Chapter 20

It was the following Friday and Ali was working on her investment portfolio in her office when her phone buzzed. Kathy said, "Ali, I need to see you. May I come in?" Ali agreed instantly and Kathy came in and sat down. She said, "There's a girl outside I think you will be interested in. Her name is Dolores Martinez. She goes by Debbie. She just walked in off the street looking for a job. I tested her and her secretarial and computer skills are outstanding. I think you'll like her. Will you see her?"

Ali hadn't planned on seeing anyone and was wearing her skin-tight Levi's and her chambray shirt. She started to say, of course, when she thought better of it. Instead she asked, "Kathy, where is she now and what have you told her?"

"I said the partners were all out of the office. I talked to her, and Judy did as well. She's waiting in the reception area. Joan hasn't come back from lunch yet. She's eating with Bill," she said with a knowing wink. "He has to go back to Boston soon."

The young woman smiled warmly at Ali and said, "I can tell you have an idea, Boss. What is it?"

"Are the new desks in? The new computer hookups?" Kathy said they were. "What I would like to do is use her as a helper. We really have to get this place organized now that the workmen have left. There's plaster dust all over everything. I'll be standing by one of the new desks. Would you bring her back, please?"

Kathy grinned and left the office. As she left, Ali reflected on how beautiful Kathy now looked with her beautiful slim figure and her golden Hawaiian tan. Even her brown hair now had blonde sun streaks that looked lovely. Ali went back to the new section of offices and tied up her hair in a red bandanna. Her secretary returned with a young woman trailing behind.

Ali wiped her hand on her jeans and held it out to the girl. She said, "Hi! I'm Ali. I understand you're looking for a job?"

The girl shyly nodded her head. She was wearing an inexpensive but well-styled business suit that Ali could see was worn but very well cared-for. The girl was small: only about five feet three. She had a slim figure but full breasts. Her hair was dark and she had soft brown eyes. Her face was beautiful.

The girl took Ali's hand in a firm grip and said hello. "I am looking for a job here. Do you need help?"

"I sure do!" Ali replied. "We just got rid of the workmen and there's plaster dust all over everything. There are people who come in to clean the office but they don't do this sort of work. Would you like to help out? We'll pay you by the hour, starting now, if you're interested."

The girl smiled very warmly and said she was very interested but she didn't want to ruin her good clothes. Ali checked her watch and saw it was already three o'clock. After telling the girl to wait, she went out to the reception room. When she told Judy what she was doing, the girl locked the door early. Returning to Debbie, she said, "I don't know what you think about it, but you probably noticed this is an all-girl office. You could take off your suit if you want to. It's up to you."

The girl's face reddened, but then she smiled wanly. "I'm sorry, Ali. But since I don't wear a bra and I don't want to embarrass you, I think I should just leave."

Ali grinned and said, "I'll make a deal with you. I'll take off my shirt, too. Then we're even. I don't wear a bra, either." She slipped off her shirt and lay it over a desk.

Debbie's eyes widened as she saw Ali's body bared. She was magnificent with her deep all-over tan and high firm breasts. She removed her jacket and then took off her skirt. She looked around and Ali took them to a closet and hung them up. The girl's figure was exquisite. Her breasts were full with tiny pink nipples thrusting upward.

Ali had gathered up cleaning materials and explained that the job was really messy. They had to take down all the law books, carefully brush off the plaster dust and check the bindings. Since many were leather-bound, the leather needed to be oiled, too. They began to work companionably.

After a while, Ali went off and called Bill to tell him what was going on. After telling him what she wanted to try, he immediately agreed.

As the women worked they chatted. Ali found the girl was intelligent, very well-read and well-informed. However, Debbie hadn't asked what the pay was and Ali hadn't mentioned it. Shortly after five, Judy, Kathy, and Joan all said good night leaving the two alone. None of them appeared to notice that Ali was stripped to the waist and Debbie was only wearing her bikini.

They kept at it until nearly seven o'clock, time for Ali to try her experiment. She had already told the girl she would be back in the office at seven the following morning because the work had to be finished before Monday. Debbie said she could come in on Saturday to help.

Finally, they finished for the day and Ali went into her office with Debbie following. The girl looked around in awe. She said, "This is the most magnificent office I've ever seen! Whose is it?"

"It's Mrs. Clifford's, the senior partner," Ali replied. "She's getting along in years, though, so she's not in here very much. We can use her shower. She'll never know the difference and we're both covered with dust." She grinned at Debbie and said, "It's worse with you because your hair is dark. The dust really shows. Bring your clothes and let's do it."

The girl was obviously embarrassed. She said, "Are you sure it's all right, Ali?"

Ali shrugged and said, "I'm sure. Besides, you can always say I told you it was all right."

