by Bridy McAvoy
“You don’t mind his work knowing about this, but you don’t want your work…”
“He’s got the day off today.”
“How far away do you live?”
“About twenty minutes. He could be here in that.”
The manager gestured toward the phone. “In that case, be my guest.”
“Thank you.” She leaned forward to reach for the phone then noticed his eyes widen as she inadvertently flashed him a great view down her cleavage. She trembled. Part of this was going very well, but at the same time part of it wasn’t. She’d have to try and keep her movements more circumspect.
“Nine for an outside line?”
“No, it’s direct dial.”
“Thank you. I really am sorry about this.”
He gave her a gentle smile and she punched her home number into the phone. A couple of moments later she could hear the ring tone, and breathed a sigh of relief. It rang and rang, then after eight rings went to the answer phone. She hung up.
“No answer?”
“No. Let me try again, please.” The same thing happened when she rang it again. Hitting the disconnect button, she tried his mobile, but that went to voicemail after he didn’t answer that either.
“Damn. I guess he’s out mowing the lawn and can’t hear the phone ring.”
“Hmm…”
“I am so sorry about this.”
“Look at this from my point of view, if you will.”
She shrugged and nodded.
“I have a young woman in my office, who was part of a party that just ordered and consumed over four hundred dollars of food and wine. The rest of the party has disappeared. You have no ID, no transport, and no way of settling the bill. You have made an apparent phone call to get help, which is unanswered, and you are reluctant to call your employer. Please tell me how that looks.”
She gulped. “Not good, I guess.”
He rose from the chair and came around to the front of the desk, perching his butt on the corner.
“How do I know those calls are genuine?”
“I assure you they were.”
“As I said, other than your word, how do I know those calls were genuine?”
His expression was stern. He wasn’t frowning, but he wasn’t far off. She hadn’t uncrossed her legs, and she knew her thigh was on show. Indeed, a quick glance down confirmed her stocking top was also visible. She knew she should have uncrossed them, but it was too late now, and although he was obviously enjoying the view, he wanted his money.
“I…”
“How do I know any part of your story is true? Given the way you’ve been sitting, the way you are still sitting, how do I know you’re not wired up with a mike and this is some form of entrapment being run by a newspaper to get us a bad review? We’ve only been open three weeks.”
“I assure you there is no form of entrapment…”
“Then why have you been flashing the flesh?”
“I haven’t.”
He raised an eyebrow and lowered his gaze. She looked down again, seeing her anxiety had made her squirm, and that had opened the side slit of the skirt to expose bare skin above the top of her stocking. Even worse, the front of the skirt had slid away, toward her stomach, exposing even more of her leg. The whole leg was exposed up to and above her stocking.
“Are you wearing a wire?”
“No.”
“The best course of action for me would be to call the police and let them deal with it. They would identify you, and we could then pursue the matter through the courts. That would cost us money, but it would probably ruin your reputation.”
She swallowed hard but stayed silent.
“Or we could sue your employer.”
This time, Julia winced.
“However, since you are reluctant to call them, was the reservation made in the company name?”
“Yes.”
“Then we can call them and ask them to resolve the issue.”
“Please, no.”
“How else do you expect us to get our money? Be reasonable, young lady.”
She stared at him helplessly, unable to provide another answer.
He looked down at her leg again then up at her face.
“I still think you’re wearing a wire, recording this conversation.”
“Believe me, I’m not.”
“Stand up.”
“Stand up?”
“Please.”
She rose to her feet, taking her time, pleased that the skirt fell back into place to cover her leg.
“Take off your jacket.”
“What?”
“Take off your jacket. That way I will know this isn’t some newspaper stunt.”
She glared at him, then realized she had very little power in this situation. If he called work, she’d be embarrassed and she doubted certain people—especially Tom—in the office would let her live it down. If she called the police, she knew she could resolve the issue before it went to court, but it could be an even bigger embarrassment, both to her and to her husband, still settling into his new job.
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the desk, watching her. Taking her time, she brought her hands up to her chest and undid the button holding the jacket closed, then slid it back off her shoulders. Letting it trail down her arms, she let it slip to her hands and then brought it around in front of her. He held out his hand and she reluctantly passed it to him.
He gave it a once over. “Wait here a moment.” Without another word he moved across the room, opened the door and calmly hung the jacket on the coat rail outside the door then stepped back inside. He leaned back against the door and looked her up and down.
“Why did you do that?”
“If you had a microphone in the jacket, it can’t hear us now, can it? Unless you have one underneath that skirt, I’m sure you aren’t wearing one. I’d certainly see it through that delicate blouse of yours.”
She bit her lip. Her blouse was thinner than usual, and he was right. You could see through it to some degree, enough to expose her pink underwear, although not enough for the two fabrics to expose her nipples. She decided attack was the best form of defense. “Oh? You want me to remove that, too?”
“Not yet.”
