by Annette Mori
“You are a bitch, Lara.”
Lara shrugged.
Two very large men in security uniforms entered the conference room and Lara pointed to Jason. “Please make sure Mr. Delgado safely exits our premises and that the only items he leaves with are his personal belongings. Make sure he does not possess any thumb drives or any other items that belong to Fortified Financials. Frisk him if you need to.”
After the men left and a stunning redhead entered the conference room, Lara resumed the meeting. “I’m sure you’ve all met Carrie Rice. Please welcome her to our team. I anticipate good things from Carrie and I believe she will fit right in.” Lara pointed to the seat that Jason had recently vacated. “Now, where were we?”
†
Lara sighed as she sat down in her leather chair. The solid cherry desk placed a barrier between her and any prospective employee or client, which was why she rarely conducted business in her office. Firing Jason wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it was a satisfying end to her one big mistake. She never should have hired the little weasel.
Lara plucked the business card Chelsea had given her from her purse and turned it in her hand, grinning at the prized possession. Punching the numbers on the card into the phone on her desk, she waited for Chelsea to answer.
“Good morning. Yes. May I please speak to Ms. Martin? She is expecting my call. Good morning, Ms. Martin, this is Lara Beck. We met on the flight back from New York yesterday. Why, thank you for remembering me and please call me Lara, as well. Yes, I was hoping you were free for lunch today or tomorrow—my treat of course. I can make arrangements at the Canlis for twelve or twelve thirty, whichever time fits your schedule. I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me. Excellent. Shall I meet you there or would you like me to pick you up at your office around eleven forty five? Perfect, then I will see you tomorrow. I’ll clear my calendar for the rest of the day so that I can provide you with my undivided attention. Yes, I look forward to seeing you again as well.”
Lara hung up the phone and wondered if Chelsea would require her more personalized service or if the reputation of her company would be enough to seal the deal. There was no way she would let that little Benedict Arnold steal her potential client. Lara would do whatever was required to make sure Chelsea Martin was a new client by the end of the day. That would teach that little bastard never to screw with Lara Beck. He was way out of his league if he thought he would ever put one over on her.
Unfortunately, she might have to let Rachel know that she would be late again tomorrow night but Rachel would understand. She always did.
Lara pulled her cell phone from her purse and called Rachel’s direct line at Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Hey, babe. You sound out of breath. Still recovering from this morning?” Lara teased. “Same old, same old. I finally canned Jason today. The little bastard was trying to start his own company on the sly. Look, I know I just got home, but I might have to work late tomorrow night. I need to make sure everything is copasetic after my big move today. Jason unfortunately did have his own loyal minions. No, I don’t anticipate huge issues, but I may need to smooth a few ruffled feathers and ensure his staff that no one else is on the chopping block. Yes, I hired Carrie to take his place.”
Lara laughed. “Is that jealousy I detect in your voice? Ooh, so you like my choice. Just don’t make your ogling noticeable. She may or may not swing both ways, but I don’t want to compromise our working relationship. She’s a bright and shining star that will only shine more brightly as she’s given additional responsibility. I wish I’d have met her before hiring Jason. Since I’ll have to attend to most everything tomorrow, I can make tonight an early night and I’ll be home as soon as I can. I love you, too.”
Lara pushed the button on her phone to end the call and leaned back in her chair. She hadn’t exactly lied. Jason did have his loyal followers and she would need to keep her eyes open for any dissent in the ranks, but she could easily do that in the next couple of weeks. Chelsea Martin would be her main focus tomorrow.
Chapter Nine
Sophia’s shoes clip clopped on the sidewalk in front of the dean’s office. She wanted to catch her boss before she left for her first class.
During the years, Sophia had developed a close relationship with Francine and hoped that her last minute request for time off would not put a kink in their friendship.
Sophia really needed this time with her wife and she wasn’t opposed to begging Francine to get it. She suspected it would never come to that, but she was prepared to do just about anything to get away and spend it with her wife on her fortieth birthday.
Sophia walked up to the heavy wooden door and knocked. When she heard Francine tell her to come in, she walked confidently into the cluttered office.
Stacks of papers covered every inch of the old oak desk. Francine had piled up books and file folders on the floor in a random pattern. Sophia shook her head as she attempted to navigate the narrow path to her boss who sat behind a massive desk. The desk dwarfed her short body and she looked like a kid playing a grown up game.
“Sophia. What brings you to my neck of the woods?” Francine said.
“Hey, boss. I have a huge favor to ask and I know it will put you in a bind, but I really need this,” Sophia blurted out.
“Sit, sit,” Francine directed.
Sophia looked around at the stacks of books and papers on every chair in the office. She picked up a pile of books on the chair with the least amount of debris and sat down. “You know, Francine, one of these days, someone is going to report you to the reality show, Hoarders. I’ll bet one of those industrious students learning about Toyota Lean would just love to come in here and Five S your office.”
“Five S?” Francine lifted her eyebrow.
“Yeah, one of the lean tools. Sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. Basically it’s a fancy way of saying you need to clean and organize your space,” Sophia explained.
