Designware, a prominent graphic design and software company specializing in bringing magazines into the online computer craze, received a request for proposal from JET Magazine to offer the magazine online to all of its subscriber's. Designware was formed earlier when Tom Simmons purchased the two seemingly different companies and merged them into one. Miriam Smith started the small graphic design company shortly after graduation from the University of Alabama with a degree in fashion design. She was interested in designing a line of women's high fashion clothing.

Miriam made a very nice profit from the sale of her company and was named the Vice-President, Graphic Design, of the new company. Maurice, her husband of ten years, wanted his lovely blonde wife to just take the money and run. He did well with his own insurance company but he wanted his wife home more often to take care of their two young children. Miriam wasn't looking at the money but at what fun she had doing what she did and interacting with other adults during the day instead of just being with children and being a soccer mom.

Maurice reluctantly decided he had better support his wife in her new endeavors. Their sex life had been in a rut and now Miriam seemed so much more alive. While she normally submitted to her husband only once a week, she now had more energy. Maurice didn't realize that one of her new co-workers was supplying her with uppers that provided that extra boost that she needed so much.

Designware received the RFP and had a mere three weeks to prepare. The presentation would be in two parts, the first day they had an hour to describe the capabilities of the company and the second day they would actually demonstrate their proposal on the computer. While Miriam was the V.P., she actually had only three other designers in her department. The owner, Tom Simmons, ran the software side of the house and had ten people writing the software programs that were being proposed.

They worked hard but they were ready. Normally, Miriam went with Tom on the sales calls like she had done on several previous occasions. Unfortunately, Tom called Miriam at the last minute and told her that he was sick.

"Miriam, please carry on without me. You know what to do. Just woo them with your natural charms and fabulous good looks. The rest will fall into place. One thing, however, you must do whatever is required to get this order. As you know, business has been slow and we might have to lay off some people in your department if we don't win this contract."

The last part of the conversation really bothered Miriam. The people she had in her department now were the cream of the crop. She had spent many hours in cultivating them so they were the best in the business. Miriam didn't want to lay off any of her excellent employees. She just had to get that contract!

Maurice marveled at his attractive wife as she kissed him and their children good-bye. She was wearing a fashionable gray linen dress with two patch pockets on her chest and two more on her trim hips. A white lace handkerchief peeked out from the upper-left pocket. The large black buttons ran the entire length of the dress which ended just above her knees. She wore sheer black hose and sexy black leather open-toed, high-heeled pumped adorned her little feet. Miriam wore a strand of Mikimoto pearls around her trim neck and a matching bracelet on her left wrist. As she was left-handed, like most brilliant artists, Miriam wore her fancy Omega watch on her right wrist. Of course, she would leave home without her diamond engagement ring and golden wedding band on her long trim finger. Her lovely blonde hair was braided up into a bun which exposed her slim, smooth flawless neck. She had pearl studs in her ears and Maurice caught a whiff of her heavenly perfume as she kissed him and gave him a warm hug good-bye. If he had been a real man, he would have carried her back to their bedroom right then and there and ravished the daylights out of her his. He would miss her tonight as she had never been away by herself on a business like this before.

While he was in his forties, Miriam was only thirty-five. She had worked hard to get her figure back after having the two kids. He thought that his wife looked better now than when they were married ten years ago. A little twitch in his pants reminded him of her passionate love making last night.

"Good luck, Honey. Knock'em dead!"

Miriam blew her loving husband one last kiss before running out to their new Volvo XC90 that she normally ferried the kids around in. She was fortunate that there was a non-stop flight between Birmingham and Detroit, where JET's corporate office was located. Miriam took the mid-morning flight which got her in to Detroit before lunch. She would have one presentation this afternoon and the demonstration tomorrow afternoon. She was scheduled to leave late tomorrow afternoon. The attractive executive was wearing the outfit for this afternoon's presentation but she brought another outfit which was more casual for tomorrow's demonstration.

