Lawful Escort
Page 30
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“What’s going on, Caroline?” she asked the receptionist. “Why’s everybody in so early?”
“Haven’t you heard? We picked up some really big client from the East Coast. He’s coming for a meeting in an hour.”
Sabrina shrugged. Nobody ever told her anything, and obviously she wasn’t going to be working on the new client’s case anyway, especially not if he was a really big client, as Caroline had put it. Nobody ever gave her any important assignments.
She opened the door to her tiny office and buried herself in boring depositions, which needed reviewing. Everybody left her alone. It appeared everybody but she was assigned to the new client. Perfect. Her love life was a mess, and her career was going nowhere.
Her intercom buzzed. “Hannigan wants a copy of the Fleming depositions. Do you have those, Sabrina?” Caroline’s voice came through.
“I’ve just finished reviewing them. You can pick them up and copy them for him.”
“Sorry, can’t. I’m not allowed to leave the reception desk today.”
“Then have Helen do it.”
“Helen is working on something for the new client. I’m sorry, but there’s nobody else to copy those. And Hannigan wants them now.”
Sabrina sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” Now she was even relegated to secretarial duties. Great! The day was getting better by the minute. What else was there that could go wrong?
She passed the conference room on her way to the copier room. The conference room was on one end of their floor and had glass walls. When they’d remodeled the office, the partners had insisted on something grand to impress the clients. The conference room looked out over the city, and the glass wall between the room and the foyer added to the impressive view.
All partners, several associates and other men Sabrina couldn’t quite make out were huddled over the conference table talking loudly amongst themselves and passing documents between them. A bunch of suits. In the end, they all looked the same. Not a single woman among them.
She entered the copier room and punched in her code to start copying the depositions. The machine made a loud humming noise as it started its job. Bored, she tapped her fingers on the control panel.
“Waiting for something?” a voice coming from the door startled her.
She turned in lightning speed and saw how Hannigan closed the door behind him and locked it from the inside. Instantly, cold sweat broke out on her skin. Oh God, he’d tricked her. He’d sent her to do the copying job knowing that none of the secretaries was available, so he could trap her in here.
Sabrina’s stomach turned, and she felt sick.
“I’m almost done here. I can bring the papers to your office.” She tried to remain calm and pretend she didn’t know what he was up to.
“That won’t be necessary.” His disgusting tongue snaked out and licked his lips.
She felt bile rise. There was only one exit to this room, and Hannigan was blocking it.
“It’s much cozier here anyway. What do you say, Sabrina?”
He made a step toward her, and she jerked back.
“Mr. Hannigan, I’ll bring the papers to your office.” She tried to be as formal as possible to tell him that he wasn’t welcome.
“Come on, Sabrina, I’m sure under this cool exterior there’s a whole lot of passion buried.” He was only too right, but the passion in her wasn’t meant for him, not even if he were the last men on earth and the future of the world depended on them procreating.
“Mr. Hannigan, I have to ask you to let me pass. I have work to do.” She tried to keep the shaking of her voice under control. She couldn’t show him how scared she was.
“I’ll tell you where your work is. It’s right here.” He grabbed his crotch.
“Mr. Hannigan, I have to ask you to stop this, or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what? Tell the partners?” He laughed. “They’re not going to touch me, trust me.”
He took another step toward her. Sabrina backed up against a stack of paper. To her left was the copier machine, which was too bulky for her to get around, and to her right were several cases of paper, but stacked only one foot high. It would be easy to step over them.
“Sabrina, I can make your work here easy or hard. You choose.”
She had the feeling he wasn’t here to give her a choice. He was here to force his choice on her. His position was pretty clear from where she stood. Either she gave into his demands, or he’d force himself on her. No, she couldn’t let this happen. She had to get out of here before he laid as much as a finger on her.
“Haven’t you heard? We picked up some really big client from the East Coast. He’s coming for a meeting in an hour.”
Sabrina shrugged. Nobody ever told her anything, and obviously she wasn’t going to be working on the new client’s case anyway, especially not if he was a really big client, as Caroline had put it. Nobody ever gave her any important assignments.
She opened the door to her tiny office and buried herself in boring depositions, which needed reviewing. Everybody left her alone. It appeared everybody but she was assigned to the new client. Perfect. Her love life was a mess, and her career was going nowhere.
Her intercom buzzed. “Hannigan wants a copy of the Fleming depositions. Do you have those, Sabrina?” Caroline’s voice came through.
“I’ve just finished reviewing them. You can pick them up and copy them for him.”
“Sorry, can’t. I’m not allowed to leave the reception desk today.”
“Then have Helen do it.”
“Helen is working on something for the new client. I’m sorry, but there’s nobody else to copy those. And Hannigan wants them now.”
Sabrina sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” Now she was even relegated to secretarial duties. Great! The day was getting better by the minute. What else was there that could go wrong?
She passed the conference room on her way to the copier room. The conference room was on one end of their floor and had glass walls. When they’d remodeled the office, the partners had insisted on something grand to impress the clients. The conference room looked out over the city, and the glass wall between the room and the foyer added to the impressive view.
All partners, several associates and other men Sabrina couldn’t quite make out were huddled over the conference table talking loudly amongst themselves and passing documents between them. A bunch of suits. In the end, they all looked the same. Not a single woman among them.
She entered the copier room and punched in her code to start copying the depositions. The machine made a loud humming noise as it started its job. Bored, she tapped her fingers on the control panel.
“Waiting for something?” a voice coming from the door startled her.
She turned in lightning speed and saw how Hannigan closed the door behind him and locked it from the inside. Instantly, cold sweat broke out on her skin. Oh God, he’d tricked her. He’d sent her to do the copying job knowing that none of the secretaries was available, so he could trap her in here.
Sabrina’s stomach turned, and she felt sick.
“I’m almost done here. I can bring the papers to your office.” She tried to remain calm and pretend she didn’t know what he was up to.
“That won’t be necessary.” His disgusting tongue snaked out and licked his lips.
She felt bile rise. There was only one exit to this room, and Hannigan was blocking it.
“It’s much cozier here anyway. What do you say, Sabrina?”
He made a step toward her, and she jerked back.
“Mr. Hannigan, I’ll bring the papers to your office.” She tried to be as formal as possible to tell him that he wasn’t welcome.
“Come on, Sabrina, I’m sure under this cool exterior there’s a whole lot of passion buried.” He was only too right, but the passion in her wasn’t meant for him, not even if he were the last men on earth and the future of the world depended on them procreating.
“Mr. Hannigan, I have to ask you to let me pass. I have work to do.” She tried to keep the shaking of her voice under control. She couldn’t show him how scared she was.
“I’ll tell you where your work is. It’s right here.” He grabbed his crotch.
“Mr. Hannigan, I have to ask you to stop this, or I’ll—”
“Or you’ll what? Tell the partners?” He laughed. “They’re not going to touch me, trust me.”
He took another step toward her. Sabrina backed up against a stack of paper. To her left was the copier machine, which was too bulky for her to get around, and to her right were several cases of paper, but stacked only one foot high. It would be easy to step over them.
“Sabrina, I can make your work here easy or hard. You choose.”
She had the feeling he wasn’t here to give her a choice. He was here to force his choice on her. His position was pretty clear from where she stood. Either she gave into his demands, or he’d force himself on her. No, she couldn’t let this happen. She had to get out of here before he laid as much as a finger on her.
