Seeing Stars
32: Shattered Glass
"Rear your head back and roar, like you ain't ever done before, it's your time at last. All you been through ain't in vain, come on baby make it rain down shattered glass..."
Why the email had led her here, she didn’t know. What could a law firm teach her about business management, and not law? It was a question that she asked her professor via email, which prompted a blunt and mostly sarcastic response. When she received a less than desired answer, she decided to drop the subject.
Roll with the punches.
When she arrived at the building in downtown Dallas, just a short walk from the American Airlines Center, she faltered at the door of the high rise. Wearing a dark gray pencil skirt, white blouse, and matching gray cardigan, Cassidy felt the need to compose herself before taking the elevator up to the seventeenth floor. The silver lettering against the wall read Mayer & Gold, and it scared the shit out of her, as the email from her professor had told her to report directly to Travis Mayer. First day in, and she was already going to be near the top, being whatever he needed; secretary, assistant, receptionist…
Cassidy was led into his office by a woman who couldn’t have been much older than her, so that ruled out being his assistant, receptionist, or secretary; he already had one. The feeling of betrayal from a professor she barely knew began to sink in. Had he sabotaged her?
“You must be Cassidy Knox,” Travis Mayer looked down at a piece of paper before glancing at her. His eyes seemed to wander over her before making contact with hers, “in Professor Gardner’s class.”
She nodded and opened her mouth to give a verbal response, but he interrupted her.
“Please sit down,” he waited for her to take a seat in one of the leather chairs, before he too sat down in the chair beside her. “Twenty-one from Nashville, Tennessee. Last semester as a business management major.” He paused and leaned forward in his chair, “I like to read up on the interns Professor Gardner sends me. Now a bit about this internship… you’ll be working long hours, with overtime. You’ll be compensated with pay for the overtime, as only billable hours count towards your class credit. You’ll be working closely with me and our equity partner, handling the financials of the cases I take on within the next twenty weeks.”
“And that requires…?”
“Attending depositions, general meetings with the clients… I’ll see about court, may or may not need you there. This is one of the harder internships handed out to your class, however if you fail to meet requirements or get terminated, you will not be eligible to get course credit, and will not be administered an alternate internship; do you understand.”
Again, Cassidy nodded, “I understand.”
“Perfect,” Travis reached over and set his hand on top of Cassidy’s knee, squeezing it quickly before standing to pick up a file from his desk. “We have a client coming in for a deposition. She’s suing her medical insurance company for unlawful termination of contract. Our objective is to brief her on questions that the defense may ask should we have to go to court. You have fifteen minutes before she comes in,”
Cassidy stood from the chair, adjusting her skirt and lifted her purse back over her shoulder. In the moments she exited Travis’ office, she pulled her phone out and dialed Jamie’s number. It rang a few times before he finally picked up, offering a pleasant, yet hurried greeting.
“Hey baby. Is everything okay? I have to get ready for the morning skate,” he seemed out of breath as if he’d been running around trying to get things sorted out.
“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I don’t know what time I’ll get out of here tonight. Apparently my boss is fond of making interns work overtime, so I’ll probably just go back to the apartment tonight.”
“Alright that’s fine; just let me know. Uh, I gotta go. I love you,”
“Love you too,”
Almost immediately the line went dead, and Cassidy looked at her phone, noting the time; it was nearing ten. By the time they finished the deposition, she figured she’d have enough time to grab a late lunch, which should be able to tide her over until she got home… that is, depending on how late she’d have to work.
Back in Travis’ office, he was in the process of writing down notes in his client’s file as Cassidy shut the office door behind her. She couldn’t help but notice how all the walls and doors seemed to be made of glass, leaving little room for privacy. She sat back down in the leather chair, absently waiting for a job to be delegated to her. When she came back to reality, Travis was staring at her, a smirk across his lips.
“Are you dating anyone?”
She returned his glance, eyebrows furrowed as she took a sharp breath in, reeling for an assertive yet respectable response. “I’m not sure what that has to do with my position here,”
“Cass…”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from calling me that. Sir, I mean no disrespect; I’d just like to keep this strictly business. After all, I’m only here for seventeen weeks.”
Travis pursed his lips and leaned back in his desk chair. He pulled on his tie, adjusting the way it fell against his chest, “an independent woman who knows what she wants… I can respect that.”
Cassidy could’ve never imagined an office building to look as empty as Mayer & Gold did at ten thirty at night. It was like a ghost town, being able to stand at one end of the floor and see the other end; eyes peering through layers and layers of glass windows, separating the floor into an array of offices.
