Chapter 6

"All right, everybody, I'd like to thank you all once more for making this possible, and if any of you needs to reach me, please don't hesitate to contact me directly."

Karl was finishing up the conference call from his office the next morning, pacing back and forth as he spoke into the speaker phone. It had gone well and he was wrapping things up ahead of schedule. He looked at his wristwatch, calculating how soon he'd be able to drive to Carla's to meet Kathy and the kids, when his cell phone buzzed. Recognizing the number as his sister-in-law's, he quickly wrapped up his goodbyes and hit the button to end the conference call, then flipped open his cell.

"Hi, Honey," he said, "I just got off the phone, so I can drive up directly from work, I should be there in..."

"Don't bother," came Kathy's terse voice, the annoyance clear in her tone. "Ass-face rolled back home this morning."

"Oh, you're kidding. So, does that mean you and the girls are on your way back?"

"Just about. Carla's reading Doug the riot act, but I can tell he'll be asleep soon. As soon as I'm sure she's okay, we're hitting the road."

Karl smiled. He hadn't been looking forward to driving to Carla's house anyway, especially while they were in the middle of a domestic dispute.

"Okay. Well, you're a good sister, babe. Why don't I take us all out for lunch when you get back?"

"Deal. See you in a couple hours."

Karl shook his head, logging off his computer and grabbing his briefcase. I'll take them out for lunch, he figured, and maybe to some movie the girls will like. Then later tonight, maybe we can get by with putting the girls to bed a little early and I'll get a chance to try to make it up to Kathy. He looked forward to sleeping with his sexy wife. He shut off the lights to the office on his way out, heading for home.

Ashley slept in, not wanting to get out of bed. She'd gone up to her room and cried softly into her pillow, unwilling to accept that Karl might not want her the way she wanted him. It just wasn't possible, she'd insisted fruitlessly to herself. They were meant to be together.

She'd cried herself to sleep, then slept fitfully, and she still felt drowsy and lethargic today. She didn't really have anything to do until tonight, when Ally was having her party, and she couldn't think of anything to do to kill time, so she just lay under the covers, remembering the way Karl had made love to her over and over.

At one point that night Ashley had asked Karl to take her upstairs, to make love to her on their bed, but he'd refused, telling her it wasn't a good idea. It had made Ashley jealous to think about Karl and Kathy together on that bed, her Karl with another woman. But it had been enough for her just to have him all to herself for at least one night. Even now she felt her pulse jump when she remembered the way he'd made her cum. She traced her fingers over her breasts, remembering his rough hands there, squeezing her perky little titties as she rode his fat cock.

She slid her hands down between her thighs, spreading her legs as she began to gently stroke herself there, reliving their passionate night.

The next couple weeks seemed to race by for Lisa. She was as frustrated as ever with her feelings for Karl, but she threw herself into her work, and that helped. Karl was, of course, extremely professional in every way with her, and he didn't miss an opportunity to praise her work when she deserved it, but for all intents and purposes, their night together seemed to be forgotten.

The only hint of trouble came to Lisa's attention when she and Karl were called into Clarissa's office together. Lisa shot Karl a questioning look, but he'd just shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't know what was up.

"Ah, there you two are," Clarissa said as they entered her expansive office. "Come in, come in."

She stepped around her desk to greet them, shaking their hands and motioning for them to take seats at her small conference table.

"I won't beat around the bush here: We have a chance to pitch the McMillon Group, and I want you two to handle the presentation. We'll need something ready to go by this time next week. I know it's short notice, but the proposal should be pretty similar to what you two put together for the Wilson account so you won't be starting from scratch."

She leaned back against the edge of her desk, smiling at them.

"Okay, shoot," she said, looking them both in the eye. "What are your thoughts?"

Lisa swallowed nervously, unsure of what to say. She'd just made a huge career leap by being involved in the Wilson account, and now Clarissa was handing her McMillon as well! It was a little overwhelming. If anything, McMillon would be even bigger than Wilson.

"Clarissa, I'm flattered that you want to choose the team for this important project," Karl began, his voice remaining neutral and composed, "but I have to make one suggestion here. Both Tandi and Rebecca were ready to move forward on Wilson, and I'd hate for them to miss out on this account. Lisa has proven herself to be more than up to the challenge; I think it would be appropriate for one of them to accompany her on this project rather than me."

Lisa was too stunned to speak. At first the idea of traveling again with Karl had sent her heart racing, and now he was just as quickly dashing her hopes. True, he was complimenting her abilities, which she appreciated, but she quickly realized how much she'd wanted the two of them to be alone together, if only to get a chance to talk to him.

Clarissa smiled at Karl, slowly shaking her head.

"Karl, I'd expect nothing less from you," she said warmly. "I know you're looking out for your staff, and I also know that both Tandi and Rebecca deserve a shot at an account this size. They'll get their chance, I promise you. But not this time."

She stood up and walked back around her desk to take her seat.

"No, I need my star team to make sure this happens without a hitch. You're not going to have much lead time, obviously, and there just isn't time to bring one of them up to speed before the initial presentation. I know for a fact that McMillon is looking at other agencies, and I don't want to risk losing them because we took too long to get to the pitch."

