Chapter 1

It was turning out to be another busy night at work for Marie. Working in a department store during the holiday season was enough to test the patience of even a saint under normal circumstances. But today had been worse than normal. She had volunteered to work this extra day when one of the other girls had called out sick. In effect, she was working a double shift in a little less than twenty-four hours. Luckily, there was only three hours left, and she had the next day off. She was looking forward to some peace and quiet.

That all ended when she heard her name called over the intercom, asking her to report to the manager's office. "What could they want me for?" she wondered as she walked across the store. She wasn't due for her yearly evaluation, and she'd done a good job as the new accountant for the store. "Maybe they want to give me a raise," she thought inwardly, causing a slight smile to creep across her full red lips.

The smile quickly evaporated as she saw her immediate supervisor Holly sitting behind the manager's desk. Of all the people she'd had to deal with in the store over the past two years, she'd gotten along the worst with her. Standing roughly five and a half feet tall, pale green eyes, with long brunette hair that she kept tied up in a tight bun, Holly gave the impression of a strict supervisor. Marie preferred the word "bitch." After all, she wasn't the only woman in the store who didn't get along with Holly.

Holly waved to the seat across the desk. "Have a seat, Marie. There's something we need to discuss."

Once seated, Holly got up and walked around to the front of the desk. She perched herself on the corner of it, her skirt settling around her knees. Taking a long look at her, Marie thought that Holly might be considered a stunning woman, if her personality didn't suck so badly.

"Do you enjoy working here?"

"Yeah. I mean, if I didn't, I wouldn't have stayed here for the last two years."

"And you've done a good job here in that time, right?"

"I'd like to think so, yes." Marie was beginning to wonder where this was going, but she was sure she wasn't going to like it.

"And you've never done anything that might cause you to be let go, have you?"

"No! Why in the world would I do that?"

Holly cocked her head slightly to the side, looking Marie straight in the eyes. "Are you sure?"

The way she said that made the little hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "Yes, I'm sure."

Holly stood up and walked over to a television set on a cart in the corner. Turning the device on, she picked up the remote control and sat back down behind the desk. "Then I can't understand what you might call THIS." As if to emphasize the last word, Holly pushed the "play" button for the VCR under the set, causing a picture of the back stockroom area to appear.

Marie couldn't stop a small gasp from escaping from her lips as she saw something that had happened over a month ago recorded on tape. Her hands covered her mouth as she saw herself and a male co-worker, Tom, kissing passionately in front of the stockroom desk. In short order, their clothes began to disappear as they stripped each other naked in their eagerness. She sat in shock as Holly allowed the tape to run for another few minutes, clearly showing the two fucking each other on top of the desk. When the screen went blank, Marie sat in silence, sure of what was to come next.

"Imagine what I was thinking when I saw this," Holly said with disappointment evident in her voice. "Two of my best employees, using the back as their own little love nest. If this isn't grounds for being fired, I don't know what is." She turned to look at Marie. "And it's especially shocking as you're a 'happily' married woman with two kids."

Marie began to feel tears well up in the corners of her eyes. She was dead in the water, and was unable to do anything to defend herself.

Holly moved the chair forward, until she was as close to Marie as she could get with the desk between them. "Imagine what your husband would think if you not only lost your job, but he discovered that you'd been unfaithful..."

If it was possible, Marie's heart sank even further at the prospect. Shortly after she and Will, her husband, had gotten married some ten years ago, she'd had a one-night stand that he'd found out about. While he had forgiven her that one time, he had warned her that any future affairs would end their marriage. She doubted he'd forgive her THIS time.

Bringing herself back to the present, she looked up and saw Holly sitting there with that damned self-satisfied grin that she wore when she was screwing somebody over. "FUCK YOU!" she wanted to scream in her face, but knew that she had to play it cool if she wanted to keep her job. Instead, she said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. It was a one-time thing, and I'd never allow it to happen again. I promise."