Day one, and she was already two and half hours into overtime. But she chalked most of it up to the fact that the first deposition of the day had run long; ending an hour after it was supposed to. And everything else in the day was subsequently pushed back. By now, Jamie would be wrapping the game, answering a barrage of questions, either about the win or the loss. And soon he’d be curled up in bed, and Cassidy wished she could be there with him.
Instead, she was perched in Travis’ office, typing away at a spreadsheet for his three current clients. Each demanded different rates, which she was to keep track of, in the interest of ensuring the firm gained more money than it lost. It was child’s play and in all honestly could have been done on her couch at home. But Travis had insisted that work stayed at work.
That is, until he opened a bottle of wine. When Cassidy tried to deny him, he insisted and poured her a glass. He clinked his glass against hers, a boyish grin spreading across his face, and she couldn’t help but stare at him. He must’ve been somewhere in his mid-thirties; seasoned but still young.
He closed the last file and stood up, walking around to the other side of his desk, and leaned against it, waiting for Cassidy to finish up her work and shut her laptop. She looked up at him, slid her computer into its fabric case, and stood up.
“Am I free to go for the night?” She tried not to sound impolite, but the words rolled off her tongue like vinegar.
Travis reached forward for her wine glass, setting it down next to his and then stood closer to her, still towering over her while not being as big as Jamie. Cassidy glanced up into his eyes.
“I find you quite attractive,” he murmured, raising one hand and pushed his fingers into her hair, urging it away from her face.
She stayed motionless, even as he began to lean in. And she knew what was coming next, but it was like time was moving so slowly and yet she still didn’t have time to react. Travis kissed her lips slowly at first as though he was testing her reaction, and then he took the opportunity to open his mouth around her lips, and Cassidy pressed against his chest until she could step back.
Travis looked at her with a devilish grin on his face, “remember if you get terminated, you don’t get credit. Don’t make me fire you,”
His threat was enough to make her comply, if only because she knew she wouldn’t be able to afford another semester of college. Every part of her was saying to leave the office; that she would figure something else out. But her feet wouldn’t move, and Travis made another advance, ushering her to sit on the edge of his desk as he stood in between her legs.
“You’re going to kiss me back,” he whispered cruelly, reaching for her blouse. His skillful fingers undid the top two buttons. “If you care about your career and want to make it to the top, you won’t say a word.” Travis set his index finger on her chin, and tilted her head back. “Tell me you understand,”
Cassidy looked up at him, knowing she had a choice. And each choice had consequences she’d have to endure. So when those two words slipped from her mouth, she felt like her integrity had been kicked to the ground and stolen. “I understand,”
Every light in the apartment was turned off when Cassidy arrived around midnight. In just nine hours, she’d have to be back at the office, enduring the same treatment as today. Things hadn’t gone much further with Travis. He’d kissed her, then groped her, and then sent her on her way with the promise that they’d pick up where they left off.
Cassidy shut her bedroom door, darkness surrounding her. Even without the lights, she could navigate through it safely, and after pulling off her work attire, and slipping into an oversized t-shirt, she collapsed in bed, only to feel the form of a man in her bed.
“How was your first day?” Jamie mumbled, half cognizant. He moaned and flung his arm over her hip, dragging her into him.
“My boss hit on me,” her eyes were already shut.
Jamie giggled and tightened his arm around her, laying his forehead down against her shoulder.
“He uh… touched me,” her eyes were open once again, recalling everything she’d experienced during the day. “He said if I told anyone, he’d fire me, and then I wouldn’t be able to graduate because I wouldn’t have the credit for the class.”
Cassidy would have thought Jamie would be furious, but instead, he seemed subdued by the whole situation, really making no comment at all except for, “what’s his name?”
“Travis Mayer,”
Cassidy’s heart sunk at the sound of the voice behind her. She had already spent the morning being verbally harassed by Travis, and now the voice behind her had her burying her head into her hands.
“Please sit down, I’ll be right with you,” he murmured, not even looking up from the paperwork he was filling out for a client.
Cassidy looked to the left as Jamie sat in the leather chair beside her. She should have known that his calmness from the night before was just a ploy to take his aggression out on the man assaulting her. When Travis finally did look up, he stared at Jamie, obviously having no clue who he was.
