Oral Advocacy Ch. 01: The Accident

Kate pressed the "P3" button and exhaled deeply as the elevator doors closed in front of her. She leaned against the back of the elevator, her feet in front of her and her head tilted upward as she stared vacantly at the ceiling. How could I be so stupid, she thought as she descended the 17 floors to the lowest level of the parking garage. All that time preparing for the hearing and I screw up the first question from the judge. And in front of one of the senior partners, no less, who'd had to step in and clean up her mess. It was all so embarrassing.

She felt the elevator slow to a stop, bouncing a little disconcertingly as the automated voice announced "P3" and the doors slid open. Kate picked up her bag and grabbed the small rolling suitcase she used to bring her case files each weekend. It probably looks like I'm headed on a jaunt to the Caribbean, Kate thought as she left the elevator, actually laughing out loud at the thought of having time for a trip. The sound of her heels on the concrete floor echoed loudly off the walls of the nearly deserted underground garage. Looking around, she saw only six cars in the lot. It was just after seven o'clock on a Friday evening and everyone else had already left. Probably to spend time with their husbands, boyfriends, kids, friends--whatever people with lives do these days, Kate thought forlornly as she walked briskly to her car.

Kate was a senior associate at Yule, Cheatham, and Howe, the city's most prestigious law firm. She'd always wanted to be an attorney and loved the idea of being in court, arguing passionately to judges and juries in big, important cases. After graduating near the top of her law school class, she'd joined the firm at 25 and worked her way up through the ranks. Now, in February 2001, she was on track to make partner and earning more money than she had ever dreamed was possible. She had an adorable house about 20 minutes from downtown, designer clothes, and a brand-new BMW she'd just bought last week.

A lot of good that does when you live at work, she thought as she opened the trunk and put her suitcase inside. She'd started at the firm as a summer intern after her first year of law school and loved every minute of it. Outings to baseball games, great restaurants, happy hours--they'd really wined and dined her, she recalled fondly. But when she took the job after graduation, no one had prepared her for just how much she would be required to work. Kate spent at least 70 hours each week in the office, regularly getting home late in the evening and spending Saturdays or Sundays (or both) downtown or working at home. It left little time for a social life. She'd gradually drifted apart from her high school and college friends as they got married and had kids, finding she had little in common with women who talked mostly about planning weddings, getting pregnant, and raising toddlers. Her days were instead filled with legal research, drafting documents, and endless meetings with the partners.

Well, at least I have this, she thought as she opened the passenger door and set her designer bag on the front seat. How many people your age get to drive one of these every day? Kate removed her navy-blue suit jacket and laid it on the seat, her white sleeveless top leaving her arms exposed to the cool February air. She felt a slight chill as she looked around to make sure no one else was in the garage before stepping out of her heels. The concrete felt rough on her bare feet as she reached up her skirt to remove her pantyhose. She'd worn them for court, bare legs still not being considered appropriate for women in the stodgy legal profession, especially by Judge Grady. As she stepped back into her heels, the memories of the morning flooded back, making her want to drive away and never come back.

It had been her first real chance to argue a motion in court. Civil lawyers didn't get to court very often and when they did, high-paying clients only wanted the firm's top attorneys handling their cases. But Kate had worked hard and convinced the senior partners to let her handle the motion. However, when the judge asked her about one of the weakest points in her argument, she flubbed the answer. Badly, she admitted to herself as she opened the driver's door. Kate Harris simply didn't make mistakes--not in college, not in law school, and certainly not in federal court. Her motion was perfect, her preparation was exemplary, and she'd been confident she was going to win.

But then you screwed it all up, Kate thought as she sat down in the driver's seat. She'd compounded her error by arguing with the judge, trying to prove she was right rather than just admitting her mistake. And of course, the senior partner on the case with her had to step in and try to fix everything, embarrassing her even further. She knew she was going to hear about it on Monday. It was probably the talk of the firm, even the courthouse. The great Kate Harris finally gets to the big leagues and goes down in flames. If they ended up losing the motion because of her, the case would be significantly weakened and they'd have less of a chance of winning the trial coming up in only a month. Well, counselor, you just need to put it out of your head, get on the highway and see what this baby can do, she thought as she settled into the soft leather seat, smoothing her skirt underneath her and starting the powerful engine.

