After Office Hours

by E Caroline Wilson

  She nodded, her gaze downward. “I always had kind of a bad feeling about him.” Actually, he’d struck her as a sexual freak, like that middle-aged morning news anchor who’d lost his job over inappropriate advances toward female staff. Of course, she couldn’t tell David Andrews that; it didn’t sound professional.

  “Really? Why’s that?”

  “The first week he was there he asked me what seemed like a lot of questions, and then he veered into my personal life. I told him I was beginning to feel like I was on the witness stand.” She shrugged. “It was the politest way I could think of to let him know I felt he was being too inquisitive. And it worked. He apologized, and never asked any more personal questions. I began to feel comfortable around him. Good thing, too, because it wasn’t unusual for the two of us to be alone in the office.”

  “It seems a little odd that after all these months of good behavior he would make a pass at you,” he remarked.

  There’s a reason for that, she thought.

  “The two of you were alone in the office, you say?”

  “That’s right. Mr. Jessup was at a construction site in New Jersey.”

  “I see. Did Quinn seem to be behaving out of character prior to the incident? Do you know if he had been drinking, or…anything?”

  “No. I was caught totally off guard. I’d stayed late to make some changes to a client proposal he’d written up. I had made the edits he requested and brought the documents into his office, and I was waiting for him to give me the all-clear so I could go home. He said it was fine, and I told him if that was it, I was going to leave. Then he stood up and asked me what was my hurry. I was…startled by his request; it was clearly inappropriate. Then, before I knew what was happening, he had his arms around my waist, pulled me to him and kissed me, forcing his tongue down my throat.” She pressed her arms into her sides as she recounted this difficult part of her story. “He pressed his…erection against me and said he had a big…”—she had to close her eyes to say it—“…penis.”

  “Was that the word he used?”

  “No. He used the C-word.” God, this was beyond embarrassing.

  “All right. What happened next?”

  “He touched my…” she held a hand in front of her chest and moved it from side to side. “I…I struggled to get away. I was terrified. There was no one else in the office…possibly no one else on the floor because it was after six. I was afraid he might overpower me. I thought I was in danger of being raped.” Her voice broke as she choked back tears. “I drew my hand back, formed a fist, and punched him in the neck. He stumbled backward, and I ran out of the office.”

  “That definitely meets the definition of sexual assault,” Mr. Andrews said. “It makes me wonder where this man has been the last year or two. Doesn’t he know that there’s a revolt going on against that type of behavior? Not that it ever should’ve been allowed in the first place,” he hastily added.

  “I know why he did it,” she blurted out.

  “Oh? Tell me.”

  Devin averted her eyes, too embarrassed to look at him. Her lower lip trembled.

  “Devin,” he coaxed, “lawyers, like doctors, take a sacred oath to protect the interests of their clients and patients. I understand you find this embarrassing. You’re talking to me, a man who’s a stranger to you, about sexual harassment. But I can’t help you if you won’t share with me all the details of what happened and why.”

  “I understand. But it’s hard.”

  “You can do it. Just remember I’m here to help you.”

  She looked into his understanding blue eyes, so striking and yet so calm. They reminded her of the sky in the early evening, when it deepened into a bright shade before dark, and suddenly that was all she saw, an expanse of sky. It made it easier to say the words. “When I pushed away from him and told him to stop, he told me that I needed to drop the innocent act because he’d seen my pictures.” The sky she’d been visualizing suddenly disappeared, and once again she looked into the eyes of the attorney she sat across from.

  “I think I understand what you’re getting at,” he said. “Are you saying that you posed for nude photos at some point and that he somehow came across them, like in a spread in a men’s magazine?”

  If only that was all there was to it. “Worse than that, I’m afraid.” She sighed, knowing she would have to tell him the full story. “You see, I’ve been dating someone for the last several years. I’ve been growing increasingly dissatisfied with the relationship. But every time I tried to break it off, he convinced me to change my mind and give us another try. I did, until I realized I was only postponing the inevitable. I ended it once and for all. Somewhere within that time during an ‘on’ period, he…I didn’t know…he…made a video of us having sex. There must have been a hidden camera somewhere, probably his phone. And he posted it on the Internet, on one of those porn sites.”

  “Oh,” was the attorney’s simple reply.

  She searched his face, but he didn’t seem shocked, or disgusted. She wondered if his younger age—he appeared to be in his early thirties—had anything to do with it. An old fogy in his sixties probably wouldn’t have been so understanding. Then, again, an older attorney probably wouldn’t have been so kind to her mother. Mama said most of the lawyers treated her like she was invisible.

  “I wasn’t even aware that it existed before Ray said that, but it doesn’t surprise me that he saw it. He looks like the type who visits porn sites.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “I see,” David Andrews said a second time. “So he saw you on film and decided he’d try to get you to sleep with him.”

  “That’s right. That was what ended his long streak of good behavior. If it hadn’t been for that video—”

  “No, Devin,” the attorney interrupted, his voice gentle. “No matter what you were doing on that video, it didn’t give Quinn the right to try and force himself on you. No woman, not even the skankiest ten-dollar whore, deserves to be forced into sex by any man. Even if she’s captured on video taking on a dozen guys, it should be her choice. Nothing else is acceptable. So if you’re feeling guilty, you need to stop right now.”