“What can I do for you, mister…”
“Benn,” Jamie murmured. He stared Travis directly in the eyes, his voice much lower than Cassidy was used to hearing. And by his body language, she could tell it was taking everything in him to stay as civil as possible. “I’m here for a settlement, and if not, litigation,”
Travis glanced at Cassidy, licking his lips quickly, to which Jamie clenched his jaw, squeezing his hands into tight fists. “Who are you suing and for what?”
“You,” Jamie muttered, “for sexual battery.”
Travis folded his hands in front of him, squinting and shaking his head, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stood up behind his desk, and before he had a chance to move out the door, Jamie stood up as well.
“This is how everything’s gonna go down… Either you stop threatening and harassing Cassidy and she won’t be working here anymore, or you keep harassing her and she won’t be working here anymore. I’m not dicking around here. One more foul move, and I’ll make sure you can’t practice law anywhere.”
“Mr. Benn, I don’t think you understand…”
“No,” Jamie interrupted, pointing at Travis. He looked more threatening now than ever, “you don’t understand. If I have to come back here again, the outcome will be drastically different.”
He took a step towards Travis, and Cassidy shot up, immediately reaching for his arm to stop him. And in the moment, Cassidy could tell that Travis understood now. He smirked, flashing his eyes between the both of them.
“You know, when I asked her if she was dating anyone, she didn’t answer me,”
“She doesn’t have to answer to you about that. Cassidy’s not going to work here anymore. If she doesn’t receive the course credit, you’ll be sued for sexual battery, and I’ll do everything humanly possible to revoke your license, do you understand?”
Travis took a moment, but then he nodded.
“Say it,” Jamie threatened. Cassidy set her hand on his bicep to calm him down just a tad.
“I understand,”
Jamie turned around and set his hand on Cassidy’s lower back, leading her out of the office and into the elevator. Only when they were alone did he think about what had really just gone on. “I’ll talk to some PR people and see if there’s any openings so you can work this semester and get paid. I mean if you want me to,”
Cassidy looked up at him, “I’ll think about it.” She looked down at her feet and felt a small smile pass over her lips as Jamie reached for her hand. “It just kind of sucks, you know? Like tons of women fought for equal rights and stuff, and I’m still being harassed and threatened just to keep a job I need.”
Why the email had led her here, she didn’t know. What could a law firm teach her about business management, and not law? It was a question that she asked her professor via email, which prompted a blunt and mostly sarcastic response. When she received a less than desired answer, she decided to drop the subject.
Roll with the punches.
When she arrived at the building in downtown Dallas, just a short walk from the American Airlines Center, she faltered at the door of the high rise. Wearing a dark gray pencil skirt, white blouse, and matching gray cardigan, Cassidy felt the need to compose herself before taking the elevator up to the seventeenth floor. The silver lettering against the wall read Mayer & Gold, and it scared the shit out of her, as the email from her professor had told her to report directly to Travis Mayer. First day in, and she was already going to be near the top, being whatever he needed; secretary, assistant, receptionist…
Cassidy was led into his office by a woman who couldn’t have been much older than her, so that ruled out being his assistant, receptionist, or secretary; he already had one. The feeling of betrayal from a professor she barely knew began to sink in. Had he sabotaged her?
“You must be Cassidy Knox,” Travis Mayer looked down at a piece of paper before glancing at her. His eyes seemed to wander over her before making contact with hers, “in Professor Gardner’s class.”
She nodded and opened her mouth to give a verbal response, but he interrupted her.
“Please sit down,” he waited for her to take a seat in one of the leather chairs, before he too sat down in the chair beside her. “Twenty-one from Nashville, Tennessee. Last semester as a business management major.” He paused and leaned forward in his chair, “I like to read up on the interns Professor Gardner sends me. Now a bit about this internship… you’ll be working long hours, with overtime. You’ll be compensated with pay for the overtime, as only billable hours count towards your class credit. You’ll be working closely with me and our equity partner, handling the financials of the cases I take on within the next twenty weeks.”
“And that requires…?”
“Attending depositions, general meetings with the clients… I’ll see about court, may or may not need you there. This is one of the harder internships handed out to your class, however if you fail to meet requirements or get terminated, you will not be eligible to get course credit, and will not be administered an alternate internship; do you understand.”
Again, Cassidy nodded, “I understand.”