His answer carried a weight of implication and she took a slight step back. Her body seemed to like the implications though and she felt her nipples tug a little as they hardened. A quick glance down confirmed the indentations in the front of her blouse were now visible. Heat rose in her face and she bit her lip again, not wanting to escalate this little crisis.
“I’m a reasonable man…”
“I never suggested otherwise.” She forced a smile—flattery might help.
“However, it is over four hundred dollars, and so far you have been unable to confirm any part of your story. I feel I should make that phone call.”
“Please don’t.”
He stood there, apparently deep in thought for a minute, his gaze steady on her, and she could see he was looking at her chest more than at her face. She blushed a little again but waited to hear him out.
“As I said, I’m a reasonable man, and you do look quite genuine.”
“Thank you.”
“So I’m going to offer you a chance.” He walked back behind his desk and drew a pack of rather dog-eared cards from the drawer. “I’m prepared to take a gamble on this. Are you?”
“I don’t know.” She knew she was frowning.
“Let me put it this way. I want you to cut the cards. If you draw an ace, then we will write off the bill and you’re free to go. Otherwise, if you draw a picture card, you will remove the blouse and drop the skirt, proving to me you are not wearing a wire, and you will again be free to go.”
“Oh.” Julia could sense what was coming next.
“If you draw an eight or a nine, then your forfeit would have to be higher, wouldn’t it?”
“I guess.”
“So, I suppose the bra would b
e on the line at that point.”
She didn’t reply, holding herself still rather than making any movement that could be construed as her agreement.
“For a six or a seven, I suppose you’d end up naked.”
“And for a five or less?”
“Then I will be the one removing your clothes, and you will be doing what I want.”
“I’m a married woman.”
“So? I think that objection should have been made a little earlier, don’t you? When I started talking about you removing your blouse.”
“I was simply waiting to hear you out.”
“I’m offering you a potential solution, and your only other option is I make a phone call. Which will it be, the cards or the phone?”
Julia felt like the world was closing in on her. “Do you do this with everyone you catch in this situation?”
He laughed. “How many people do you think get this much time, this many chances? We would normally just call the police.”
“Oh.”
“So, no, I don’t do this with every woman, let alone everyone. Consider yourself lucky I even listened to your story before I made the call. Now, your choice.”
She swallowed hard and after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
“Good. Now feel free to inspect the cards. Make sure they’re not all low ones, and you do indeed have a real chance to avoid finding yourself sprawled naked in my arms on the top of this desk.”
She shuddered, aware he meant every word of it. If she pulled a low card then…she knew how it would end. Julia moved over to the desk and picked up the pack of cards, turning them over and then fanning them out. It was indeed a full pack. Charles took them from her hand and shuffled them. She watched as he did so with a practiced competence that told her he played a lot of cards. At least she was going to draw a card rather than play him at anything.
“No coercion involved, is there, Julia?”
She sighed and shook her head. “No.”
“Good. So if you would cut the cards, and the top one left on the pack will be your card.”
Julia took a deep breath and reached out to the cards. Earlier, when she’d fanned the cards, she’d noticed the high cards were well grouped toward the middle of the deck. Charles had, of course, shuffled them, so that was no longer likely to be the case. Instead of reaching down to the middle, she stopped about a third of the way down the deck and lifted the top section off, putting it down to the side.
“Are you happy with your choice?”
Another shuddering breath was drawn and she nodded. The odds were against her getting out of the room without displaying some skin, or worse, but at least it was better than the embarrassment of getting work or the police involved.
“Your card, ma’am.”
He flipped the top card off the deck, and they both looked down at the four of spades. She looked down at the card, her eyes wide, then up into his face. Charles was wearing a ferocious grin, obviously relishing what he was about to do.
“Do you agree that’s a four?”
“Yes.” She whispered her reply.
“And you have agreed to the outcome if the card was a five or less.”
She nodded, her eyes downcast. She couldn’t look him in the face. Taking a deep breath, her hands went to the top button on her blouse.
“Stop.” His voice was soft, much softer than it had been. She allowed her hands to drop as he gathered up the cards and stuck them back in the drawer, then moved around the desk toward her. She could see the leather-topped mahogany was clear except for the computer screen and phone at the far end. She shivered. It wouldn’t be for long—she’d be the next desk ornament.
“I did say for a five or less it would be me doing the undressing.”
“Sorry.” She was apologizing to him and she couldn’t work out why.
Then Charles was there, grabbing her hands and pulling her forward into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her still. She was sure he could hear her heart beating against his chest. One of his hands rose behind her head and gently stroked her red curls. It was a soothing gesture, an oddly comforting one given her situation.
He held her for a minute, or maybe longer, she couldn’t tell. Rather than stand there passively, she put her arms around him, her hands on his shoulder blades through his jacket. Then he pulled back, using his hand to tilt her head up so she could see into his eyes.
“I’m not some kind of monster. I’m only going to do this if I have your informed consent. So do I pick up the phone?”
