think it's their egos."
Chris stopped, looking up at Sarah a little sheepishly.
"I mean, you have the right to be proud and all, but..."
Sarah didn't let her finish. Or rather, didn't let Chris dig a deeper hole.
"Oh, stop it. I know what everyone thinks of attorneys. Especially ones like me right out of school," Sarah said. "But I can't believe you think I'm getting it."
"Sure you are. Just remember that I'll help you with anything you need."
Sarah took the opportunity to ask about some billing procedures she still wasn't sure of and, soon, nearly an hour had passed. She felt better after their talk; something that was happening more and more as Sarah got settled in.
The two women often met one last time late in the day. On this day the discussion was non-business related and very casual. Sarah complimented Chris on her sweater and jacket combination, which accentuated the secretary's full and firm breasts.
Sarah had already determined that Chris probably didn't own anything that didn't highlight some part of her perfect, long body. And she was jealous of the woman's dark blonde hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders.
But, it was a mutual appreciation of beauty. Chris was stunned the first time she met Sarah, despite the surplus of stunning people at the firm. Sarah's was a natural beauty with minimal help from makeup and never a lessening of good taste by way of cheap, revealing clothes.
In fact, both women could have whichever man they wanted. And they both knew it.
Sarah was looking forward to the firm Christmas party. It was scheduled for the second week in December and she was anxious to officially kick off the holiday party season. The two attorneys she was paired with...both men...promised to make her feel comfortable among all the new faces.
She went to Chris, of course, for better advice on what to wear. Chris' advice: "Knock 'em dead."
Chris assured her that anything she put on would impress the crowd. Chris, herself, would be wearing a dress she found on sale the week before. Sarah could sense the excitement in Chris' voice and she couldn't wait to see it.
Chris also listed who to avoid and who to "suck up" to. Sarah took mental notes between laughing spells.
By the day of the party, Sarah had worked at the firm for almost two months. Chris had become her most trusted confidante, but Sarah tried not to let the other attorneys know to what extent she relied on the secretary.
It was a caste system, she told herself, which was undeniably under the surface. And then there was the problem with the fact that Sarah just really, really liked Chris. They never socialized despite both women being single. Neither felt that the other necessarily needed the company.
An hour before leaving for the party, Sarah slid on the black pants of a suit she decided to wear. They were half a size too small and she turned in front of the mirror with an approving smile. The top was a cotton blouse with a large collar. As she often did, Sarah went braless. The material felt good against her skin and she stopped two buttons from the top before tucking it into her pants. The blouse fit snugly against her breasts without giving away her lack of a bra. In the mirror, just a hint of her cleavage appeared.
Sarah pulled her arms through the waist-length jacket and watched it settle into place. She was ready.
The party was at a private club downtown that Chris said had several floors and rooms off of rooms, which made getting away from people you didn't want to be with easy. Sarah assumed there was a good chance she'd have to use the escape routes before the evening was over.
She parked and walked quickly in the cold night air to the club. Two couples were just ahead of her and they, too, entered through the ornate wooden doors of the club.
The small group checked their coats and went up a set of three steps to a large, open lobby. Christmas light and decorations were everywhere. Overstuffed chairs were sprinkled comfortably throughout the area. Two or three were occupied with older gentlemen conversing with other men standing beside them, drinks in hand. It all reminded Sarah of Dorothy Sayers mystery novels. She hoped there would be no "unpleasantness" at this club tonight.
"Sarah. I'm glad you made it."
The young woman turned at the abrupt sound of the voice to face Brian, one of the attorneys she was paired with in her litigation group.
He was a short, dark man of about 35 who she had found to be extremely helpful and friendly. They got along well and often went out to lunch together. Brian was married and Sarah trusted his friendship to be just that.
Tonight she suspected it had been his role to watch out for her and lead her into the heart of the party.
"Hi, Brian," Sarah said. "This is a really neat place."
"Yeah. We've been coming here for a couple years and everyone seems to like it. There are lots of places to hide."
"Geez," Sarah said. "That's exactly what Chris said. Is the party THAT bad?"
Brian laughed. "No. You'll see what I mean. And I just saw Chris about fifteen minutes ago. She was asking about you."
"Great. That's two people I'll know then."
Brian led Sarah into a large room with a massive bar along one wall and clumps of chairs and coffee tables everywhere else. The sound of voices almost drowned out the holiday music floating down from above. In one corner of the room, a huge Christmas tree was brightly decorated.
"What do you want to drink?" Brian asked, as they got closer to the bar.
"Oh, wine is fine. White wine."
Sarah surveyed the room, picking out a half dozen faces she recognized from the fifty or so people in the room. Within seconds she had her drink and was taking a sip, attempting not to reveal her nervousness to Brian. She scanned the room again for Chris.
This time she saw the familiar figure of her secretary standing next to a pair of gentlemen she did not recognize. Immediately, Sarah was taken by the simple elegance of the dress Chris wore. It was dark and sleek. Sarah could tell, even from a distance, that it plunged at the neckline in front.
"There's Chris," Sarah said above the din to Brian. "I'm going to say 'Hi'. Want to come?"
"No. That's OK. You go ahead. Have a good time."
Sarah worked her way through the crowd and approached Chris. She walked up behind the secretary and slowly moved to her side, not wanting to interfere with the ongoing conversation.
When Chris noticed the two men looking beside her, she stopped in mid-sentence.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Chris asked when she saw Sarah.
"I just got here. Brian took care of me until I saw you...talking as usual."
Chris introduced Sarah to the two men with her—partners of the firm. Sarah wondered why only two men were with Chris when she got a better look at the secretary's dress. It almost forced you to follow the line of the neck down to the top of her breasts, then took it all away from you with just a hint at what was beneath the fabric.
Sarah felt outclassed, standing there in her black pants and blouse. She could have unbuttoned the blouse to her navel and not looked as good as Chris.
Eventually the partners moved on, leaving the two women to talk. Within fifteen minutes, Chris had introduced Sarah to a dozen people. Sarah had a new appreciation for Chris' charm in public...and her ability to attract men.
Sarah found herself with a second drink in her hand, thanks to a young associate she had met briefly a half hour before. Conversations started and ended at a dizzying pace. Faces came and went.
Chris and Sarah moved from one room to another until Sarah was completely lost. In the middle of a boring conversation with a middle-aged, female attorney, Sarah realized she was once again alone without Chris. Excusing herself, Sarah escaped into a hallway on the second floor of the club.
She took a couple awkward steps toward what she thought was a stairway before a tall man circled around her from behind and cut her off.
"Hello, Sarah," the man said.
