by Ami LeCoeur
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. I need you to know that. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Annie looked at me with the most pitiful yearning in her eyes. I patted her shoulder and stroked her hair briefly. Her shoulders relaxed a little as I comforted her, and I looked around for Emma. Once I knew Annie was okay for the moment, I excused myself, promising to come right back.
I pulled Emma aside, and speaking in low tones so the others wouldn’t hear, I told her what Annie had said.
She was incensed, her face turning as red as her hair. “I’ll kill the bastard,” she said, her voice rising loud enough for a couple of the others to turn and look.
“Now’s not the time. He’s a pig, and he should fry, but there are seven other women here with their children. They need you right now. Calm and collected, Okay?”
She took a few deep breaths, forcing the anger back. I saw the rage in her eyes, though, and felt the same way. I wanted to kill the bastard myself.
Emma grabbed her cell phone and stepped away as she called Al. She turned back to me while she had him on the phone, asking if I could take Annie to the shelter. “I want her to tell the story to Al,” she said. “And she’ll probably do better if you’re with her.”
“Of course,” I said, not thinking twice. It wasn’t as though I had been looking forward to the movie anyway, and regardless, Annie was much more important. I gathered my things, told her we were leaving, and led her away from the park.
Chapter Six
“Okay. You can take your time. I’m not trying to force you to tell me anything you feel uncomfortable about, but I think it would be helpful if we talked about it so we can take care of this legally. I need to know what happened, so I’ll know which charges to file.”
His voice was calm, but Al looked about as tense as I felt. I sat on the sofa in Annie’s living room, holding her hand while Al sat across from us. He wore a pair of khakis with a polo shirt and dress shoes, looking casual but with a touch of class. I hoped we hadn’t pulled him away from something important. Then again, it was hardly Annie’s fault we’d called him away. It was Grant’s.
Annie took a deep breath and a sip of the water I’d poured for her. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Al started the voice memo app on his phone. “Tell me everything you can, Annie. The more details, the better. But only if you’re comfortable with it.”
She started speaking with her eyes closed. “Grant Lancaster asked me to stay after work last night, telling me he needed my help with a project. I agreed. He waited until everyone was gone, then pulled me into his office.”
“He pulled you?”
“Yes, by the waist. With his arms around my waist. He told me he’d had his eye on me since I started, and he knew I was someone special. That’s why he’d set me up to try all the different jobs. He said he had big plans for me, and he knew I’d be grateful. I was a little nervous being so close, with him touching me, but I was excited to know he thought I was special. I mean, he’d always been friendly and wanted to know my opinions about the office. But this time, he was being a little too friendly, you know?”
She glanced over at me. I met her eyes, squeezing her hand to offer encouragement.
“Then he said he was going away for the weekend to a business conference, and he wanted me to come along to help him. I told him Emma wouldn’t like that, and besides, what did he need help with?”
She looked down at her lap, silent for a few moments.
“He got a little angry with me, saying that it was time I acted like a grown-up and made up my own mind what to do. I didn’t need Emma or anyone else to decide for me. And if I wanted to keep my internship, I should be grateful he needed and wanted my help.” She took a deep breath of air, and I felt her hand start to tremble.
“It’s okay, Annie,” I said. “Go on.”
She looked at me, tears starting to pool. “That’s when he said he couldn’t keep away from me anymore. If I wanted to succeed as an intern, I had to start working just for him.” Her voice cracked, and I patted her hand.
“I’m sorry to put you through this, Annie. We’re your friends here. You can tell us, we won’t judge you for anything he did to you.” Al stared intensely at her, almost willing her to go on. She nodded.
“He… took me by the shoulders and pushed me down until I was on my knees. I told him I didn’t want to. I told him over and over. But he held my head with his hand, then he took a handful of my hair and wouldn’t let go. He pushed his… his penis into my mouth and pulled my hair when I wouldn’t do anything with it. He made me suck on it.”
I took a deep breath, doing everything I could to remain calm, even though I was nearly overcome with fury. I met Al’s eyes and saw my emotions reflected there.
“It’s okay, Annie. What happened then?”
“I cried and cried, and he told me to stop crying, to relax and I would like it. Then, he pulled out of my mouth and picked me up. He pushed me back against his desk. I tried to fight him off, I hit him and scratched him, but it didn’t do any good. He pulled my skirt up and pushed into me. I couldn’t stop him. He was too strong. I cried the whole time, but he kept telling me how much I needed this. It didn’t take him very long. Then he told me to leave and to keep my mouth shut about it, or I could expect to not only lose my internship but any other opportunities that might come my way.”
“And then?”
“I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I didn’t even go in and wash up, even though it made me feel dirty. I just came home right away.”
He turned off the app, looking grim. “Annie, I’m so sorry. What happened to you is unacceptable. You didn’t do anything to deserve it. It was a total violation of trust.” He used his phone to call the local clinic, then stood. “Come on. I’m going to take you in for a physical examination to make sure you’re all right. A therapist will come in to talk to you, too. We’ll get you through this.”