She opened the door to the new bathroom that had just been built off her office. She chuckled to herself thinking about the consternation she caused the building people when she said she wanted four bathrooms built, one for each of the partners and another for the staff. She hadn't told Debbie of the existence of the staff shower and it was obvious no one else had either.

Ali's new bathroom was magnificent: It was fully equipped and included a full array of her soaps and shampoos. Debbie's eyes opened wide as she looked around. When Ali slipped off her jeans and bikini and turned on the shower, the girl's eyes widened at the fully-revealed beauty of Ali's body. She was astonished to see there were no bathing-suit marks at all. Ali went into the shower and luxuriated in it. She shampooed her hair, conditioned it and stepped out of the shower leaving the water still running.

She smiled at the girl and said, "It's all yours. Go to it." Ali picked up one of the giant fluffy bath towels stacked on the counter and started rubbing her body with it. She thought it felt heavenly. Meanwhile, Debbie had slipped off all of her clothes and went into the shower. Another perfect figure in the Firm, Ali thought. She had slim hips and beautifully shaped legs. Her buns were small and tight.

"Are you sure it's all right to use the shampoo?" Debbie asked skeptically.

"I'm sure," Ali replied.

The girl started to lather her hair and followed Ali's routine. Her hair was dark and long. As soon as it became damp, its natural curl became apparent. Another candidate for Henry, Ali thought with a small smile. The girl emerged from the shower and Ali gave her a towel. It was obvious that the girl was not used to anything close to this level of luxury and enjoyed it. Ali had used the hair dryer to dry her hair and then passed it to the girl. She left the room with the towel wrapped around her and got dressed in her office. Now we'll see if I can still act, she thought.

Debbie came out of the bathroom looking fresh and beautiful. Shyly, she began to get dressed. When she was finished she picked up her towel and looked at Ali. "May I bring the towel home and wash it?"

Ali's heart lurched as she watched this lovely girl who was obviously trying so hard. Ali took the towel with a smile and showed Debbie a laundry chute in the bathroom.

As they headed for the door, Ali was going through her purse. Suddenly she screamed, "Oh, my God! I don't have any money." Then she started to cry.

Dolores stopped quickly and looked at Ali as the tears started to flow down her beautiful face. She took the taller woman in her arms to try to comfort her. Ali was saying she had to have money or she would be stuck completely. The girl got her calmed down and went into her purse. She emptied her wallet and gave her all of her money: eighteen dollars.

Ali stopped crying and looked at the girl with her eyes wide. "But how will you get home? I don't even know where you live, but it can't be close. No one lives close to here." The girl just smiled at Ali warmly and said she would be all right. They went down in the elevator together and then parted. Debbie said she would see Ali the next morning at seven. After they separated Ali slipped outside by the back way so she could surreptitiously keep an eye on the girl.

As she expected, Debbie walked to the next block and then put her thumb out to hitchhike. Ali grinned to herself as the car she was watching for pulled up and stopped. Debbie talked to the driver for a moment, then got in and the car drove off.

That evening Ali called Ginger, Sandy and Connie and explained what was going on. All the girls agreed they would drag their abused asses out of bed in time to meet Ali at the office in the morning.

The next morning Debbie was sitting on the floor in the outer hallway with her back to the door when Ali appeared at five minutes to seven. She grinned, unlocked the door, and turned on the lights. The girls went into the conference room and Ali started the coffee. Debbie's eyes widened as she saw all the food stocked in the cabinets.

They went back to where they had been working and Ali slipped off her jeans, shirt, and shoes. She was only wearing her bikini. She said, "Debbie, there are two reasons: First, the air conditioning doesn't work on Saturday. Second, my body washes easier than my clothes." Debbie grinned and did the same thing. They went back to the cleaning. After thirty minutes they took a break and went to the conference room for coffee.

Sandy arrived and Ali introduced Debbie to her. Sandy, too, shed her clothes, and they sat around the table drinking coffee. Soon Ginger and Connie arrived together and shed their clothes as well. Debbie noticed that nothing was said about the lack of clothing. After their breakfast, they all went to work. At noontime Ginger got dressed and went out for food. She came back with bags of hamburgers from a nearby fast-food establishment. Debbie had been astonished at both the beauty of the other girls and how naturally they moved. They all seemed completely unaware of their near-nudity.

By six o'clock, they were finished — and exhausted. The girls took turns using Ali's bathroom. When they were all finished and dressed again, they went back to the conference room and Ali brought out Cokes for everyone. She went to her purse and took out twenty dollars which she gave to Debbie. The girl gave Ali two dollars change. She wouldn't hear of taking the twenty in spite of the fact that Ali had taken every dollar she had had the previous night.

