Jenn stayed in her bedroom for most of the weekend, calling Kenzie on the phone now and then — she had returned to L.A. a few days earlier — and reluctantly accompanying her parents to church social events. Mainly she wanted to be alone, and she spent most of her time listening to music and working on unfinished pieces in her sketchbook. Steve called her twice every day, but Jenn never picked up. She was debating whether to end things with him, but she didn’t want to expend the effort to debate it with herself now; she wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder, she thought with dull hope. Steve was acting unforgivably, she thought, and she couldn’t afford to wait any longer to see if his character would change. He was totally different to her now.
On the other hand, she knew everyone was involved in a stressful situation, and she wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was genuine or just due to the current situation. In any event, she was pleased to have the house to herself for a few hours on Monday afternoon before heading to Andrew’s office. Jenn took extra care with her outfit that afternoon, standing in just a towel in front of her full-length mirror as she held up countless clothing items to decide what to wear. Form-fitting khaki pants? Too business casual. A dress above the knee? No, too eager. What about this high-waisted skirt and loose blouse? That looks cute. She put in a pair of dangly silver earrings and a matching bangle bracelet and stood inspecting herself happily in the mirror for several minutes. This was the most energy she had had in days.
The office was empty when Jenn walked in. She peered around the corner, but only every other hallway light was on, and as she tiptoed slowly down the hallway, her shadow danced oddly around behind her. Andrew’s door was open, and as Jenn approached she swallowed once and then stepped over the threshold. “Hi.”
“Oh!” Andrew jumped; he hadn’t heard her come in. “You scared me.”
“Sorry. Are you usually here this late?”
“Not usually. Sometimes the other guys stay, but I— I wanted to make sure I had time for you.” He blinked and looked away. Jenn, too, was embarrassed.
“Well, thanks,” she said. “I’m just so fed up with Steve. He keeps saying these things about you and me, and he doesn’t trust me at all. He’s telling me what to do and I can’t take it anymore.” Jenn’s breath was starting to quicken, and it became more difficult for her to catch it; she leaned back in the chair opposite Andrew and closed her eyes. A soft groan escaped her lips.
Andrew watched her concernedly. He had no idea what to do. He was upset seeing her like this, and he knew he could never understand what she was going through.
He wanted her to let him in. He wanted to help her in any way possible, and he recognized this was a crucial point in proving he cared about her. He stood slowly and walked around the other side of his desk, where he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He mentally cringed at the move, and made to move his hand away again.
Jenn reached up and put her own hand on top of his; she turned her head to look at him, and their eyes locked in an intense connection of understanding and passion.
“Jenn, I...” Andrew couldn’t speak above a whisper. Her eyes were boring into him, and he felt exposed. “I have to tell you this. I think I ... I’m feeling certain things for you. I... can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Me either,” she whispered back, to his shock. She stood from the chair, grabbing his hand tighter with one of her own and reaching across the desk to his lamp and turning it off. Now only the light peeking through the fibers of the window curtains lighted Andrew’s office, and the two figures stood together in the dark.
Andrew stepped forward. He ran his hand down her arm and lifted it up to her face, where he brushed her hair back. Her skin tingled at his touch. At that moment, she knew he was more than just her attorney, and she wanted him more intimately more than she wanted him as an attorney. She put her hands behind his neck and pulled him close to her, meeting his lips with hers gently and passionately. Without thinking, as their tongues danced together, her hands found the top button of his shirt, and she started working her way down, pulling his sleeves over his shoulder.
His body pressed against hers, and as they groped at each other’s clothes, Jenn began to feel more pressure coming from below his waist, as his erection grew against her thigh. She ran her hands lower and found the bulge in his pants, and tried to unbuckle his belt but the darkness and their excitement made her fumble. “Here,” Andrew whispered, and tried his hand at the buckle. He was nervous too, and his hand slipped. Jenn giggled, which first made Andrew nervous but then he let out a chuckle too. Their hands worked together until his pants were pushed down and his cock had sprung up.
