Sybil was always fun to be with. She was a flawlessly beautiful brunette with large, soulful brown eyes and a petite figure.
“Hey.” I beamed at her.
“Eric, give my girl something strong and dirty to drink,” Sybil ordered the blond bartender.
Sliding onto the stool next to her, I found Eric, the bartender, who had been serving us for over five years. He winked at me as he placed a glass of brandy in front of me.
“Thanks, Eric.”
“I’m dying to know all the details. Come on. How did it go?”
“I thought I wouldn’t make it to the interview. My alarm chose today of all days to malfunction. I’d stayed up reading about Brighton & Associates, and then I’d decided to stream that new show Kinky Games. Girl, let me tell you, it is so kinky! Anyway, I’d ended up going to bed late.”
“Did you meet Nicholas Brighton?” Sybil asked over the rim of her glass.
“Yes! But did I tell you how the traffic was packed tighter than a grown man in a pair of tighty-whities?”
I went on, telling Sybil about my day; however, she seemed more interested in whether I had seen Nicholas Brighton.
“Oh my God,” she yelled out excitedly. “What does he look like? Is he really tall, handsome, and as magnetic as the media claims?”
I ignored her questions and went on, talking. “I eventually made it there, but they said the interview was over. I had to plead with them to give me a chance.”
“Did they?”
“Yes, and guess what. Nicholas walked in during the interview!” I exclaimed.
“Did you glance at his crotch? Did you see a bulge there? Does it stretch all the way to his knees?”
“Sybil, are you even listening to me?” I cried.
“Yes, of course.” She signaled for the bartender to come. “Eric, give me another glass and make it dirtier than the last one.” She returned to her antics, saying, “Amber, how did you feel when he looked at you? Oh, I wish I had been there! Did you get goose bumps all over, and did your stomach do that weird flipping thing?”
“I don’t know … maybe.”
“How about butterflies? Did you feel them anywhere?” Sybil laughed.
“Back to the interview,” I moaned. “The interviewers wanted to know why they should hire me—”
“Well, why shouldn’t they hire you?” Sybil asked, reaching for her drink. “You are sexy, smart, and beautiful. They should be happy you chose their firm over the other firms in New york city. What does Nicholas look like? Tell me.”
Seriously, my best friend had a one-track mind.
“Fine. He’s tall.” My lips curved into a smile. “His face is chiseled, and he has a strong jawline. His chest is broad, and it seemed muscular. He had the most beautiful gray eyes I have ever seen—”
My phone rang out, cutting me off. I slipped my phone out of my purse and answered the call. A smile flickered across my face as Nicholas’s secretary gave me the good news. I’d gotten it. I squealed with delight when the call ended.
“I got the job!”
“Congratulations, girlfriend. You’d better shave your legs, girl, and your bush, too, to get rid of those cobwebs there. I have a feeling your cookie will be getting some soon.”
“Sybil!”
Two
Amber
My first day started with me arriving ten minutes early at Brighton & Associates. I’d dreaded being late on my first day of work and wished to make a good impression on my peers after yesterday’s fiasco. I was quite astonished to find the office busy when I arrived. Paralegals, secretaries, and associates were already in the office with a few of the partners working as well. However, there was no sign of Nicholas. I stood there, trying to figure out my work when someone tapped me from behind. I turned and smiled at one of the partners who had interviewed me the day before.
“Good morning,” I politely greeted her.
“Good morning. I’m Sarah Stuart. Come with me. There’s someone you should meet.”
Sarah and I walked into an office that looked magnificent yet quite masculine. A tall, thin man with sandy-brown hair looked up from the files on his desk. Then, he stood and walked over to us. I immediately recognized him as Anthony McKinley. He was an attorney and also someone Nicholas held in high regard. The rumors were that he was Nicholas’s protégé.
“Good morning, Mr. McKinley,” I said.
“Have we met before?” he asked, tapping a finger on his chin.
“I read about you on the internet,” I replied with a smile.
His lips curved into a smile as he nodded his head. “That’s quite impressive.”
“Miss Cole, this is Mr. McKinley. He’ll be your mentor,” Miss Stuart said. Then, she turned to him. “Mr. McKinley, this is Amber Cole. She’s one of our new paralegal recruits.”
I couldn’t help smiling. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Amber.”
“I’ll leave you two now. Have a good day.” Miss Stuart laughed.
Anthony grinned at me when the door closed. “Well, would you like a cup of coffee before I give you the grand tour of the firm?”
I laughed. “I’m fine, sir, but I’d appreciate the tour.”
“Everyone calls me Anthony, except for Miss Stuart, who addresses everyone formally,” Anthony said. “You can call me by my name.”
“Okay, Anthony,” I replied. “I’d prefer to be called Amber too.”
“Great. Come along, Amber,” he said.
Anthony gave me a tour of the firm. Each of the offices was beautifully decorated. Then, he outlined and explained the responsibilities that would be assigned to me. He was easy to talk to with a good sense of humor and quite fun.
The other newly recruited paralegals arrived as the tour came to an end. Anthony walked over to a small cubicle.
“Amber,” Anthony said, “this is your cubicle. Excuse me. I have to give other paralegals a tour.”
“Thank you, Anthony,” I replied.
“You are welcome.” He grinned.
Anthony hurried away while I settled into my chair. I switched on my computer and started to work on the duties I had been assigned to. The place became a bit noisy when other paralegals came to their cubicles. But the work wasn’t as extensive as I’d expected it to be, and I was able to get it done quickly.
By the time lunchtime rolled by, I was finished with my work. I decided to get acquainted with other paralegals since I would be working with them.
“Hi, guys.”
“Hey,” they all chorused.
We introduced ourselves to each other and easily struck up a conversation. I also tried to remember their names as we talked.
“I can’t wait to get the hell out of here,” a guy named Jake commented.
“What?” I asked in shock.
Lily, a red-haired girl with big green eyes, smirked. “I hate working here already,” Lily said. “I’m only here because it will look good on my résumé.”
I laughed in surprise. “Are you guys serious?”
“Yeah, dead serious,” a thin, bespectacled guy named Alexander said. “Nicholas Brighton is so cocky. Anyway, just like Lily said, it will be a good reference for our résumés.”