Chapter 8

Ginger was waiting for them at the security gate when Ali and Bill returned from Hawaii. She just stood and watched as they walked through and then shook her head slowly. She took Ali in her arms and kissed her and then kissed Bill. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Ali, you are absolutely out of this world! I can't imagine a girl looking more beautiful than you do now.

"You were right, you know. You have a deep golden tan, hair the color of yellow gold, and eyes the color of the Pacific. And joy? My God! I thought I looked happy when Charley and I returned. Looking at you, I'm going to ask him for my money back. Comparatively speaking, I must have been miserable!"

She smiled at them happily, then turned to Bill. "And Bill Clifford, you look younger than Charley. What happened to you? I know what happened to your wife. She's madly in love with you and really has that well-fucked look. What's your excuse?"

Bill just grinned and replied, "Ginger, I pulled the con job of the age. I was madly in love with an image on the screen: Ali McGrath. Then I hired her to pretend to be my wife. What I found was the image on the screen is just a pale imitation of the reality. In the flesh, she's glorious. Now I realize it was puppy love. I adore the person I conned into being my wife. It's absolutely the smartest thing I've ever done in my life!"

They went out to the waiting car, and Ali gave Fred a kiss which caused him to turn brick red and smile. "I missed you, Fred," she said. "We had a marvelous time, but it's good to be home."

They went back to the hotel and entered their suite. After Bill closed the door, he put his arms around Ali's waist. Her back was to him and she leaned back against him as he held her. Without a word, she stepped out of her shoes and started to slip off her clothes.

"What are you doing?" he asked softly.

"I don't want to ruin the lovely dress you bought me with our fluids when you take me here on the floor. Darling, I've been waiting for this," she replied. Her eyes were dancing with anticipation as she looked at him. Moments later they were naked and on the floor together. Ali now realized the extent to which their bodies had become attuned to each other. Bill entered her slowly and gently, and then they almost automatically crested together and exploded in unison.

Bill was lying on his back with Ali's head resting on his shoulder. "Darling, what more is there? Is there anything else you want?"

She turned her head to look at his face and nodded. He saw a wonderful smile as she whispered, "I want you to take me on the desk in my office with all the curtains open and in view of anyone who wants to look. Why do you think I rented that office, anyway? I was planning ahead. It will feel so wonderfully wicked!" She grinned, and added, "Darling, I'm afraid I have to get my poor overworked ass in gear. I have to put in an appearance with the troops."

Reluctantly, she got to her feet and turned to offer her hands to pull Bill up. He just lay on his back, grinned, and shook his head.

"I like it just fine right here. The view is spectacular. I see a golden girl standing with her legs spread above me ... whoops!" Bill moved and put his mouth on her cunt. Ali remained standing with her legs spread while he licked their mixed cum that was starting to drip from her vagina. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the wonderful sensation. When he finished, she winked and went down on him, licking his now-flaccid cock.

She went back on her knees and said, "Bill, this is so much fun! Are you sure it's legal?"

He winked at her and said he just wanted to admire the beautiful view.

Ali quickly showered, dressed and went down to her car. She glanced at her watch and realized she would arrive at the office about two. Reaching the building, she went up to the thirty-eighth floor. When she got off the elevator, she got the same thrill she had a month earlier seeing her name in brass letters. Clifford & Jamison looks good, she thought.

She walked in and was greeted by a young receptionist. For reasons she didn't fully understand, Ali was wearing her tight jeans and her chambray shirt with her hair back in a pony tail. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up because it was a very hot July day in Los Angeles. The girl looked up attentively when Ali entered and said, "Good afternoon, Miss. May I help you?"

Ali made a decision on the spur of the moment. "Yes, I hope so. I saw your firm name on the directory downstairs. I think I need a lawyer. Is either Mr. Clifford or Mr. Jamison available?" She gave the girl a very hesitant smile.

The girl replied, "Mrs. Clifford is out of the office, but Miss Jamison is in. Whom may I say is waiting to see her?"

Ali said, "The name is Allison."

The girl asked Ali to take a seat. She picked up the phone, buzzed Ginger and said, "Miss Jamison, there's a woman in the lobby to see you, a Miss Allison. She is looking for a lawyer and saw the firm name in the lobby. She doesn't have an appointment." She listened for a moment, smiled, and hung up. "She'll be right out, Miss Allison."

Ginger opened the door and came into the reception room. She held out her hand to Ali and said, "How do you do Miss Allison. I'm Virginia Jamison. Would you care to come back to my office?" Then she reached for Ali and the girls started to howl with laughter as they hugged each other. The receptionist looked at them as if they had lost their minds.

Finally they regained control and turned toward her. Ginger had her arm around Ali's waist and said, "Judy, I would like to introduce you to our senior partner, Allison McGrath Clifford. Ali, that was a dirty trick to play on a new employee. This is Judy Jeffries, our receptionist."