“Perfect,” Travis reached over and set his hand on top of Cassidy’s knee, squeezing it quickly before standing to pick up a file from his desk. “We have a client coming in for a deposition. She’s suing her medical insurance company for unlawful termination of contract. Our objective is to brief her on questions that the defense may ask should we have to go to court. You have fifteen minutes before she comes in,”
Cassidy stood from the chair, adjusting her skirt and lifted her purse back over her shoulder. In the moments she exited Travis’ office, she pulled her phone out and dialed Jamie’s number. It rang a few times before he finally picked up, offering a pleasant, yet hurried greeting.
“Hey baby. Is everything okay? I have to get ready for the morning skate,” he seemed out of breath as if he’d been running around trying to get things sorted out.
“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I don’t know what time I’ll get out of here tonight. Apparently my boss is fond of making interns work overtime, so I’ll probably just go back to the apartment tonight.”
“Alright that’s fine; just let me know. Uh, I gotta go. I love you,”
“Love you too,”
Almost immediately the line went dead, and Cassidy looked at her phone, noting the time; it was nearing ten. By the time they finished the deposition, she figured she’d have enough time to grab a late lunch, which should be able to tide her over until she got home… that is, depending on how late she’d have to work.
Back in Travis’ office, he was in the process of writing down notes in his client’s file as Cassidy shut the office door behind her. She couldn’t help but notice how all the walls and doors seemed to be made of glass, leaving little room for privacy. She sat back down in the leather chair, absently waiting for a job to be delegated to her. When she came back to reality, Travis was staring at her, a smirk across his lips.
“Are you dating anyone?”
She returned his glance, eyebrows furrowed as she took a sharp breath in, reeling for an assertive yet respectable response. “I’m not sure what that has to do with my position here,”
“Cass…”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from calling me that. Sir, I mean no disrespect; I’d just like to keep this strictly business. After all, I’m only here for seventeen weeks.”
Travis pursed his lips and leaned back in his desk chair. He pulled on his tie, adjusting the way it fell against his chest, “an independent woman who knows what she wants… I can respect that.”
Cassidy could’ve never imagined an office building to look as empty as Mayer & Gold did at ten thirty at night. It was like a ghost town, being able to stand at one end of the floor and see the other end; eyes peering through layers and layers of glass windows, separating the floor into an array of offices.
Day one, and she was already two and half hours into overtime. But she chalked most of it up to the fact that the first deposition of the day had run long; ending an hour after it was supposed to. And everything else in the day was subsequently pushed back. By now, Jamie would be wrapping the game, answering a barrage of questions, either about the win or the loss. And soon he’d be curled up in bed, and Cassidy wished she could be there with him.
Instead, she was perched in Travis’ office, typing away at a spreadsheet for his three current clients. Each demanded different rates, which she was to keep track of, in the interest of ensuring the firm gained more money than it lost. It was child’s play and in all honestly could have been done on her couch at home. But Travis had insisted that work stayed at work.
That is, until he opened a bottle of wine. When Cassidy tried to deny him, he insisted and poured her a glass. He clinked his glass against hers, a boyish grin spreading across his face, and she couldn’t help but stare at him. He must’ve been somewhere in his mid-thirties; seasoned but still young.
He closed the last file and stood up, walking around to the other side of his desk, and leaned against it, waiting for Cassidy to finish up her work and shut her laptop. She looked up at him, slid her computer into its fabric case, and stood up.
“Am I free to go for the night?” She tried not to sound impolite, but the words rolled off her tongue like vinegar.
Travis reached forward for her wine glass, setting it down next to his and then stood closer to her, still towering over her while not being as big as Jamie. Cassidy glanced up into his eyes.
“I find you quite attractive,” he murmured, raising one hand and pushed his fingers into her hair, urging it away from her face.
She stayed motionless, even as he began to lean in. And she knew what was coming next, but it was like time was moving so slowly and yet she still didn’t have time to react. Travis kissed her lips slowly at first as though he was testing her reaction, and then he took the opportunity to open his mouth around her lips, and Cassidy pressed against his chest until she could step back.
Travis looked at her with a devilish grin on his face, “remember if you get terminated, you don’t get credit. Don’t make me fire you,”
His threat was enough to make her comply, if only because she knew she wouldn’t be able to afford another semester of college. Every part of her was saying to leave the office; that she would figure something else out. But her feet wouldn’t move, and Travis made another advance, ushering her to sit on the edge of his desk as he stood in between her legs.