She cried the entire cab ride to the clinic, and I held her, wishing I could do more to comfort her somehow. As we waited inside the clinic, I couldn’t get over Al’s calm professionalism. He was a good man, kind and caring.
“What do you think will happen to him?” I asked once Annie was in an examination room and we could talk freely. Al sighed, straightening his glasses before speaking.
“I think I’ll file charges on his ass. And I think I’ll look into some of the other interns who have worked for him. It doesn’t seem like this could be his first time, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t. Certainly, everything else about him says he’s used to getting his way.” I went cold, thinking about all the women he might have hurt. This whole experience made up my mind. “I’ve decided to join the Board, by the way. And you already know I’m taking on interns since you’re the one who drew up the paperwork. Once this is all over, I want Annie to be my first intern.”
He nodded, understanding. We sat in silence from that point on, my heart and mind in too much pain to go on speaking. When Annie came back out, she was quiet and withdrawn. The doctor explained he’d prescribed something to help her relax, and they’d set her up with an appointment with a therapist the following Monday.
On the way to the pharmacy, she leaned against me. I put my arm around her shoulder pulling her close, defenseless as she shuddered periodically. I let Al pick up the meds, then we took her home.
Chapter Seven
The rest of the weekend passed in a haze. I couldn’t get Annie’s story out of my head. I couldn’t help but wonder how she was feeling, what she was thinking, how the nightmare of what happened to her would affect her. I couldn’t wait to help the poor girl in any way I could.
On Monday morning, my phone rang bright and early. “It’s me.” Emma’s voice sounded hardened, still full of rage after Annie’s revelation. I was used to hearing her bubbly, energetic personality. This was quite a change.
“What’s up? Did you talk to the other interns?”
“Oh, yeah. Th
ere are two more women who volunteered to give testimony against him. He did basically the same thing to them. One even left the program early, begging to go to another office. I can’t believe it. How could he use them like that?”
I sighed deeply, remembering the pain Annie clearly experienced. I wondered how long it would take her to get over it, or if she ever would entirely. I might not be happy with the men I’d dated recently, but at least our relationships were consensual. Grant was the worst kind of predator. He chose women who were already so fragile and vulnerable. I couldn’t even begin to think of a word to describe him. He was worse than despicable.
“We’re filing charges,” Emma continued. “He’ll fight it, of course, but with three women willing to tell pretty much the same story, I have to wonder how successful he’ll be.”
After our conversation. I didn’t hang up the phone. I disconnected, then called Will immediately. I looked around my office while waiting to be connected with him. I was never so glad to have dodged a bullet.
“Will, you can burn that proposal from Grant Lancaster.”
He was silent for a moment. I could imagine the confusion on his face. “What? But you seemed so hopeful about it.”
I sighed, suddenly very tired. “Yes, well, I’m not at liberty to talk about it right now, but there’s no way I could ever partner with such a scumbag.”
Chapter Eight
It was close to six by the time I arrived at the shelter for my first Board meeting. Amazing—me, leaving work early enough on a Monday to make it to a six o’clock meeting. I laughed at myself. I’d gotten much better at leaving work at a reasonable time, but Mondays were always difficult since I typically spent so much time in meetings and getting things set for the week. And that in itself was pretty ironic since I was leaving work for another meeting.
I stepped into the meeting room, one of the converted apartments near the entryway, and heard noise coming from the kitchen. I smiled when I found Al making coffee there.
“Well, hey,” he said, smiling back. “I thought we could all use a little pick-me-up after a long Monday at work.”
“Boy, can you read my mind.” I took a seat at the conference table, wishing I had at least changed into more comfortable shoes. I could hardly wait to get home—it had been a long but ultimately productive day
“How’s it going at the office? You about ready to take on some interns?”
“Yep, really looking forward to it,” I said with a smile. “My secretary is setting things up now. She’s even more excited about them than I am.”
“That’s good to hear.” He turned to me, leaning against the counter. “Most of the women here just need a chance, you know?”
I nodded. “I’m pleased to help them, really. Especially Annie. Do you think she’d like to come to work for me?”
“Actually, that’s a great idea. There are things we need to handle, but the sooner she goes back to work—and in an environment where she’s truly valued for her contribution—the better it will be for her mental health, too.”
I chose my words carefully. “I didn’t know her well before the… rape, so I wasn’t sure how she would come out of this. But I think she’d fit in well with my creative team, and I know my secretary already likes her.”
“Would you like to make the offer to her, or shall we have Emma do it? She’s still a little nervous about everything that happened, but she’s determined to see this thing through. I’m proud of her for that, too.”
“I think I’d like to make the offer. It’s what I’d do for any other employee.”
“Sounds good. You might let Emma know tonight then. Things are moving along on our case. I spoke with another woman today.”
The coffee finished brewing, and I got up to pour myself a cup. “How many does that make now?”
“That’s three in all. Their stories jibe, too. All of them went through a very similar experience. I don’t like to use the term ‘slam dunk’, but if ever I thought there might be one, this would be it.”
