Chapter 1: Devil's Interview

Casey sat in the waiting room, taking in her surroundings with awe, excitement and intense nervousness. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to control her nerves. She had been in school for six years, and worked hard to get where she was, but she couldn't help feeling a little insecure. She graduated with top honors in Law, and when she got a call from an HR employee to tell her she was selected for an interview she had to contain herself from squealing. Venturi Firm was one of the largest firms, and the Venturi family was known for being rich and extremely ambitious. Yet George Venturi built an empire that became the envy of many people, he may have had a reputation that was cutthroat and merciless, but his firm was highly prestigious. Casey prided herself in researching a company, and she made sure to study the history with a flea comb. The firm had just been passed down to his son, Derek. There was little information on Derek, other then he was admired by women, and had a reputation for being egocentric. She didn't mind an egocentric CEO as long as he didn't mess with her work. Casey watched the receptionist with keen interest. She was almost a half hour early, but she needed the time to calm her nerves.

"Miss Mcdonald, would you like some coffee or tea while you wait?" Melody Simmons asked sweetly, giving her a curt but sympathetic smile. Melody was young, had fiery long red hair, and round green eyes. She seemed very approachable, and charming. As she looked over her computer, Casey shook her head slowly.

"No, thank you. But if it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to ask, I would like to know if I'm being interviewed by HR, or Mr. Venturi," she bit her lip nervously.

Melody assessed her slowly, and gave her a comforting smile. "Normally HR would do the interviews, but Mr. Venturi is doing them since he's so new taking on the company. He wants to be involved as much as possible."

Casey felt the word vomit come up before she could stop it as a jolt of nausea wrecked her. "I know this is going to sound bizarre, but I want to know a little bit about Derek Venturi. I couldn't find much information, and I just need to be prepared."

Melody looked around, as if she was trying to make sure there was no one eavesdropping. "Unfortunately, I can't give you personal details, but I can give you a vague description if you'd like," Melody's voice was heavy with mischief despite wanting to keep a professional stance.

Casey was already beating herself up internally, "Please, I just want to do a well. Getting this job would mean the world to me."

Melody waved her hand swiftly, "No I completely understand. I felt the same way when I got hired, and it's always great to be the most prepared as possible. You seem like a hardworking gal, so I'll help you out a little bit. " Melody looked towards the door where Derek's office was and noticed a blush go over her cheeks. "Derek Venturi is charming, but don't let that exterior deceive you. He seems to have something to prove since he got handed an entire company, and while he worked hard to prove his skill, he clearly is determined to keep the quality of this company the same as with his father. He's tenacious, clever, and from what I've seen is quite persuasive. He is young, and absolutely..." Melody stopped, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, I went off on a tangent there," and just like that Melody snapped back to the work in front of her. "I'm sure you will charm him no problem, he's generally quite pleasant with women. He may be a lot of things, but he's never treated any woman here poorly."

Casey felt a wave of relief at hearing that. A lot of men in Law were extremely sexist, and she had gone through her fair share of mistreatment. Clearly Melody seemed to respect Derek Venturi despite his "egocentric" reputation. She felt herself relax, and excused herself to freshen up one more time. Casey was a perfectionist, she admitted that to herself. This interview was a rare opportunity, as it was unheard of that someone right out of school gets an interview due to the extreme competitiveness. She studied herself in the mirror. She definitely had the lawyer look down. Her hair was meticulously styled, the dark her was put up in to a professional updo. She wore some makeup, but it was toned down, and classy with a little bit of pink on her lips. Her blue eyes shone with sheer excitement. The navy pant suit and blazer made her look sophisticated and polished. Thank goodness her father was a lawyer, she got all the tips from him. Six years of grueling work, of driving her friends and mom and her sister, Lizzie, absolutely mad got her to this place. She was a nightmare, and was thankful for all the support she ever got. She gave her reflection an encouraging nod and went back to the waiting room.

Time seemed to move slowly, and she kept her eyes locked on that door. Finally she heard the clicking noise of the door opening. She took a deep breath as it swung open. Derek Venturi was a presence. He seemed to move with a confidence that completely robbed her of thoughts. He glanced over at Melody, clearly he hadn't noticed her yet. "Is she here?"

