“Easily, I believe.”
Flick. It passed near.
Kurt rose out of his chair in a panic. “Ick! Can you not fling your boogers this way?” He brushed his hands down his jacket as if cleaning them.
The Korean acted as if pricked with a pin. His voice was gruff, rough.“Huh? What?”
“Your nose-picking is gross. Don't fling them at me.” He glared at the fat man.
Mister Kim looked to the side and flung the portfolio across the desk. “Bah. Get out.”
“We can talk--”
“I said, get out!” The thunderous noise from the Korean's throat was incredible.
Sighing, he picked up the portfolio and looked it over. Don't want to carry any stray boogers.
Mister Kim was mumbling and grunting forcefully to himself.
Kurt left. Great. I need to repair this somehow.
* * *
He was in his car, not ten minutes later when his phone buzzed. “Kurt Mason,” he said.
The blare of the shouting from the other end had him pull the phone from his ear. “You lost us the Sung account!”
“I what?”
“How could you be so stupid as to lose the Sung account?” Ian yelled.
“I lost it?”
“He called here in a tirade and canceled his contract. What the hell did you do?”
His ear was ringing from the shouting. He had never heard Ian so mad. “I'll call him--”
“You'll do nothing of the sort. I've put Bernstein on it. Meet me in my office.” The line went dead.
An hour later he sat in Ian's office. The man paced back and forth, barely contained. “How could you be so stupid?”
“I was handling him fine--”
“You handled him fine, alright. You threw our most profitable contract away. Mister Goldman will be wanting heads.”
“I'm going to be fired for this?”
Ian stopped pacing. “I'm sorry, Kurt. You're a good salesman--”
“I am good. And everyone knows it--”
“But not good enough to keep Mister Kim happy? What happened in there?”
“He was flinging boogers around the room He almost hit me with one.”
“Boogers?” One eyebrow was up, the other one down. His upper lip was curled in disgust. He shook his head and went back to pacing. “And you what? Flung one of your own back at him?”
“No, I just told him to stop.”
His boss stopped pacing and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. “Mister Kim was so profitable you should have offered to help him pick his nose.”
“Echh...”
A finger shot out. “You do whatever makes the client most comfortable. This is a cut-throat business. But one no longer employing you.”
“Ian, please. I need this job and I am good at what I do. One mistake--”
“One mistake that cost us our most insanely profitable contract!”
He snapped his jaw shut at the sudden outburst.
Ian rubbed his head. “I like you, Kurt. If I wasn't head of this division, we would probably be good friends.”
“Don't take away my career.” The pleading in his voice was quiet.
“People like to see stability and durability. They like to see normalcy. What you did today was beyond--”
“Exactly, it wasn't my normal performance. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.” He stressed it a second time.
Ian blew out a breath. “I'd be a fool to throw you away, but Mister Goldman will be wanting your head.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Kurt squeezed the arms of his chair, trying to keep his hands from trembling.
Ian's mouth squirmed to one side, his eyes sliding to the other. “Hrmm. I might be able to run some interference and shield you from Goldman until he calms down.”
“You will?” Hope tinged his voice.
“Maybe we can work out a temporary deal.”
“Anything.” Give him a couple of my accounts to pad his own client list?
“People like to see normalcy. I have a True Green charity picnic coming up this Saturday. Lisa goes with me to the picnic, and to any other functions that come up until I replace Margaret.”
“How long until the divorce is final?” Picnics?
Ian waved a hand. “Three to four months. But I don't have anyone waiting in the wings.”
“Huh?”
“I don't have a girlfriend yet. Your Lisa might be my date for months more afterwards.”
On the one hand he felt hope that he could keep his job. On the other, he felt angry at being used, at having to give up his fiance for periodical displays of normalcy for the benefit of Ian's client list. But what else could he do? He shook his head, thinking.
Ian's voice softened. “Look, Kurt. Like I said, I like you. Lisa was a big help to me. Let's help each other out and I'll make sure you keep your job. You're a solid employee and we value that. Let me run interference with Goldman for you and we'll sweep this quietly under the rug.”
Kurt knew Ian was right. And the price for Ian's help was his loaning Lisa to him for these events. “I guess I can't say 'no,' can I?” His smile was relieved. It wouldn't be all that bad. He would get beyond this Sung disaster and forge ahead with his career. In turn, he forged a closer bond to his boss by helping him out. There were no losers in this deal.
Ian stuck out his hand, obviously chewing over in his mind how he would handle Goldman. “Then we have a deal.”
Kurt shot up from his chair and shook his hand eagerly.
They gripped for a moment, testing each other's strength. Just something men do. Finding equality in drive, determination and purpose, as given in the symbolic measure each took of the other through their hands, they both nodded and released.
He knew Ian would be a man of his word and he was sure his boss knew he would do his best for the company.
Now he had to give Lisa the unfortunate news.
CHAPTER 4
Kurt poured Lisa another glass of wine.
She looked dubiously at it. “What's the occasion?” She usually only had two.