Ali turned on her brilliant smile and said, "Judy, hi! Welcome to the firm. And please accept my apologies. Actually, you were wonderful: both friendly and businesslike. I hope you greet all our visitors that way." She grinned at the girl and said, "I'm serious. It wasn't a test. I just got back in town and put on these clothes. When I came in, and you looked up with that bright smile, I just thought I would have some fun. I hope you don't mind?"

By this time the girl's mouth was almost agape. She looked at the two partners side by side and was stunned. They were both very tall, very slender, very beautiful women. Ali separated from Ginger and held out her hand to Judy. "Welcome!"

Judy took the hand and shook it. With a grin, the two partners went back to the office area. Judy just shook her head in amazement. She had thought that Mrs. Conrad was the most beautiful woman she had ever met in her life. Then Mrs. Clifford appears and is even more beautiful. She decided she liked the firm of Clifford & Jamison.

Ginger led the way into Ali's office and pushed Ali toward the chair behind the desk. She sat down in a very comfortable leather-covered client's chair and slowly shook her head. "Ali, I give up. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen before you went on your honeymoon. Now ... Ali, words fail me. I am so happy for you! Married life agrees with you, is all I can say. Now, Boss, if you would be so kind, pass your telephone over here."

Ali slid the instrument across the desk. Ginger picked it up, pressed the intercom button, and said, "Kathy, could you come into Mrs. Clifford's office, please?"

A very pretty girl with brown hair entered the office. She was wearing a yellow shirtwaist dress and had a stenographic notebook in her hand. Ginger turned to Ali and said, "Ali, I would like you to meet your secretary, Kathy Carlson. Kathy, this is our senior partner, Ali Clifford."

Ali stood up and held out her hand to greet the girl. Kathy's jaw dropped as she took her hand. "Mrs. Clifford," she stammered. "I'm stunned. I knew you were beautiful, but ... but ... you're breathtaking!"

"Kathy, that's very flattering. You are very lovely yourself." She turned to Ginger and said, "Would it be possible to get something to drink?" She then had a second thought and said, "Kathy, to get the introductions out of the way, could we get the staff into the conference room? Tell Judy to just lock the front door." She grinned and added, "I'll risk the loss of a client."

Kathy smiled and withdrew. "Am I screwing things up, partner?" Ali asked Ginger.

"Not at all!" she exclaimed. "I think it's a great idea. What's your plan?"

"I don't have one," Ali confessed. "It just seemed like a good idea. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Ali, everyone has been on tenterhooks waiting for you to appear. Everything to be done has been done. We're twiddling our thumbs, is what we're doing."

"Mrs. Conrad, would there be anything alcoholic around this place? Or is there just a choice of selected spring waters?"

Ginger grinned and replied there was a wide selection of liquor; she had decided they should have a liquor cabinet. Ali checked the Yellow Pages and called a caterer who promised to deliver hors d'oeuvres platters in thirty minutes. Then the two women went into the conference room. Judy and Kathy were already there. A small dark-haired girl entered who Ginger introduced as Joan Fredrick. Joan was their computer specialist and an expert at using Lexis and Nexus for their legal research. The last person to enter was Sandra Harris.

When Ali saw the girl, her first reaction was that she looked like Barbara Jamison without the sense of humor. In spite of the very warm weather in Los Angeles, Harris was wearing a suit with a blouse buttoned high on her neck. It was severely cut and was not relieved by jewelry or adornment of any kind. Ali looked at her closely and smiled. She saw indications that Sandra used a certain amount of makeup to enhance the severity of her appearance and play down any hint of femininity.

Ali put out her hand and said, "Hi, Sandy, I'm Ali Clifford. Welcome to the firm."

Harris took her hand in a very limp grip. Ali just shook her head slightly and winked in the direction of Ginger. Going to the head of the table, she sat down and asked if anyone had bartending experience. Joan grinned and said she had been working her way through Cal Tech tending bar, but she didn't have her uniform. Ali raised an eyebrow and the girl said she worked topless: It paid more. Ali grinned back and said that wouldn't be necessary. Joan took orders from the others but brought Ali a Sam Adams, a chilled glass, and a basket of thick beer pretzels.

Ali pretended to glare at Ginger and said, "Someone's been squealing. But thank you so much, Gin."

Ginger replied that regardless of what else there might be at their apartment, there was always Sam Adams and beer pretzels, "For when the senior partner deigns to visit the peasants," she added with a grin. Ginger then told the girls about her first meeting with Ali and its aftermath. "Ali, I still thank God that we didn't run out of Sam Adams or beer pretzels." With a glance at Sandra, she added, "If we had, I would still be a tight-assed little prig working downstairs."

Sandra looked on with obvious disapproval. Ali noticed that the other girls were bright, eager, and all very attractive. She was also surprised to see that they seemed to hold her in awe. Turning to Joan she said, "Okay, I give up. What gives? I can't remember seeing a set of faces looking like yours do now. You're all looking at me like I have measles or something."

Joan shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Clifford. I don't know about the other girls, but I have never seen a person like you. I've seen several of your movies on TV, so I knew you were beautiful. But you made those films ten years or more ago. Honestly, you look younger now than you did then; you're more alive, more vibrant. And your appearance... ! I would bet my last dime you have no makeup on at all. Would I win?"