  She looked at him, blinking back the fresh tears that had formed. “Thank you for saying that, Mr. Andrews.” It came out as little more than a whisper.

  He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped across his upper abdomen, a thoughtful look on his face. “You were correct when you said you had two different issues. Number one, your former lover posted what’s called ‘revenge porn’ on the Internet with the clear intent of embarrassing you, personally and professionally, or just for the satisfaction of knowing that strange men are drooling over you without your even knowing it. That’s what makes it especially vile. That video could have been up for months or even years before you learned about it, or you might not ever have found out. And the second, of course, is what happened to you at your job.”

  “Yes,” she said softly, nodding.

  “Now, tell me what happened after you got away from Quinn.”

  “I grabbed my purse and ran out of the office. When the elevator didn’t come within a few seconds, I was afraid he might come after me, and if he got into an elevator with me there’d be no way for me to escape. So I ran down a couple of flights of stairs, waited for the elevator there, and then I ran to the subway and went home. I called in sick to the office today. I just couldn’t go back.” She shook her head. “I can’t go back. The nature of the business requires me to sometimes be alone with Ray, and I just don’t feel safe.”

  “Yes, I can see where you wouldn’t. You did the right thing, Devin. Tell me, when is Mr. Jessup due back in the office?”

  “He was just gone for one day. He’s expected in the office today and tomorrow. I left a message early, before seven this morning, to let them know I wouldn’t be in. I deliberately called early because I didn’t want to actually speak with anyone, I just wanted to leave a message.”

  “Okay. Since it’s too late in
the day for me to get a letter written and overnighted for delivery tomorrow, I’ll compose a letter and have it sent by messenger. Tomorrow’s Friday, and he needs to have it before the weekend.”

  “What will the letter say?”

  “That you’ve retained me as your counsel after an episode of sexual harassment that occurred at the workplace initiated toward you by Mr. Quinn on yesterday’s date and at…what time would you say the incident occurred?”

  She thought quickly. “About six forty-five.”

  He made a notation on his notepad. “All right. I’ll explain to him that not only will you not be coming back to work, but that you’re seeking damages. I won’t name a specific amount, I’ll just suggest that we can avoid getting the courts involved if we can come to an agreement on our own, and that if he’s interested, I’d welcome the opportunity to meet with him at his earliest convenience.” He gave her a meaningful look. “You’ll need to be present, of course, at our meeting.”

  Devin swallowed. The thought of facing Raymond Quinn again filled her with dread.

  Mr. Andrews continued, not seeming to notice her distaste for his plan. “We’ll wait for him to respond before we talk numbers, but just to give you an idea, I think we should ask for your salary to be continued for twelve weeks—that’s two weeks for each of your six years of employment, about the equivalent of three months—plus give you a lump sum payment of five figures.”

  Devin’s mouth dropped open. “Really? That much?”

  “It’ll cost him more if we have to go to court. Considering you’ve worked for them six years and had to abruptly leave after being attacked, I think twelve weeks pay and twenty thousand dollars is reasonable.”

  “Twenty thousand dollars!”

  “Sure. Think of what you went through, Devin.”

  “I do feel sorry for Mr. Jessup,” she said slowly. “He was always so nice to me. This is going to cost him a lot of money, and he did nothing wrong. Perhaps if he just got rid of Ray…”

  “Oh, I have no doubt he will fire Quinn in light of this. But Devin, regardless of how fond you are of your employer, going back to work there, even with Quinn being gone, probably wouldn’t be a good idea. You probably don’t realize it now, but you suffered an emotional trauma at your place of business, where you should feel safe. It’s psychological, probably a slightly less severe form of what people who survive workplace violence go through. Every time you set foot in that office you’ll have an undercurrent of fear. It won’t be a healthy environment for you, and I’m sure your Mr. Jessup will recognize that. Besides, if he’s smart, he has insurance to cover this. He has a male and a female employee who are often in the office alone after hours. It’s a sensible business decision.”

  She digested his words, then gave a reluctant nod. “You’re probably right.”

  “As for your ex,” Mr. Andrews continued, “I’ll need his name, his home address, and his work address as well. I’ll write a cease-and-desist letter threatening him with legal action if he doesn’t take down that video from any and all Internet websites that either he posted it on or who got hold of it after he posted it initially.”

  Devin gasped. Ray had named the site where he’d seen her video, and she easily found it there. She didn’t realize it could be on other sites as well. “You mean to tell me it may be posted on more than one site?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me. I’ll tell him he has seventy-two hours to do it, and if it’s still posted after that time, we’ll proceed with filing a lawsuit. I’ll send it certified mail to his home, but I’d also like to have it messengered to his place of business, just in case no one is there to sign for the letter sent to his home and he chooses not to pick it up from the post office. My guess is that he’ll comply.”

