by Hamel, B. B.
I can’t understand it. Every time I try, I keep coming back to my friendship with him, back to the simple everyday moments that I shared with him over the years. I can’t see him as some gangster’s son trying to keep his connection to the mob. I just see him as a friend.
Frustrated, I turn to the one person that I think might know something, and that I can be reasonably sure won’t speak of our conversation. I pick up the phone and dial the number, waiting as it finally connected.
“Lofthouse Manor.”
“Hi, Archie,” I say. “It’s Jacob.”
“Well, hello, Jacob. It’s nice to hear from you.”
“Is my mother busy?”
“I don’t believe so.” He hesitates. “She’s in her tower.”
“Of course she is.” I take a deep breath. “Tell her it’s important.”
“Right. Hold, please.”
The line clicks onto hold and I wait. It takes nearly ten minutes for it to click again, and I hear my mother’s voice on the line.
“Jacob?”
“Hello, Mother.”
“You know, poor Archie. He’s all flustered from having to walk up those stairs.”
“More like terrified of having to interrupt your painting.”
“Yes. Well.” I can practically hear the smile. “That as well.”
“I need to talk to you about something delicate.”
“Is everything okay? You know we can’t afford another scandal, dear, not right now. Not so soon after your older brother.”
“No, Mother. It’s not like that.” I close my eyes. I already regret this fucking call. But if someone knows anything about Darin and his family, it’s going to be Sylvia Lofthouse. “Please. I need to speak with you regarding Darin Ficino.”
She hesitates. “Your partner?” She laughs slightly. “That’s something of an odd request.”
“I know.” I clench my jaw.
“He’s always been an odd one. I told you years ago not to get involved with that boy, didn’t I?”
I laugh a little. “Of course you did. He didn’t have a name.” Which is a nicer way of saying that his family wasn’t good enough for my friendship.
“Yes, well.”
“Mother, what else do you know about him?”
Another hesitation. “Why are you asking?”
“Mother, please. I don’t want to get into that.”
“It’s an odd question, Jacob. You calling out of the blue and asking about your partner like this. Did something happen?”
“No. Not really. I’m only thinking.”
“Thinking. That’s an interesting way of putting it.”
“Mother.”
“Fine. I can give you rumors, but nothing more.”
“That’ll have to do.”
“Allegedly, his family came by their money through illicit means. Perhaps his father, or maybe his grandfather, I’ve never gotten the story straight.”
I feel my world starting to spin. “Really?”
“Oh, dear, I know you like the boy, and he seems to be doing well for himself with your company. He is a charmer, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I say.
“As far as I know, he’s not involved with any of that. But there are always rumors.”
“The mafia.”
She laughs. “Yes, the mafia. Oh, the boogeymen. I don’t know, it always seemed a little… absurd. Rich Italians must be a part of the mafia.”
“What if it’s true?”
She’s quiet for a moment. “That’s why you called.”
“I’m not sure.”
“You think it’s true.”
“Mother.”
“What’s going on, Jacob?” Her voice gets sharper, whip-tight. “If something’s happening, I need to know it.”
“Why? Because it might reflect bad on the family?”
“Yes,” she says.
“It won’t. Someone is… investigating Darin. I was approached.”
“Approached by whom?”
“The SEC.”
She barks a laugh. “You’re joking?”
“They think he might be involved with organized crime and using FLFM to launder their money.”
“Oh, Jacob.” She sounds more disappointed than angry. “Did you know?”
“I don’t even know if it’s true yet. I don’t know if he’s guilty.”
“Tell me now. Are you clean?”
I don’t hesitate. “Of course.”
“Fine. Then cooperate with the feds. I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out about this investigation.”
“No, Mother—”
“I know people in the department. Or perhaps some people adjacent to it that may be able to help. We could make this go away, if—”
“I don’t want it to go away,” I say, my voice hard. “I’m handling it.”
“But you called, dear. So clearly you’re not.”
“I called to confirm what I suspected about Darin.”
She lets out a sigh. “Dear—”
“You can do what you want, Mother. But I’m going forward with this. If Darin’s been using my company for his own illegal gain then I’m going to put a stop to it. Whether the feds are involved or not.”
She’s quiet for a long moment. I’m not sure what she’s thinking. I know in her mind, the family’s good name comes above all else. There are few things more important to Sylvia Lofthouse than making sure the Lofthouse reputation remains intact and powerful.
“Very well,” she says. “If that’s what you need to do. And if you’re not clean, dear, make sure you aren’t implicated. Clean your own house first.”
I clench my jaw. Of course she doesn’t care if I’m up to something illegal, so long as I don’t get caught and it doesn’t hurt the family. “I’m clean,” I say.
“Good. Then do what you need to do.” She sighs dramatically. “You boys are a never-ending source of headaches for me, you realize that.”
“Please. You love this sort of thing. You get to flex the family muscle.”
