Chapter 28: Acquisition

Promptly at eight that evening Helen was escorted by the Maître d' to Derek's table. To put her at her ease he chatted about mutual acquaintances among their entry and where they were now. It was clear to Helen that Derek had been easily the most successful of their year's graduates, even without become the youngest full Partner that THMA had ever had. Over dinner they talked of some others in their graduate entry group, and she heard the story of his career since they parted. It cheered her up to learn that he had not married. The desperate plan in the back of her mind seemed to be going well when he suggested they take coffee in his suite instead of at table.

When the coffee had been served Derek opened the more serious part of the conversation by asking, "Do you want to come to the Gulf with me?"

"Oh, yes, please. I'll work really hard, I promise. You'll find I'm worth the trouble, really."

When Derek sat thinking the silence lengthened until she spoke again.

"And I'll do anything you want. Really, anything."

"I don't want you in the office. In any case there are no women working anywhere in the country," then he added, "Other than in harems and brothels, of course."

Helen took a deep breath and said, "I don't want to work in a brothel, but I'll do anything else."

"Live in my harem and be used like the other women?" asked Derek.

"Yes," said Helen in a tiny voice.

"Be beaten if you annoy me?"

"Yes," a whisper now.

"In that case you can strip for me now."

Helen was naked faster than Derek would have thought possible. He held his hand out and she took it; he pulled her towards him and then pressed her down to her knees.

"Show me," he commanded.

She opened his trousers and applied herself to the first duties in her new employment, thinking that once she got to Kobekistan she would soon be able to establish herself as his head concubine, if not actually as a wife.

The only thing which struck her as odd during the night was that he never once showed any inclination to enter her except by way of her mouth. He didn't even finger her much; certainly nowhere near enough to give her a climax.

The next morning, after Helen had sucked him off and licked his penis clean without Derek making the slightest move to give her any sexual satisfaction, he telephoned Hajji Darwish Dosmukhamedov and explained the problem of Helen's lack of a passport.

~What is this woman to you?~ asked the elderly Kobekistani.

"She will be a member of my harem," said Derek, using English to be sure that Helen really understood her position.

Helen stared at him.

'He really means that, ' she thought, 'a slave in an Arab harem, but with Derek as my master. Well it is what he said last night but he means it. Can I go through with it? I can't go back to THMA to be sacked, and I can't stand any more of John beating me up.'

She looked into Derek's eyes and moved over to kneel before him in total submission.

~Thank you, my friend, Derek continued the conversation in Arabic.

~And will you be properly grateful?~ asked the old man.

~Of course, and so will the girl, Derek replied,

~That would be a kindness to an old man,

~She shall come to your house direct from the airport, Derek promised, ~and she could stay for a few days.~

~One night will be enough, if she is as grateful as you claim. I am an old man, after all, the Kobekistani laughed.

Derek went into the Leicester office and told Richard that Helen was to be reassigned immediately to the Gulf office of THMA and that she would be leaving with him that afternoon.

"You could be making a big mistake," warned Richard, "She's useless."

"Not for what I want," said Derek, winking at his colleague.

"Oh, well, in that case ... Where do you want her personal effects sent?"