He couldn't fool her. “Well, I have some good news and bad news.”
Her eyebrows knit together in worry. “You're not dumping me are you?”
He shook his head, letting his disappointment at her accusation show. “Not in a million years.”
“So what's going on?”
“You want the good news first? Or the bad news?” He knew her; it would be the good news first.
“The good news.” She bit her lip and looked at him from a lowered head.
“I get to keep my job.”
She blinked over suddenly large eyes. “You almost lost your job?”
He nodded. “I screwed up the Sung account.”
“Ohhh, no...” She placed a hand on his arm.
They were seated at the dinner table. It was elegant with lace placemats. He wondered if he should have gone cheap. He would have lasted another month jobless for what he paid in the table. “He was being gross and I said something. The man blew up.”
“Gross?”
“He was flicking boogers around.”
Her hand went to her mouth as if to hold back vomit. “No way.”
“He did.”
“That's beyond gross.”
“I'm glad someone agrees with me.”
“And they almost fired you for that?”
“Well, he was going to fire me, but I made him a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
Kurt made a face. “That's the bad news. Ian will block my firing if I let him take you on his events.”
She groaned loud. “Ugh, more opera?”
“Well, no, not all the time. That's only once a year.”
“What kind of events?” Her voice was filled with a wry dread.
“This Saturday is the True Green charity picnic--”
“Picnic?” She looked down at her glass. She raised her eyebrows and made an appraising frown. “
A picnic?”
“Yeah, with food and barbecue--”
“Oh, well, that doesn't sound so bad.”
“He said I could keep my job if I let him take you to those until he finds a new girlfriend.”
“Which could be any time.”
“Yes.”
“Even before Saturday.”
“I suppose.”
“But a picnic sounds fun. Maybe he can hold off finding a new girlfriend until Sunday.”
He gave her a big grin. Whew, that worked. My job is safe. “That's the spirit.”
She pouted. “I wish you were going.”
He rubbed her hand on his arm. “I know. Go and have fun. Eat good food, and come home to me after.”
“Okay.”
She was such a fine woman, despite her lack of self-determination. He felt lucky to have her.
* * *
Kurt looked up from his computer screen.
“Help me decide?” Lisa said. She stood there in her panties holding up a pair of white shorts and a loose, red skirt. She was wearing a sleeveless white cotton blouse.
He knew women would drive themselves crazy over these things so he got up and followed her into the bedroom. He left behind his work on two of his accounts. With luck, he could increase advertising flows from those two contracts and further pad his bonus. He had to make sure what he offered produced real results – a tangible profit to his clients or they would not long be his clients.
She held up the skirt over her waist in the full length mirror. It covered down to just above her knees. But Kurt immediately thought of Ian looking up her skirt and said, “Do the shorts.”
“Really?”
“Definitely the shorts.” He wasn't going to tell her he had a vision of Ian looking up her skirt to her tiny panties. “If there's a wind, your skirt might blow up.”
“There's no wind—”
“But if one comes up.”
She sighed happily, the decision made for her. “You're right. A skirt is more for miniature golf or something.”
He watched her wriggle into the shorts and wondered if the skirt might not be better. Zippering up, she displayed a hint of cameltoe. “Uhh...” he said.
“What's wrong? Do I have a stain or something?” She looked down at her shorts. Her legs emerged beautifully from the hem of the shorts. All of her leg was exposed, the hem being only an inch down from the crotch.
“No, but you don't have any shorts that cover more?”
“These are all I have and they're nice.”
She was right, they were nice. They looked very good on her. No doubt, Ian would like it. Despite his anxiety, he felt himself harden. Maybe she should look enticing. He hardened further, becoming uncomfortable.
“Am I seeing you get excited over there?”
He chuckled nervously. “Well...”
She came over to him and knelt down, her hand drifting over his bulge. “Mmm. What's got you all worked up?”
“Watching you.”
“Watching me dress? How silly.”
Watching you dress for him. His cock twitched in his pants. “I, uh...”
She rubbed and stroked.
He imagined her doing this to Ian and his penis hardened fully.
“Oh my,” she said.
He laughed and then hummed happily. It felt good.
Then she unzipped him and worked his cock free. She wrapped her lips around the fat head and lowered her mouth over it.
“Ahhh...” Her mouth was warm, wet, and soft.
A knock sounded at the door.
She pulled her mouth off and winked at him. She wiped her lips and hurried out to the front.
He wilted fast, and stuffed the half-hard thing back in his pants. Shimmying around to arrange his bulge, he walked out to the entry.
“Good, I was worried I might be under-dressed or something.”
“I told Kurt it was informal.” Ian was wearing khaki shorts and a blue tennis shirt. “Ah, there he is.”
“Ian.”
His boss nodded. “I'll have her back by three-thirty.”
“I'll just be working on the Phoenix Group and Adams accounts.”
His boss gave him a meaningful look. He took a step forward and clapped his shoulder, friendly. His eyes echoed the sentiment. “Good man. I knew I wasn't wrong going to bat for you.”