Ali said she would see the girl at nine o'clock Monday morning and would then pay her for the weekend's work. She asked Debbie how she had gotten home the previous evening and the girl said she got a ride right to her front door. Then she said goodnight, leaving the other girls alone in the conference room.

When she was gone Ali asked, "What do the rest of you think?"

Ginger said, "Ali, she's a girl we have to have! I have never met such a selfless person in my life. I was working hard ... Hell, we all were. But I'll bet she did as much work as the four of us combined!" Sandy and Connie agreed. They went down to the garage and went their separate ways.

On Sunday night, Ali received the call she had been expecting. It was from the private detective Bill had hired who had given Debbie the ride home. He said, "Mrs. Clifford, this is a live one. You've heard of people working two jobs? This girl, Dolores Martinez, works at least three! And that's on top of going to school.

"She's about to get her bachelors in computer science from UCLA. She's enrolled in law school next fall. She lives with her mother and younger twin sisters — they're twelve years old. Her mother has been widowed for years and Dolores is virtually the family's only support.

"I've been doing this work for a long time but never in my life have I found a person as clean and hardworking as this one. To know her is to love her. Mrs. Clifford, this girl is the real thing. Do you need any more?"

"No, Jack. I don't. I didn't need much convincing, either. You know, on Friday night she gave me virtually every cent she had so I could get home. She hitchhiked. What more can you say? Thanks, Jack. There will be a bonus for you in your check. I appreciate the fast work and the thoroughness of your investigation."

She told Bill what Jack had told her and what she planned to do.

Bill pulled her closer to him in the bed and kissed her lovingly. "Darling, not only do I love you, not only do I worship the ground you walk on, but I love the way your mind works, particularly when you're doing something nice for other people. It's really fun, isn't it?"

She kissed him with increasing passion until he took her again. As usual, she fell asleep feeling his hand gently cupping her breast.

On Monday morning, Ali took particular care with her appearance. When she was driven downtown in the limousine, she looked exactly like what she was: one of the richest women in the world. She arrived at the office at eight. Over coffee with the girls she told them of her plan and they all agreed delightedly. By eight forty-five everyone was in her office or at her desk.

At five minutes before nine, Debbie entered the office wearing the same suit she had worn on Friday. It was apparent to Judy that she had worked on it to make it look as good as it possibly could. She guessed correctly that it was the only appropriate business attire that the girl owned.

When she entered, Judy looked at her with fear showing in her eyes. She said, "Debbie, I have bad news: Mrs. Clifford is in the office today. She knows you're expected and she wants to see you. Her words were, 'At once'.

"What happened on Friday? I have never seen Mrs. Clifford so upset. Usually she's half asleep and pretty easygoing on the few occasions she's here." Judy looked sad as she added, "I guess you had better go in. Oh! I almost forgot. She says you know where her office is!"

Debbie could feel her heart sink. She had thought she was going to get a job here and she already liked the Firm very much. Idly, she wondered if she would be paid for the work she had done but decided she probably wouldn't. She walked into the inner office and knocked on Ali's door. Hearing a voice say, 'Come in', she entered.

A person was sitting in the big swivel chair behind the desk with her back to the door, but with her position, coupled with the sun coming in the window she was unable to see her. In spite of the office being west-facing, a trick reflection of the sun off the mirrored surface of a building nearby was reflecting the sunlight straight into the room. She was told to close the door and sit down. She did and took a seat across from the desk.

Mrs. Clifford was hidden behind the high back of the chair. Debbie sat up straight in the chair with her hands folded, just waiting. There wasn't a sound in the room other than the sound of the air flow from the air conditioning system and to Debbie, the sound of her throbbing heart. It seemed like minutes had passed when the woman finally rose from her chair and reset the window blinds to cut the glare in the room.

Debbie was looking down at her hands as the woman took her seat and turned it around to face her.

Debbie looked up and was shocked. It's Ali! She looked at her and started to cry. Ali quickly went around the desk to the young girl, helped her to her feet and guided her to the sofa where they both sat down. Ali took the girl's hands in hers and smiled.

Debbie looked at Ali and her jaw dropped. The woman facing her was dressed in an impeccable silk suit that was obviously custom-tailored for her and wearing a double strand of glistening pearls around her neck. Debbie just shook her head in disbelief and said softly, "You're Ali!"

Ali smiled warmly while she continued to hold the girl's hands. "That's right. I'm Allison McGrath Clifford, but everyone here calls me Ali. It's really the only name I answer to. Debbie, I want to apologize for deceiving you. And I particularly want to apologize for tormenting you this morning. It was a very cruel thing to do to a wonderful person. By the way, do you have that money I gave you on Saturday?"