The up and coming Designware had the policy of letting their VP's and above fly first class. Miriam knew that her company was hurting for new business and money but she enjoyed flying first class so much that she didn't hesitate to buy the ticket. She put the cost of the ticket on her own credit card which was the normal company procedure. The employees would submit an expense report after the trip that was then reimbursed fairly quickly.

Normally, Miriam didn't drink during the business day but she was very excited and thought that a drink might help calm her nerves. She had taken an amphetamine tablet earlier today. That helped her bring her enthusiasm level to the next level. She liked what she was doing but there were pressures at both work and home that sometimes seemed unbearable. That little green and white pill not only helped her get through the day, it also helped with her weight control. It was 'Mommy's Little Helper.'

That Bloody Mary with breakfast on the jet and the coffee with Bailey's afterwards was just what the doctor ordered to calm her nerves. The trim Miriam didn't need lunch as she hailed a taxi to take her directly to her hotel. JET's office building was just a few short blocks away so she didn't need a rental car for such a short overnight business trip. If they won the contract, Miriam would spend more time in Detroit with their new client and get some time to do some sightseeing. Her husband was interested in coming with her some time in the future as he always talked about cars and wanted to see where they were made.

Miriam checked into her hotel, freshened up from her flight and made her way to JET's office. As she walked to their building for her appointment, the attractive blonde turned many a man's head and most of them were black. It seemed to her that they weren't shy about looking at her. She felt kind of tingly down deep inside her belly by their blatant stares of longing and desire. At home, blacks didn't look at her like fresh meat. Growing up, she had led a fairly-sheltered life. She didn't attend integrated schools until she went to high school. As a popular cheerleader, many of the Negro football players would ask her for a date. Miriam refused them all as she knew her racist daddy would either dis-own her or even kill her if she ever went out with one of those 'darkies, ' as her father still called them.

Miriam and Maurice both liked Birmingham and had moved there to raise their family. The population of Birmingham is about a quarter of a million with about seventy-five percent black. Out in the suburbs where they lived, most of their neighbors were white and middle to upper-class. Not too unlike Birmingham, million person-Detroit had a Negro percentage of its population in the lower eighty-percent range. Most of the white collar-workers were indeed white to match their collars, however, JET Magazine, on the other hand, was black owned and its employees were one-hundred percent black. If this had been a 'white-owned' magazine, Jesse Jackson would have been crying racially-oriented discrimination.

As it was, the potential bidders waited in the magazine's reception area until their turn was called to make their sales pitch to JET's senior management. Miriam was amazed to see that all of the five other potential contractors had at least one very attractive blonde on its sales team. She waited patiently until her turn was called. Miriam didn't realize that JET Magazine catered to an all-black subscriber base. She had heard about the magazine before but had never read it before. The thought occurred to her that she should have done more research into JET's market. Even though, JET was all black, her presentation was suited to any type of magazine, except pornographic ones. Her product could even be easily customized for the lucrative porno market but Miriam wouldn't allow her company to be sullied by that reputation.

The attractive blonde read several back issues of JET magazine. As it turned out, Designware was the last company to make a presentation that afternoon. It appeared to Miriam that her presentation on the company's capabilities was well received by JET's management team. They were all very attentive. All of JET's black executives seemed to dwell on her every word. Their eyes roamed over all parts of her body. She didn't realize it but one of the big buttons at the top of her dress had inadvertently come undone. That little slip helped seal the deal as it exposed the cleavage and swell of her magnificent breasts. The executives liked what they heard and saw. Her competitors' previous presentations were not made by the women they brought along as eye-candy. Miriam did. She had the entire package; blonde good looks, womanly charm and the thorough knowledge of her company's capabilities. She didn't know it at the time but her presentation was more than enough to win the lucrative JET contract.

Miriam went back to her hotel after the presentation. She called her husband. He was just fixing their children some macaroni and cheese, their favorite meal. It was also easy for Maurice to prepare as it came in a box and was quick to fix.

The attractive blonde wife spoke to each child, kissed them good-night over the phone and told them, "Mommy loves you, Sweetie." Maurice told his wife that he already missed her. This was the first time that she had ever been away from home all by herself. It would certainly not be the last.

