After graduating law school with some difficulty, Liam Monroe had taken a chance.
He had applied to a few prestigious firms, hoping something would stick.
He had always been somewhat of a disappointment in his own mind, not having the fortune of inheriting his father's impressive physical or intellectual attributes. He was a shy, lightly built, unexceptionally smart guy, and he had always felt like he was just an average kid.
With this job, that could change, he could change. This could be his chance to really belong.
Somehow, against all odds, he had struggled through the stress-inducing interviews, and had been accepted in a junior position with Langford and Langford.
Victoria Langford was the daughter of Jacob Langford, legendary lawyer, now running for Congress. She had needed to prove that she could stand outside of her impressive father's shadow, and it truly seemed she had managed it without even breaking a sweat.
She, of all people, noticed him in the interview rounds. The interview talks with her were intimidating and made him feel insecure, panicked, small, and feeble. But he came through them.
Victoria was tall, blonde, and breathtakingly beautiful. She carried herself with the kind of confidence that made others shrink.
She could control any conversation with a glare from her piercing blue eyes. Her sharp rhetoric was enough to seemingly make anything go her way.
Today was his first day at the firm, and after greeting the receptionist, he rode up to the executive floor.
As the elevator doors slid open with a soft bing, Liam stepped out, his breath catching slightly at the sight of Victoria herself waiting for him. She made him feel just as small as when they had had the interviews. He stood up straighter, trying to convince her, and himself, that he was confident.
She stood near the reception desk, poised, powerful. The kind of woman who belonged to the crème de la crème of the legal world. Her full, natural blonde hair was pulled into a tightly controlled bun, not a strand out of place. She didn't fidget, didn't adjust her stance. She simply exuded presence.
Her outfit reflected her precision. A tailored grey blazer hugged her frame, cinched at the waist to accentuate her figure, framing the white blouse beneath.
The matching grey pencil skirt fit perfectly, ending just above the knee. It moved only slightly as she shifted her weight, revealing the faint shimmer of sheer pantyhose.
Her heels were sleek, black leather pumps that accentuated all her attributes just so right.
Her piercing blue eyes met his as he stepped forward.
"Welcome, Mister Monroe, good seeing you at the firm. I wanted to personally welcome you." She gestured him toward a meeting room. She smiled her perfect smile at him, though it clearly did not reach her eyes. "Come, have a seat, and we will get you settled."
***
By the middle of his first week, Liam was beginning to understand just how far out of his depth he was. The firm ran like a well-oiled machine. At the center of it all was Victoria. All he had seen of her after his first day was a blur of blonde in strikingly professional outfits, directing workflow and caseloads with peak efficiency.
She was focused, her presence palpable. He could clearly tell by the reactions of his new colleagues whenever she passed them. He was surprised when on Thursday afternoon, he was called into her office.
He had expected to find something that matched her public image. Instead, her office was warm, almost cozy. Dark wooden bookshelves lined the walls, filled not just with legal volumes but with carefully arranged hardcovers. A rug softened the floor. It gave a welcoming yet intimidating feeling in his underbelly.
At the center stood Victoria. She stood leaning with both hands on her mahogany desk, her silhouette outlined by the floor-to-ceiling window behind her. Her dark red suit was impeccable, the blazer cinched her waistline perfectly, a black silk blouse lying under.
The matching red skirt fell past her knees, accentuating her figure. A single blue lotus pin adorned her blazer, its light glow mirroring her bright eyes. Her shoes: simple yet elegant leather flats.
"Close the door, Liam," she said without looking up.
He obeyed, stepping forward cautiously as she finally glanced at him, her gaze locking onto his with palpable intensity. He felt a willingness to impress her stir in his underbelly, and a lump in his throat.
"You've done well this week," she said idly.
"Thank you, Miss Langford, I--"
"But there's something we need to address." She continued, cutting him off.
He grumbled internally, wanting to show his mettle. She stepped toward him, her eyes flicking downward. He felt a panic rise, but suppressed it.
Without hesitation, she reached out, pinching the fabric of his sleeve between her fingers. He almost felt like he needed to back away, that he needed to run. Her grip on his sleeve was strangely strong.
"This won't do," she murmured. His breath caught. Her touch lingering, her fingers running just a little too slow down the line of his arm before releasing him. She looked at him with a... twinkle?
He tried to speak, but found his mouth was too dry. She cut him off, again, before he could form a coherent word.
"You want to belong here, don't you? You seek my approval, am I rig--"
The way she said it made it sound less like a question and more like an absolute.
"Of course," he stammered, having found his voice.
She stepped closer, not quite touching him, but near enough that he could feel her presence. His lump in his throat growing thicker. When she spoke again, her voice was lower, softer, just close enough to his ear that he could feel her breath.
"I know just the shop for you."
He wanted to speak up, stand up for himself. His mouth opened to speak. Victoria's head turned sharply, and she made sudden direct eye contact. He instinctively closed his mouth.
"Find Tailor Made. I will let the proprietor know you're coming. She will take care of you."
He had a strange feeling that he almost needed to obey her, to please her. He had wanted to impress her, right?
She stepped away.
"That will be all," she said, already turning back toward the window.