“You’re going to kiss me back,” he whispered cruelly, reaching for her blouse. His skillful fingers undid the top two buttons. “If you care about your career and want to make it to the top, you won’t say a word.” Travis set his index finger on her chin, and tilted her head back. “Tell me you understand,”
Cassidy looked up at him, knowing she had a choice. And each choice had consequences she’d have to endure. So when those two words slipped from her mouth, she felt like her integrity had been kicked to the ground and stolen. “I understand,”
Every light in the apartment was turned off when Cassidy arrived around midnight. In just nine hours, she’d have to be back at the office, enduring the same treatment as today. Things hadn’t gone much further with Travis. He’d kissed her, then groped her, and then sent her on her way with the promise that they’d pick up where they left off.
Cassidy shut her bedroom door, darkness surrounding her. Even without the lights, she could navigate through it safely, and after pulling off her work attire, and slipping into an oversized t-shirt, she collapsed in bed, only to feel the form of a man in her bed.
“How was your first day?” Jamie mumbled, half cognizant. He moaned and flung his arm over her hip, dragging her into him.
“My boss hit on me,” her eyes were already shut.
Jamie giggled and tightened his arm around her, laying his forehead down against her shoulder.
“He uh… touched me,” her eyes were open once again, recalling everything she’d experienced during the day. “He said if I told anyone, he’d fire me, and then I wouldn’t be able to graduate because I wouldn’t have the credit for the class.”
Cassidy would have thought Jamie would be furious, but instead, he seemed subdued by the whole situation, really making no comment at all except for, “what’s his name?”
“Travis Mayer,”
Cassidy’s heart sunk at the sound of the voice behind her. She had already spent the morning being verbally harassed by Travis, and now the voice behind her had her burying her head into her hands.
“Please sit down, I’ll be right with you,” he murmured, not even looking up from the paperwork he was filling out for a client.
Cassidy looked to the left as Jamie sat in the leather chair beside her. She should have known that his calmness from the night before was just a ploy to take his aggression out on the man assaulting her. When Travis finally did look up, he stared at Jamie, obviously having no clue who he was.
“What can I do for you, mister…”
“Benn,” Jamie murmured. He stared Travis directly in the eyes, his voice much lower than Cassidy was used to hearing. And by his body language, she could tell it was taking everything in him to stay as civil as possible. “I’m here for a settlement, and if not, litigation,”
Travis glanced at Cassidy, licking his lips quickly, to which Jamie clenched his jaw, squeezing his hands into tight fists. “Who are you suing and for what?”
“You,” Jamie muttered, “for sexual battery.”
Travis folded his hands in front of him, squinting and shaking his head, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stood up behind his desk, and before he had a chance to move out the door, Jamie stood up as well.
“This is how everything’s gonna go down… Either you stop threatening and harassing Cassidy and she won’t be working here anymore, or you keep harassing her and she won’t be working here anymore. I’m not dicking around here. One more foul move, and I’ll make sure you can’t practice law anywhere.”
“Mr. Benn, I don’t think you understand…”
“No,” Jamie interrupted, pointing at Travis. He looked more threatening now than ever, “you don’t understand. If I have to come back here again, the outcome will be drastically different.”
He took a step towards Travis, and Cassidy shot up, immediately reaching for his arm to stop him. And in the moment, Cassidy could tell that Travis understood now. He smirked, flashing his eyes between the both of them.
“You know, when I asked her if she was dating anyone, she didn’t answer me,”
“She doesn’t have to answer to you about that. Cassidy’s not going to work here anymore. If she doesn’t receive the course credit, you’ll be sued for sexual battery, and I’ll do everything humanly possible to revoke your license, do you understand?”
Travis took a moment, but then he nodded.
“Say it,” Jamie threatened. Cassidy set her hand on his bicep to calm him down just a tad.
“I understand,”
Jamie turned around and set his hand on Cassidy’s lower back, leading her out of the office and into the elevator. Only when they were alone did he think about what had really just gone on. “I’ll talk to some PR people and see if there’s any openings so you can work this semester and get paid. I mean if you want me to,”
Cassidy looked up at him, “I’ll think about it.” She looked down at her feet and felt a small smile pass over her lips as Jamie reached for her hand. “It just kind of sucks, you know? Like tons of women fought for equal rights and stuff, and I’m still being harassed and threatened just to keep a job I need.”
Notes
This chapter is titled after "Shattered Glass" by Brad Paisley.
If you don't listen to any of these songs, I suggest you give this song a listen. It's nice to hear a male country artist acknowledging that there is a glass ceiling.
please update!!!!
5/2/16