I had a meeting with a head hunter. She called me about a potential job. I took an extended lunch when Todd wasn’t available. Strange since apparently Todd was the one who gave my name to the head hunter. It wasn’t a job offer yet, but there was something coming up that she said I would be perfect for. The head hunter was very nice with a touch of frost. She seemed on the verge of telling me something then didn’t. Any ways, it looks like I could have a job at another company doing just what I’m doing, maybe even more and at twice my current compensation. More money would be nice. Leaving a place with so many friends for a company with not even half the appeal, not so nice.

My problem du jour was a classic problem of how do you get one person in two places at once. Normally this would be a Jemma problem.Today it was my problem because Jemma was sick. Actually everything was my problem. So what had happened was that my boss Christine was triple booked. Her partner Nico was only double booked. Everyone’s favourite underwear model/account manager was being thrown on the plane, but he didn’t know anything about that project. Not his fault, he was probably picking up unfamiliar models to have anonymous sex with. OK, Alex, that was mean. Bad girl. I deserve a spanking for that.

No, the only people who know enough to actually grease Enrique’s amazing, but not inexhaustible charm is Christine, possibly Jemma and/or Nico and myself. And as much as I’d like to spend a weekend in London with a one-night stand, I’m not going to. Maybe it was the talk with the recruiter. I was doing a lot of work, important manager stuff, but everyone just saw me as a secretary. And once I saw how the compensation range the other company, I have to admit I got a bit bitter. Even my boss asked if I had caught whatever Jemma had.

The next day when I was about to meet Todd for a run, I ran into Nico. She asked me if I had any lunch plans to which I responded to pointing out my running attire. She told me to text my ‘boyfriend’ to cancel with him. She lead be back to where we first met. She was very adept at using the search function. In under 10 minutes she’d assembled a nice two piece ensemble, which was clearly for me. She handed them to me asking if I liked fish tacos. It was clear the lunch was not optional. I quickly pulled off my running gear and put on the cute dress, Zara I think, and a pair of Prada’s—much more expensive than the one’s a got on sale. She smiled as I changed in front of her. I wasn’t nervous of being naked on front of her, I was nervous of what this lunch was about.

A car picked us up and she commented that I looked good in the dress. She asked about my personal life and if things were going well with my man. Her tone was not really of relaxed small talk. I suddenly wondered if that possible job was now going to be a necessary one. The car dropped us at a restaurant that had a lineup half a block down. We walked by them clacking our heels like they didn’t exist and waltzed into the restaurant where the Maitre D, smiled and kissed both of Nico’s cheeks before leading us to an empty table.

My boss’ partner informed me to order what I liked, it was on the company tab. Good think too since even the appetizers cost a few days groceries. I didn’t see any fish tacos on the menu. She ordered us each a martini and we toasted to good friends, good times and a prosperous future.

“OK, I’m $#!++y at small talk”, she lied. “$#!++y at it when I want something”, she corrected herself.

“What do you want”, I asked pleasantly before sipping on my drink.

“I want to know did you apply for a job at another company?” I almost sprayed my drink across the table. “I’ll take that as a yes?” How did she know about the head hunter?

I confessed to have talking to a recruiter who was possibly scouting me for a job. I added my ‘boyfriend’ had told the head hunter, I didn’t seek her out.

“You didn’t turn her down, though…” She busted me. I really had nothing to come back with. Luckily I didn’t have to. “Do you not like your job…or is it the people…”

“It’s definitely not the people”, I interrupted her. “The company is great and I couldn’t ask for a better boss or co-workers…”

“But?”

“Well now that you got me all dressed up and took me out for lunch..” I don’t know where that sassyness came from. I know my fashion godmother liked it. “… I work a lot and some of the work…”

“Is challenging?”

“Beyond what my sweet co-worker, Jemma, is capable of. And..”

“You think you should?”

I took a quick swig of the martini, “Be compensated more.” Rather than be upset, Nico looked impressed. I bit the olive off the stick giving the impression of confidence, which was the opposite of why I did it.

