Mia Fey – The story sound familiar? That's probably because all forty-one chapters were posted on . Anyway, I couldn't see the harm in slowly re-posting them on here, I haven't written anything new on this story in a year, but if I remember where I was going with this story, I'd like to at least cover up to Diego's death.
I don't know how many people will actually be interested in this, I mean, it's a pretty darn long story and not even close to finished at chapter forty-one. So if I don't receive a lot of interest there's a good chance I won't bother with the rest. Especially since all chapters need editing. Apparently, I used to think full-stops were unnecessary at the end of speech (and I thought my grammar was bad now!) Obviously, that's not blackmail or anything, it's just a case of "I don't want to edit forty chapters if no one's reading it."
Anyway, hope anyone who reads this likes it/ will want to review it.
A bad first day
Mia brushed her soaked fringe out of her eyes and took deep breath to calm herself as she stood in the foyer her of "The Grossberg criminal defense law firm" The deep breath had not worked for she still felt as tense and nervous as she had before but knew there was no turning back.
My first day at an actual law firm she thought to herself as she stood at the desk waiting to speak for someone I can't believe I'm finally here! I guess all that hard work really did pay off She leaned on the black marble counter and rested her chin on her palm, waiting for the receptionist to notice her. As she glanced along she noticed that a young blonde receptionist was in fact busy talking to a tall man, wearing a bright red shirt with a black striped waistcoat over the top. They appeared to be having a conversation about the weather. Mia edged closer hoping that they might notice her and perhaps the receptionist might get on with her job but instead they just continued:
"Yes, you're completely right, the weather is truly dreadful but I must say being greeted by you Penny has certainly brightened my spirits." he said in a deep manly voice, now also resting on the counter leaning closer to the now blushing receptionist.
She giggled and replied "Oh Mr. Armando, is there anything I can get you before you head upstairs to your office?"
Mia saw him flash Penny charming smile and reply "Well…" he paused "No…it's fine." he picked up the papers that lay on the counter but Penny had already grabbed his arm.
"Go on…Mr. Armando. Whatever it is I really don't mind getting you it."
"Please, call me Diego…I don't suppose you could get me a coffee, black of course, black as a starless night?"
This seemed to prove too much for the receptionist as she now swooned and gulped for air "A-anything you want…Mr. A- I mean Diego".
Mia was now seething as he leaned a little closer towards Penny and lowered his voice; only a little so Mia could still hear it.
"You know…I've only been working here a few months and yet I feel you're already my favourite person here." And with that he winked at Penny, picked up his papers again and turned around to head off to his office before doing a double take when he saw Mia.
She scowled at him, feeling outraged she had been forced to wait all this time while he flirted with the receptionists but her scowl did not at all have the effect she had hoped for as he instead of returning it; looked her up and down and smiled out of the corner of his mouth smugly. He winked and walked straight past her leaving her angrier than ever.
Proceeding towards the receptionist who had, at last seemed to notice her, Mia once again took a deep breath and started to say "Hi, I'm Mia-"
But the receptionist had not yet recovered from her exciting conversation with Mr. Armando and instead ignored what she had said and cut across her with- "He's so…"
What "Mr. Armando was…" Mia didn't find out (Well at least not what the receptionist thought he was. Mia came up with many different ends to that sentence but in the end stuck with the tamest one which was "Un-professional").
Instead of finishing the sentence with her own word, Mia just raised her eyebrows and repeated "Mia Fey, I'm here as the new apprentice.".
"Oh…" Mia saw Penny finally realize what she said and snap out of her daydream as "Oh! Ah yes of course… I'll just get you Mr. Arm- I-I mean Mr. Grossberg."
As she saw Penny disappear through the door behind the counter, Mia drummed her fingers on it, now feeling very impatient. So far this wasn't turning out how she had hoped. She had worked so hard to get to work at an actual law firm and had been so shocked when she had got the apprentice-ship. How was she going to find out what had happened to her mother working with such annoying or smarmy people?
After a moment Penny returned, with a professional smile and beckoned for Mia to follow her through the door that Mr. Armando had walked through previously.
"Horrible weather outside isn't it?" Penny asked making conversation "Well I can imagine you know that." she laughed looking at Mia who looked like she'd stepped out of the shower, but left her clothes on.
Deciding that first impressions could be wrong, Mia obliged and replied "Well, when I left the flat it wasn't raining." Now Mia herself looked at her appearance in a passing mirror "I look such a mess…and on my first day too!" she exclaimed plucking at her soaking wet suit".
"You…you don't look that bad." Penny squirmed, clearly lying.
"Thanks but I know I do really." Mia attempted to tidy herself up a little wiping smudged mascara from under her eyes and running her hand through her messy hair.
The receptionist stopped for a moment and lead Mia through a door which Mia expected to be Marvin Grossberg's office but instead, much to her surprise a girl's bathroom.
"Here I have some makeup remover for that mascara and then you can redo it…And here I also have a brush." She handed her the objects from her handbag and Mia got to work quickly. When she had finished she concluded she did at least have neat makeup and hair. She looked presentable.
"Thank you so much." she said and meaning it to.
"It's fine, I would hate for your first day here to be a bad one." Penny smiled as they left, turned down another hallway, passed a door with a golden plaque reading "Robbert Hammond-Attorney at law." and then final at the end of the corridor "Marvin Grossberg-Attorney at law."
"Here we are Miss. Fey, Mr. Grossberg should be in there waiting for you. Tell me of you need anything." And with that Penny turned around and walked down the corridor leaving Mia stood outside. She knocked and waited for a reply.