“Oh man, I hope you’re right. It will be good to have this all behind us.” I took a sip of the rich, dark coffee. “You brew a mean cup,” I said, breathing in the scent.
“Thank you. I’ve had a lot of practice, starting with law school. Anyway, with the compensation for pain and suffering, I expect these women will be able to at least start over. It won’t completely heal the pain of what he’s put them through, but it’ll go a long way toward making things better.”
“I’m so glad. Have you thought about counseling for them?”
He nodded. “I’m leaving that up to Emma. By the way, I’d prefer we keep this whole incident between us until I have something I can use to move forward legally.”
I nodded.
He was sincerity personified, and so driven to help the women at the Shelter, for little or no additional compensation. That was what struck me the most. I thought about asking my lawyer whether he ever did pro bono work, but he would likely laugh me out of his office. Walters was a good guy and an excellent attorney, but he was someone who expected to be compensated—in cash—for his work. To each their own, I guessed. I admired Al for his focus and drive and thought that if he worked so hard on a pro bono case, he had to work even harder when it meant he was getting paid.
I watched as he deftly moved things around in the kitchen, straightening up the coffee makings. His warm, dark skin was a strong contrast to the pale yellow tiles, and I enjoyed watching the graceful way his hands seem to sweep the clutter away. His brows were slightly furrowed, intent upon his actions, as single-minded as ever.
At that moment, Emma came bounding into the room with her unstoppable energy. I had no idea where she got it from. Even her hair seemed to bounce when she wasn’t moving. The rest of the Board came in after that, just a handful of men and women who all looked tired after a Monday at the office, each of them gratefully pouring a cup of Al’s delicious coffee.
During the meeting, we discussed the finances and progress of various programs. Each of the Board members had a unique point of view, and I liked the broad range of experiences and ideas that were shared around.
Near the end of the meeting, Emma brought up a new subject.
“The celebration and concert on the Fourth of July. We always have a booth there in the park, both as outreach to spread the word about the shelter and with the hopes of attracting new donors. Which of you will honor us this year by helping with the setup?”
Silence. I felt Emma’s eyes on me and hoped she wouldn’t ask me directly to help. Not that I wouldn’t mind manning the booth for an hour or two, but I already had more than enough on my overfilled plate.
“Sarah, what about you? I’m sure your friendly face will give people a great reason to open up. Pretty please?”
I rolled my eyes at her blatant flattery. “Okay, if you insist,” I said, giving in. “What does it entail?” I hoped I wasn’t getting myself in over my head, but I really didn’t have a good enough reason to simply say no. It’s not like I had any personal plans for the Fourth.
“I’ll help, too,” Al chimed in. I raised my eyebrows when he volunteered. His offer was so quick, I felt a little silly for thinking I had too much to do when he was a human power plant. He never stopped. “I’ve done it before, so I know what needs to be done. It’ll be a piece of cake for two of us.” He smiled at me.
“Great,” Emma said, beaming. “That was easy, huh?” I did my best not to stick my tongue out at her. Meanwhile, Al turned to me.
“We can talk later about the details. It’ll be fun,” he said with a grin. I smiled back. Well, with two of us, it couldn’t be too awful. At least I had a nice, friendly, easy to look at partner to work with.
Chapter Nine
The following week was a doozy, even busier than we’d been before. It made sense, though, with weddings and bathing suits pushing us into summer.
One of the perks of having a long client list was the never-ending stream of work. One of
the drawbacks was the never-ending stream of work. Added to everything else that was going on, the fact that a set of proofs was never delivered to the office and everyone was in a panic for a few hours until they were located, well, you get the idea. Luckily, it was a simple fix: the courier service had simply mislaid them.
But, today, thanks to that semi-emergency, I never even had time to take lunch. I was fantasizing about dinner by three o’clock when the idea to kill two birds with one stone hit me. I looked up Al’s number on my cell and gave him a call.
“It’s been crazy here today, and I’m starving. We need to talk about the plans for the Fourth,” I said. “Why not meet for dinner tonight, if you have the time?”
“Sure, I have the time for you.” I smiled a little at his choice of words. I couldn’t help remembering the way he’d volunteered to help right after Emma nominated me for the booth. I liked his willingness and was more than a little flattered.
I was still thinking about his response while I waited for him to show up at the restaurant. He spotted me immediately, smiling and waving as he made his way to the table. As always, he was dressed in a nice, casual suit. He struck me as a very neat, organized person. But then he needed to be with all the work he did. In that respect, we were very much alike. I had a uniform I adhered to every day because it took too much time to choose my wardrobe. Having it all planned out ahead of time just made everything more efficient. I had the feeling he was the same way.
“Now that we’re not surrounded by a bunch of people wanting our attention, tell me more about you,” I said over drinks. He had a cognac, which I appreciated. It was far more sophisticated than beer. I knew I was being a snob for even caring, but it did make a difference.
“The real me, or the work me?”
“The real you. I already know bunches about your work, maybe even too much.” I laughed. “Give me a glimpse of the man behind the suit.”