After not having eaten all day since breakfast, Miriam was famished. She considered staying in and calling room service but she decided against it. She did want to just watch TV reruns; she wanted to be with real people. The pretty blonde wife and mother took off her constricting pantyhose to be more comfortable and undid her shoulder-length blonde hair. She ran a brush though her gorgeous hair and applied a fresh coat of lipstick.

The hotel had a nice restaurant that was fairly crowded. Miriam ordered a glass of her favorite white wine to unwind after a stressful day. Her salad came a little while later. She ordered a second glass of wine. She normally didn't have two glasses but she felt very confident on her today's presentation. Besides, she was on expenses and she deserved another glass of wine.

It was still early when she finished her meal. She only had the salad as took another upper before dinner and that suppressed her appetite. The night was young and she didn't want to just watch TV in her hotel room by herself. Miriam normally didn't go into bars without her husband, especially when she was by herself. The bar was next door to the restaurant and it seemed everyone was having a gay time there. She wandered in and took an empty seat at the bar. As a single woman, many of the men asked to by her a drink. She told them, "I'm waiting for my husband," and showed them her wedding rings. That seemed to take care of her being bothered by unwanted advances.

Miriam had one glass of wine and then another. Even though her next JET appointment wasn't until tomorrow afternoon, she was about to leave and go on to bed when she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, hello, Miriam. How is the pretty lady doing this evening?" She looked up to see one of JET's senior-level executives, Marcus Taylor smiling broadly at her.

Marcus was a tall, athletic black fellow who played football at the University of Michigan. He would have been one of the first picks in the NFL, that was, until he was unnecessary-roughly tackled during the Ohio State football game. That ended his professional football dreams early. Fortunately, his grades in college were very good and went on to law school. Marcus was now JET's corporate attorney.

"I'm doing very well this evening, thank you very much," the blonde beauty replied.

"Very good. How about joining me over at my table for a drink?"

Miriam was just about to refuse as she already had four glasses of wine this evening, two past her normal limit. She thought about telling him no but then she remembered Tom Simmons' words about doing whatever is needed in order to win the contract.

Flirting with JET's corporate attorney and having one drink with him certainly wouldn't hurt Designware's chances of winning the much sought after and needed contract.

"Sure, but just one. I think that I've had just about enough drinks for one evening."

Marcus took the blonde beauty's hand in his and led her to a darkened booth near the back of the bar. He motioned Miriam to slip into the booth first. The Negro smiled when he saw her dress rise up her firm thigh and was awarded with a nice glimpse of her bare legs. He could help but grinning as he moved in beside the naive, lovely blonde beauty.

The waiter brought them both another drink. This was now Miriam's fifth glass of wine on almost an empty stomach. She hadn't been this intoxicated since one of her husband's wild fraternity parties in college.

Marcus was talking to her quietly about how she did such a fabulous presentation today all by herself. Miriam felt very good. She didn't object when Marcus put his muscular arm around her shoulders. She knew she should but she didn't. Miriam had never been unfaithful to her loving husband before. Now she was alone with a strange man, a black man at that. Her insides tingled. She had never felt this excited before with her own husband. Marcus must have been working his black magic on her.

He was still whispering into her ear when she felt his warm hand on her bare thigh. Miriam quickly covered his roving black hand with hers to prevent him from going any further. That wasn't enough as she didn't put up much of a fight.

Miriam's breathing came more rapidly as her heart raced in her chest. His dark hand was now all the way under her dress and his searching fingers now pushed the leg band of her silky French bikini panties aside. Miriam gasped as his strong finger probed her moist vagina. Marcus tweaked her erect clitoris, eliciting a moan of desire from her red lip-sticked lips.

The blonde beauty swallowed hard and knew that she had to leave before anything happened to her fidelity.

"I've got to be going," she barely whispered to him.

"Okay, Honey, let me help you to your room."

Miriam was too far gone to resist. Marcus helped her up and asked her for her keys. He smiled to himself when he saw her room number, four sixty-nine.