Chapter 5: Day Two of My Perfect Life

The morning was kind of confusing. I woke up in a strange place with a handsome man in my bed, lying beside me, watching me with a smile on his face. It isn’t that I was surprised to see him or that I had forgotten I now live in a mansion instead of a tiny apartment. I was just disoriented for a moment. When I finally came to my senses and returned his smile he said, “Good morning, beautiful. You won’t believe how excited I was when I woke up, saw you and realized it wasn’t all just a dream, or a fantasy.”

I leaned closer and we kissed. I caressed his face and said, “I’ve never slept with anyone before. I expected to feel ... I don’t know, uncomfortable, out of place. I don’t. For some reason I feel like I’m finally where I belong even though I’ve obviously been plunked down in the middle of my favorite fantasy so I must still be asleep and dreaming this.”

“It appears both of our dreams have come true, Paige. For the first time since Bob and I started our company I desperately don’t want to go to work.”

“Speaking of going to work, I have a question. Do you really need an assistant or are you just keeping me around for a hand warmer?”

“Bob and I talked it over a couple of months ago. We decided we’re working harder than we need to and if we hired assistants our lives would be easier. He already hired someone. I’ve been putting it off. The fates must have been expecting you.”

“I hope I don’t screw it up. I’m just a dumb clerk.”

“That isn’t what Mrs. Carr said. She was heartbroken when I took you away from her. She claims you’re irreplaceable. I believe her. Now we better get our asses in gear. I loved what we did last night but right now I’m really wishing we’d waited until Friday. Thankfully, it should be a light day.”

We took a quick shower. He handed me one of my new outfits, the one he selected last night. He watched as I put it on. When I was dressed he smiled and exclaimed, “God you’re beautiful!”

I looked at myself in the full-length mirror and I must admit, I look hot! Rene really knows how to dress a girl. Without turning to look at Chris I said, “It certainly is a beautiful dress. Rene and those women who work with her really know what they’re doing.”

He came closer, put his arms around me, kissed the back of my neck and lovingly said, “That dress would be nothing without you.”

“You’re easy, Chris. I like that about you.”

He patted my ass and said, “Let’s go down and see if we can talk someone into giving us something for breakfast.”

I was amused when we got downstairs when I learned Chris doesn’t just employ a housekeeper. He also has a woman who does his cooking! She asked us what we’d like for breakfast. She seemed disappointed when I just wanted coffee. Chris asked for a light breakfast.

Carrie came in and let us know our driver is here. Chris exclaimed, “Oh crap! I forgot! I left my car at the office last night!”

He stood up and rushed outside. He returned a minute later with Paul, the man who drove our limo last night. He smiled at me and said, “You’re just as beautiful with clothes on, miss.”

Paul sat down at the table and he and Chris talked about last night. I was extremely impressed when they talked like old friends, even addressing each other by their first names! And then it struck me, Carrie and Sarah the cook both use his given name, too! That can’t be normal! It warms my heart that he’s so easy going and such a nice guy. But that can’t be normal!

Paul and I sipped our coffee while Chris and Paul described the things I did last night in enough detail to make me very uncomfortable. I calmed down a little when Carrie and Sarah both made it clear how sorry they are they missed my stage debut. They seem so normal!

All five of us were sitting around the table talking like old friends. It gave me an incredibly warm feeling. And it made me love Chris just that much more.

After he ate, Chris stood up, said he’d be right back and went up to brush his teeth. As soon as he left the room, Carrie got up, stood behind my chair and wrapped her arms around me. I looked back over my shoulder. There are tears in her eyes! She squeezed me tight and said, “I don’t know what you did or what magic powers you have, Paige. But please don’t stop. I’ve worked for that wonderful man for decades and I’ve never seen him so happy, so excited, so alive. Please don’t hurt him. He deserves this. He deserves to have someone like you.”

“All I did was fall head over heels in love with him. He saved me. He made me whole again when I didn’t think that was possible. He’s my hero, my superman. I can promise you I would never, ever, do anything to hurt that wonderful man.”

She looked into my eyes, smiled and said, “I believe you.” She kissed my cheek and returned to her seat just as Chris came back into the room.

He thanked Sarah for breakfast and said, “We better get going.” But then he paused, looked around at the four of us and asked, “Did I miss something?”

Paul chuckled and said, “No, Chris. You never miss anything. You’re scary that way.”

