Chapter 14

“Good morning, Mr. Steadman,” Heather said into her speakerphone microphone as Jennifer stood nearby listening. “This is Heather in Mr. Morris’s office. He was wondering if you could come in and pick up the paperwork for the sale of Steadman Products to J.A.M. and have your attorneys look over the final versions.”

What Jennifer and Heather heard coming from the speaker on the telephone surprised both of them, given the normally cutthroat and untrusting nature of a lot of the bigwigs in the business community.

Dean Steadman’s response was, “I’ll come in and take a look at the documents. But I trust you people. And I trust Mo. I see no reason to draw this out and involve teams of attorneys. When you’re ready to complete the deal, let me know. I’ll be happy to sign.”

Heather was quiet for a moment. Then she said, “That’s so refreshing. I’m touched. Mo is ready to complete the deal whenever you are. Let me know when you want to do this and I’ll set it up.”

Dean then said, “I’m free this morning. Andrea is going to be in town getting tested to find out how soft her brain is.”

The two AAs heard what sounded like an “Oof” coming from Dean, as if he had received an elbow in the ribs or something like that.

Heather asked Dean to hold on for a moment. She clicked another call button, asked Mr. Morris a quick question softly, then clicked back to Dean Steadman’s on-hold line a few seconds later and said, “Is ten o’clock all right with you?”

His response was, “That’s fine. I’ll come in around nine-thirty and take a quick look at them. I’ll make sure you spelled my name right. But, as I said, I trust you people and I’m not worried about the content of the agreement.”

As the call ended, Heather sighed and smiled as she looked at Jennifer. “Well, it looks like this company is really booming now!”

“Yeah, and banging as well,” Jennifer said with a smirk, and both ladies laughed together as they shared the bawdy reference to sex among the EPOD crowd between the two of them. Even while Jennifer laughed, she still had to blush a bit as she considered her newfound freedom to joke about the raw utter naughtiness of all of the EPOD activities; and the audacious nature of The Program in and of itself!

Heather caused them to pause in their laughter when she said, “And not just among the Senior VPs, it would seem.” When Jennifer looked at Heather with a questioning look, the older AA said with a smirk, “I had to call him at Jan and Brad’s house.”

Jennifer was confused for a brief moment, and then realized, given the earliness of the morning hour right now, and the fact that Heather had been talking to Dean at the Pittmans’ number, that Dean and Andrea must have stayed over at the Pittmans’ house! And ... knowing as much about Jan and her sexual appetites as Jennifer did now ... Well; it MUST have been an eventful evening!

Jennifer’s sudden outburst of laughter got Heather going again!

Jennifer was speaking with Heather at the Senior Executive AA’s workstation the next morning when Midge Burton and Jan Pittman walked up. Both of the ladies were speaking in a low murmur and giggling once in a while as they approached.

“Hello, Mrs. Burton; Mrs. Pittman,” Heather greeted them with a smile.

“Mrs.?” Midge snorted and looked over at Jan.

“My; how formal we all are this morning,” said Jan with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Heather smiled back and looked around at the movement of several of the administrative and support staff around the atrium reception area just outside of her own office before responding.

“Jan,” Heather said with a voice level set at much lower volume, “you know that we at least have to fake a respectful aspect and tone of voice toward you horny bitches when the other staff are around.”

Midge led the way in laughing out loud, followed by Heather and Jan. Jennifer just stood there amused, but still a bit surprised at the blatant disrespect that Heather seemed to be voicing. This was attenuated somewhat when she saw Midge come around the desk and grab Heather in a truly affectionate hug. Jan approached and joined from the other side. Then, the young redhead looked up, reached out with her free hand, and pulled Jennifer into the group hug as well.

Finally, breaking apart, they all wiped away tears of amusement as Heather asked, “So, what’s up this fine morning for my ... Special Friends?” Jennifer could almost hear the capital letters in the words ‘Special Friends’ as Heather looked at the two EPOD wives with what appeared to Jennifer to be almost a secret smile.

Jan glanced at Jennifer with almost a mysteriously inquiring look on her face, as Midge answered Heather’s question.

“Special Friends who are looking forward to having another episode of Special Fun very soon,” Midge said with a leer at Heather that shocked Jennifer as she finally got the message underlying the interchange.

‘These women were actually sexually active together with Heather! As well as each other!’ Jennifer thought, ‘And it would appear as if Heather is a very willing participant!’

“Excuse me,” Jennifer said out loud, but blushing noticeably, “but I ... I ... have to get back to my office. See you later, Heather; Mrs. Burton; Mrs. Pittman.” She addressed the two ladies in turn with a nod before departing toward her own desk to ponder what she had just detected and realized that she probably should have probably deduced earlier from other observations.

As she walked away, Jennifer heard Jan saying, “We brought Dean and Andrea out to the plant this morning so that he could check it out. Gregg and Brad are taking them around to the Engineering, Coatings, and Fabrication areas so that he can see just how...” and her voice faded in the distance as Heather moved down the hall.

Less than an hour later, Jennifer glanced out her window toward the industrial portion of the plant complex and saw Jan and Brad leading a very handsome thirty-something gentleman, wearing slacks and a bomber jacket, and an extremely attractive twenty-something blonde woman who seemed to claim possession of the man’s left arm; and, basically, the man himself.

‘That must be Dean Steadman and his fiancée,’ thought Jennifer as she turned back to her own workstation, having heard the news of the engagement from Heather. ‘They seem to be happy together. I am glad that SOMEONE is finding happiness in relationships around here.’