Ali nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Joan. But there's more to it, I think, isn't there?"

Now the younger girl reddened, "Yes, ma'am. You look like you ... like you just got out of bed with a man. I have never seen a girl look so ... so sleek. And you move like a cat. Anyway, I'm impressed. Whatever it is you've found, you can make a mint if you can bottle it!"

"Ginger, where did you find a girl with such intelligence, taste, good judgment and brains? Of course, she is laying it on a little thick, even to an ex-actress."

She smiled at Joan and said, "There's just one thing: the name is Ali, at least when there aren't any clients around. Particularly when I'm dressed like an urchin off the streets. Incidentally, Judy, thank you again for the very professional reception. If I had been sitting in your seat, I probably would have thrown me out. But in LA, particularly, you can't judge people by their dress." Then she said, "Ging, I was thinking when I walked in about your professional name. The name on the door is Clifford & Jamison. I was thinking about Clifford & Conrad, but Charley is downstairs. What do you think?"

"I think I'll stick to being Ginger Jamison in the firm, if it's all right with you, Ali. The Conrad name on the door could cause problems for Charley." The other girls all had their drinks — Ali noticed Sandra was drinking club soda — when the door buzzer sounded. A waiter brought in three huge trays of hors d'oeuvres which were put in the middle of the huge conference table.

Ali leaned back and put her feet on the corner of the table. "You know, this really isn't too bad," she said with a smile. "Now, what have you been doing while I've been off working so hard."

Ginger raised an eyebrow and said, "Working? My, what a strange name for it. But Ali, I've never seen you look better ... or any other human look better, for that matter." She turned to Sandra and said, "You have the summary, Sandy. Did you bring it?"

Sandra got up, grimaced at Ginger — obviously a reaction to being called Sandy — and brought a file folder over to Ali. She opened it and quickly went through the material. There were eight pages in the folder, but Ali quickly discovered that it was a very brief synopsis of a great deal of material in the firm's files. Of particular interest were over twenty sworn affidavits detailing the extent of Alliance Studios' vendetta against Ali. There were statements from former employees of the studio, and people to whom the slanderous information had been given. Most surprising were five from present studio employees. Then there were the papers to be served. Ali had made up her mind she wanted to do that herself. She asked Sandra, as the firm's litigation specialist, if there was any problem with serving the papers herself. "I'll need a witness, of course, but aside from that, what do you think?"

Sandra frowned but said, "It's not normally done, but there's no legal reason why you can't. Do you have a reason?"

"I have an idea, Sandy, not a reason," Ali said thoughtfully. "Si Goldberg is a hothead. Moreover, he's a hothead who's used to always getting his own way. I have a tiny recorder that fits neatly into my purse. If you and I were to go over tomorrow and serve the papers on him personally there's a chance he'll say something that will help us hang his ass. Of course, if he doesn't there's no loss. What do you think?"

"I think it's a fine idea, Mrs. Clifford," Sandra said.

"Sandy — and it has to be Sandy, I'm afraid — the name is Ali ... all the time." Ali turned on her smile and said, "I have two announcements: First, this being Los Angeles, am I correct in assuming you all drive to work?" All the heads around the table nodded in unison. "I thought so. Well, we now have another ten parking spaces in the garage downstairs. Each of you gets one."

The girls grinned, and Joan let out a low whistle.

"The other thing is there is a new health club that just opened in the building. We have a firm membership with all of you included. Ginger and I have husbands who like us sleek and we love them dearly. Therefore, we intend to use the facilities. It's very comprehensive, I'm told. In some offices there are scheduled coffee breaks which I've always thought are a bit much. So instead, we'll have fitness breaks. Does that cause any problems?"

Kathy was the first to answer. "I think it's great! Will we be able to watch you and Mrs. Conrad work out, too?"

"I'm sure you will. And, although I didn't ask her first, I think she would rather be Ginger. Incidentally, I can assure you she's in great shape." Ali sighed deeply and added, "Oh, to be fifteen years younger!"

Ginger grinned and then grimaced, "Get a load of our senior partner. I think she's at least three months away from a wheelchair ... possibly as many as six! Allison Clifford, I dare you to take off all your clothes right now!"

Ali frowned, but got out of her chair. In a moment she had her shirt off with her Levi's following a moment later. She stepped out of her moccasins and then slipped off her tiny bikini. Her entire body was a deep golden tan with her pubic hair now bleached almost white. Her belly was flat and her breasts were full with their tiny still-pink nipples. She looked at Ginger and said, "Are you sure I've got six months?" She grinned and added, "How about you, Partner? From what I hear Charley's been putting a lot of miles on that chassis ... hard miles! Let's see."

Ginger shrugged and undressed but it took longer because she was wearing a business suit. When she was bare, she, too, was tanned all over, although hers was a lighter tan. Her belly was flat, her breasts were also full, and her hips, thighs, and buttocks were perfect.