Chris looked around at the four of us, shrugged and put is suit jacket on. He muttered, “It’s you guys who are scary. I hope you aren’t planning a coup.”

We stood up and I reassured him, “Don’t worry, babe. Nobody wants your job. You work too hard.”

I gave Carrie’s hand a squeeze and the three of us went out to the limo. Paul opened the door and I was just about to get in when I got my first look at the house in the daylight. I froze for a moment and exclaimed, “Holy shit!! I slept in a palace last night!”

Chris and Paul both laughed. I shook my head and climbed in being very careful to expose my lower body all the way up to my sexy little panty. Both men stood there grinning and enjoying the view which I made no attempt to alter as I sat there smiling. I’m embarrassed. I feel my face blushing. But I’m enjoying my little impromptu show as much as they are. After a long moment, Chris turned to Paul and exclaimed, “God I love her!”

“I can’t imagine why. Do you suppose she could teach my wife that trick?”

Chris chuckled and said, “Sorry, Paul. No one taught Paige how to do it. I guess a woman either has that in her or she doesn’t.”

Chris finally got in beside me. He put his arm around me and said, “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible. But I love you more every minute. Thank you for that. You made my day.”

“I’ve only just begun.”

“What did I miss when I was brushing my teeth?”

I thought about it for a moment and decided I wouldn’t be exposing any deep, dark secrets. I told him how emotional Carrie was and what she said.

“She is a treasure. I got very lucky when I found her. She couldn’t be better at what she does and she isn’t just an employee. We’ve become very good friends. Sarah, too. I’d say the same about Paul but he might overhear me and he has a big enough head now.”

“I heard that!”

The glass divider between the driver and the passenger compartments is open.

“And I’m not fooled. I know you just said that so I’ll stop letting you out at the wrong places. It won’t work.”

“Oh well. It was worth a try.”

We pulled up in front of the office and Paul rushed around to get the door. Chris got out and I made a reasonably graceful but less than modest exit from the limo which they both enjoyed, as did a few nearby pedestrians. They spent a few moments discussing Paul’s schedule for the day. Paul drove off and we headed inside. Chris always comes in early so there wasn’t the press of people I’m used to.

As we walked to the elevator I asked him where I’ll be working. He informed me I have an office beside his secretary’s but I won’t be spending much time in it for a while. I’ll be working with Bob’s assistant at first. Then I’ll spend some time with the young woman I saw leaving his office yesterday morning, Laura, his secretary. And when those two ladies have finished boggling my mind I’ll spend some time with him, getting to know the way he likes things done. By then I’ll be a more or less fully trained assistant.

“More or less?”

He shrugged and explained, “There are always brand new ‘that’s never happened before’ emergencies popping up. But I imagine you’re years working for Mrs. Carr and dealing with customers has gone a long way toward preparing you for that sort of thing.”

I shrugged and said, “I’m not sure about that. All my best customers have become friends over the years. We work well together and they know I’ll help them solve their problems so they don’t call up all pissed off when there’s a problem.”

He shook his head and said, “I hope whoever they hire to replace you does half as good a job as you have. We frequently get letters from customers telling us how good you are, what a pleasure you are to work with. We almost never get those letters about the other people in Mrs. Carr’s office. It’s too bad we can’t clone you.”

“Maybe you should send me back there.”

“That might be the smart thing to do. On the other hand, if you’re that good with people you’re just exactly the person I need for my assistant. And with the relationship we already have I know we can work together, if I can keep my hands off of you long enough for you to get anything done.”

I smiled and said, “I think I can work just fine with your hands on me. I am concerned, though. I wish I had more education. I really worry that I’m biting off more than I can chew.”

He shook his head and said, “Everyone else is confident you are more than ready for the job. Why don’t you check out your office and let me know if it’s okay. It was a storage room until yesterday. I need to make a phone call. Then I’ll introduce you to my secretary, Laura, and Bob’s assistant, Toni. Unless she’s up to her elbows in alligators you’ll be working with her today.

“If things lighten up you need to go back and see Rene. She’s going to be spending her morning selecting the rest of your wardrobe.”

“Chris...”

“Yeah, I know. I’m ignoring you. Resistance is futile. Go take a look at your office. It’s the door on the other side of Laura’s office. I tried to figure out how to squeeze you in here but there really isn’t room in here for another desk. The coffee pot is in Laura’s office. If you’d like a cup help yourself. You can introduce yourself to her at the same time.”