Casey couldn't help but stare. He was handsome, frighteningly so. His dark hair was cut into short layers, the gray tuxedo made him look extremely polished. She noticed his smile, it was dazzling. She could see a dimple on full display, and was completely fixated. His voice sounded deep, but infectious. It was the kind of voice that could make someone just grovel all over him. She caught herself as her thoughts alarmed her. Melody clearly found him attractive, she noticed her shy smile, completely different to the charming welcome she'd received. Melody motioned towards her direction, and slowly Derek's attention went to her. His eyes made her breath catch in her throat, she'd never seen eyes like that before. Dark brown eyes, that swirled with glints of ember, warmth, but also crackled with an intensity that spoke of an innate confidence and charisma.

Casey made her mind work and got to her feet, felt herself frantically trying to remember professional etiquette. She reached out her hand, and managed to open her mouth. "Hello , I'm Casey Mcdonald. Thank you so much for the opportunity to meet with you today," her hand was out and he just stared at her. She questioned if she had done something wrong. Derek smiled slowly and reached for her hand, shaking politely. The warmth of his hand spread through her.

"Miss Mcdonald," he said with slow articulation, as if he was trying to process her name. "Please follow me," and he turned away from her. Casey took a deep breath and glanced over at Melody, who gave her an encouraging nod. She walked into his office, it was large, and decorated in a modern way that could have easily passed as an entire apartment.

Derek went to his desk and sat down, opening up her file. He didn't look at her, so she slowly made her way to sit across from him. Silence hummed through the air, but there were layers of something else under the surface. Did she make a horrible first impression? Derek made a little sound of disappointment and shook his head. She couldn't believe it, he was thoroughly unimpressed by her. It wasn't that she had an over inflated ego, but she knew the type of work she put into the last six years. He was reading her reference letters with a stony expression. He slowly looked up, she was confused by his odd demeanor. When she introduced herself, he smiled, and now he looked like a different person. He leaned forward on the desk, studying her with a mix of intrigue but alo veiled reservation.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

Casey shook her head politely, "I'm fine, thank you. Mr. Venturi, I just want you to know how honored I feel to be able to meet with you. The Venturi Firm has been my dream for years, it is the jewel of this country when it comes to Law."

Derek smiled a bit, but put out his hands in a dismissive nature. "Casey. I don't think there is any point to me interviewing you. You are not right for this firm."

Hearing him say her name caused her to feel hot and faint, and she looked at the papers on his desk, questioning what he saw that was not right. He caught her gaze and sighed.

"Casey, there's no denying you have many qualifications. You sound studious and driven, but I need to be honest. I'm sorry you wasted your time coming all the way here, but I don't see why HR called you. You don't have the experience needed for a firm like this one." Derek was looking at her seriously, and she felt herself becoming emotional, and she fought against the confusion swirling within her.

"Mr. Venturi," she said shakily. "I understand I am not the most experienced, but if you gave me ten minutes of your time, I would like to prove to you that I have what it takes to work for a firm of your caliber." Casey tried to speak with as much confidence as possible. "I know your firm is one of the best, and I am the type of person that needs to work for the best. Please, just give me a few minutes."

Derek formed a smirk and leaned back in his chair nonchalantly. He was quiet for a moment and then laughed. It broke the CEO image, as if someone else had stepped in. The sound of his laughter made her flustered, yet she couldn't find the humor in the situation. "I truly doubt it, just from what I can tell, you seem too ethical and good. You need to be willing to get dirty in this firm, and you seem like a total princess."

Casey's mouth hung open in complete surprise. So that was the real Derek, and for some reason she was the one woman he decided to treat poorly. Melody had spoken so well of him, she clearly never saw this side of him. How dare he assume she was too soft just from a glance? She was angry, but tried to keep her remarks to herself. "Let me convince you otherwise, I certainly don't think of myself that way."

Derek's eyes twinkled with mischief, and she was fuming, this was not what she expected. He was a CEO and he had just called her a princess, the jerk. He seemed to be fighting against amusement and laughter.

"That's cute," he said with sarcasm. "You were clearly a goody-good your entire life." Before she could respond he scoured over her resume, laughing swiftly. "You wrote about your love for school and education with the kind of passion only a keener could."

Casey wanted to be respectful, but she felt his insults sting her as if she had cuts all over and he was pouring salt endlessly. She felt the hot temper rise within her and she stood up defiantly.