Jenn reached down to touch it — but only to touch, to tease. She was aching with anticipation, and she turned away from him and pulled her skirt up and her panties down, while she leaned on Andrew’s desk. Andrew ran his hands around her stomach, her hips, and her thighs, giving her soft kisses on the most tender parts of her body. She reached back forcefully and lined his hips up with hers, his cock pushing between her legs. Nervously, with one hand on Jenn’s inner thigh, he tried to guide himself inside of her, but in his excitement, he slipped out, and Jenn reached down to gently guide him in herself, smiling secretly.
The sudden burst of pleasure that went through Andrew was unlike any he’d felt before; he’d been with other women, but there was something more about Jenn he’d never experienced. Her pussy was wrapped around his cock so warm and tight that the tingles he felt were already enough to push him over the edge of orgasm, and the desk the pair leaned on shook with both their weight on it. In just a few thrusts, Andrew was spent. His legs were pressed tightly up against Jenn’s ass, and he leaned forward, breathing heavily, to grab her around the waist, breathing heavily. They stayed like that for a few moments and Andrew he panted out an apology for coming so soon. “No, that was perfect,” Jenn whispered back to him. She leaned against him on the chair in the corner of his office, and the two sat there together for a moment. After a while, when Jenn could tell Andrew’s breathing had slowed again, she reached down to his cock and started to play with it again. It didn’t take long for Andrew to feel the same excitement that Jenn did, and soon, swelling with confidence, Andrew pulled her up and turned her toward him.
Jenn felt more aggressive, and she went in for another kiss with gusto, pressing her lips into his so hard that he took a step backward. Her hands were caressing him everywhere, and she started exploring his body further with her tongue: from his lips, to his neck, to his chest, working her way farther south until she felt his semi-erect member in the palm of her hand. Her body couldn’t wait to feel him. Remembering the things Kenzie had told her before, she crouched down to her knees, and took him in her mouth, kissing the tip of his cock and putting more into her mouth bit by bit. Her heart beat faster; she thought her inexperience here might prove awkward, but the more she stroked her mouth and hands on Andrew, the more she enjoyed the power she had over him. She felt him getting bigger and harder as she stroked. Andrew moaned softly from above.
After a few minutes, Andrew pulled her head away, took her hand, and laid her on the couch lining the wall. He poised himself over her and pulled her body close to his. This time he was ready; he penetrated her with no trouble, and her whole body bucked up and down when she felt him go inside her. Andrew took his time; he went slowly and gently, pleasuring every inch of Jenn’s body, hard thrusting now and then alternating with soft kisses and gentle finger movements. Soon she couldn’t take it any longer, and a spasm of pleasure surged its way through her body. Then she reclined on the couch, her breasts rising and falling gently as her breathing slowed.
When she opened her eyes, she could see the out line of Andrew’s body standing in the darkness above her. Once they both had recovered, he approached her again and laid a sweet kiss on her lips. She smiled all the way home.
When she reached her purse again in the car, she was annoyed to find Steve had c
alled her multiple times again. Her happiness subsided, but only for a moment; she had very little respect for Steve at this point. Still, she was slightly concerned, she texted Andrew anyway: “Steve called twice.” Almost immediately came the reply: “You should talk to him.”
Jenn crinkled her nose. “What do I say?”
“Say what you feel.”
It was as if Andrew had put more than his dick inside her, because Jenn felt her gumption swelling as well. She knew she should talk to Steve in person, but she had no idea how he might react, so as she drove out of town, grinning stupidly, she dialed Steve’s number for what she hoped would be the last time.
He answered gruffly. “Jenn, we need to talk.”
“There’s nothing left to say, Steve.”
“What do you mean?”
“You made it very clear that you care more about protecting the interests of your father than you do about protecting me. I never meant anything to you, did I? You just used me like everyone else at that fucking hospital.”