She took a right onto Market Street and headed for the highway. Traffic was light as she accelerated up the on-ramp, moved to the second lane, and hit the gas. Just then, a light rain began to fall. Damn, Kate thought, I hope this doesn't back traffic up. "Not that you have anything to do tonight," she said out loud as she hit 70 mph. About ten minutes later, the rain picked up and Kate saw a wall of red lights ahead. Must be an accident, she thought as she braked and moved to the right lane in case she had to exit earlier than planned. Traffic was completely stalled and she came to a dead stop. Just then, she heard a loud bang and felt herself thrown forward, her chest pressing against her seat belt and her arms bending as her hands pressed against the steering wheel. As she straightened in her seat, she looked in the rearview mirror and knew she'd been rear ended.

"Fucking unbelievable!" Kate yelled into her empty car. She pulled onto the shoulder and fumbled for the emergency flasher button for what seemed like an eternity, finally finding it and putting the car in park. As she opened the door and put her foot onto the pavement, she felt the cold rain on her bare leg. She grabbed a ponytail holder from her bag and put her long black hair up as she climbed out and walked to the back of her car. Kate looked at her new car in dismay. The fender was crumpled and the trunk lid appeared to be dented. "You've got to be kidding me!" she screamed into the cold February air, her hair and clothes dampening in the rain.

"It doesn't look too bad," a male voice from behind her said. "I'm sure they can fix it." Kate turned on her heel to see what looked like a high schooler in khakis and an untucked, faded red polo shirt looking at her car.

"It doesn't look too bad?" Kate said incredulously. "Are you kidding me?"

"I don't know, I'm sure it'll be fine. I mean, you can still drive it, right?" the kid said.

"I don't know," Kate said, flustered and starting to get wet in the cold February rain. "Get your information and get in the back of my car." The kid went back to his car as Kate climbed in the backseat of her car and sat behind the driver's seat. The engine was still running and the dome light illuminated the interior as he climbed in and sat beside her. Kate retrieved a pen and paper from her bag and said, "I need your license and insurance card."

"I really don't think it's that bad," he replied. "Do you really need my insurance card? I'm sure my dad can just pay for the repairs. I'd rather not report it."

"You can't hit someone and just leave without giving your insurance information," Kate said. "I don't care how much money mommy and daddy have."

"I'd rather not report it," he said again. "It's just that a few months ago I..."

Kate lost it, her day at work and the damage to her car combining to send her over the edge. "Give me your fucking insurance card right now!" she screamed, interrupting him as she leaned forward and angrily pounded her fists on knees. "You know what, fuck this. I'm calling the police."

"Police?" he said. "Why do you need to call them? And how are you going to do that, anyway?" he added, a little too smugly for Kate's taste. She reached into her bag on the front seat and pulled out her Nokia cellular telephone, a perk recently provided by her firm. She knew it was so they could reach her at any time, but it came in handy at times like this.

"Okay, okay, I'll give you my insurance card," he said nervously, handing her his license and insurance card. The operator put her on hold after she'd said it wasn't an emergency. As they sat in silence, the dome light of her car went off, leaving them illuminated only by the nearby streetlights and passing cars. The rain was really coming down and Kate could barely see the vehicles slowly passing to her left. Eventually the dispatcher returned, informing her it would be at least a 20-minute wait for an officer.

"Twenty minutes?" her companion said, obviously annoyed. "That means an hour. I can't be here that long."

"Well, you'll have to," Kate said sternly. "If you weren't such a shitty driver it wouldn't be a problem. You wreck my car and then you think I give a shit about the fucking party you're going to? You'll just have to be late." Kate switched the dome light back on and began to copy his information. He was 20, so he wasn't in high school, Kate thought. His address was in a middle-class part of town, his name was Matt, and he was 5'9" and 165 pounds. And at least he had valid insurance.

