corner and right into Claudia. He hadn’t spoken to her since the situation in his office the day before. And other than business, saw no reason to do so now. He sidestepped her in hopes to avoid any contact whatsoever, but she followed him in. He poured his coffee cup and refused to meet her leering eyes.
When he turned to leave, she blocked him. Deciding he had enough, he thought it only fair that he fight fire with fire. “Look. I don’t know what your problem is, but I don’t appreciate your inappropriate behavior. I have made it abundantly clear that I am not interested in any way. For whatever reason, you are refusing to act like a lady about the whole thing. So if you can’t be a mature adult, I will be forced to take your conduct to the partners.” He stepped around her and headed out. But not before he heard her terse reply.
“Ha! That’s pretty funny, Mitch. They can’t do anything to me. I’m untouchable. I think you know why.”
Mitch had no idea what she meant. He ignored her and kept going. Shaking his head, he wondered what the world was coming to when a woman slept around like she did without any concern for the men’s spouses and still managed to actually sound proud of herself for it.
He passed Sara’s desk once more and found himself angry. The partner Sara was talking to was Peter. One of the men who, rumor had it, Claudia had slept with. The man obviously had no morals. He had a very nice and attractive wife that Mitch had met before. Seeing the slime ball standing over Sara’s desk no longer sat too well with him. He proceeded onto his office and got back to work.
* * * *
At the end of a very long day, Sara headed for the elevators. She had stayed an hour longer to help Peter and Larry prepare exhibits for an upcoming trial. She knew Mitch was still stuck in his office working. She hadn’t even seen him break for lunch, and she hoped he would be smart and at least order himself a sandwich or something to tide himself over. The elevator door was almost shut when she saw the unwelcome appearance of Claudia as she joined her.
Once the doors had closed, Claudia turned to her. “You think you’ve won, but you haven’t.” Her tone was mocking.
Sara lifted her hand and began studying her fingernails. Holding them out to admire her manicure, she sighed, hoping it gave off a look of boredom. She would not let Claudia get to her. She had promised Mitch, and she had promised herself.
“Don’t you ignore me, you bitch!” Claudia screamed.
Do not look at her. Sara began to whistle in tune with the elevator music.
Claudia acted enraged by Sara’s casual demeanor. “Fine. Don’t look at me. But you remember this.” Leaning close to Sara, she shouted in her ear, “He’ll get tired of you. Sooner rather than later. And when all is said and done, I’ll be the last one standing.”
Sara turned to her, with a cold stare in her eyes. “Really? That’s strange. If I were to believe all of the gossip around the office, I would think you would be lying on your back.” The elevator doors opened, and Sara all but skipped out with elation. The jab had done its job. Claudia’s jaw had dropped open. Obviously, she was used to being the one to hurt people’s feelings. She never actually expected anyone to say anything rude to her.
* * * *
Mitch sat in his office and hit save on the last set of questions that he had prepared for deposition. He glanced at the time on the bottom of the computer screen and cringed when it said 11:23. At around 7:30, when everyone else had gone home for the night and he was the only one left in the office, he had called Sara. She had picked up a roast chicken at the store and had a light supper. She had told him she was going to go to bed early, citing exhaustion due to her boyfriend preventing her from getting her full eight hours of sleep.
Mitch had laughed at her and told her he sympathized since his girlfriend was just as insensitive and kept him up
When he turned to leave, she blocked him. Deciding he had enough, he thought it only fair that he fight fire with fire. “Look. I don’t know what your problem is, but I don’t appreciate your inappropriate behavior. I have made it abundantly clear that I am not interested in any way. For whatever reason, you are refusing to act like a lady about the whole thing. So if you can’t be a mature adult, I will be forced to take your conduct to the partners.” He stepped around her and headed out. But not before he heard her terse reply.
“Ha! That’s pretty funny, Mitch. They can’t do anything to me. I’m untouchable. I think you know why.”
Mitch had no idea what she meant. He ignored her and kept going. Shaking his head, he wondered what the world was coming to when a woman slept around like she did without any concern for the men’s spouses and still managed to actually sound proud of herself for it.
He passed Sara’s desk once more and found himself angry. The partner Sara was talking to was Peter. One of the men who, rumor had it, Claudia had slept with. The man obviously had no morals. He had a very nice and attractive wife that Mitch had met before. Seeing the slime ball standing over Sara’s desk no longer sat too well with him. He proceeded onto his office and got back to work.
* * * *
At the end of a very long day, Sara headed for the elevators. She had stayed an hour longer to help Peter and Larry prepare exhibits for an upcoming trial. She knew Mitch was still stuck in his office working. She hadn’t even seen him break for lunch, and she hoped he would be smart and at least order himself a sandwich or something to tide himself over. The elevator door was almost shut when she saw the unwelcome appearance of Claudia as she joined her.
Once the doors had closed, Claudia turned to her. “You think you’ve won, but you haven’t.” Her tone was mocking.
Sara lifted her hand and began studying her fingernails. Holding them out to admire her manicure, she sighed, hoping it gave off a look of boredom. She would not let Claudia get to her. She had promised Mitch, and she had promised herself.
“Don’t you ignore me, you bitch!” Claudia screamed.
Do not look at her. Sara began to whistle in tune with the elevator music.
Claudia acted enraged by Sara’s casual demeanor. “Fine. Don’t look at me. But you remember this.” Leaning close to Sara, she shouted in her ear, “He’ll get tired of you. Sooner rather than later. And when all is said and done, I’ll be the last one standing.”
Sara turned to her, with a cold stare in her eyes. “Really? That’s strange. If I were to believe all of the gossip around the office, I would think you would be lying on your back.” The elevator doors opened, and Sara all but skipped out with elation. The jab had done its job. Claudia’s jaw had dropped open. Obviously, she was used to being the one to hurt people’s feelings. She never actually expected anyone to say anything rude to her.
* * * *
Mitch sat in his office and hit save on the last set of questions that he had prepared for deposition. He glanced at the time on the bottom of the computer screen and cringed when it said 11:23. At around 7:30, when everyone else had gone home for the night and he was the only one left in the office, he had called Sara. She had picked up a roast chicken at the store and had a light supper. She had told him she was going to go to bed early, citing exhaustion due to her boyfriend preventing her from getting her full eight hours of sleep.
Mitch had laughed at her and told her he sympathized since his girlfriend was just as insensitive and kept him up
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