“Well. Maybe a little bit.” She laughs lightly. “Just be careful. If that Darin boy is a part of his family’s business, there are some very dangerous people involved. Don’t get mixed up with them.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.” She sighs. “Well then. I suppose I have some calls to make.”
“Be discreet, Mother. I don’t want Darin tipped off.”
“Oh, dear. I am more discreet than you can imagine.”
Without another word, she hangs up.
I rotate my chair and look out the window. I stare at the lights outside, at the other buildings. The setting sun reflects off the glass and I close my eyes for a long moment before reaching for the phone again.
This time, I call Val. She answers right away.
“Hey, Jacob?”
“Valerie.” I let her name roll off my tongue like silk. “How was work today.”
“Boring.” She laughs a little. “You?”
“Boring,” I say. “I know you’ve been waiting to hear from me.”
“A little anxiously,” she admits.
“I’m going to help you. I said it last night, and I’m saying it again. But before we move forward, I need one thing.”
“Yes?” She sounds a little breathless.
“I need an act of devotion.”
She’s quiet for a long beat. “What do you mean?”
“Tomorrow, wear a skirt to work. You may not wear tights. And you may not wear panties.”
She doesn’t speak. I count the seconds off, a smile on my face.
“Skirt… no panties. Tomorrow.”
“That’s right,” I say. “And I’m going to check.”
“You will?”
“I will.”
She pauses again. “Okay. If that’s what you want.”
“No, Valerie. It’s what I need. Skirt, no panties.”
“I’m going to get looks, you know. A skirt without tights
to work…” She trails off.
“You’ll survive. I want you to get looks. I want you to feel embarrassed. Because the whole day you’ll think about how you’re completely bare underneath that skirt, just waiting for me to lift it up and feel how devoted you are. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” she whispers.
“Good girl. You do this act of devotion, and I’ll make sure I return the favor.”
“Okay. I will.”
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
I hang up the phone before she can speak.
I lean back in my chair with a smile on my face.
Things are fucked up. Things are spiraling out of control around me.
But at least there’s Valerie and her gorgeous, supple body. At least there’s the way she looks at me, with hunger in her eyes.
Sweet Valerie. I’ll give her what she needs… and take plenty for myself.
9
Val
My walk to work this morning is… interesting.
I feel freezing. I mean, it’s not cold out or anything. It’s actually pretty comfortable. But the breeze moving up between my legs is…
Okay, well, it’s totally weird.
I know that’s gross. But I have no underwear on, just a skirt, and everything’s exposed. I walk with my head down and a hand holding down the front, even though it’s on the longer side. There’s no way it’ll blow up or anything. The hem hits just above my knee and it’s fitted, not loose, but still. I have no clue what I’m going to do once I’m actually in the office, but I’m not worrying about that.
I’m excited as I reach my building and head inside. I keep thinking people are staring at me, like they know that I don’t have panties on. Like they know that my boss told me to come in without them on. But of course they don’t.
Nobody knows. It’s my little secret.
And Jacob’s.
The thought sends a thrill down my spine.
I smile at Aimee and say good morning as I pass her desk. She smiles back, head cocked cradling the phone between her shoulder and ear. I nod and smile at a few more coworkers before sitting down at my cube.
A head pops up over the divider the second my butt hits the chair. I nearly jump up again.
“Hey, kid.”
I close my eyes for a second. “Brian. Seriously. Don’t do that.”
He laughs. Brian’s the guy that works in the cube next to mine. He’s a typical frat boy, deep voice, dark hair, a little shaggy. He dresses like a J-Crew model, except everything is a little bit too big, and he needs to lose like twenty pounds.
“Sorry. Just wanted to see how things are going.”
“I don’t know. I just got in.”
“Oh, come on. I saw you working late last night.”
I hesitate. “So what?”
“So what? You’re trying to show us all up.”
“Please. Like that’ll be hard.”
He laughs but there’s a little malice behind it. “All right, Val. I see you.”
He sinks back down behind the divider and I let out my breath. I pull myself into my desk, hiding my legs beneath it, and turn on my computer.
For the rest of the day, I’m hyperaware of my body. I keep waiting for Jacob to stop by and say something, or to call me back into his office, but it doesn’t happen. The morning slips past, so incredibly slow, and every time I move I’m reminded that I came into work wearing a skirt without tights or underwear.
It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done.
Okay, I know, it’s not exactly insane. I admit I haven’t lived the most glamorous or wild life, but for me, it’s pretty out there.
I eat lunch at my desk like I normally do. Around one, my supervisor Larry stops by my desk. I hunch forward a little, keeping my skirt in place. “Hey, Val,” he says.
“Hi, Larry.”
“Listen, can you come with me for a second?”
I frown. “Something wrong?”
“Not at all. Just want a little time.”
I nod and stand. I follow him to the conference room and as I walk toward it, my heart starts to race.
Jacob’s sitting there.
He smiles as I step into the room. Larry introduces me, though he doesn’t need to. Jacob’s eyes move from my eyes down to my legs and back up again, and he has the biggest grin on his face I’ve ever seen.
