Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100605 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100605 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
As usual, the halls were empty when I stepped off on the fifty-seventh floor. Sometimes an associate or two was in at this hour, but never the support staff, and it was a rarity for any partner to show up before seven. Well, except for Will Stevens, who had been my mentor since I started here. Whenever I was on trial, he came in early so I could run my opening or closing by him—or practice a cross-examination, like I planned to do today.
I pushed through the sleek glass double doors to the firm’s reception area, which looked more like the entrance to a designer showroom than a law office. Minimalist furnishings, white walls lined with abstract art and gallery lighting, and an oversized vase of fresh flowers greeted visitors. It was impressive, at least until you went up to the top floor where all the partner offices were. There you were met with the same fancy decor and sweeping, floor-to-ceiling views of Manhattan. I caught myself momentarily distracted, wondering what kind of budget I might get to decorate my new space once the formalities of making partner were finally behind me.
Inside my office, I tucked my purse in a drawer and grabbed the stack of index cards I always used to prep for trials. Then I stopped in the coffee room for a much-needed caffeine fix. By the time I went upstairs to the partner floor, it was six thirty, exactly three hours before I would tear Mr. Whittaker apart on the stand. I was going to enjoy wiping the smug smile off that cheating jerk’s face.
Will’s office was two from the end of the hall. I walked down, reading my first question from the top index card while mouthing the words to myself as I passed a dozen empty offices. At least I thought they were all empty until I heard a noise that sounded like a man in pain coming from somewhere behind me. I stopped and looked back, noticing that Harry Kasoff’s door was slightly ajar. The hall was now pin-drop quiet, though, so perhaps I’d imagined the sound. I raised my foot to keep going, but as I touched the pointy toe of my pump to the carpet, there was another noise—a groan, and this time the sound was louder.
Panic washed over me. Was Harry in there having a heart attack? My own heart pounded as I turned around. Every instinct told me to rush into his office and make sure he was okay—damn, I hope I remember the CPR I learned in middle school. Yet something… Something stopped me. Not fear, but a pulse of doubt. Like my heart knew what I was about to walk in on before my brain could admit it.
Instead of blasting the door open, I held my breath and peered through the crack.
And there was old Harry Kasoff, white-knuckling the arms of his chair. His head was tipped back, and his mouth hung unattractively open. My already-wide eyes bulged as I noticed a set of feet sticking out from the side of his desk.
Feet with shoes.
Women’s shoes.
Louboutins, to be exact—the So Kate black patent-leather pumps with shiny red bottoms. I had a pair myself, which sort of freaked me out at the moment. I’d never worn them to the office, of course. Stilettos that high were reserved for date nights that didn’t involve a lot of walking.
But those don’t look like the 120 heel size. Do they make the So Kate in a lower heel now? Mine are matte black, not the shiny patent leather. Wonder if I’d get more use out of them? For a few seconds, I stood there thinking dumb thoughts about my shoes rather than fully comprehending that one of the senior partners at my firm was getting a blow job at his desk. The image didn’t seem to process, like my brain was busy buffering and couldn’t spit out the answer to what was going on. Once it finally did, I clamped a hand over my mouth, stepped back quietly, and hurried the rest of the way down the hall.
Will, the partner I’d been coming to see, stepped out of his office—the one now behind me—and into the hall.
“Allegra?”
“Oh… Um, hey.” I forced a smile.
He furrowed his brow and pointed inside his office. “Weren’t we meeting in here?”
I swallowed. “Yeah, of course. I was just going to…” I pointed ahead of me and pulled the first thing I thought of out of my ass. “Run to the bathroom.”
The crease between his brows deepened. He pointed in the opposite direction. “The ladies’ room is that way.”
Crap.
I closed my eyes briefly. “Right…right. Sorry. I’m still half asleep. I should’ve picked up coffee before coming in.”
Will’s eyes pointed down to the cup in my hand. He smirked. “You really are sleepy this morning.”