"Mr. Venturi, clearly I was mistaken about you. I expected a man of respect, instead I'm faced with you. You are not what I had in mind either, and let me tell you, you would be lucky to have me. I am hard working, I am never afraid of a challenge. Sure, I can be too ethical at times, but why is that considered a bad thing? I want to make a difference, and help people who truly need it. With me, you get someone who would never turn their back on anyone. I am uniterested in power or position. My drive comes from helping others." She paced around the office, unable to look at him. She couldn't believe, she lost her mind. She just insulted the CEO without a second thought. It was too late to turn back now though.

"Integrity is hard to find these days, and believe me, lawyers that have that is rare to find. If I have to get dirty to prove my worth, then this is not the FirmI thought I once admired." Finally, she dared to look down at him. Her eyes blazed with dominance as she looked down at him. She knew she tanked the interview. She expected to see rage in his eyes, but he was staring at her blankly. Clearly he didn't expect her to put him in his place.

He was looking at her as if she was a strange creature that had dropped from the sky. He stood up and his gaze was unnaturally hypnotizing, and he was locked in on her. She couldn't read his expression, but she thought she could see a ghost of a smile forming in the corner of his mouth. "You've clearly never been rejected by the sounds of it," he said with icily. "You insulted me, there should absolutely be no reason for me to continue this interview, but clearly you're not as mousy as I thought. You're bold as hell." He moved away from his desk and moved to the front of it, leaning his body back against his desk, and folded his arms over his chest.

Casey faltered, he was much closer than she would care for, and the insightful stare down was causing her to feel guilt. No matter what, she shouldn't have talked to him that way, everything he said was spot on, which is why it caused her to react. Everything he said were the very thoughts she told herself on the regular, why she was so hard on herself. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to make a good impression, and well your teasing came out of nowhere, I did not expect it. I'm not ever disrespectful, I swear, I'm sorry for insulting you."

Derek smiled, the features of his face looked warm, and completely charming. He could kill someone with that smile, and she felt like the air was taken from her lungs. "Oh, I can believe you are never disrespectful. You look absolutely guilty."

Casey hung her head, needing to break the eye contact. She was too ashamed. "I'm sorry for wasting your time," she turned to leave but she heard him behind her.

"Casey wait," he said urgently. She stopped and turned around slowly. He wasn't looking at her, and seemed annoyed out of his mind. "Well, clearly you proved me wrong because you're not afraid to take a stand. If you could hold your own with me, then maybe there's hope for you after all."

Casey gasped, "Wait, was this a test?" She asked with complete surprise.

Derek shrugged playfully, and flashed another blistering smile. "Not entirely, but if it was you failed miserable. But guess what, I'm feeling generous. If you still want those ten minutes, they're yours."

Casey's eyes illuminated, and she broke into a smile. She squealed with excitement, "Thank you. I swear if you hire me you will hardly see me."

Derek shook his head and moved back to the desk. "Trust me, I hardly like to play nice with people that insult me, but it's a large enough firm. But don't get ahead of yourself, this is just an interview. I truly hope you don't fail a second time," he said with a smothered laugh.

She took her spot across from him and smiled vividly. "Just don't insult me, and we're golden," she joked, and then immediately regretted it. She couldn't have that kind of banter with him, it was so unprofessional, but he laughed. There seemed to be a blank new start. She felt a drive within her, she needed to convince him. Not just because she wanted to work at Venturi Firm, but because now he had set an ultimatum. She was never one to back down from any challenge, she was going to prove Derek wrong, if it was the last thing she did.

Derek didn't know what he expected to find when he went out to look for Casey, but she was definitely not what he had in mind. Based on her resume, he imagined a bookworm, a nerd. Not that nerds were always ugly, but he was shocked by her. The first thing he noticed was her eyes, they were large and blue, brilliant with intelligence. She was beautiful, no not just beautiful, gorgeous. Her dark hair was pulled up into an updo, and he felt the need to take her hair down and see what her hair looked like over her shoulders and wanted to touch her hair. She had a sweet smile, had an air of innocence and she looked smart. He was momentarily distracted, and when she spoke all he wanted was pull her into him.