“Used you? My family and I have been nothing but kind to you in all of this, offering to take care of you and pay for you, and now you’re going to say this bullshit? After all we’ve been through together, and you’re still going to try to ruin me?”
Jenn was livid. “Ruin you? Thanks to you family, you ruined my life. I was raped, Steve, and now it’s like you’re raping me all over again by pushing me to take this settlement. All you want is control. And I won’t give you what you want.”
Steve’s voice softened. “Jenn, baby, let’s talk about this in person. We can work this out.”
Jenn’s voice retained its steely resolve. “No. There’s nothing to work out. I don’t want to see you or your family ever again.” Without another word, scant another breath from the other end, Jenn hung up the phone and breathed a deep sign of relief.
Steve thought — too hopefully — that the call had been lost and stood there in silence, reeling in Jenn’s harsh words. He had never heard her speak with such venom before. He didn’t know how to process it all, but his fingers moved almost automatically to dial his father’s number.
“Dad?” he said simply, when a voice sounded at the other end of the line. “Jenn and I broke up. It’s over.”
Jenn could scarcely believe it. She felt instantly free; another burden lifted. She immediately texted Andrew, “Called Steve. We’re done.”
He replied immediately again, “Great news. Come to my office first thing in the morning. We have work to do.”
Jenn awoke the next morning feeling completely invigorated and ready to start a new battle without the strings of a puppet master controlling her every move. When she arrived at Andrew’s office at 8:30 a.m., she was pleased to see he was the only one there again. She walked in with her head held high. The last time she had been here, the hallways had been dark and empty; now they were filled with light. Jenn felt alive.
Part III
Chapter One
Day broke through Jenn's window, serenely casting light and warmth through its rays down to her face; she rolled over, stretching as she awoke. As she opened her eyes, she could see the clear blue skies overhead with the warmth cascading into her bedroom. She felt happy; her mind clear for an undetermined reason.
Then, in an instant, it came to her: she was free. Free from a hospital administration that betrayed her, free from a boyfriend who forsook her, free to love a man who really loved her, and free to take on the challenges of the day. Remembering what today held for her, in the shape of a rejuvenated legal battle and a noble fight for justice, Jenn sprang out of bed and got dressed quickly. She couldn't stop herself from singing happily to herself as she drove into town and went to Andrew's office. As she approached his office, she could hear him speaking; his gentle voice, smooth and soft like caramel, drifted out into the hallway to Jenn, and she smiled. She felt very lucky that morning.
She knocked playfully on his door, and he looked up. Jenn peered around the corner and was surprised to see an attractive blonde woman sitting in the chair in the corner. She was sitting cross-legged in the leather chair, her hair flowing gracefully down her shoulders, and she had several large bags at her feet and a notebook in her lap.
Seeing Jenn, Andrew leaped out of his own desk chair. Laying a kiss on her cheek, he grabbed her hands and pulled her into the room. "Jenn, I have exciting news for you — for us!" He gestured to the woman. "This is Holly Mills. She's a reporter with WPXT-TV here, I told her a little bit about your story, and she wants to interview you. What do you think?" Jenn and Holly shook hands politely, while Jenn gave it some thought.
"Wow, this is sudden. Um, sure, I guess. What kind of interview do you mean?"
Holly was already scribbling notes onto her notepad. "It would just be a short spot on what happened to you, mainly that you're making allegations against St. Benedict, and what those allegations are."
Andrew was too excited to contain himself. "This is the way you can build publicity and support before the trial begins. I don't want to pressure you; you know that. But this is such a good opportunity."
Jenn took a deep breath. "Well, I knew by going forward with this, I'd get attention. So I guess I can start." She turned to Holly with a smile. "Sure, why not?”