I went to my office. It’s not very large but it’s enormous after the cubicle I’ve been working in since I came to work here. I have a nice, obviously new desk, a couple of file cabinets and a small table. A very comfortable looking desk chair and two visitor’s chairs. There’s a new computer on my desk with a post-it note on it asking me to call 7948 before I turn it on and ask for Terry. The box I left downstair when I emptied my desk is sitting on my new desk.

I had to try out that chair. I went around the desk and sat down. WOW!! I’ll have to be careful. I could fall asleep in this thing!

I got up and went to Laura’s door. I tapped on it and she said, “Come in.”

When I entered she stood up and welcomed me with a huge smile. We talked for several minutes and it was quickly obvious we were going to become friends. When she felt comfortable talking with me she said, “You’re going to love working for Chris. He’s really a fantastic guy.”

I just smiled and bit my tongue. I decided it should be safe to return to Chris’ office by now. I told her I enjoyed meeting her and turned to leave but turned back and said, “It occurs to me that you probably know everything that’s going on around here. Wouldn’t you be much better suited to my job than I am?”

“No thanks. He offered me the job a couple of months ago. I talked to Toni about her job before I made up my mind. The money was good but I decided I didn’t want that much responsibility. I’m good at what I do. I don’t work my ass off. I like my job and I don’t want to change anything about my life right now. Besides, from what I’ve heard about you I suspect you’re more suited to the job than I am.”

“Me?!”

She shrugged and said, “From what I heard, Mrs. Carr is broken hearted. She said you’re irreplaceable.”

“She is sweet. I loved working for her. She’s a wonderful person.”

Laura chuckled and said, “From what I’ve heard you say that about pretty much everybody.”

“I never realized I was a topic of conversation around here.”

She shrugged and said, “I never heard any nasty rumors. But you’re just about the only person we receive letters from customers telling Chris and Bob what a wonderful person you are. You must be pretty good at something.”

I hesitated for a long moment but finally decided it was going to come out. I felt myself blushing when I said, “You are probably going to start hearing nasty rumors before very long. Chris and I are in love.”

Her eyes got huge but I didn’t see the disapproval on her face I expected. She jumped up, ran around her chair and hugged me like a long-lost sister. She was still hugging me when she finally said, “Oh god! I’m so happy! We’ve been worried about him. He’s such a wonderful man and he’s been alone for so long. He deserves to be happy. Please, promise me you won’t hurt him.”

“I would never hurt him. He saved my life. He’s my hero, my superhero. I’d give my life for him in a heartbeat. I’m not kidding, he actually saved my life.”

“I’d like to hear about that.”

She finally let me go and I stepped back and looked into her eyes. “It’s not a nice story. Maybe after I know you better. But thank you. Thank you for not resenting me or looking down on me for going to work for the man I love. I know it doesn’t look good.”

“I’m ecstatic. I think I like you and I’ve heard good things about you for a long time. I think we’re going to be good friends.”

I said, “I think so, too. You’re a good person and I’m touched that you like Chris so much. I’ll see you later.”

I went back to Chris’ door and tapped lightly. He told me to come in and when I was in he said, “You don’t have to knock. Anytime you want, or need, to come in just open the door. I’ll only be naked in here with you.”

“I just had a talk with Laura. She’s very nice. I like her.”

“She is nice. And she’s very good at her job. If she ever decides to leave I’ll have to retire. I couldn’t do my job without her.

“Is your office okay? I know it’s small.”

“It’s almost as big as yours. There is one possible problem. That desk chair. I’m afraid that thing is going to put me to sleep.”

“Yeah! These things are great! They’re expensive but I’m thinking of replacing the recliners in our living room with them.”

He stood up and said, “Let’s go next door and I’ll introduce you to Bob’s assistant, Toni. You’ll be spending as much time as possible with her so you can get a good idea what your duties and responsibilities are going to be.”

“Want a blowjob first?”

He laughed and said, “I love the way your mind works. Maybe later.”

He came around his desk and gave me a big, wet kiss. When he finally let me go he sighed and said, “I’ve got to stop doing that. I wouldn’t want to give Laura a heart attack.”

“It’s okay, Chris. She knows about us. She’s ecstatic. She loves you and she has been worried about you being alone so long.”