“Hey, Val,” he says.
“Mr. Lofthouse. How are you?”
“Call me Jacob, please.” He laughs and gestures. “Take a seat.”
I walk over and sit as carefully as I can, smoothing my skirt. I meet his eye and quirk an eyebrow. He’s smirking at me.
“So, Val,” Larry says. “We’re doing some initial evaluations, really just checking in with everyone to see how things are going before we really dive into the work head.”
“Oh, great,” I say. “Sounds good.”
“Do you have any questions for us to start with?” Larry asks.
I hesitate.
“You can relax,” Jacob says. “Don’t worry. This really isn’t an interrogation. Everyone’s happy with your work.”
“Good,” I say and force a smile.
“Although I should say, we may need to discuss proper workplace attire.”
Larry gapes at him, horrified. I feel myself starting to blush and I cock my head slightly to the side. “Excuse me, Jacob?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I’m just kidding.” His eyes sparkle as he watches how I’ll react.
I give him an icy smile and Larry clears his throat, completely uncomfortable. “Uh, right, anyway,” he says. “Do you have any questions for us, Val?”
I force past that asshole attempting at embarrassing me and come up with some general and vague question about our systems. Larry seems so incredibly relieved to have anything to talk about that he takes my question and runs with it.
Meanwhile, Jacobs’s watching me with a smile. I glare at him, not mad for myself really, but mad for poor Larry. From his perspective, the co-owner of this company just sexually harassed one of his employees, and now he has to act like it’s no big deal.
The meeting goes on from there. Larry does most of the talking, I ask a few more questions, and we wrap things up. When it’s over, I stand and shake Jacob’s hand. “Thanks for your time, Val,” he says.
“Any time, Jacob.”
Larry walks me out. As we head back to my desk, he stops me in the hall. “Listen, Val,” he says softly. “About that, uh, joke Jacob made in there.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “Honestly.”
He frowns. “It was a little… well, it wasn’t much of a joke.”
I smile at him. I really, really like Larry right now. He’s a good guy and means well but he has no clue what he’s doing.
“Honestly, Larry, it’s an inside joke from our interview. Don’t worry, we’re fine.”
“Right.” He frowns. “Really?”
“Really. I was just surprised he remembered it, honestly.”
He looks so relieved he could cry. “Okay, great, wonderful. For a second there I thought you were upset.”
“Oh, no, just surprised. Don’t worry. But I really appreciate you having this talk with me, honestly.”
“Any time.” He drops me back at my cube and walks off.
Jacob returns to his office after a few more meetings. It’s nearly five and I’ve been suffering all day, like excited one second and annoyed the next. I keep thinking about what I’m doing for him and how crazy it is, but it feels so good. I look over my shoulder and catch his eye.
He’s watching me carefully with a smile on his face. He gestures with his head, beckoning. The shades on his windows drop down and I wait a few minutes before I slowly get up and take a deep breath.
My heart’s racing as I step into his office. “Yes, Mr. Lofthouse?”
That makes him smile. “Shut the door.”
I close it and walk closer. “You nearly gave Larry a heart
attack.”
“I know. It was perfect.”
“He stopped me after that meeting, you know. He tried to defend you, but also to make sure I was okay. It was kind of sweet.”
“He’s a good man. I shouldn’t have put him in that position, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Don’t worry. I covered for you. Said it was an inside joke from our interview.”
He smiles and cocks his head. “I see. Good thinking.”
I shrug a little bit. “We can’t both be an asshole.”
“Oh, please.” He stands. He takes off his jacket and slowly drapes it over the back of his desk. “Did you obey me, Valerie?”
“Yes,” I say, staring at him. His arms are muscular and perfect as he slowly rolls his sleeves up, watching me.
“And what did you obey?”
“Skirt. No panties. No tights.”
He nods, eyes moving up and down my body. “You look good.”
“Thank you.”
“Walk to my desk.”
He comes around from behind it as I move. I reach the desk and turn, leaning up against it. He comes around in front of me and steps close, his body against mine, one knee between my legs. He reaches up and grabs my hair.
I let out a little gasp.
“There is nothing I find more attractive than a woman that obeys,” he whispers. “Especially when she looks like you.”
“I can obey if you’re worth it.” I stare back at him and he smiles.
“Good. That’s what I want.” He reaches down and takes the hem of my skirt. “Tell me, little Valerie. When I lift this up, what will I find?”
“Nothing,” I say.
“Oh, I think I’ll find something.” He leans forward, lips brushing mine before moving to my ear. “Will you be dripping wet?”
I let out a breath. “I don’t… I don’t know…”
“Yes, you do,” he says. “You can feel it, can’t you? That excitement running down your spine. It felt good all day, having our little secret. You knew you were dressed like this just for me, and finally, finally, I’m bringing you in here to give you what you want.”
“What do I want?”
He kisses me gently then bites my bottom lip. “You want me to make you feel good. The way you’ve been dreaming of since we first met.”