  “And if he doesn’t? And if Mr. Jessup doesn’t want to settle?” Devin fought to keep the panic she felt out of her voice. She didn’t know who in her social circle might be looking at online porn. She could never live it down if her friends saw her performing the intimate act of sex, with every part of her anatomy clearly visible. Joe had carefully managed to keep his face out of camera range; all the focus was on her. She’d been sickened to see something so private posted for anyone to see. And if Mr. Jessup declined to settle, it could be months before they went to court. In the meantime she had a sixteen-hundred-dollar rent payment to make…and no job. “I can’t afford to have you represent me in court, Mr. Andrews. It’ll probably be pretty expensive just for you to write these letters and have them hand-delivered.”

  “It won’t cost you anything out of pocket. I’ll write the letters pro bono. I won’t even take a contingency fee if your employer offers you a settlement, other than the cost of the messenger, since that comes from the firm’s resources. Anything else you’re awarded will go straight to you, Devin; I won’t charge for my services.”

  “That’s awfully generous of you, Mr. Andrews.”

  “I’m happy to help. Your mother seemed very concerned when she asked if I could meet with you this evening.”

  “She doesn’t know any details,” Devin quickly said. “I’ll tell her tonight…at least the part about the harassment.”

  “I promised her I’d do whatever I could to help you. I’m pretty sure the letters will do the trick.” He chuckled. “Most people don’t like to go to court unless they have to. Your Mr. Jessup is going to have his hands full, training another office manager as well as finding another demolitions man.”

  “I feel bad for him. He’s about to be hit by a boulder, and he doesn’t even know it.” She chewed her lower lip. “Mr. Jessup’s a nice man who doesn’t deserve to have his business turned upside down.”

  “He’ll get through it,” Mr. Andrews said. “And as for your ex, chances are he won’t want to take time off from work, or go through the expense of hiring counsel. “What does he do, anyway?”

  “He’s a cable TV installer and repairman.” She moved on, not wanting to talk about Joaquin Serrano. “Do you think it will take long to reach a resolution? I only have part of a paycheck due, and I do have certain monthly obligations. I don’t like the idea of being in debt. I’ve managed to avoid it for the most part.” She bit her lip, not liking the whiny way she sounded. David Andrews was doing her an enormous favor, simply because he was fond of her mother. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate him. “It’s a scary prospect to be unemployed and wondering how you’re going to pay your bills,” she lamely concluded.

  “It’s true that it might take a few weeks for a settlement to go through,” he said. “Of course, they can surprise us by accepting our recommendation without making a counteroffer, which always slows things down.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for that, though. But, since you’re looking for a job, you should know our receptionist is going to be starting maternity leave soon. They’re going to be needing a replacement for her. She’s planning on being gone for three months.”

  “Do you think it’ll take that long for my situation to be settled?” she asked, worried.

  “No, this should be wrapped up in a week or two. But you might want to take some time to figure out what you want to do next, and a longer temporary position might work nicely for you, especially if Jessup agrees to pay you twelve weeks’ severance.”

  Devin managed not to make a face, but she couldn’t bring herself to look enthusiastic. Her occupation was that of office manager. Although the responsibilities of her job included greeting visitors and bringing them refreshments, that was only a small part of overseeing a business office. Working as a receptionist would be a step down, and it would probably pay peanuts, even at a prestigious law firm like Holt & Cotten. But, if as David pointed out, Mr. Jessup agreed to continue her salary, it would be extra money, and if she could learn about the legal profession it would be worth it.

  “I know you’re overqualified,” he added, as if sensing her thoughts, “but running a demolition company office doesn’t exactly prepare you for working a
t a law firm. I think they’ll train whoever they hire to do some paralegal work. It never hurts to add another skill to your resume.” He tilted his head to one side. “What’s your educational background, Devin?”

  “High school graduate. I didn’t go to college,” she replied. “My mother and I lived in the projects on First Avenue in Spanish Harlem, and I was determined to get us out of there. I took a commercial course in high school, studying typing, bookkeeping, and other skills involved in running an office, so I could go to work and help Mama after I graduated. I got lucky when Mr. Jessup hired me. I’d only been doing clerical work before that. After I worked for him three years, I rented an apartment on One-Forty-seventh and Amsterdam for Mama and me. But I pay most of the household bills because I earn more. That’s why I’m worried about what might happen if Mr. Jessup doesn’t agree to a settlement right away.” She managed a weak smile. “But I guess it won’t hurt to interview. I’d like to learn some legal skills, and I’m sure a degree isn’t required for a receptionist job,” she remarked. At his agreement, she said, “In that case, I’m interested.”

  “Here’s my card,” he said, removing one from a holder and pushing it to the edge of the desk. “My e-mail is on it. Why don’t you send me your resume in the morning, and I’ll look it over? I’ll get back to you with the contact info to apply.”

  “That would be wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Andrews.”

  They wrapped up their meeting with her giving him the information he requested regarding names and addresses for Mr. Jessup and for Joe. She stood and shook his hand, promising that her resume would be in his e-mailbox first thing in the morning.

  He opened the door for her, and she smiled at him before stepping out. She spotted her mother emptying wastebaskets across the large outer office and made her way toward her. She had the oddest feeling that Mr. Andrews was standing there watching her walk away, although she didn’t dare turn around to confirm. He probably just wants to make sure I find Mama, she thought.