“So, you’re overworked and underpaid?”

“Ya—except my privilege to the black hole of couture, which is the only real benefit I get.”

“And not taxable”, my mischievous boss added.

“I’m not surprised. I’ve seen a change in you in the last… how long have you been with us?”

“Eleven weeks”, I said pointing to my empty glass as a waiter walked by.

“I’m not going to lie, Alex. I’ve had big plans for you since I looked at your CV after you brought order to the unorganizable. You could go very far at BCC. I hope you know that. But you need time to develop.” She ordered a refill playing with the olive between her teeth. I nodded to her, acknowledging, but not necessarily agreeing to what she said. “Did your boyfriend put you up to this”, joked trying to add some levity, but not far from the mark. “So, what do you want to stay?”

“Double my pay”, I said with authority. “…And my own office”, I added mirthfully.

“Done and done!” I did aerosol spray the first sip of my second cocktail. “Of course you’ll be getting more work now that you’re a junior account rep.” I didn’t know what to say.

“Thank you?”

“Are you happy now?”

“Yes, thank you. I didn’t ever want to leave. I love you guys and the company. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I was embarrassing myself.

“Well now that that is out-of-the-way, we can finally enjoy lunch.” I was very happy and relieved—and a heck of a lot less broke now. “Oh, and one last thing…”, she peered over the menu. “…guess who is going to London next week.” I didn’t care.

After lunch, which turned out to be a very fancy chicken caesar salad and a bottle of gin and vermouth between us, we stumbled back into the office. Nico went into Christine’s office and I guess informed my boss of my promotion. Christine seemed to be almost as happy as me. At least I had solved the London problem. We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking in my boss’ office. I was sent home ‘early’ at 5:00 in a car. I realized I hadn’t told Todd.

There was one text on my phone. He had cancelled the run on me—hours ago. I tried calling him, but it went straight to voice mail. I left a message about important news. Then had a leisurely bath—until I heard my phone vibrate. I hopped up and ran over to it smoking wet. It was Amber, not Todd. She was hitting the big apple in a week or so. She wanted to know if she could crash at our pad. I said sure. It sounded like she was an inconvenience, but I knew it would be a blast.

I’m not sure who screamed first or loudest when Alicia walked in on my texting in the nude. I know she was the one who got over it first—ever. I told her about Amber crashing at our place, which I knew she was cool with. She teased me that at least I wouldn’t be alone about walking around the apartment naked. I kind of laughed at that. I had also forgot how ‘progressive’ our mutual friend was. If I got drunk enough, which was a real possibility with her around, I’d hopefully not remember any of it. And then I went to bed with the start of a hang over.

I called and texted Todd the next morning. My initial enthusiasm had waned from the day before until Jemma found out. She was so happy for me, but I was a little bit sad. Not because I wouldn’t see her, because I’d still need to talk and communicate with her, but rather I was moving up and she was still there. I guess next time she’d get to go to Miami. I got a call back from Todd in the afternoon.

He was happy that I had got a new job and raise though joked he wouldn’t get a finder’s fee from the recruiter he contacted. He wasn’t available the rest of the week or even for lunches. I told him I was going to London the coming weekend. That got a weird response from him. He asked if I was going alone. I never told him about the mixer hook up. I was embarrassed and I didn’t see how it would make things better between us. I though for some reason had no problem telling him I was going with Enrique. He knew nothing about my one-night stand save for he was a boy. He told me he had to go. I was somehow OK with that.

The next day I got a text from him to meet me at the lobby of a hotel two blocks from where I work at 1 in the afternoon. I said I’d be there. He added it was a black tie/cocktail dress affair. I was feeling happy again as I winked Nico passing me to the store-room. I wondered how many little black dresses could be in the place. The answer was over a hundred. I found something flirty—and short. It barely covered the suspenders I also borrowed. The tops of the brand new stocking peeked out with every step I took. I spun around in the full length mirror and realized I best not do that again outside unless I wanted to spend the night in jail. I looked like a high-class callgirl, which was kind of what I was going for.