"Just a minute!" she heard a voice reply and then continue to talk more quietly, once again, just loud enough for Mia to hear. Trying to fight the temptation to listen in on the conversation she closed her eyes and counted to ten. This was a method she did to calm her self and in this case; distract her self. Unfortunately, it did not work. She leaned closer putting her ear against. After all, if they wanted to keep what they were discussing a secret why would they walk so loud?
"A convict who's escaped death row, you're kidding me right? Any attorney who takes that case would have to mad." Said a voice she recognized as Mr. Armando's.
"Exactly why I'm not sure I want to take it." another (closely resembling Marvin Grossbergs) replied. "But you, you're good. I've heard how well you've been doing in you're cases and you're still only new here."
"Grossberg, I'm not stupid. I'm good, I know that but I've looked over the case file. The man could be innocent but there's no proof. At my point in the career it would be suicide for me to take the case. Sorry."
"Very well, I can see you're clearly convinced you would not win. I will consider it some more but likely turn down the request."
Without any warning the door burst open catching Mia (who had been leaning against it) of guard, pushing her to the floor as Mr. Armando walked out.
Clearly he had been caught a little of guard and had not been expecting to find a young women lying on the floor as he left the office.
"Having a good listen were we?" He said after recovering from shock and finding his smug demeanor again.
She did not reply but felt her cheeks begin to glow red.
He sniggered "Ah well, no harm done. You do work here now." He offered her his hand to help her up. She took it noticing, for the first time his incredibly tanned complexion. She gulped trying to think of something clever to say but her wit failed her and instead she just came out with a rather lame, stuttered "Thanks." as he walked off down the corridor.
She knocked again and heard the voice; this time reply "Come in." Mia turned the door handle a pushed the door entering the office. The first thing she noticed, of course was an incredibly garish, large painting of a man, wearing a wide brimmed hat sitting upon a rock, with a bright orange, glowing sun behind him. She decided she liked the painting, despite it being garish it was also colourful and because of the orange colour scheme seemed to radiate warmth to the also cosy office.
"Ah, Mia sorry about the wait." Mr. Grosseberg said shocking Mia that someone had actually apologized for making her wait.
"It's fine Mr. Grossberg, don't worry about it." she said with an honest looking smile on her face.
"I see you got caught in the rain. Hope you're not to cold to work!" He laughed. Mia had a slight feeling he was only half joking and so assured him-
"N-no, I'm fine! I'll dry off after all, don't worry!" though she was actually having to fight back the shivers.
"Good, good…" he trailed off noticing that Mia's glance has now turned back towards the painting on his wall "I see you've noticed my painting?"
How could I not notice it? she thought but instead said "Yes, I like how it almost seems to warm up the office."
"Why thank you, I'm sorry but it's not for sale so you can't buy it though"
Mia had of course merely been commenting on how she liked the painting but decided it was maybe a good idea to act disappointed rather than point out that she didn't like it that much.
"What a shame" she said lamely before trying to steer the conversation away from the painting he was so clearly protective over. "So what will I be doing?"
"Well first of all I want you to look over these case files for me, Mr. Hammond who is another one of your colleagues, though he tends to keep to himself and Mr. Armando, who I think you have already met?" He handed her a huge pile of important looking documents. "When you've done that I'd like to you to look over who's in charge of each case and report to them informing them of all the details. If it's me I'll probably ask you to tell me if you notice anything about the case for practice when I think you're ready to take on a case of your own" he paused "Is…everything okay, Ms. Fey?"
Mia once again gulped for air as she looked down at the huge pile of paperwork before her. "Yes. Yes Mr. Grossberg. Just fine, I mean…It seems like an awful lot of work but...hey, that's why I'm here right?" she said trying to make her voice sound calm and express how she was "Just fine.".
She lifted the pile once more and turned around to ask one final thing "Do I have and office…I was just wondering, It's fine if I don't, I'm not expecting one I just wanted to know…that's all."
Mr. Grossberg sat up a little and narrowed his eyes moving his moustache from side to side a little. Mia automatically began to regret asking; clearly Grossberg was shocked at an apprentice asking whether they had an office or not.
"Of course you have an office! Where did you think I was going to have you working, the floor in reception?" He let out a mighty laugh. Down the corridor, turn right, go down the small set of stairs and it's the first door on the left."
Mia nodded and left the office staggering with the many documents she was holding but once again stopped by something she could not see (due to the pile of documents so high it was covering her eyes).
"Hello behind there, need help with those?" the thing stopping her for walking said. "Why with all those documents, you would be able to listen to people private conversations, how will you manage?"
"I wasn't listening I was...just leaning against the door" she replied still unable to see him, though she now knew it was the smug face of Mr. Armando behind the papers.
"Ah yes…sure it was…here let me help you." He said taking the documents out of her hands and holding them himself "I assume your office is the one on the left when you go up the small set of stairs and turn left?"
Mia did not know as she had now forgotten but decided to nod and follow him wherever he was now heading. Which it turned out was right, down the small set of stairs and the first door on the left. He stopped gestured towards the handle she promptly opened for him and he quickly dumped the papers onto her new desk.
"Thanks." she mumbled to him awkwardly.
"Not problem." he replied smirking again. He offered her his hand which she took as he introduced himself "Diego Armando."
"Mia Fey." she replied also introducing herself.
"Pleased to meet you…properly Ms. Fey" He winked, let go of her hand and walked out leaving Mia feeling pretty angry again and this sexist gesture. Every time she was close to accepting him he went and did something annoying like wink at her or made a smug annoying comment.
She looked down at the paperwork and sighed. What a fun first day it had been so far.