The sound of shuffling papers and dragging chairs signified the end of another Friday meeting. Cheryl Thomas sat nervously tapping her pencil on the mahogany table and glancing up at Mr. Griswald, the firm's senior partner. He had asked her to remain after the meeting so they could "talk." Her head was swirling as to what he might have meant by that, surprised he even knew her name. She had fidgeted throughout the meeting. With two small boys at home, this wasn't the time to lose her job. She didn't have long to think about it though, since the meeting was brief, and the room emptied quickly.
"Mrs. Thomas..." Griswald beckoned her.
Cheryl moved slowly to the head of the table. She was a little taken aback when he stood up and pulled out a chair for her. She thanked him and settled into the luxuriously padded executive chair that was normally reserved for the firm's partners. She felt uneasy.
"Mrs. Thomas, it has come to my understanding that your work on the Porrello case has been invaluable."
Cheryl mentally blew a sigh of relief. "Thank you sir," she said, looking up into his faded blue eyes, once again thinking how much they reminded her of Paul Newman's, as he appeared in her favorite movie, "The Verdict."
"Now, you know part of your job here, as a paralegal, is to investigate the facts of cases and to ensure that all relevant information is considered."
"Yes, sir," she mumbled.
"Well, we have some information that might just set our client free."
"I see, sir... good... but what does that have to do with me?"
"We need someone to get it on tape."
"Tape?" Cheryl offered.
"Look, I won't force you to participate, but we've backed ourselves into a corner on this one."
"Me," Cheryl said with a shrug, her heart a-flutter.
"I'm going to be honest with you. You only have one day to prepare, because tomorrow you have a meeting at Mr. Carrasso's house.
"Mr. Carrasso! Are you crazy!" Cheryl snapped (as she knew about his reputation all to well), and then she blushed at her outburst.
"Settle down. Mr. Donahue will be meeting with Carrasso. You will hang out at the pool with his daughter."
"Pool?" Cheryl groaned. "Why?"
"You see, his daughter knows that our client didn't kill anyone, because she was with him the night of the murder."
"Really?" Cheryl blurted.
"Yes, she was having sex with him and his girlfriend. We know because we have an informant who actually saw the sex tape. Miss Carrasso is quite proud of it."
"Sex tape."
"Yes, she's another Paris Hilton; in fact, she looks very much like her. She may even be prettier. All we need is for you to record her telling you about the sex tape. She bragged about it once. Of course, if you could get your hands on the actual tape..."
"I don't think I can, sir," Cheryl said with a gulp. She also felt very strange talking about sex with her old boss.
"We already have it set up. We have Mr. Donahue's apartment completely bugged. We just need you to talk her into coming over to his apartment, however you can."
"Why?" Cheryl asked. She also didn't like the "however you can" part.
"To get it on tape. She has a loose lip, so it shouldn't be hard to get her to admit to making the tape at the time of the murder. She knows it's true. Once we have her recorded admission, she'll have to testify. You just have to use some of your womanly charms. You'll save our ass on this one."
"I see. Why don't I just ask her at the pool?"
"We need to record it, and Carrasso's place is out."
"I could wear a wire," Cheryl offered, as much as she couldn't believe she was even thinking about it. But Griswald didn't appear to be taking a "no" for an answer. She was also growing strangely excited, probably because usually her day consisted of pushing papers.
Griswald shook his head. "A wire is out. They would find it."
"What?"
"Trust me on that one. Take the rest of the day off and be at Donohue's at noon. Bring a bikini." Griswald stood up.
"Hold on, sir! Just tell me why they'd find it!" Cheryl plucked at Griswald's sleeve.
He straightened his jacket. "Carrasso doesn't trust anyone...especially lawyers... So his security team will search you both, before they will let you in."
"Oh," Cheryl moaned, as her boss made his way out the rear door. "Wait, sir, please, I can't." But he was gone.
Cheryl slumped into her chair. "Searched!" she gasped, shaking her head. "What have I gotten myself into?"
The side door opening startled her out of her daze. It was an old janitor with a broom. She offered a friendly smile in passing and made her way out into the hall. She turned the corner and almost ran headlong into the very lawyer she was supposed to partner with tomorrow.
"Ah, Jack, you surprised me," she gushed.
"So, can we count you in?" He asked.
"I-I-I guess."
"Oh, thank god! You'll save our ass on this one. You know where I live. Come by tomorrow at eleven, so we can go over our game plan," he said rapidly, then turned to leave.
"Wait Jack," she said, grabbing his arm. "That's twice I've heard that 'saving ass line.' But...why me?"
"You," he said, and then paused as if searching for the right words. Well, I was supposed to go over with my girlfriend, and I set everything up, and then I went home yesterday, and she and her stuff are gone...cleared out."
"But...again...why...me," Cheryl demanded, jerking on his arm. "I mean, there are some pretty lawyers here in the firm that could play your girlfriend."
"Ok, Ok," he groaned, pulling his arm free. He smoothed out the expensive cloth. "You, ah, fit the description we got."
"Description?"
"Yeah, well, description or prescription... You're a pretty blonde, with big bo..."
"Boobs!" Cheryl snapped, a little insulted.
"Yeah, that seems to be his daughter's type," he said. Then he laughed. "Ok, that's a universal type."
"Gee, thanks." Cheryl wasn't happy, but at least now she knew why she'd been picked. She also didn't like the fact that her boobs were being used as bait to lure another woman into a damaging admission.
"But seriously, you seem like you can handle pressure. Every time I give you something to do in a pressure situation, you come through." He paused and looked at his TAG Heuer watch. "You have some time now, so here," he said, handing her his credit card and a business card of a high-toned beauty salon. "Go have some fun and get your mind off of things for a little while. We have a big day tomorrow. And thanks again."
Cheryl took his advice. It was true that she very rarely had a day to herself. So she used this opportunity (and Jack's credit card) to unwind. Her first stop was the salon whose card Jack had given her. They knew him well. She wasn't really surprised that Jack went to a beauty salon; after all, she'd always thought of him as a "pretty boy." She also joked that he might spend more time in front of the mirror than she did. But she had to admit he always looked good, and he always had a sexy woman on his arm at the firm's get togethers.
She ordered up the works, since Jack was paying. And, remembering the bikini, she included a bikini wax. Cheryl blushed when it was time to take off her panties in front of a total stranger, but she tried to think of the female technician sort of like a doctor.
Next, it was off to buy a new bikini. She went to a small, name brand clothing store. The well-dressed sales girl helped her pick out a few to try on. Cheryl blushed when she offered to help. Cheryl just shook her head and scurried off to the changing rooms at the back of the store. She hurried out of her clothes and tried on the first one. She took some time looking herself over, as it had been a few years since she had worn a suit that brief.