He looked down at her resume and tried to collect his thoughts. This woman scared the hell out of him, and he couldn't figure out why. He would have normally seduced a woman like her, and was fortunate enough to get anyone he wanted. But something about Casey throttled him, everything in him screamed she was a danger. Derek had grown up with rich parents, and his father always had huge expectations on him. He got things easily in life, always had, but then came the day when the fun stopped and the responsibility of carrying the family name crushed on him. He swore off any serious emotional connections. It was easier to just have flings than to ever become dependent on anyone. No one could be trusted especially with his status. He had to go through hell to get to that conclusion, and he refused to visit hell again.

And now Casey Mcdonald was in front of him. He was completely aware of her every move. Even as he looked down, he could still see her. He was aware of her anxious lip biting, her eyes focused on him like a laser. She smelled so good, and everything in him was fighting the urge to hit on her. The more he read her credentials, the more he felt that weird sensation. She was so smart, and accomplished, and he was impressed by her. He felt more alive just a few minutes in her presence, than he had in years. He couldn't have her working for him, she would become too much of a temptation. Casey wasn't at all like all the other girls he went off with. He made strict rules for himself, and couldn't get involved with his employees. Casey did not seem like a one night stand kind of girl and he preferred to have his conquests away from work.

Derek finally looked at her, and knew immediately. He couldn't have her close, didn't trust himself with her, and above all else there was an image to uphold in his new role. Yet he couldn't help but study her, she had keen interest in her eyes, a hopeful smile that was so light, but yet so devastatingly beautiful. Casey was so formal, and professional but he sensed a nervousness in her. Then it got worse, Casey's fascination with the firm and the way her eyes sparkled with genuine admiration was the last straw. He could just imagine having to walk past that smile every single day, how could he ever resist her?

Then all of a sudden, he started pushing her away. He became a complete jerk, and he couldn't stop it. He had always been sarcastic by nature, but didn't recognize anything he was doing, and was fully aware that it was hurting her. It was suddenly the only defense available, and he grasped on to that with all he could. Casey looked at him with shock, and she was desperate to sway him. That only made him weaker, so his insults became more callous. He called her a princess, and mocked her for her ethical skills, but then came the surprise. She got up and gave him a look that made his blood boil rampantly. And then she was pacing around and insulting him back, and completely throwing the argument back in his face. Her bold and defiant display made him completely crazy. Casey was many things in one person, bookworm, blunt, gorgeous, kind, and unafraid to stand up for herself. She was clearly no push over. He could not believe he wasn't angry or upset, he was completely captivated. Damn. I'm in deep trouble. When she apologized for her words, it made him even more agitated. His initial gut feeling had been right, the more time he spent with her the more he felt a consuming desire go through him. One that he swore he would never allow ever again. But then he saw Casey walking away and his mouth betrayed his mind. He needed to spend a little more time with her.

Now Casey sat there once again, and he didn't know what to do. He spoke through the phone, "Melody, please cancel my next appointment. I owe Miss Mcdonald more time, and also if you could bring in coffee for her, I'd really appreciate it."

Casey grinned widely. Her lashes cast soft shadows on her cheeks. "So, I will get more than ten minutes then?"

Derek smirked, and couldn't help catch the full blown excitement flowing from her, it was contagious. "Don't get ahead of yourself. More time doesn't mean you will get the job. From what I can tell about you, I just know you will give very thorough answers."

Casey nodded with absolute pride. "That is something I've always prided myself in. I am thorough in everything I do, and detail oriented."

Melody walked in with a tray of coffees, and handed her a cup, and then very gently put the other one in front of him. "Thank you, as always you are just so fantastic," he said cheerfully.

Melody blushed slightly, "Thank you, sir. Anything else I can do for you?"

"No, that is all for now, and cut the sir out, it makes me feel ancient." She laughed and turned away but not before winking at Casey and left abruptly.

His attention went back to Casey, she seemed to be observing him intensely. "Do I have something on my face?"

Casey looked down and took a deep breath. "No, I'm sorry. It's just that you treated her so cordially, even sweet, and well with me you weren't."

"Melody has been here for years, trust me she's earned it. I was just honest with you, and you took offense to it." He couldn't even understand why he acted that way to begin with. "Also, I'm not here to treat anyone nice, if you want to work here, you're going to have to understand that I'm not expected to be sweet or kind to anyone. As long as you're doing your job, that's all I care about frankly."