Yeah, right. To most married women it wouldn’t be informed consent. Not at all. Julia’s relationship with Max allowed her a different perspective. She stared into his eyes, but she already knew her answer before she spoke. “No.”
“Good. I’m pleased about that.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, just a fleeting kiss, but she knew it was nothing but a prelude to a lot more. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. This time the kiss lingered longer. Charles dropped his hand from her chin, and both arms went around her again. This time, the hand behind her head was holding her there, rather than just stroking her hair. He strengthened the pressure of his lips on hers then pulled back a little. His tongue flicked out and gently pressed against her lips as he licked them. She opened her mouth, expecting him to take possession, but he didn’t, just kept teasing her lips with his tongue. She shivered at the contact, feeling her body responding.
When he stopped and pulled away she was breathless and, as she opened her eyes, she could see he was starting to pant too. She had other evidence of his arousal, though. His half hard cock was starting to press against her stomach.
“I…”
He put his finger across her lips and silenced her then leaned back in for another kiss. This time his tongue pressed against her lips and she opened her mouth, allowing him to push into her. His hand dropped, finding and cupping one ass cheek as he pulled her tightly against his body. She felt his tongue press against hers, trapping it as he curled his around the inside of her mouth, tasting her, exploring every part of her warm, moist mouth. Saliva flooded her mouth, forcing her to swallow. Lower down, his hand was caressing her butt through her skirt, holding her and trapping his growing erection between them. This wasn’t about getting her naked, she knew that for certain now. Her earlier vision of finding herself sprawled in his arms on the leather top of the desk seemed even more likely.
As he broke the kiss he let go of her, allowing a little space between their bodies.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
She swallowed and nodded. This hadn’t been the way she intended to spend her afternoon, but she could feel the way her body was responding. Without warning, he spun her around to face away from him, wrapping his arms around her waist, this time with his hands on her stomach. She could feel him nuzzling in toward her neck through her mass of red curls. She tilted her head to the other side and shivered as his lips found her neck.
“No marks.” Her words forced a chuckle that rumbled against her skin, sending deep vibrations through her body.
“I’m not a complete idiot.”
He pushed up behind her and she could feel his cock, now hard, pressing against the cleft between the cheeks of her butt. She shivered again but held still as his hands started to move. She somehow sensed he wanted her passive for now, and obliged as his hands went to the button band of her blouse, undoing the middle couple of buttons. His hand slid into the gap, his fingers touching her naked skin. She sucked in a breath, which only allowed him more access and his fingers started to massage her stomach. His mouth hadn’t been idle either, raining soft featherlike kisses from up behind her ear, down toward her cheek and then lower onto her neck. She couldn’t prevent the soft moan that rose in her throat as she put her head back against his shoulder.
Pushing back against his cock, trapping it once more between their bodies, she undulated slowly, bringing a hiss from his mouth in between kisses. Turning her head
slightly, she offered her mouth to him and he took possession of it, pressing his tongue between her parted lips. His fingers returned to opening buttons, and at the same time pulling the blouse up and out of the waistband of her skirt. His hands moved upward, working the buttons open between her breasts until he reached and popped open the one right at the top. She moaned into his mouth as his hands swept the blouse out to the sides, exposing her bra.
Moving softly, his fingers advanced onto the uncontested swell of her breasts above the sharply delineated line formed by the cups of her underwear. He broke the kiss and returned to nibbling and kissing at her neck. She knew what he was really doing, looking over her shoulder and down the line of her cleavage.
Once more he established a little separation between their bodies as his hands moved out to the sides and swept her blouse off her shoulders. She allowed it to fall down her arms, then swung it to drop on the chair she’d been sitting in earlier. Now there was more flesh exposed to both his fingers and his mouth. He didn’t hesitate in taking full advantage of that. He showered kisses all over her shoulders, once more making her shiver while his nimble fingers slipped the straps of her bra down onto her arms.
His hands dived between them and she tensed as he deftly flicked the catch on her bra undone. The pink lace of the cups went slack around her breasts, but the underwear didn’t succumb to gravity and fall away. She manage to slip her arms from the straps without dislodging it, then slowly extended her arms above her head and back to entwine them around his neck. The signal of final surrender did its job. He pulled her back against his body, rubbing his cock against her butt and she let out a groan as his hand swept up from her waist, grasping the middle strap of her bra and tossing it over to the other side of the room, leaving her topless in his arms.
“No one will come in, will they?”
“Don’t be silly. I locked the door when I put your jacket on the rack.”
“Oh.” She’d wondered why he’d stayed there for a minute, leaning on the door. In hindsight, his actions were obvious.
Glancing down at her chest, she could see her nipples were hard buttons, pointing out, while she knew as soon as he exposed her panties the crotch band would be a much darker pink than the rest of the garment. His hands came around her again, finding and cupping her breasts while his lips returned to the sensitive skin of her neck and shoulder. As he massaged her breasts and transferred his attention to the hard buttons of her nipples, she knew he was looking over her shoulder, watching what he was doing.