Francine waved her hand in the air. “I know exactly where every single piece of paper is in my office. They better not touch a single one or I won’t know where to find anything. You’ve heard the expression, if a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, than what is an empty desk the sign of?” Francine laughed at her own joke. “Forget the clean freaks, now tell me what this ginormous favor is.”
“I need to take off at least a couple of weeks, maybe three if I can get it, to spend time with my wife in Seattle and help her celebrate her fortieth birthday,” Sophia pronounced.
Francine leaned back in her chair and narrowed her gaze at Sophia. “Okay, but what else is going on in that pretty head of yours?”
A single tear trickled down Sophia’s cheek. “You’re far too observant for your own good, Francine. I think my marriage is in trouble and I’m at a loss as to what I can do. I need to go to Seattle and see what the big draw is for her. She’s starting to spend more time in Seattle than in New York and that worries me. I’d move in a heartbeat if I thought that would fix the problem. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching at CUNY, but I love my wife more and if I had to make the sacrifice, I would.”
“Don’t worry, Sophia, I’ll get one of the adjuncts to cover for you. Look, I don’t want to lose you, but I’ll support you, no matter what. We’re not just colleagues, Sophia. I’d like to think we’re friends and your happiness is important to me. You go take that three weeks and fix things with your wife.” Francine lifted her small body up and walked around the desk. Sophia easily accepted the hug from her boss and friend.
“Thanks, Francine. I don’t know what I did right in this life, but I have the best boss in the world.”
“Go on, start making those plans. That is if you can find a way out of my cluttered office,” Francine teased.
“I promise to play interference whenever one of your do-gooder students starts talking about helping you organize your office.”
“Have a safe trip and we’ll talk when you return. Bring me a bottle of wine back. I hear Wa
shington State has some very fine wines,” Francine requested.
“You got it. Thanks again, Francine.”
Sophia walked to the door and smiled. Everything was going to be just fine. Once she got to Seattle and was able to spend time with her wife, she knew they would work everything out and fix the chasm that had suddenly appeared in their relationship. She whistled to herself, feeling hopeful about the future.
†
When Sophia returned to her penthouse condominium, she launched into efficiency mode to pack quickly and catch the next possible flight out to Seattle. Of course, she would call her best friend, Joy, to make sure the arrangements worked into her schedule as well.
Fawn rubbed his fat body against her legs and let her know it was petting time. “Meow.”
“Oh damn, I almost forgot about you, Fawn. We’ll have to call Aunty Grace to come over and kitty sit. You love Aunty Grace. She’s the person who sneaks you all those fattening treats when your mommy and I take our long weekends away.”
“Meow.”
“I know, you big baby, but this is something I have to do. Your mommy and I need some quality time together and if the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain.”
Sophia pulled her phone from her back pocket and pressed the button on her favorites list to dial Joy’s number. “Hey, bestie. Yes, I got the time off, no problem. Francine is the best. Now tell me you can leave tomorrow and you’ll make my day. No, I haven’t gotten the tickets yet, but I’m sure we have enough miles to get us the next flight out tomorrow—first class, of course. It pays to be married to a big shot financier. They practically drool all over me to make sure that the arrangements are to my satisfaction. I think she scares the shit out of them. Yeah, why don’t you come here tonight and we can leave together tomorrow. I’ll take care of all the arrangements. Don’t forget that sexy black dress of yours. I’m sure there are single women in Seattle yet to be bedazzled by your beauty.”
Sophia hurried to her walk in closet and pondered what she would bring to Seattle. She had no idea what the weather would be like in early May. Seattle was unpredictable, she’d heard. One day it could be in the seventies and the next day it might be cold and rainy. She hoped there would be a few nice days so that she could enjoy playing tourist.
She’d have to contact her wife’s assistant or the receptionist. She couldn’t remember which one her wife spoke so highly of. She knew this person could help her make arrangements for the surprise party she wanted to plan, but she couldn’t quite remember her name. It was something unusual, that much she knew. She thought it started with a C. Oh well, she’d cross that bridge when she made her way to the downtown satellite office.
She pulled out her own sexy dress, a shimmering coral gown, and a variety of casual shirts to go with her jeans. As she selected the various outfits off the hangers and folded them neatly in the suitcase, she began to get more excited about her upcoming adventure.
The spontaneity bug was something that rarely bit her—it was completely out of character for her to make last minute arrangements to fly across the country. She was normally sensible and considerate of the wants and wishes of everyone around her. Rarely did she venture out and do something impulsively designed to meet her needs and ignore anyone else’s. She needed to be with her wife. That was evident to her.
After packing her suitcase, Sophia retrieved her phone and dialed the number for her wife’s travel agent. “Hey Claire, it’s Sophia. No, I need travel arrangements for me. Yeah, don’t act so shocked. Oh, and I’ll need you to find a seat for my best friend, Joy. Yeah, she’s tagging along to keep me company while the big shot wife is doing her thing in Seattle. Yeah, I’d like to fly out as soon as possible. Any time tomorrow will work for us. Oh, that is perfect, Claire, an early flight will work just fine for us even if I have to drag Joy out of bed at five in the morning. Cassidy. Yes, she has a passport. No, it’s my treat. No, don’t tell her, I want this to be a surprise. Yeah, oh, and can you arrange for a limo to take us to her office? Perfect. Thanks Claire, you’re a doll.”
