Page 8 of Reckless Temptation

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SABRINA

The buzz about the internship grew over the weekend. Come Monday morning, it was the biggest thing on everyone’s mind.

It was on mine.

Just like Professor Angus said she would, she posted the criteria to apply online. The list was there, in detail, for all of us students to review.

I had already spent most of Sunday concentrating on how I could pull off meeting every one of those requirements. No matter how prepared I might have looked on paper, I was still nervous that I wouldn’t get this spot.

After torts, taught by the dullest professor in the whole department, I met up with Elise for lunch. Even though she had dropped out and switched her gears toward a nursing degree, she was still very informed about the happenings within law school.

She wiped her mouth after a bite of her greasy burger, then cleared her throat. I felt the burn of her stare as I tidied upmy notebooks and papers. It was obvious she was curious about something, watching me closely like this, but I could play this waiting game just fine. She’d crack sooner or later. The way I looked at it, this was just practice, a test, for when I’d need to keep a straight face in court. If she had something to say, she was welcome to do so. I wouldn’t act like a mind reader.

“Are you sure this internship is something you even want?” she asked, caving as I knew she would.

I raised my brows at her, intrigued why she’d inquire about that at all. She, more than anyone, knew how determined I was to succeed. Elise was a scholarship student, just like me. And just like me, she’d fought to earn that scholarship to have a place at this university.

“How can you doubt that I do?”

She shrugged, returning her attention to her lunch as more students milled around the café-like area near the biggest and main law school building. Without any rain on the horizon, it was nothing but the Floridian sunshine beating down on us out here.

“You wouldn’t want to work for a firm like Lorsen & Spengler.”

I sat back and peered at her, giving up on organizing my papers for a moment. I had a few more minutes to kill before going back to class. “I wouldn’t?”

“No.” She smirked, as though that should be obvious.

“I beg to differ. Lorsen & Spengler is one of the best law firms in the state. The country.” She knew this. “Getting an internship with them would lookveryimpressive on my résumé.”

“Sure. If you wanted to go into practicing that kind of law.”

I couldn’t help a little laugh. “El, I want to ensure I practicesomekind of law, anywhere, so I can start earning and helping my mom and dad out more.”

“Yes,” she replied as she rolled her eyes. “Of course, you want something lined up. I’m not suggesting you can be choosy.” She frowned. “Uh, actually, I think I am.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” I reminded her. Since she came from the same poor background that I did, she damn well knew how hard we had to fight for our dreams and not be picky about them. Law school was competitive and challenging. There was no room for being selective.

“Yeah, generally. But this isyouwe’re talking about.”

“Yeah.” I laughed again. “Me. A nobody.”

She flattened her lips in a droll look. “I think you lost the right to claim you’re a nobody when you were valedictorian at your high school.”

“No, she’s got a point,” Rachel piped up from the next table from ours.

I almost cringed at her haughty voice. Go figure, she’d be eavesdropping.

“Youarea nobody, Sabrina,” Rachel taunted.

“Just a piece of trash,” Tiffany chimed in, muttering softly enough that others further away wouldn’t hear her. She narrowed her blue eyes at me as she flicked her straight blonde hair over her shoulder. There was no missing the pure loathing she held for me.

“Ha.” Elise didn’t share the motto I tried to stick with when they ganged up to bully me—which was nearly every day. I didn’t try to engage in anything with Professor Lorsen’s daughter, the esteemed golden child of the department. No matter what she said or did, it had to be wisest to ignore it. To roll with the punches.

My friend disagreed. She liked the paltry idea of fighting back. Maybe she had less at stake now since she wasn’t in the program anymore.

“Nobody but the student at the top of the class,” Elise said, peering at them coolly. “What was your LSAT again, Tiff?”

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