The trip to the hotel was short but breezy. And when he asked, yes I was happy to see him, but it had been cold as well. We had lunch in the hotel restaurant. It was swanky. Todd couldn’t keep his eyes off me. Betsey Johnson was my lucky charm apparently. Lunch was now oysters and cocktails, not that I cared. I joked after the second drink about getting back to work. Todd produced a key. Lucky charm, indeed.

The elevator kept going up and up. When we stopped and the doors opened there was a short hallway with only four doors. I knew these were the penthouses. The view as he opened the door was amazing! I’d never seen anything like it—in person. I was so overwhelmed by the views from the floor to ceiling windows that I completely missed the bottle of champagne in the ice bucket, until Todd popped the cork. We toasted to my success and his potential loss. This whole thing made up for his disappearance on my the last couple of days.

I wasn’t drunk, but I wasn’t quite sober. I was in a twilight zone. It’s what allowed me to walk up to him and kiss him and tell him to run his hands under my dress. His fingers were electric touching my thighs and up to my barely concealed bottom. “No panties”, he said mockingly. “No panties”, I repeated wickedly. “What you gonna do about it”, I goaded him. He grabbed my hand and walked me to the master bedroom—which was larger than my apartment. The whole thing felt dirty, in a good way. An afternoon rendezvous in a luxury hotel. He made me feel special. I wanted him to feel special.

“So, you have something for me”, I said eyeing below his belt.

“Quite the forward girl today.”

“I’m feeling naughty”, my eyes smiling more than my mouth.

“Really?”

“Yes, very naughty.”

It was a pleasant miscommunication. In seconds me and my expensive dress were pulled down, across my date. I knew what was coming next. I wasn’t embarrassed, but craving it.  Maybe not at the time, I was kind of surprised. But later I realized I had wanted it, maybe even lead him there. He ran his firm hand up the tops of my thighs and under my dress—the company’s dress. Sensing its expense her carefully pulled it up and over my cheeks. I was fidgeting, less nervousness, more anticipation. He rubbed my exposed bottom with hand as if warming it up. I just wanted it to start. “How naughty?” “Very naughty?” And then he pulled away his warm hand and slapped one of my cheeks. He spanked me in bunches then would stop to rub one or both on my bumps. Was it wrong to imagine how I looked with a $5000 dress around my hips or waist as he spanked me—for getting a promotion and a raise. As I write this it does sound a bit weird, but at the time it was what I wanted, without even knowing it. Maybe I was just going with things rather than over thinking them.

Todd stopped spanking me when I thanked him. I think I accidentally called him daddy, and I have no idea of where that came from. He seemed to like it after his first pulled look. I was tired of being the victim, even if I had maneuvered myself there. I slide off his tuxedo pants to hurriedly undo his pants. He did nothing to stop me, watching with mild amusement. I found what I had been thinking of ever since he texted me. Who was I kidding, the thing I had been thinking of all week.

Fun Fact 1: I’ve only even given oral sex to one other person. My skills were no match for the Super Bowl, is anyone’s. Fun Fact 2: Drunk on promotion, raise and some champagne I didn’t care about anyone but me. That being said, if Todd didn’t like what I did with him he certainly didn’t complain about it. And I don’t think I did that bad considering he rolled me over to kiss and make the bed creak. And boy did that bed creak. After he popped a second item we lay on the soiled bed cuddling.

I knew it couldn’t last forever, but I wanted it to last just a bit longer. He said I should finish the champagne and I had the room until tomorrow morning. Then he kissed me and was gone too soon. The champagne took a bit of the sadness away. The crazy huge jetted tub with amazing views of Manhattan took the rest of it away. After a leisurely soak—with candles and the rest of the bubbly—I called Alicia. I told her to grab my nightie and bring an overnight bag. When she arrived from work via our apartment we ordered room service and had a sleepover in one of the most expensive rooms in New York. I love my life!

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