As she copied his insurance information, Kate noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that Matt kept glancing over at her. Is he checking me out, she thought. She felt her anger slowly subside and she returned his glance, noticing he quickly shifted his eyes up. He was looking at my chest, Kate thought, finding herself a little flattered. Plus, she couldn't really blame him. Her breasts were medium sized, 32B, but her tight shirt and flat abs made them look bigger. She smiled at him and paused her writing.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Kate said. "You didn't deserve that. It's just that I just got this car and had a shitty day at work and I guess I took it out on you. My name's Kate, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Kate. Where do you work?" Matt asked.

"Yule, Cheatham and Howe," she replied. "I'm an attorney."

"Oh great, of all the people I could have hit it had to be a lawyer. Now I'm going to get sued and my parents are going to kill me."

"Look, it's not going to come to that. Insurance will take care of it," she said. "Just sit tight until the cop gets here and then you can be off to your party or your girlfriend or wherever it was that you were going."

"My buddy's have a party and we got a couple kegs and..." Matt said, suddenly stopping himself.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone," Kate said. "You know, when I was your age I could party with the best of them."

"Yeah, I'm sure those law school parties were real ragers," Matt said.

"Well, think what you want. But we got pretty crazy. Those were good times," Kate said wistfully.

"Not a big partier anymore?" Matt asked hesitantly, seemingly afraid to set her off again.

Kate laughed out loud. "Only if you count doing legal research on Friday nights or spending Saturday afternoons drafting motions. No, not much of partier anymore. Not really a partier at all." She told him all about her job, including how she spent most evenings and weekends working. By the time she got home, it was either too late or she was too tired to go out. Her job just didn't leave much time for a social life.

"You should come to the party tonight," Matt said, apparently completely seriously.

"Thanks, but I don't think so," Kate said, chuckling at the absurdity of it. "I have to work tomorrow and besides, it's not really my thing anymore." As they talked, Kate had noticed Matt glancing down at her legs and boobs with increasing frequency. A couple times it was obvious she'd seen him before he averted his eyes, Kate detecting a slight bit of embarrassment at his having been caught. Normally she would find it annoying, but, if she was being honest, tonight it was kind of flattering. She hadn't had a real boyfriend in three years. She wasn't much for one-night stands and with work the past few years had been pretty dry. Sure, there'd been a few offices hookups, but none that lasted or were even worth mentioning. Okay, really dry, Kate thought. God, has it really been three years?

"Well, it sounds to me like you need to party," Matt said, jolting her back into the present.

"Maybe so," Kate admitted. "But no thank you. The officer should be here soon and then you can be on your way." She finished copying down his insurance information and handed his license and card back to him, smiling as they made eye contact. He was on the better-looking side of average. Not hot, but kind of cute, she thought. He had short brown hair and green eyes that drew her in. He was average size and looked to be in decent shape. She glanced down at his crotch, detecting what appeared to be a bulge. Is he aroused, she thought. As she raised her eyes, she knew Matt had noticed.

"Now we're even," Matt said, a slight smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked, trying to play it off.

"You were checking me out," Matt said.

"No, I wasn't checking you out," Kate replied a little defensively.

"It's okay," Matt said. "You caught me looking at your breasts a couple times before, so now we're even. They're incredible, by the way."

"Thank you," Kate said, blushing slightly. "And legs. You were also looking at my legs."

"True," Matt said. "Which are also incredible." Kate felt herself turn redder, hoping it wasn't obvious. She hadn't been hit on in months and liked the attention. She'd never thought of herself as particularly hot, her face being fairly average in her opinion. Sure, she'd had a few boyfriends in high school and college. Her law school boyfriend had been her most serious relationship, one she'd thought at one point could go the distance. But it had fizzled after graduation. She'd dated a couple guys since then, always unsuccessfully due to her schedule and focus on getting ahead at work.

