CHAPTER ONE
Their first encounter was memorable for all the wrong reasons. She came crashing into his life just before noon on a Friday. The Supreme Court building was a hive of activity with barristers and lawyers rushing into or exiting courtrooms. Everyone was eager to clear their workloads before their weekend could begin. And with it being a long weekend that only hastened the frenzy.
Taylor was running late. Tardiness was never a trait she usually possessed or tolerated but since beginning her two-week internship, a few days before, she felt totally intimidated. The firm she had been assigned too was highly respected among the law fraternity.
In the beginning she welcomed the opportunity to be working for the firm now she couldn’t wait for the two weeks to be over. Everything she seemed to touch went pear shape. Only earlier the photocopy machine broke down forcing her to make her way down to the next floor. In her haste to get the job done she inadvertently left the document behind. She screamed inwardly and took the stairs believing it would save time, it didn’t.
Taylor wasn’t used to wearing high heels. She struggled down the flights of stairs with her left shoe strap rubbing against her foot where it caused a blister. She didn’t have time to attend to it. She retrieved and photocopied the documents, made coffee for the partners and associates, grabbed her juice, and left for the courthouse to hand over the documents to the senior partner who had a case being heard.
Not wanting to suffer the wrath of a senior partner she ran all the way to the courthouse causing an already painful blister to worsen.
Taylor’s focus was having the right folder in her hand as she entered courtroom number 12 so much so she didn’t see Michael exiting. Her focus soon changed as she watched as both their folders slipped from their grasp. In an attempt to retrieve her folder she threw out her left hand, which held the juice, and to her horror she watched as the juice splashed all over the front of his jacket.
She mumbled a humiliated apology and fell to her knees. She would have preferred to continue to fall but the floor wasn’t about to give way to end her shame.
Taylor quickly shuffled through the papers sorting them into two piles, one pile for him and a pile for her. He watched bemused as she haphazardly placed his papers back into their folders. It would take him the rest of the day to sort out the mess.
Taylor stood and held out the folder belonging to him. She couldn’t stop her cheeks from reddening as she noticed everyone in the courtroom, including the senior partner, watching her. She swallowed hard. She mustered up enough dignity to speak. “Once again I am terribly sorry.”
“Thank you.”
She lost her composure again when she saw the juice stain on his jacket. “Oh,” she groaned, “I am so sorry.”
He grinned at her.
“Miss McFarlane,” John Stanton the senior partner called to her, “when you are quite ready.”
“Of course I’m sorry.” She rushed over to him and handed over the documents.
“Nice of you to show up,” the man drawled.
She smiled weakly and exited the room in record time. She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes and wished for the day to be over.
“Impressive,” Michael said.
Her eyes flew open and she was looking directly at him once again.
“John Stanton is a force to be reckoned with,” he continued.
“Tell me about it.” She derided as she leaned closer. “I don’t think he is impressed with me.”
He hid his grin. “Accidents happen to the best of us.”
“They seem to happen a lot to me,” she moaned. “And it has only been three days.”
“Internship?” he asked sympathetically.
She nodded. “I must be the world’s worst.” She looked to the seemingly worsening wet patch on his jacket. He smiled.
She sighed. It looked expensive. “At least let me try and fix it. Let me pay for the dry cleaning.”
“On one condition.”
Her eyebrow rose.
“Have lunch with me?”
She scowled much to his amusement. “I don’t even know your name.”
“Michael Townsend.”
“You don’t know mine,” she challenged.
He was more than up for a challenge. “Miss McFarlane.”
She frowned.
“John Stanton mentioned it.”
She remembered and suppressed the groan before lifting her chin slightly. “You don’t know my first name.”
Taylor was running late. Tardiness was never a trait she usually possessed or tolerated but since beginning her two-week internship, a few days before, she felt totally intimidated. The firm she had been assigned too was highly respected among the law fraternity.
In the beginning she welcomed the opportunity to be working for the firm now she couldn’t wait for the two weeks to be over. Everything she seemed to touch went pear shape. Only earlier the photocopy machine broke down forcing her to make her way down to the next floor. In her haste to get the job done she inadvertently left the document behind. She screamed inwardly and took the stairs believing it would save time, it didn’t.
Taylor wasn’t used to wearing high heels. She struggled down the flights of stairs with her left shoe strap rubbing against her foot where it caused a blister. She didn’t have time to attend to it. She retrieved and photocopied the documents, made coffee for the partners and associates, grabbed her juice, and left for the courthouse to hand over the documents to the senior partner who had a case being heard.
Not wanting to suffer the wrath of a senior partner she ran all the way to the courthouse causing an already painful blister to worsen.
Taylor’s focus was having the right folder in her hand as she entered courtroom number 12 so much so she didn’t see Michael exiting. Her focus soon changed as she watched as both their folders slipped from their grasp. In an attempt to retrieve her folder she threw out her left hand, which held the juice, and to her horror she watched as the juice splashed all over the front of his jacket.
She mumbled a humiliated apology and fell to her knees. She would have preferred to continue to fall but the floor wasn’t about to give way to end her shame.
Taylor quickly shuffled through the papers sorting them into two piles, one pile for him and a pile for her. He watched bemused as she haphazardly placed his papers back into their folders. It would take him the rest of the day to sort out the mess.
Taylor stood and held out the folder belonging to him. She couldn’t stop her cheeks from reddening as she noticed everyone in the courtroom, including the senior partner, watching her. She swallowed hard. She mustered up enough dignity to speak. “Once again I am terribly sorry.”
“Thank you.”
She lost her composure again when she saw the juice stain on his jacket. “Oh,” she groaned, “I am so sorry.”
He grinned at her.
“Miss McFarlane,” John Stanton the senior partner called to her, “when you are quite ready.”
“Of course I’m sorry.” She rushed over to him and handed over the documents.
“Nice of you to show up,” the man drawled.
She smiled weakly and exited the room in record time. She leaned against the wall, closed her eyes and wished for the day to be over.
“Impressive,” Michael said.
Her eyes flew open and she was looking directly at him once again.
“John Stanton is a force to be reckoned with,” he continued.
“Tell me about it.” She derided as she leaned closer. “I don’t think he is impressed with me.”
He hid his grin. “Accidents happen to the best of us.”
“They seem to happen a lot to me,” she moaned. “And it has only been three days.”
“Internship?” he asked sympathetically.
She nodded. “I must be the world’s worst.” She looked to the seemingly worsening wet patch on his jacket. He smiled.
She sighed. It looked expensive. “At least let me try and fix it. Let me pay for the dry cleaning.”
“On one condition.”
Her eyebrow rose.
“Have lunch with me?”
She scowled much to his amusement. “I don’t even know your name.”
“Michael Townsend.”
“You don’t know mine,” she challenged.
He was more than up for a challenge. “Miss McFarlane.”
She frowned.
“John Stanton mentioned it.”
She remembered and suppressed the groan before lifting her chin slightly. “You don’t know my first name.”
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