She looked at her computer screen, typing in a few rapid sentences. The she looked back at both of them, apparently surprised to see them still sitting there.

"That's it, folks. Make me proud. You'll find some prospectus information in your in boxes when you get back to your desks."

Karl seemed to be taking it all in stride, but Lisa was a little shaken by the abruptness of the meeting. He looked at her and smiled.

"Clarissa doesn't mess around when it comes to this sort of thing," he told her, trying to soften the impact. "It's a sign that she's pleased with your work, believe me. Long meetings with her are a bad sign. And she clearly wants you to handle this."

"It sounds like you're the one she thinks needs to be on board for this. You're right, Tandi or Rebecca should have this account."

"Don't worry about that, Lisa," Karl assured her. "They'll get the next one, no doubt about it. I just wanted you to get a chance to work with one of them on this. No matter, though; I'm sure we'll do just fine."

He smiled at her and Lisa found herself grinning back at him. She was looking forward to the time they'd be spending together preparing for this presentation.

"Well, let's go see about that information. Why don't you grab your stuff and meet me in my office?"

Well, Karl thought to himself, despite my best efforts, it looks like I'll be traveling with Lisa again. Through the glass walls of his office he watched her gather her things, appreciating the gorgeous curve of her hips, her shapely legs. Of course, Kathy will probably want to throttle me for letting them send me on another business trip so soon after the last one. He sighed, sitting down behind his desk.

The truth was, he already had another assignment lined up for Tandi and Rebecca. He'd hoped to accompany them on it, making a presentation for another large corporation within the next month or so. Now he figured he'd have to just hand it off to them entirely. They could handle it, he was sure. He reached over and hit the intercom, asking them both to please come into his office for a minute.

Lisa stepped into the office just ahead of them, setting up her laptop on Karl's conference table and booting it up. She smiled nervously at the two women, wondering what Karl was up to.

"Tandi, Rebecca," Karl began when they entered his office, "Clarissa has just asked that Lisa and I take on a new account. We're to pitch a presentation to the McMillon Group next week."

Tandi and Rebecca both looked over to smile at Lisa, wordlessly congratulating her on getting such a big opportunity.

"It's something that either one of you might have ended up with had you been along for the Wilson account, but I think this will all work out just fine. For one thing, Lisa has proven just how ready she is for this sort of account, and McMillon should be quite similar to Wilson."

Lisa smiled shyly, uncomfortable with the praise under the circumstances. She didn't like the idea of getting work that her co-workers deserved.

"But the other thing that makes this a perfect fit is a new account I hope to land in the next month, two at the latest: Taurus Publishing."

The eyes of all three women grew wide. Tandi and Rebecca looked at each other then back to Karl with a look of amazement.

"Taurus Publishing?" Tandi asked. "You mean..."

"I mean," Karl finished for her, "that I have it on good information that they're looking to shake up their overseas markets, and they've been less than pleased with the work Ice, Ferguson has been providing. It's a long shot, but it's a real opportunity for us. I want you two," he said, motioning to Tandi and Rebecca, "to work up an outline for a general proposal for them. I'll help you with it as much as I can, but this is going to be your baby."

Rebecca was grinning ear to ear, and Tandi couldn't restrain herself, throwing her arms around Karl's neck and hugging him excitedly.

"Karl!" she squealed, uncharacteristically giddy. "I can't believe it!"

Karl just laughed, hugging the sexy Indian woman warmly. She felt every bit as sexy in his arms as he'd thought she might, and he didn't immediately let go of her, instead savoring the feel of her curvy body pressed against his. He grinned at Rebecca over her shoulder, who laughed as well, and she gave them both a quick hug as well. Karl smelled her thick red hair as she squeezed him, getting a nice feel of her body pressed against him as well.

It was a brief moment, though, and the women quickly regained their composure. Neither sexy woman could hide her excitement at the opportunity Karl was giving them. Lisa watched with a friendly smile pasted on her face, but inwardly she was cringing at having to watch them embracing Karl like that. Jealous instincts flared up in her mind faster than she could dismiss them.

"Well, Lisa and I have a great deal of work to do to get ready for McMillon," Karl finally said, ending the meeting. "Rebecca, Tandi, I know you'll succeed in this. Get started with the figures I've e-mailed you, and check back with me first thing next week."

Lisa watched the two women hurry back to their desks to plow into the assignment. She looked up at Karl, who smiled down at her. He'd seen her watching them, and though he couldn't be sure, he thought he'd picked up a bit of tension from her. Was she jealous? The idea amused him. Not that he was going to lord it over her (or even mention it for that matter), but the thought of Lisa feeling territorial about him made him chuckle to himself.

He'd been good with Lisa since they'd come back from the last trip. He hadn't so much as brushed up against her inappropriately, and he'd made it clear to her that their relationship was strictly professional. But now he thought back to how much fun she'd been at the hotel, how incredibly passionate in bed, and he decided that he wanted her again, even if it was risky. She was under his control, after all. More so than Kathy, more so than even little Ashley; Lisa was his to enjoy.

"Let's get to work, okay?" he said calmly, pulling out some data on McMillon.