Holly shook her head slowly. "You know, I'm afraid that's not going to be enough. After all, it's not just you who's in trouble here. Tom is just as much in peril of losing HIS job right now." That thought chilled Marie even further.

"What can I do to make this right? I don't want to cost Tom his job! I mean, me getting fired is one thing. That's my own fault. But he's young and single yet, and I wouldn't want to be the cause of his being out, especially this time of year."

"Seems to me that's he's a big boy, and fully accountable for his own actions, Marie."

"I know, I know." She was getting desperate now. There HAD to be a way out of this! "But there's got to be a way to atone for my mistakes. Maybe a couple of days off without pay, or a written reprimand."

Holly looked doubtful. "Somehow, when management sees this tape, I doubt any written punishment will be enough."

Marie decided to appeal to the personal side of her supervisor. "C'mon, Holly. I know you and I haven't exactly gotten along over the last couple of years. But there's GOT to be something you and I can work out."

"Are you suggesting that I should put MY job at risk too?"

"No! Not at all! I think I've done enough of that already. But do you REALLY have to show that to anyone in management? I'm sure you could just forget that it exists."

"In other words, hide it?"

"Exactly!"

Holly leaned forward, her eyes locked with Marie's. "And just why should I do that? Like you said, we haven't exactly gotten along since you started here..."

Marie was getting tired of playing her game. "Look, I begging you, as one woman to another, to let this go. I'll do anything you want."

Holly's eyes seemed to light up at the word "anything." "Are you so sure you want to say 'anything' Marie?"

Marie moved away from her, pushing as far back in her chair as possible. "Well, nothing illegal. I DO have kids to worry about."

Holly chuckled. "No, I'm not exactly into the jail scene myself." She sat back and crossed her legs, allowing her hands to run back and forth along them. She closed her eyes, letting Marie sweat for a minute or two. When she did look back at her, she had an evil glint to them. "Well, there IS something I have in mind..."

Marie jumped at the opening, placing her hands flat out on the desktop. "You name it, and it's yours!"

Holly reached out and placed her hands over the other pair, staring deep into her employee's eyes. "I want YOU."

After a moment's silence, Marie urged, "For... ?"

Holly started to caress the fingers beneath hers. "No, you don't understand. I ... WANT ... YOU."

As Holly's gaze began moving over Marie's body, the younger woman finally got the picture. She pulled her hands away from Holly's, crossing her arms over her chest. She suddenly felt very exposed dressed only in a tank top and tight pair of bluejeans, with her work smock covering her to some extent. "Holly, I'm not into that sort of thing!"

Holly nodded. "Sure you're not," she cooed sarcastically. "That's what most women say in public. But we all have that secret desire to find out what it's all about..."

Marie shook her head emphatically. "No, I mean it! Will has tried to convince me to try that, and it's never worked. I just don't find other women attractive!"

Holly sighed, and extracted the tape out of the machine. "That's too bad. I guess I have no choice then to go turn this in, then."

As she began to move towards the door, Marie nearly screamed, "WAIT!" Holly turned and cocked her head. "Yes? You have something to say?"

Marie was trapped, and was getting sick with every second that passed by. "Holly, isn't there anything else I could do? ANYTHING?"

"Marie, I find you extremely sexy, and have wanted you ever since your initial interview. I'm afraid that's the only thing that could keep me quiet." She noticed that the other woman was about to break out in tears, so she moved over and sat on the edge of the desk. "Look, I can see this is a very tough decision for you to make. Tell ya what: I'll give you until the end of your shift in three hours. By that time, I want an answer. If you don't accept by then, you might as well clear out your personal effects." She reached out and cupped Marie's face in her hands. "Trust me, Mar. I might seem like a bitch here, but I'm an extremely gentle and caring person at heart. We could make each other feel sooo damned good. Just think about it, and let me know." With that, she turned and headed out the door, leaving Marie alone with her thoughts.

"What the FUCK am I supposed to do?" she whined. Marie was sitting at the rear lunch table with Tom and their best friend at work, Tina. She'd just finished telling them everything, including Holly's blackmail offer.