Chapter 8

At the formal dinner that evening, Virginia found it a bit ludicrous to see the men who that afternoon had been stripped naked in Townsend's bedroom - satisfying their lust first with her then with Annabelle and Phyllis - dressed in dark business suits or tuxedos and acting, now, every inch as gentlemen.

She had begun to adjust her thinking in line with the explanations Annabelle and Phyllis had offered that afternoon, because she had to come to the conclusion that the swinging scene they described was just her cup of tea from now on. After this, how could only one man ever keep her satisfied?

Hugo carried out the business meeting after the dinner had been eaten. He introduced Mr. Stanley Townsend, the Second, President of Eko- Klean, and Stan rose, dignified and businesslike, to give his address. At the end of it he made some special announcements: "Mr. Hugo Foxx is to be promoted to the position of Regional Supervisor!"

There was much applause. Hugo accepted humbly.

"Mr. Arthur Hartman is to replace Mr. Foxx as Area Supervisor, and in line with present thinking, in terms of equal employment opportunities, I'm pleased to announce that Mrs. Virginia Brooks is to become Assistant Area Supervisor to work with Mr. Hartman!"

Virginia arose from her chair, flustered, to accept the new position, knowing that it had all been her husband's doing. He had been blunt in his talk to Stanley Townsend, explaining to him how members of his corporate enterprise, including the president himself, had used Virginia sexually. Then he had barely mentioned the possibility that in forcing her to come to Townsend's room against her will, there was technically a kidnapping.

The concessions followed immediately, and Leon had left it up to Virginia to make her choice of jobs from those offered. It was settled to everyone's satisfaction when she chose to take the new position of Assistant to the Area Supervisor, Art Hartman.

As she sat back down, Virginia whispered worriedly to Leon, "Do you really think this is the right thing to do?"

"Sure! Why?"

"You sort of forced it on them!"

"Didn't they force you?"

"Yes, at first, but later on... it was different. I wanted to..."

"Yeah, I know that now... but they didn't!" Leon muttered. "Anyway, you really deserve the promotion, after the way you've been hustling around selling the products for them!"

"Well, maybe you're right, darling! Thanks!" She leaned over impulsively and kissed him.

Everything was not automatically ironed out for them in their personal relationships. That was hammered out in long, intimate talks, the most they had communicated with each other in a long time. Leon cut back on his long hours of work at his service station. He could do that now, because Virginia's salary, although not large, helped a great deal in easing their financial problems.

"Leon, darling, I've a confession to make," she told him at dinner a couple of months later.

"Oh, did you embezzle some more money?" he asked jokingly.

"No, silly, nothing like that... but I was a very wanton seductress, today!"

"I know you're wanton... but who did you seduce, the milkman?"

"No, I've already done that!" she kidded back. "I met this woman today who is going to be a distributor. I took her to lunch and one thing led to another until... well you know..."

"Are you going to make me guess?"

"Would you like to?"

"Yeah... you seduced her?"

"And her husband!"

Leon's eyes widened with surprise. "You're kidding?!"

"No! I'm not kidding now! It was super swinging with them! Do you want to know all of the details?"

"Only if you didn't make a date for all four of us to get together sometime!"

"Oh, I did that!"

"When?"

"For this weekend! They're going to come over."

They looked into each other's eyes. Then they both laughed out loud.

"Isn't life great!"

"Yeah, sweet thing. So great!"