Chapter 12: New Horizons

(Jim)

Shirley told me about a job opportunity during lunch that afternoon, and she also told me about the woman that was responsible for it: Kara.

Kara was a dominant, and I already knew that Shirley was a submissive. In fact, Shirley as much as admitted that to me as she explained their relationship, which was a first for her, at least as far as admitting it to me. Shirley didn't seem to notice this, though.

Although Shirley told me about her relationship with her friend, she wasn't much on details, except for the one scene with Kara's boyfriend Dave. Again, Shirley was entitled to her privacy. I felt happy that she decided to reveal her relationship with Kara, even if she didn't include every intimate detail of it to me. In fact, I respected her discretion in keeping things about Kara private.

When I got back from lunch, Roger called me into his office.

"What's up, Roger?" I asked as I closed the door behind me.

"I hear tell you ate lunch with Shirley today."

I nodded. "Yes. I see that you're hooked into the grapevine as well."

Roger laughed. "Normally, I'd give you a lecture about the perils of dating a coworker, but I know you're pretty smart. Shirley isn't in our department, and you are a pretty ethical person. However, I do need to mention it or I won't be doing my duty."

I nodded. "I understand."

"That's not why I called you into my office, though."

"Oh?"

There were some papers on Roger's desk and he picked them up. "You've been working here for a while. Everybody that has worked with you says the same thing about you. You're reliable, honest, and a natural leader. You have the respect of the entire management team..."

I interrupted. "Well, not the entire team." I was thinking of an airhead that used to work in Q.A.

"We let Sally find opportunities elsewhere," Roger said diplomatically. "The way you handled her earned the grudging respect of everybody that was there. Even my boss was impressed."

"I guess."

"Anyway, at this company, we want to reward exceptional effort." He handed me a sheaf of papers.

I glanced through them. On top was a certificate of appreciation. The second sheet was an official memo from one of the vice presidents of the company, which surprised me. A quick skim found the words "promotion" and "salary increase."

"Is this... ?"

"You're now officially the team lead." Roger shook my hand. "Unofficially, you've been doing the work and doing it rather well. We're now recognizing it. You are also now a salary grade 10, which means you automatically get another week of paid time off every year. Next year, when you reach your fifteenth year working here, that will increase to six weeks total."

I was too astonished to respond. I knew that I was the unofficial leader of my group, but leading the group was easy because everybody knew their job and did what they said they would do.

"I'm stunned," I said. Suddenly, I felt a bit disloyal to the company for endorsing Shirley's looking for a job elsewhere. That feeling passed quickly; Shirley herself said that she'd look internally if there were management positions available. "Um, thanks!"

For once, I was speechless. I did not expect anything like this at all. Not only did I have a promotion and a raise, but an extra week off!

"There's something else I need to tell you," Roger said.

Looking at Roger's body language, I knew that this wasn't going to be good news. "What else?" I asked.

Roger looked around uncomfortably. "This is not official, mind you. I know that there are rumors of layoffs running around..."

Huh? I was being promoted and laid off at the same time?

"Anyway," Roger continued. "It's important that this doesn't leave this room. I know I can trust you, but I have to ask you specifically. Can I trust you to keep what I tell you a secret? From everybody?"

"Of course," I said, truly confused.

"The rumors are true," Roger said sadly. "Your job isn't in jeopardy, Jim," he added hurriedly, "but that's not true for everybody here. We're losing a member of our group."

I mentally went through the people in our group, trying to figure out who I would lay off. It's not an easy decision, and I'm happy I wasn't in management where I'd have to make that decision.

"I guess it's not your fault," I said, giving a sigh. "It must be tough."

"It's part of the job, but it doesn't make it any easier. Anyway, when this gets out, there might be some repercussions and resentment from others that you are getting a promotion while somebody will be losing a job."

That sucked! "I didn't think of that..."

"The position was always there, Jim. You've been doing the work, and the paperwork has been in progress for a while. Even if I didn't give you the position, we'd still be losing head count."

"Yeah," I said, feeling a bit shitty.

"That's not the worst of it, Jim."

"There's more?"

"I said your job isn't in jeopardy. I also said it's not true for everybody."

"We're losing a person."

"It's not just us. This is happening to all teams."

Suddenly, the implication hit me. "Shirley?"

Roger didn't answer directly, but nodded. "Can I trust you not to tell her? I thought that you might want to keep it in mind, though. Monday is the day that people will be told. I know you care about her, so perhaps you could..."

I interrupted. "Roger, you asked me if I would keep a secret. I don't feel comfortable keeping secrets from Shirley. Could I ask you the same thing? Can you keep a secret for me?"

"Sure, Jim..." Roger sounded confused.

"Shirley has a friend in Spokane," I said. "It's an old college friend. Anyway, Kara told Shirley about a job opportunity in management at Phase International. Shirley was thinking about talking to them." I decided to add a bit of a white lie at this point. "Well, Shirley was feeling a bit guilty..."

Roger was genuinely surprised. "She is?"

"Yes," I answered, nodding. "Anyway, knowing what you told me, I think it might be a good idea for her to start looking elsewhere. At least for her, it would be better if she were to find a job before she were to be laid off. You know what I mean?"

My boss nodded.

"I think if Shirley were to look, that company would be nuts not to hire her. If she found it before she got laid off..."

"Actually, it could be advantageous."

"Huh?" I was a bit confused by Roger's remark.

"You've never been through a layoff before, have you?"

"No."

Roger smiled for the first time since he asked me to keep a secret. "Layoffs usually involve severance pay. I'm not sure of Shirley's salary, but knowing my own people and assuming that Shirley isn't much different, she could be looking at half a year's salary as a payout."

