“Young fools never grow into wise men and those who continue to converse with them are soon unable to tell the difference,” he nodded and turned his gaze back to the window.
Steph was in no mood for riddles this morning. It had already gotten off to a rough start. The walk from the bus stop into Pike Legal was a welcomed silence. The noise of the street hushed the memories of the morning and got her focused. Work was first and she didn’t want the day to end before it started. Steph grabbed a hot cup of coffee from the cafeteria and made her way toward the elevators.
The building’s black marble floors clicked under Steph’s heels as she tried to balance her hot coffee and briefcase. The gold trim around the doorways only accentuated the regal spirit circulating around the office space. The ding of the elevators opening up reminded her it was time to get her head into the workday. She ran into Mrs. Cartwright on the way up to her office. Mrs. Cartwright was the woman responsible for hiring Steph in the first place. She saw something in her. She wanted to give her a chance even when she didn’t have the experience necessary. So far, Steph was proving her decision to be a good one.
“Good morning, Ms. Allen,” Mrs. Cartwright smiled at Steph.
“Good morning, Mrs. Cartwright,” Steph returned her greeting.
“And how are you adjusting to the position?” she examined Steph’s attire and was very pleased with the skirt suit she wore.
“I’m doing well, Mrs. Cartwright. I’m learning fast and putting in the best quality work. I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I won’t let you down,” Steph promised.
“I know you won’t. Last thing you would want to do is make my faith in you appear to be a mistake,” Mrs. Cartwright cut her eyes at Steph. The doors opened and Mr. John Pike himself stepped onto the elevator interrupting their pep talk.
“Good morning, Linda,” John spoke to Mrs. Cartwright.
“Good morning, John,” she smiled at him.
John Pike was everything women dreamed about. He was polite, handsome, and wealthy. He’d opened Pike Legal Corp. years ago after leaving his old law firm. His charisma and expertise catapulted him to the top. He was known as one of the best entertainment lawyers in the industry. His black hair was loc’ed; pulled back and twisted neatly trickling down his back. It reminded her of a lion’s mane. His animal magnetism exuded from his very being. His deep voice projected dominance. Steph shuttered as he began to speak to Mrs. Cartwright.
“Are we on schedule for the Norman interview?” he asked her with a quick look over his shoulder.
“Yes we are sir,” Mrs. Cartwright answered. “He should be in later this afternoon and I’ll have the notes forwarded to your desk as soon as they’re ready.”
Steph’s hazel eyes caught John’s as he turned around fully, “I apologize. I didn’t mean to be so rude. Good morning, Ms. –” he paused waiting for Steph’s response.
She was surprised as she reached her hand around Mrs. Cartwright, “No, it’s no problem. Good morning, Mr. Pike, I’m Steph Allen.”
He shook her hand, something sparked and she pulled away quickly, “Lovely to meet you, Steph Allen.”
All Steph could do was nod and fade back into the background of the elevator. She had never spoken to John directly, let alone had him single her out to greet her. The butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering as she watched him and Mrs. Cartwright wrap up their conversation. John stepped off the elevator on his floor, taking his essence with him.
“You don’t want to do that,” Mrs. Cartwright warned her. Steph followed her out of the elevator toward their offices.
Steph cleared her throat, “Do what exactly?”
“I see the way you looked at him and how you practically threw yourself at him,” she sneered.
Steph didn’t understand where her attitude was coming from, “I’m confused. All I said was good morning. And that was after he spoke to me.”
“I’m warning you,” Mrs. Cartwright told her, “Office romances never work out in anyone’s favor, especially if I have to fill out a ton of paperwork to deal with the blow back of a breakup. That man ain’t ready for no relationship anyhow. Just keep focused on your work.”
“That’s all I’m worried about right now, Mrs. Cartwright. I swear. I just got out of something and I’m in no rush to jump into another relationship or another man’s bed anytime soon. So please spare me this pep talk. I know how to keep things strictly professional. Besides, I don’t think Mr. Pike has any interest in me anyway. He was just being polite,” Steph responded adamantly.
“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Mrs. Cartwright rolled her eyes and went down the hall to her office. Steph had no idea what was in the fucking air this morning, but everybody seemed to be on her today. She put her head between her hands as she sat down at her desk. All she wanted was a moment to breathe.
An assortment of law books adorned the shelves of a floor to ceiling wall unit. Her degree hung prominently across from the shelving system on the other wall. Pictures of her parents, siblings, and friends were displayed around the room. They all looked happy in the pictures but mainly served as a reminder to Steph that she didn’t want to go back to the neighborhood … no matter how much she loved them all. Her mind was cluttered as she finally picked her head up.
“Rough night?” Anna smirked from the doorway. Anna Hansen was another paralegal who had been working there a bit longer than Steph. She stood at a regal 5’8, her honey brown hair was long, silky and as fake as her smile. She had a body that rivaled Steph’s for best in the office, but her attitude couldn’t compete. Her skin tone was similar in color to her hair which creeped Steph out but she wasn’t too concerned with Anna anyway.