“How did that go?”
Ian winked. “I told Goldman that Sung had been lured by Bernstein to Bernstein's previous company and that he had been discontent for a while. I told him that Bernstein was with us now so it was just a matter of getting Sung back.”
“You don't think he'll eventually find out?”
Ian shrugged. “Goldman wants results. If we get the Sung account back, it will all be water under the bridge. I'll be meeting with the president in Vegas next week and I'll make sure his anger doesn't fall on you.”
He gave him a smile. “Thank you. For everything.”
Ian stuck out his hand. When Kurt took it, his boss pulled him in for a man-to-man half hug. “You're a good advertising executive. Don't make any more mistakes. We can't afford them.”
“I won't.” He slapped Ian's back and they parted.
“Shall we?” Ian said to Lisa.
Her smile was bright and filled with the sun.
He watched them walk out to Ian's car. He watched her little butt wiggle in her tiny shorts, her arm through his. Would he check out her legs? Would that be bad? Looking wasn't touching, right? He began to harden again. Would it be bad if he liked what he saw? Would he look at her cameltoe?
He realized then he liked the thought of Ian ogling his fiance. He hoped his boss found her fun and attractive. Would his penis harden when he looked at her?
Absently, he began rubbing his dick through his pants.
* * *
Kurt heard the key in the door. It had taken almost two hours to refocus his efforts towards his work. He had kept wondering if Ian was looking at Lisa's legs. One part of him was proud to have such a beautiful woman that would attract looks. But the other part of him didn't want anyone looking at her.
Lisa entered the house, laughing.
He heard Ian chuckling behind her.
“How often do they have those?” she said.
He got up and went out to the entry.
“Twice a year.”
“Aww.” She sounded disappointed. “Well, it was fun. I'd love to go again if they have one soon.”
Ian nodded. “If they do. There's a charity dinner and dance next Friday. I'll tell Kurt about it.”
Lisa bounced on her toes like an excited little girl. She clapped her hands together.
He broke in. “Assuming you don't find a girlfriend before then.”
Ian gave a demure nod. “Of course.”
After his boss left, he sat with her in the kitchen. “What were you laughing about?”
“Laughing? When we came in?”
“Yes, was he tickling you or something?” Anger paced back and forth in him.
“Tickling? No.”
“What was so funny then?” He wanted to shake it out of her.
“Oh, we were laughing about one of the other guys there from the charity place. He had so much of the spiked punch he tried to crawl into the punch tub. The whole table and everything tipped over.”
He snorted. The picture in his mind agreed with her about it being funny. But his jealousy was still there, protective, guarding. Yes, that was it, guarding. “He was drunk?”
“He tried to sing before crawling into the punch tub.”
Kurt shook his head. Ian got all the charity contracts. They were large, consistent, and required little upkeep. Not as profitable on a single account basis as Sung had been, but Ian's client list dwarfed Kurt's in annual profits by double. “Someday...”
“You want to climb into a punch bowl?”
“No, I mean someday maybe I will have charity clients.”
She leaned over on her stool at the counter
and hugged him. “I believe in you.”
“So he didn't touch you or anything?” Both curiosity and jealousy circled each other in the boxing ring of his imagination.
“Just my arm. Same as the opera. I spent most of my time with Andrea.”
“Andrea?”
“One of the charity secretaries.” She pulled her pad from her shirt pocket. She flicked through a couple pictures and then showed him.
Someone had taken her pad and tapped a picture of Lisa and Andrea together. Lisa's bright smile was head to head with Andrea's smoldering and seductive grin. “Wow,” he said.
“Yes, she was very pretty, and the guys kept falling all over themselves to talk to her. I wish I was that pretty.”
He blinked. Andrea was beautiful, but mostly seductive-like. Lisa was pretty, cute, and obviously of brighter spirit. “You are that pretty.”
“No, I'm not. No one talked to me but her.”
“Good.”
She frowned. “You know what I mean. I was eclipsed by her.”
“You caught me with your beauty.”
“Aww.” She leaned over again and hugged him a second time. “I just meant I wouldn't mind walking around and having men fall over when I pass.”
He chuckled.
“Don't laugh at me.” She pouted.
He leaned over this time and hugged her, squeezing gently. “I fall over around you.”
“You don't count.”
“What? Why?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don't. I'm so bewitched by you we're getting married.”
She waved him off. “You'd say that to anyone you were about to marry.”
He felt the typical male frustration with an insensible woman arise. He wanted to scream and pound the counter like a frenzied monkey or kid having ate too much sugar. “I wouldn't be marrying you if you were dull.”
She gave him a start of a smile which grew with fits and starts into a full smile. “I love you.”
He laughed. “I love you, too, silly.” He looked down at her smooth thighs. Had Ian looked at them?
CHAPTER 5
Kurt felt as if he were on the top of the world.
Soaring, soaring, yes!
Loaning Her To My Boss Page 2