She bit her lip, and he was distracted by it. She seemed to be agonizing over the mess of the interview so far. "Well, I don't need you to like me. I just need you to give me a chance. Mr. Venturi, I believe in helping those that don't seem to have a good defense, or the resources. I believe anyone has the right to a good lawyer despite money. I want to help disenfranchised communities."

Derek wrote down a few notes, smiling down at his notepad. Most of the people applying for that Firm always seemed to want the more flashy jobs, corporate law, criminal law being at the top. Yet Casey didn't seem power hungry. "What made you interested in that wing of law?"

Casey looked at him with a dazed expression. "My father is an incredible attorney, not only did he become one of the best, he is a very ethical man. I would see him taking cases for free at times, and he was always trying to be better. With so many cases, people can get lost in the shuffle, but he was always trying to find the best possible outcomes for his clients, even if it meant him receiving less. I want to be the same. Of course, I have professional goals, but the foundation of those goals still lie in always putting the client first. I am a perfectionist, Mr. Venturi, and sometimes that means I get in my head a lot, but I am also very emotionally driven. Believe me, those two things combine would make me an empathetic but hard working lawyer."

Bloody hell. Derek was conflicted. He wanted to hire her, but at the same time he had an insane desire to reach across that desk and kiss her. It was too confusing. He interviewed her for a whole hour, asking questions about her strengths, weaknesses, even threw in a couple personal questions. Casey liked to talk a lot, yet it didn't bother him. He found at times completely forgetting what they were talking about. He would get distraught by her smile, the colour of red on her cheeks when she became nervous, the way she spoke with such passion. When Casey was talking about the important issues, it was as if she was the only person in the room. And all through out, he kept the sarcastic jokes. He didn't have anything else to hide behind, it was either that, or smile like a moron the entire time.

When there was a quiet pause, she gave him a wistful look. "I know this is an unusual request, but I'm interested about you. How are you handling the role of CEO? I imagine it must be so hard for you seeing as you are filling in your father's shoes."

Derek's mouth parted in surprise. "I'm supposed to ask you questions, not the other way around," he said with a forced laugh.

Casey shrugged defensively, "I want to know who I'll be working for. I need to be prepared, that's just who I am, and there's very little information about you out there. I know it's unconventional, but I just want to know a little about you, because ultimately you are the soul to everything that happens here."

Derek grabbed his cup of coffee and drank it quickly, she was going to be annoying for sure. But that only made his confusion more frantic. "Well, it's not as glamorous as it looks. It's a stressful job, and ever since I took over, I'm faced with my dad's constant criticism. It's not fun in the slightest, but some people are just not meant to find their own dreams. I guess people with my position are expected to carry on the torch."

Casey's features softened, as if he had just revealed the darkest of secrets. He felt naked and exposed, it was much more information than he wanted to give her, but the words just came out. "Well, from what I've heard from Melody, you are really giving it your all, and that's admirable. Maybe you and I might be too different to ever get along personally, but you seem driven. And I want to work for you anyways."

Derek felt warmth spread through him, he felt himself losing control of the needed to end, before he did something stupid. "Okay, enough of the heart to heart. Do you want the job or not?"

Casey's entire face lit up, "Really?"

Derek stood up and walked towards the door. He heard her up behind him, "You don't seem completely incompetent. I guess we can give it a whirl."

When he opened the door, Casey reached for his hand to shake it. She was brimming with excitement, "Thank you so much, I promise I'll stay out of your way."

Derek couldn't help but smile. They stayed under the door frame, shaking hands for what seemed like an eternity. He just wanted to push her against the door in that instant, but reluctantly pulled his hand away. "Oh you better. And go, before I change my mind. Melody will call you to set up your schedule."

Casey gave him another debilitating smile, and left. He stared after her, completely at a loss. What happened? He hired temptation, what the hell was he thinking? Casey Mcdonald, she came out of nowhere, and shook him up in a matter of hours. And he wasn't sure if hiring her was a mistake, but one thing he knew for certain. He couldn't allow himself to get close to her, and he would never allow himself to become dependent on anyone. He refused to burn once again.

Author's Note: I wanted to change the circumstance and back stories of these characters, just to try something different. Please let me know what you think of the start, is this something that interests you? I'm always trying new things, and I thought this could be an interesting premise for these two. Please let me know what you thought of the first chapter :)