Lisa tried to focus on the work at hand, but it was difficult to dispel the image in her mind of Karl and Tandi and Rebecca all together; his closeness now didn't help.

Later that afternoon, Lisa was back at her desk working out some statistics when Trent strolled into Karl's office.

"Hey, buddy," he said casually, "are we still on for drinks at the Cozy after work?"

Karl looked up at his friend, then checked his watch. It was already after 5. He sat back in his chair, relaxing a little.

"I don't think I can, Trent," he said, taking a break. "It looks like this assignment is going to keep me tied up for a while."

"Bah, I'm in no hurry," Trent said, plopping down in one of the chairs in front of Karl's desk.

Karl rolled his eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. But he was chuckling under his breath.

"Okay, okay," he laughed, "let me wrap this up and I'll join you for a quick one."

Trent looked through the glass partition, watching Rebecca and Tandi as they drew out their plans at a nearby workstation.

"Jee-sus!" he exclaimed softly. "I will never understand how you are able to get any work done surrounded by all this, Karl."

Just then, Lisa was getting up to take some papers into Karl's office. She stopped at the doorway, where she was partially hidden from view by the door, listening to what Trent was saying.

"I mean," he continued, "just look at that luscious tail! Criminey, Karl, you've gotta hook me up with some of that."

Lisa rolled her eyes, unimpressed with Trent's observations; she'd heard that line many times.

"Trent," Karl said sternly. "I've told you before, I'm not going to tell you again: there's no place for that shit in my office, understand?"

Lisa smiled as she heard Karl chastising Trent. He really was one of the best bosses she'd ever worked for, she reminded herself.

"Okay, buddy, okay," Trent was saying, trying to patch things up. "I didn't mean anything by it, all right? I'm just a boorish man, you know that. I promise to keep it in line from now on."

Lisa walked in at that point, nodding politely to Trent as she passed before handing the folder to Karl.

"That should cover the travel account, Karl. I'm going on home unless you need anything else tonight."

"No, that's plenty, Lisa, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."

Trent watched the shapely brunette walk out, then turned to give Karl a look, grinning.

"I'm not saying anything," he said.

Later at the Cozy, Trent went on and on about how he'd hooked up with a hot stewardess over the weekend and that she'd be back in town this coming weekend with a couple friends who were looking for a good time. Karl just laughed at his friend's description, refusing to go along.

"Trent, there's no way you're getting me to party with you and your stewardess hook-ups, it's just not going to happen." He held up his left hand, wiggling his ring finger. "Married, remember?"

"Sure, sure," Trent said. "And when are you going on another business trip with Lisa?"

Karl shot a serious look at Trent.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you'd have to be a robot not to notice her, Karl. Come on, loosen up."

Karl looked at his watch, then drained his beer and got up.

"Hey, I'm sorry, buddy," Trent said quickly. "You know I'm just fooling around."

"I know, I know. But I gotta get home anyway. See ya around, Trent."

"... and that's how we'd like to introduce your line into the untapped markets abroad, particularly in Western Europe."

Lisa was running through the closing topics of their presentation. It was the first day of a two-day presentation in the main offices of the McMillon Group, and so far it had been a thoroughly intimidating day. She and Karl had both performed well, but while Karl seemed incredibly calm and comfortable, she was extremely nervous. On several occasions throughout the day she'd been caught off-guard by questions from the senior management of McMillon, and she'd stumbled badly.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me how this takes into account the reports from this morning's Financial Times that predict a tightening of import tariffs in some of the territories we're addressing?" a man towards the back of the room asked.

"Uh, this morning's Financial Times?" Lisa asked, clearly taken off-guard by the question. "The, uh, import tariffs shouldn't significantly impact..."

"What my colleague means to say," Karl said, standing up as he spoke, "is that the tariffs in question are taken into account, though obviously not as directly as Mister Thorton would like. I have to apologize for that, but we didn't include this morning's financial news in our presentation." There was a smattering of light laughter in the crowd, and Karl went on. "However, if you'll turn to the second appendix I think you'll find that we've addressed the type of situation spelled out in this morning's paper, giving three different options for approaching this particular challenge."

Thorton flipped to the back of his packet and scanned the pages, nodding as he read. When he looked up, he was smiling.

"The events Mr. Thorton brings up are important," he continued, "but they don't alter our overall strategy for opening up McMillon's overseas markets, and in fact I think you'll see that there are abundant opportunities still available even in a worse-case scenario. Lisa can fill you in on the details of what's broadly described there."

He turned to his attractive partner, giving her a reassuring smile. Lisa didn't let it show, but Karl could tell she'd been shaken by her slip-up, and he wanted to encourage her to get right back into her presentation. She did so without missing a beat.

"It's true, the markets for McMillon's core group of products and services is very nearly untapped right now, and will likely continue to be so," Lisa said confidently, picking up where Karl had left off.

Later that afternoon Karl collected his things, the presentation finally having come to an end after a long question and answer session. Lisa hadn't made any more mistakes, but it was touch and go there for a while. He couldn't quite read the senior management as they'd listened to her, and he didn't know where they stood.