Jennifer mentally kicked herself as she realized that she really WAS actually enjoying her rapidly-deepening relationship with Matt. She just wished that she could penetrate that last layer of armor that he was wearing over his heart; and open the one around her own.

A few minutes later, Brad and Jan Pittman, Chaz and Mike Clarke, Gregg and Amanda Collins, Helen Morris, and Dean Steadman’s fiancée, Andrea, all entered Brad’s office suite. Brad initiated the introduction of Andrea to Jennifer.

“Do you want me to scare up a tray of snacks and a carafe of coffee, Mr. Pittman?” Jennifer asked. “And will Mr. Steadman be joining us?”

Looking around and getting negative head shakes from the others, Brad said, “I don’t think so, Jennifer; Dean just wanted us all to hang together for a short while and keep Andrea here company while he and Mo put the final signatures on the sale documents for J.A.M. Aluminum’s buy-out of Steadman Products.”

“Okay, then,” Jennifer said with a smile. “Just let me know if you need anything. And I am so very pleased to make your acquaintance, Andrea.”

“Me, too, Jennifer,” replied Andrea. Then the young blonde surprised Jennifer by coming around and giving the AA a quick hug before everyone moved into the inner office with Brad.

When Dean Steadman arrived, Jan was on the lookout for him, and she came out to the outer office and introduced him to Jennifer. The AA was instantly taken with Dean’s rugged good looks. No wonder the women around him were being so friendly! Then, when she saw Jan grab Dean’s ass on the way into Brad’s office, Jennifer confirmed her earlier suspicions about the previous night’s activities out at the Pittman house.

‘Jan, and probably all the other EPOD ladies do not limit themselves just to on-call sex with the Senior Executives. Groping Mr. Steadman like that, especially after the Steadmans have evidently just spent the night at the Pittmans’, gives even more evidence that Jan has probably already had sex with him ... and, considering this bit of evidence, coupled with other recent observations, then Jan Pittman has more than likely had sex with some or all of the other Junior VPs as well! This Program thing seems to be getting more and more into the area of equal opportunity!’ She had to giggle at that thought.

Jennifer was still processing this addition to all the other recently-perceived new realities in her life as she noticed that Jan had not pulled the door closed behind her. Everyone in there evidently was quite comfortable with Jennifer hearing and being fully cognizant of the conversation, it would seem.

Jennifer tried not to lurk as she listened, but what she heard just continued to reinforce what she had begun surmising earlier.

Dean calmly said to his fiancée, Andrea, “Well, Dear, you’re officially a call girl now. I hope it doesn’t interfere with your classes.”

Jennifer saw Andrea jump up and hug first Dean and then the other ladies and men in Brad’s office, who evidently now counted the new couple as ‘Special Friends’, as they all congratulated Dean and Andrea. They all seemed as thrilled with the addition of Dean and Andrea to the J.A.M. Family in general and their little EPOD circle of affection in particular!

They talked for a little longer and then Dean asked Jan if she could drive them back to Mo’s house so that he and Andrea could retrieve their car. He mentioned plans for dinner the next evening. When he told them that David Burton had a restaurant in mind, Jennifer could tell as she observed them, and Dean could tell by the knowing looks on their faces, that it was very likely going to be an interesting evening.

Jan made a point of saying goodbye to Jennifer as they all left Brad’s office, and the others chimed in as well. Dean and Andrea smiled, Dean shook Jennifer’s hand, Andrea and Jan both hugged her, and then they all left, except for Brad.

Brad smiled as he saw them depart and turned to Jennifer and said, “Well, they surely are a nice couple.”

“Are you sure that they will fit in with... ?” here Jennifer paused and blushed and almost broke into tears suddenly with the onset of potential emotional overload. She also realized that she needed to keep a tight rein on her inner slut, who was now raging to be let loose; but office decorum dictated that she remain under control. Meanwhile, she simply could NOT put this particular frustration into words for her boss to hear.

Jennifer twitched in surprise as she felt Brad’s arms encircle her tenderly in an attempt to comfort her; not to put the make one her. He said soothingly, “Is all of this EPOD stuff upsetting you, Jen?”

Jennifer sniffed and reached for a tissue as his embrace relaxed a bit. He still kept one arm around her shoulders and looked into her face with genuine friendly concern.

“I ... No, I don’t think so,” Jennifer said, then blew her nose and reached for another tissue to wipe her eyes before answering him; all the while attempting to remain circumspect in what she said. “It is just so ... different in its approach to what I have been taught about marriages and how society has imprinted certain expectations on all of us.”

Jennifer looked up at Brad and actually attempted to smile as she continued. “Oh, I can tell that all of you love each other, especially you and Jan, and that you really are comfortable with all of this. I guess I am even a bit envious and jealous about being in my thirties and I see the joie de vivre, as the French would say, among all of you, especially among the ones of you still in your twenties, like you and Jan and the Collins and the Clarkes and Andrea...”

“Seventeen,” Brad said, interrupting Jennifer and grinning as he noted the sudden confusion on her face.

Not understanding the non-sequitur, Jennifer said, “Seventeen what?”

“Andrea is only seventeen,” Brad said with a wider grin now as he noted the brief shock on Jennifer’s face, followed by a wry grin.

“Well,” Jennifer said, with one more swipe of the tissue at her nose, “I guess I really AM jealous now. At seventeen, all I had to deal with was an overactive libido and a toddler, while also dealing with being knocked up a second time from a very unsatisfying sexual romp with a pimply-faced boy after the prom.”