Run Ins

Work was quiet for once and I didn’t like it, all the junior and senior partners only had small cases and didn’t really need my help and could rely on the associates allowing me to have a bit more free time to catch up on old paperwork. But the truth was that we all knew what this was, it was the calm before the storm. We have had these moments before, there were only small cases but then all of a sudden we were thrown cases that required all of us to spend countless hours at the office working and I was not looking forward to it.

I was sitting at a local restaurant on my lunch break, normally I just ordered in and ate in my office or the conference room with Wendy and Henrietta one of the other assistants but Wendy had called in sick and Henrietta was busy screening Arthur’s calls for him while he was out on personal matters, meaning he was having an affair again.

I heard someone slip into the seat across me at my table and I looked up my tablet and noticed Nathan sitting there, I instantly tensed up hoping he wouldn’t do anything. Looking around I knew there was a couple of the associates in here but if they knew me I didn’t know.

“Adrianna, you look lovely today”

“Cut it Nathan, what are you doing here?” I snapped at him, I was really getting tired of him

“Having lunch before my interview, I figured you would be at work. I didn’t take you as one to skip out and have lunch somewhere else”

“Why do you care?”

“What no ‘where is my interview’ and ‘what is it for’?” I raised an eyebrow at him before signalling the waitress.

“Yes?” the waitress spoke.

“I’d like to change my order to go, I need to head back to the office”

“Of course, since you are heading back are you able to bring Harvey his order instead of me having to send one of the bus boys?”

I flashed the waitress a smile, “Of course. Has anyone else made an order today?” this restaurant was a well-known lunch order place for the firm, most days people ordered from here.

“No just yourself and Harvey”

“Very well” the waitress left and I turned to look at Nathan who just looked plain confused, I gathered my things before speaking. “You obviously don’t belong around this part of town if you are that confused”

“I didn’t think restaurants like these did take-out”

“They don’t but when your work place spends enough money they are willing to send someone along with the orders” I snapped at him before standing up and heading over to collect mine and Harvey’s orders and heading back to the firm.

I entered Harvey’s office and placed his lunch on the desk, “Well I must say, you are better looking than the usual busboy I have bringing me my lunch” Harvey flashed me a smile and I shook my head, he was such a flirt.

“Yes well someone joined me at the table and I decided to come back here instead”

“Very well, listen I’m having a meeting in about an hour and I would like you to attend”

“Of course, I will see you then” I gave him a smile as I turned and left heading towards my own office to eat my lunch.

I entered the conference room having no idea what this meeting was about, for all I knew it was about a new case and Harvey wanted me in from the beginning but when I walked in saw that Harvey was introducing himself to Nathan I stopped short, this couldn’t be true. How the hell did he get into Law school?

“Ah there you are, Nathan this is Adrianna Innocenti one of our paralegals and she will be sitting in on this interview” Nathan turned around looked at me with this huge smile on his face but I just stared at Harvey.

“Harvey could we have a word outside?”

“Of course, we will be just a minute Nathan” Harvey spoke before following me outside and as soon as the door was shut the smile fell from his face. “What was that about? I’ve never seen you look so startled in your life”

I didn’t speak at first, I looked through the glass walls and found Nathan watching us both with curiosity, I shook my head before looking at Harvey. “Remember when I asked about the restraining order and sexual assault charges?”

“Don’t tell me it’s him, come on Adrianna he had one of the better resumes out of all the associates. We need a new one yesterday”

“I know this Harvey but I can’t work with him, I refuse too and I could just as easily find a new firm” I threatened knowing him and the rest of the senior partners wouldn’t want to lose me.

“Fine, if I refuse to hire him I need you to tell me everything that happened with him so I can give the board members a reason as to why I didn’t hire the better associate” Harvey threatened and I knew I had no way out of this and I eventually agreed.

“Deal but I’m not going in there for the interview”

“I didn’t expect you too, I will come find you later” I nodded at him before turning around and heading back to my office hoping that Harvey stuck to his word.

I was sitting in my office with the door shut and I was looking out the windows down on the street watching all the tourists run up and down, I remember being exactly like them when I first arrived where as now, I knew my way around and didn’t have to worry about getting lost.

I heard my door open and I spun my chair around to only find Nathan standing there, he had a sneer on his face and he locked the door. We were in the process of refurbishing all of the offices so they had glass walls and doors and since I was just a paralegal, mine was the last one and hence no one could see what was about to happen.

“What the hell did you say Adrianna, my interview turned to shit?”

“Oh I’m sorry you had a bad interview but that hasn’t got anything to do with me, maybe you just weren’t right for the job” Nathan rushed towards me and I quickly stood and pressed my back against the windows, Nathan stopped when he was directly in front of me.

“No I have a feeling you are spreading more of your lies about me and I didn’t get the job because of it, Harvey came back in and wasn’t anywhere near as friendly as he was before you walked in”

“That isn’t my problem Nathan”

“It is your problem, I have to grow up dealing with your lies hanging over my head and when I have the chance at the best job, you are the reason it gets thrown away” he had his body pressed against mine and I felt his breath on my neck and all I wanted was to get away from him, I didn’t like being this close to him.

“You need to move” I said sternly

“Why, I remember how your body reacts to mine, I remember how much you loved having my body pressed against yours and right now you are telling me the same thing” his hand trailed up my side grazing my breast and I wanted to push him away but I couldn’t, he was stronger then.

“You need to leave now” I threatened but he didn’t move, instead he placed a sloppy kiss against my lips while his hand cupped my breast. All I managed to do was turn my head and witness the door being opened.