Chapter 11: Freelancers

Owen and I didn’t have offices. It was either my living room or his. He had the nicer apartment, so we worked there more often than not. I could work anyplace with the Internet, my laptop, and a cellphone.

Owen started to travel to increasingly distant clients, and just for fun I started to tag along. I’d never traveled more than a few miles from my home town when younger. We’d be in some great city, I’d work in the hotel while he went to the client site, and then we’d prowl around as tourists that evening and the next day. If we could plan the trip right, sometimes we could get a whole weekend in a remote city.

We were in Denver for two work days and a weekend, when Owen got invited to have Thursday evening dinner with the client and his wife. Owen quickly explained that his girlfriend was along for the trip, and I got included in the invitation.

I went through the meager wardrobe that I’d brought on the trip. If I thought we’d have overnights where we could have some fun, I’d bring one of my slinky cocktail dresses and my CFM shoes. My daytime attire when working at the hotel consisted of sexy jeans and usually a crop top, with flip-flops.

I put on the sexy cocktail dress for our dinner. It was one of those that had two-inch freeboard between the hemline and my pussy lips. Also, I hadn’t brought any underwear. I liked going without a bra, and Owen liked that, as well as when I went without any undies, so there I was ready for a social evening in sexy shoes, a sexy dress, and no undies.

Owen gave me a quick inspection, approved of everything he saw, kissed me, and we raced downstairs and got an Uber to his client’s house in the Washington Park part of the city – a very urban brick home on a busy street with a beautiful public park and pond across the street.

Mike and Grace welcomed us into their home with smiles and polite hugs. Owen had managed to get two bottles of wine from the concierge at the hotel, so we weren’t arriving for dinner empty handed.

Mike and Owen were wearing slacks and sport shirts, and looked very professional. Grace had the remnants of a business suit on from her day of work teaching at the University of Denver. I blushed because I was so overdressed for a casual family dinner. I sighed and when Mike asked, I accepted his offer by requesting a Manhattan.

Grace disappeared and came back ten minutes later in CFM shoes and a very short cocktail dress. She’d also added some sexy eye shadow, eyeliner, and high gloss lipstick to her look.

Grace grinned at me. “I couldn’t let you be alone, and I never get to dress up like this except when we travel out of the city somewhere. I can’t afford to be seen and have my purist academic reputation besmirched.” She giggled.

I bowed and toasted her with my drink. She picked up hers and we clinked glasses. As the men talked about something, she said to me, “Usually when I wear this, I don’t wear underwear.”

I smiled. “Just like me. I’m not wearing any. I hope that’s all right. These days I just seem to even forget it when traveling.”

Grace studied me and then said, “Be right back.” She disappeared upstairs again, and came back in just over a minute. She smiled and nodded to her lower body, “There; we’re on an equal footing now.” Her headlights were on high beam so I knew that she’d also gotten rid of her bra.

Owen turned and I could see his eyes flare when he saw how hot Grace looked. I did a stage whisper to him as I took his arm; “She’s commando, too.” His eyebrows rose and he wisely didn’t say anything.

Grace was probably ten or fifteen years older than I was; about the same age as Mike. Despite the age difference, she looked hot, and even hotter knowing that she was naked beneath her dress. She was a dirty brunette with a trim figure that probably excited her students when she wore revealing clothing of any kind.

We had a shrimp cocktail in Mike and Grace’s living room prior to going out for dinner. Mike raved to me and Grace about Owen’s work and outlook on their systems portfolio and network security approach. Owen had apparently solved several intractable problems they were having with their firewall and high bandwidth connection to the Internet backbone.

Owen genuflected at Mike, and dismissed his accomplishments. “You had all the right equipment; it just needed a tweak or two.”

Grace teased and even pushed her chest out slightly, “Well, you can tweak me.” We all ignored her somewhat wiseass innuendo. I knew it was supposed to have as sexual component, but I didn’t want to embarrass Owen in front of his client so minded my mouth. I could only guess what Sheri would have done.