Sophia ticked off the list of tasks to accomplish before the limo came to the condo to pick her and Joy up and take them to the airport in the morning. Although it would be a long flight and an even longer day, she would be in Seattle by early afternoon with the time difference. She couldn’t help her ear to ear grin at the thought that she would be able to have an early dinner with her wife—as long as she was able to drag her wife away from her office.
In the beginning, Sophia was often able to entice her wife away from work. Sophia thought back to the first night she met the love of her life. It was certainly lust at first sight. Before meeting her, she didn’t believe in love at first sight, but there was something about her that attracted her from the very first moment she captured her eyes. It changed her somewhat cynical view of love. Love and lust didn’t seem to be too different from one another—they were at least in the same family.
Sophia felt confident that she would be able to ignite the fires again and regain the passion of their first year together. This would be her new mission for the next three weeks. She didn’t see herself in the role of one half of an old, boring, married couple. That was unacceptable. She’d have her wife begging for her before the end of her three week vacation, just like old times. Complacency had crept into their relationship and that would stop the minute she stepped into her wife’s fancy office. She might decide to take her on top of her lavish desk. Although she’d never been to her wife’s Seattle office, there was no doubt in her mind that the office was extravagant.
Sophia was in high spirits when she opened the door to her best friend. They celebrated by sharing a bottle of wine and giggling like schoolgirls about their upcoming trip. They made plans to hit all the tourist attractions. Sophia explained that she planned to reserve the nights for hot steamy sex with her wife. She hoped Joy didn’t mind being on her own in the evenings.
Chapter Ten
Rachel yawned and stretched her naked body as she glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to her side of the bed. Espresso pounced on her stomach as soon as she moved.
“Thank you for letting me sleep in, Espresso. What a good boy you are today, letting mommy recover from her sexercise last night,” Rachel cooed.
She stroked Espresso’s sleek black fur as he turned his head to lick her hand.
“I guess I better get up and head to the hospital.” Rachel popped up from the bed and smiled as she noticed the strap on that Lara had tossed on the dresser after using it so expertly. She was pleasantly sore in all the right places. She brought her fingers to her nose and inhaled. “Mmm, ode de Lara. What a delicious smell your mother leaves on me. I wonder if I can take a shower without removing this smell?” She looked at Espresso, who was kneading the covers. “Yeah, I guess not, that probably wouldn’t work, would it, Espresso?”
Rachel picked up the sex toy and brought it with her to the master bathroom. Espresso jumped on the vanity and began purring. She turned on the sink faucets, testing the water until she achieved the perfect temperature to wash the dildo. After pumping the soap dispenser, she rubbed the soapy mixture on the toy and rinsed it off with the warm water. “That should do it. I’d better put this away before I give Mrs. Hanford a heart attack. I guess that’s the price we pay for having a housekeeper. I always have to de-sex the place before she comes in to clean.”
Espresso blinked at her before rubbing his body against her arm.
“You couldn’t care less about my need to put away our toys, huh? As long as I make sure you receive your daily adoration, you’re good.” Rachel put Espresso’s paws around her shoulders and allowed him to hug and lick her face while she massaged his shoulders and stroked his silky fur. “Okay, little bad boy, it’s time for mommy to kick in gear and get ready.”
Rachel patted the dildo dry and walked to her closet to store the item in a special box hidden in the back of the large walk in dressing area. She grabbed a pai
r of pin striped navy pants and a light blue shirt and tossed them on the bed. After rummaging through her dresser, she found a navy thong, matching bra, and silk knee high dress socks. She tossed the items on top of her pants and shirt.
“Now for a quick shower and hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go,” she muttered.
Before Rachel finished getting dressed, she snapped a selfie while she was still completely naked planning to send the photo to Lara after lunch with a text message attached.
Just a little preview as an incentive to come home as soon as you can :)
Her marriage was getting better and better. It seemed like in the past six months, Lara spent more time in Seattle than her home office in New York. Rachel didn’t know why there was a shift, but she felt grateful for the additional time with her wife. Maybe she would go to the adult store and see what new items there were to try out. Rachel giggled in anticipation of round two of their marathon lovemaking. She would make every moment of this four week stint memorable.
†
Lara approached the maître d’, who was standing in the foyer of the Canlis. “Hello, George, I have a reservation for two at twelve thirty. I assume you have my table ready. The other person in my party should be arriving shortly. Can you please escort her back upon her arrival?”
“Of course, Ms. Beck. Please follow me. We have your table ready. Shall I send someone to help you select a bottle of wine today?”
“That would be lovely, George.” Lara followed George to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant and he set a menu in front of her and on the place setting opposite Lara.
“I recommend the fresh caught Copper River Salmon special. It literally melts in your mouth,” George suggested.