He was right about her legs, though. Kate's only hobbies were running and going to the gym. She worked out intensely, the only way she knew how to do anything. Years of hard work had paid off and Kate looked better at 30 than she did at 18. She was petite, only 5'2" and 112 pounds. Her legs were shapely and toned and her butt was firm. Most women would kill for her flat abs, which accentuated her firm, perky boobs. I guess that's one of the benefits of not having kids, Kate thought.

"Thank you, that's very sweet," Kate said, slightly embarrassed as Matt openly stared at her fit, toned body. He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. Her own perception of her looks hadn't quite caught up to the reality and Kate was still somewhat surprised to be getting so much attention. "I wonder where that officer is," she said, trying to change the subject. She grabbed her cell phone and called the station again, only to be told that due to the weather and number of accidents an officer was still 30 minutes away. She was surprised when Matt wasn't upset at now having to wait almost an hour.

"It's okay," he said. "The party won't really get going until at least 10:00 and it's only 8:00. Besides, I like hanging out with you." Matt slid into the middle seat and reached up to turn off the dome light. It was still raining outside, but traffic had lessened and they sat in near darkness, the occasional headlight brightening the dim light provided by the overhead streetlights. Kate felt her heart rate pick up and she was suddenly nervous, like she was back in high school. Was he going to kiss her? Should she let him? She was 30 and he was 20 and she didn't know him at all. And they were in the backseat of her car on the side of the highway waiting for a cop.

"You're very attractive," Matt said. Kate just smiled as she looked at him, his face only inches away. His left side was pressed up against her. She found herself wanting him to kiss her and she closed her eyes and cocked her head to the right as he began to lean in. She felt his right hand come to rest on her knee, his left hand resting softly against her side. His lips touched hers, softly, her mouth closed as he kissed her a second time. She parted her lips, letting him kiss her more fully. He pressed against her harder, his right hand moving up her thigh to the bottom of her skirt. His tongue entered her mouth as she kissed him back, their tongues meeting inside her mouth. As they made out in the backseat of her car, she was pleasantly surprised at how good he was.

Kate felt him lift her shirt up over her breasts, cupping them in his hands as they nearly popped out of the small pushup bra she'd purposely chosen for court. He quickly unclasped it, allowing her tits to pop free. "They're amazing," Matt said as he stared at them. Kate smiled as Matt took her right breast into his mouth, sucking on her hardened nipple as he massaged her left breast with his fingers. Kate moaned with pleasure, feeling her vagina start to moisten inside her panties. Matt continued to suck and fondle her as she began to squirm, trying to rub herself against him. He brought his face up and kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth.

His right hand slid up the inside of her right thigh, underneath her skirt, as he kissed her harder. Kate opened her legs, allowing him to rub her through her panties. Suddenly he lifted himself onto his left knee, his right foot on the floor, and reached up her skirt, grabbing her panties on each side. Kate lifted herself and he pulled them down and past her feet, leaving them crumpled on the floor. He pulled her to the edge of the seat, her pussy right at the edge. Then he pulled her skirt up so it was around her stomach, allowing him unrestrained access.

Kate spread her legs as Matt settled in next to her, desperate for relief from the sexual tension built up inside her. He kissed her deeply as he began to rub her smooth thighs, edging closer to her vagina as she moaned. She felt his hand move all the way to the top of her right thigh, just next to her pussy. Kate was aching for him to touch her and began to move her hips, hoping to rub her hardening clit against his hand. But Matt kept his hand just to the right, teasing her relentlessly. He moved above her vagina, and Kate could tell he loved how smooth she was, every hair having been removed with her usual attention to detail.

He began to rub her labia, his middle finger on the left and ring finger on the right. Kate felt her heart rate quicken as she moaned louder. His fingers began to slide inside her, first one and then two. They entered her, her wetness allowing him to easily slide inside despite her tight opening. Slowly he penetrated her with two fingers as she began to tense and subtly grind her hips. Kate felt his fingers work their way up toward her clit, stopping just short. He teased her for what felt like an eternity, Kate desperate to climax and Matt denying her the relief she needed so badly. He kissed her again, his hand on the lower part of her vagina. She kissed him back hard, his left arm now behind her back. His fingers entered her again, making her moan but still refusing to touch her clit.