When the subject about my work came around, Mike almost came unglued with delight. “YOU do the design and the programming for your client’s websites?”

I nodded. “I think they need to be done together as well as have everything tied to the company and marketing strategy. Even in my old job, the designers and programmers would work with management on the strategy formulation and then sit together as they worked. I occasionally go out with the guy that was my graphics artist. He taught me so much.”

Grace said, “Oh, I thought the two of you were a couple.”

Owen blurted out, “Oh, we are. We have ... well ... an open relationship.”

Mike asked, “What would I have to do to hire you, Brie? We have a few problems with our website that no one seems able to fix, plus no one particularly cares for the design, and to say we have a marketing strategy of any kind is sort of a loud laugh.”

I looked at Owen. This was his client. He looked at me and I smiled. He knew I had time for more billable hours that I could devote to them. He said, “I’m sure you could find a local source for your needs. To engage Brie, she’d have to fly back and forth more than I have in order to do right by your management team. Do you want the travel expenses on your budget?”

Mike waved dismissively. “Not a problem if we get a better online marketing and a site that solves the site navigation problems we can’t seem to fix.” I didn’t say anything, but site navigation was one of my specialities. I knew how to finesse problems in that arena.”

Mike added, “Can you come in tomorrow? Owen will be working with some of our network people, but you could talk with some of us and certainly get enough background to write a proposal to us. I shouldn’t tell you this, but money is no object. The executive team told me yesterday that I’d better fix this or my ass is grass.”

I chuckled, “Well, we don’t want someone to mow you ass, so yes, I can come in; the same time as Owen or some other time?”

“Come in with Owen.”

I shifted to having Grace talk about the teaching and research that she was doing. She was an anthropologist, and also studied corporate cultures. She talked about the three classes she taught, one undergrad and two graduate courses. She commented that she was looking for an area to specialize in for the coming two of three years, having finished up doing some corporate work. Again, I didn’t say anything to follow-up.

We left and went to an intimate little Turkish restaurant that served superb food. I made friends with the waiter and then the owner and then the cook, even going into the kitchen to get the recipe for the meal I’d had. Grace went with me. We were very appreciative. They were all very pleased to have two very sexy women appreciate their menu items.

Owen picked up dinner because he could expense it back to Mike’s company. We left a big tip and again thanked everyone.

As we drove back to Mike and Grace’s house, she and I were in the backseat. She said, “You make a wonderful impression on people. You’re so enthusiastic about life and everything.”

I commented, “I wasn’t always this way. I sought help to change the way I was over a year ago. I ended up with some great and intimate friends as a result.” Grace asked me to elaborate and I did, leaving out the sexual side of my journey but implying it once or twice.

After we back in their living room, Grace asked me, “You said you have an open relationship. Does that mean sexually?”

I nodded. “That was the big missing piece of my life until a year ago. My friend Sheri and Maryann helped me fix that. Owen was part of the solution.” I whispered, “He took my cherry, but it was an even more unique evening as it turned out.”

She gestured. “More please.”

“Well, Maryann and Sheri were there along with Luke and Jake. We all made love with each other as the night went on.”

“So, you really lost your cherry to three men in one evening?” She gasped, but she was smiling and obviously aroused by what I’d implied.

I nodded.

Grace broke into a grin and squeezed my hand in hers, “Oh, I knew I liked you. I just wasn’t sure why and now I do. I’m about to ask an embarrassing question that I give you permission to totally ignore if you want. I can be forward when I want. Are you and Owen swingers? Would you like to swap with us tonight?”

My head jerked around to Owen and then Mike. They’d been listening to the conversation. Mike looked eager and was smiling. Owen was thoughtful, but studied Grace to see whether she was teasing or serious.

Grace was a woman my friends would describe as ‘easy on the eyes’. She was very pretty: a pretty face, curly streaked brunette hair, and an attractive figure. I knew Owen was interested, but there were all the complications of the existing and future business relationship.