There was a look of concern on his face. I said, “You don’t have to worry. In the first place, we aren’t doing anything wrong. Are you aware your company has no policy against fraternization?”

He nodded and explained, “Bob and I discussed it. We saw no need for it. The workplace is where many people meet people of the opposite sex. We weren’t inclined to discourage that. So far it hasn’t been a problem as far as we know and more than a few very successful marriages have originated here over the years, including Bob and Diane’s.”

“Anyway, Laura and I talked. It’s just an initial impression but I’m pretty good at reading people. That’s why I know you’re the most wonderful man in the world. I trust her. I’m looking forward to getting to know her better. She was really happy to learn we’re a couple. She’s very fond of you. She reminds me of Rene. I wonder what she tastes like.”

Chris laughed and said, “Every time you open your mouth I love you more.”

“I can’t do that. There’s no way I could love you more than I do now. Now let’s go before I start crying because I’m just a dumb broad you know.”

“My ass! You keep putting yourself down. I wish you’d stop that. The more I learn about you the more you impress me. I don’t care how much education you have. Some people, like you for instance, know more instinctively than us poor dumb college graduates after four years of having knowledge pounded into us whether we wanted it or not. That’s probably why you did such a fantastic job for Mrs. Carr. You relate to people. You understand them. Which makes me wonder why you’re hanging around with me.”

“You’re kidding, right? Chris, I’ve never met anyone like you. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe you. You must know how special you are. You have empathy. You care about people. You like people. Everyone is your friend. Your chauffeur, your housekeeper, your cook, your secretary, they all address you by your given name. You’re the CEO and co-founder of this extremely successful company and you’re popular. You’re loved. Your people worry about you. I only ran into you once before the day you called me to your office. We were all alone in the elevator. I was terrified because I recognized you. You smiled and nodded and I had to nod because I was too scared to speak. But that was because I didn’t know you. I only knew that CEOs were all powerful, unapproachable creatures with life and death power over us peons. But I quickly learned that isn’t you. I don’t know Bob. I only saw him in passing last night when he smiled and nodded. We never really got a chance to talk. But now I know you and I worship you. Please shut me up. I’ve embarrassed myself enough.”

He laughed and said, “First of all, Bob is a great guy. We have a lot in common. You’re gonna like him. Second, you’ve got to stop all this hero worship crap. There’s nothing special about me. I suppose I’m a decent guy. I like people. I help people out when I can. But I’m just a guy who has been very lucky in his life. Well, for the most part. I haven’t been that lucky in love ... until now. Damn you! I have this almost irresistible urge to take you home and just curl up in bed, hold you, and tell you over and over how wonderful you are and how much I love you. We’ve got to stop this! Come on. Let’s go meet your counterpart.”

I smiled and said, “Are you sure? I liked your idea better. I’d love to spend the day in bed wrapped in your arms.”

“It does sound like fun.”

I followed Chris through the connecting door between his half of the office and Bob’s half. He tapped on the open door to Toni’s office. She looked up from the stack of papers she’s wading through, smiled, stood up and said, “Chris! Good morning. Come in.”

As we entered her office she came around her desk, gave Chris a friendly hug, then turned to me and said, “You must be the wunderkind I’ve been hearing so much about.”

I smiled, shook her hand and said, “That’s news to me. I’m just a clerk who lucked into a promotion.”

“I don’t know. I hear Mrs. Carr hasn’t stopped crying since Chris pulled you out of there.”

I turned to Chris and said, “Someone around here is obviously spreading lies about me.”

With a straight face he said, “That’s good. Because the truth is much more shocking.”

I had to laugh at that. It sure as hell is. Chris told Toni, “Feel free to give her a good beating whenever you think it’s called for. Have fun ladies.”

He left us alone and I heard him ask Bob’s receptionist if Bob is awake. Toni invited me to have a seat and quietly exclaimed, “Isn’t this a fantastic place to work?!”

“I’ve always enjoyed working here. The people are wonderful and I’ve always been treated with respect. I have to say, though, I think someone made a mistake. I can’t help feeling I’m out of my depth up here. I don’t think I’m qualified for this position.”

“I think you’re wrong about that, honey. When I heard you were coming up here I asked Connie ... you call her Mrs. Carr, I asked her about you. I was exaggerating about the tears. But only a little. She’s very fond of you and she’s really sorry to lose you.”