Two days later, a short television spot appeared on the local station, headed by Holly’s introduction to what happened. "A series of sexual assaults, a secret abortion, and a cover-up: things of nightmare for most people, but were reality for a local woman in a local hospital. In her first interview since the ordeal, Jenn Walsh has agreed to tell us the frank, and horrifying, details of what happened to her while she was a patient at St. Benedict Regional Medical Center. This is her story." The Walsh family and their supporters all sat together on the scheduled date and time of its airing to watch it. They watched in hushed anticipation, proud of Jenn for finally speaking out but also anxious about what this sudden immersion into the public eye would bring.
When the segment ended, with a final remark from Holly promising to follow up with the story, there was a profound silence in the room. Then Andrew stood up. “Jenn, I’m so proud of you,” he said, his voice quivering. She, too, began to feel tears in her eyes. She stood up too, and went to him for a tight embrace. Everyone else clapped for them, caught up in the moment.
It was Jenn’s first taste of the limelight, but more was soon to follow. The local television spot made a small splash in her community, but as St. Benedict was an hour away in a much larger metropolitan area, it was unlikely to bring many large waves.
That was, until now. Several days later, Jenn was relaxing with Andrew at his house, eating pizza, and having a movie marathon, when his phone rang. Andrew was used to receiving calls at all hours of the day, and he excused himself quietly and left the room, in case it was another client calling him.
Jenn paused the movie and sat quietly waiting for Andrew to return. It seemed like an eternity, and Jenn had nothing to do but look around as she waited. Andrew’s apartment was just like his office: austere, official, and spotless. Nothing was out of place; all of his paintings were perfectly straight, the coasters on his coffee table stacked up in place. It relaxed her. In the chaos of the past several days and weeks, she didn’t realize how much she needed this type of order in her life.
As she zoned out, Andrew came walking back quietly. “You’ll never believe this. That was a producer on The Hour talk show in New York City. They want to interview you.”
Jenn was completely taken aback. This was huge. The Hour show often had more than three million viewers each week, and it reached the entire nation.
At first, she was afraid, but she only needed to look up to see Andrew’s eager face above her to know he loved and supported her through all of this. She agreed to the interview, which would be taking place the next Friday afternoon and would be aired at primetime on the following Sunday evening.
The man who showed up at Andrew’s office to speak with Jenn was a tall, lanky ma
n with nearly translucent skin and a bulbous forehead; but his eyes had fire in them, perfect for a producer looking for a scoop. He stepped forward with gusto and held out his hand.
“Hi, Jenn, I’m Elliott Sullivan. It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for meeting with me.” Behind him was an army of cameramen and their equipment, loaded down with bags and boxes and everything read to set up an impromptu studio in Andrew’s office. Elliott had a relaxing, silky voice. No wonder he’s in television, Jenn thought. She talked with him for more than two hours. She knew this was her opportunity to tell her story — sure, the short segment with Holly Mills was her first encounter with the press, but this time she had a real audience to listen to her. Today she felt empowered; she wanted her story told more than anything. She couldn’t wait for the story to air.
Chapter Two
Richard Connelly sat in his enormous den in his stately home, unaware of any of the publicity swirling around him. He lived far enough away from Jenn that the local news hadn’t yet reached him, and he was still trapped in negative thoughts surrounding Jenn’s refusal to take the settlement. He sat alone the night of Jenn’s interview, fuming to himself.
Suddenly the phone rang. It was Elliott Sullivan. After talking to Jenn, he knew he needed to get in touch with hospital leadership right away, and thankfully, Richard had no idea the phone call was coming. Elliott introduced himself and told Richard he was calling to write a story about the hospital’s history of philanthropic efforts in the area — he didn’t want to scare Richard away immediately by jumping into a sensitive, reputation-damaging topic. Would he able to meet tomorrow evening for an interview?
Richard was tired and reluctant, but he agreed. It didn’t sound like anything harmful. The next day, he drove to the hospital and waited for Elliott to arrive to set up a studio in his office.
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