"Wow," I said, giving off a low whistle. "That could work out in Shirley's favor, then."

"Yes," Roger said.

"Thanks," I said. "I'll keep what you've told me confidential. Please don't tell Shirley's manager. OK?"

"No problem, Jim. We're going to keep your promotion secret until a few months after these layoffs blow over, although you will be getting paid as of this week. OK?"

"Sure."

"Congratulations, Jim, and I wish Shirley the best of luck."

"I'll tell her on Monday."

I left Roger's office feeling a mix of emotions.

At home, I felt kind of guilty that I needed to keep things secret from the girls, but I tried to keep those feelings to myself.

"These are great pork chops," I told Shirley at dinner.

"What's bothering you today?" Shirley asked.

As usual, Shirley was quite attuned to my feelings.

"Just work stuff. I'm sorry. I don't mean to bring my work worries home with me."

"Well, you don't do it too often."

"I know. Just the same, I'm sorry."

"Still want to see that movie tonight?"

"I never figured you to be a Vince Vaughn fan."

"I like Owen Wilson, too. Wedding Crashers should be a hoot."

"Sure thing."

The movie was quite enjoyable, actually surprisingly so. It was more of a romantic comedy than I thought it would be, which I guess appealed to Shirley.

The only uncomfortable part of the movie was when Shirley reached over me casually, unzipped my pants, and started to jack me off.

I turned toward Shirley when she did that, and she was looking intently on the screen. The theater was crowded enough that there were people sitting nearby, but from what I could see, most people were watching the screen, the way Shirley was.

I noticed that Shirley would vary her hand technique when certain people came on screen. Owen Wilson, I noticed, would cause her to tighten her grip slightly and move up and down slowly, almost excruciatingly slow.

When I got close to orgasm, Shirley would let up entirely. Her hand was still close, but would no longer be stimulating me. After a few minutes, she would start up again, getting me to the brink, again and again.

To tell you the truth, I didn't really see the ending of the movie. I think Will Ferrel made an appearance, but I was preoccupied. Shirley's up and down motions, getting me close and easing off, were starting to drive me crazy.

Shirley zipped me up during the closing credits, and as I left, I saw more than one female wink at me. It was either that people saw Shirley's actions during the movie, or the fact that my erection was sticking out in front of me. I simply winked back. To her credit, Shirley took me into her mouth after we got back into the car, and in thirty seconds, I was blasting down her throat.

As I drove us home, Shirley talked about the movie. Meanwhile, I thought about Shirley, and her exhibitionist tendencies. This evening was interesting, but the two of us could have been caught. Now, don't take me as a prude; I'm just careful. I think just about everybody has a fantasy about "doing it" in public, but a fantasy is one thing, and reality is something else.

When we got back to the house, we went upstairs to the bedroom. We made love slowly and leisurely, with me entering Shirley from behind while we were spooned together. I kissed her ears--a powerful erogenous zone I discovered in Shirley, and cupped her breasts as I softly moved my hips back and forth. Shirley reached orgasm first--and second, and after I finally came, I moved closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Sleep, Shirley. Sleep."

(Shirley)

Jim looked thoughtful as he drove me home from work. I finally confronted him at dinner when he made a rather banal comment (for him, at least).

"What's bothering you today? You've hardly talked at all."

Jim shrugged. "Work stuff. I'm sorry. I don't like it when I bring work home with me."

I know that Jim is a hard worker--it's one of the things that just about everybody at work will say about him. I felt as if I was being unfair to him, so I said, "Well, at least you don't to it too often."

We saw Wedding Crashers, a comedy with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. Somewhere near the middle of the film, I decided to help Jim get his mind off work and I unzipped him and started to jack him off.

When I did that, Jim looked at me, but I pretended that I was watching the movie. He didn't say anything, so for the rest of the movie, I would jack him off, and when I felt him tense, I'd back off, not wanting him to soil his pants or my hand. After a few minutes, I'd start it up again.

By the time the credits were showing, it was obvious to me that Jim wasn't been paying attention to the movie at all. I zipped him up, and when he got up, he looked like one of those guys in the Cialis commercials! More than one woman noticed Jim's condition, and I saw one actually wink at him.

I relieved Jim's torment in the car in the parking lot, and it didn't take long for him to get off.

After the movie, we went to bed, and we shared one of our slow, relaxing sessions of making love. He got me off a few times, and I think I fell asleep after he came, because I don't remember twisting over to clean him up--a duty that I once would have never considered, but something that I considered a special treat with Jim.

The next morning, I woke up, completely relaxed. I went to the bathroom and once again stared at myself in the mirror. Did I truly deserve somebody as wonderful and attentive as Jim? I know I was lucky that he loved me, but I still had some doubts that I was worthy of him. Although I lost a little weight, I was still a little sensitive about the fat in my fanny. I tried to twist to get a better view in the mirror, but I guess it was just as well that I wasn't able to see it that well.

I heard Jim stir in the bed, and looked over to see him smiling at me.

"Hi, Mr. Wonderful!"

"Mr. Wonderful?" Jim asked.

"I feel so lucky to have a wonderful person like you, Jim. I'm serious."

"I think I'm the lucky one, Shirley." He came into the bathroom, and pulled me close and kissed me.

I melted in Jim's strong arms, thinking about all the times I scoffed at those pictures on those romance novels in the bookstores with women swooning with Fabio, that male model with the long hair that was impossibly blond.

Jim wasn't a male model, but if you could measure the beauty of his personality, he'd have any other male beat.

As Jim moved past me toward the toilet, I watched, fascinated. Since I was a little girl, I was always enraptured by the sight of a boy peeing standing up, although most boys when I was a kid were too shy to let me get that close.

Now, this was my great opportunity. "May I?" I asked.