Chapter 5: A Change in Command

I arrived at the hotel conference room a half-hour early to find that almost three quarters of the sales group was already there. Ten minutes later, the whole group was there. It appeared I had their attention and their interest.

"Good morning, Gentlemen. I'm very pleased to see you here so promptly and ready to get at it. I have a nice surprise for you this morning. Thanks to Jan, we have all the customers loaded on our database and separated by individual groups and categories. Jan, Sue and a number of their staff worked hard to get this ready for you today and I'd like to thank them personally for their effort."

I began the applause and all the men joined in. In the meantime, we handed out each listing to the appropriate sales representative.

"I'll give you a couple of minutes to look it over and I'm sure there will be a number of questions resulting from your first glance. Don't be afraid to ask anything," I said, moving toward Sue and Jan.

"Thank you both for getting this done," I said quietly. "And please pass along my thanks to whoever helped you as well. You saw what I saw this morning. Everyone was early and ready to go. That's a very encouraging sign."

"I'm glad we were able to complete it," Jan said. "I hope it turned out the way you wanted it to. Here's your master copy with all the accounts on it. The code at the far left is the sales reps initials. They all have name tags today, so you'll be able to identify who's asking which question."

I looked over the master sheets and recognized the familiar format. We now had the ability to give the sales staff better information and this was just the first step.

For the rest of the morning, we went over the report and the feedback I got was positive. The questions related to how each customer was categorized and what certain codes meant. During the mid-morning break, I had a number of salesmen step up and thank the ladies and me for getting this done so quickly. I felt they were beginning to believe we were going to make changes that would help them do a better job and therefore improve their earnings.

The balance of the morning was spent discussing competitors and where they fit. It was a pretty ragged exercise because it quickly became evident that each sales rep had a different view of their competitors and what their strengths and weaknesses were. It was going to take a more structured approach to get that information out. We broke up the session before noon and promised another morning meeting in two weeks. I was hoping by then we would have some more data to share with them.

Jan, Sue and I had a quick lunch in the hotel coffee shop before returning to the office. They were both pretty pumped about the positive comments they got from the salesmen about their reports. It was as we were about to leave the hotel and return that both women stopped me in the parking lot.

"I hope we didn't put you off last night, Gabe," Sue said. "It was all in fun ... well ... mostly fun. You hold a special place with us. You're the white knight who rides in to save the damsel in distress. Only in this case, there are four damsels," she smiled tentatively.

I smiled and shook my head. "No ... I didn't mind and I took it the way it was given, in the spirit of fun. I want you to feel comfortable around me and not hold back what you're thinking. After all, what guy wouldn't get a swelled head when four lovely ladies decide they want to create a harem around him?"

That seemed to confound the two of them and they hastily made their excuses and moved to their car. I chuckled to myself. I had given them a dose of their own medicine. I can be as outrageous as the next guy if I think I can get away with it. With these girls, I was pretty sure I could. It might be a good thing to keep them off balance once in a while. "Can't let them get too confident," I thought aloud.

Don and Muriel Nichol enjoyed the special party we threw for his retirement. Don was an avid photographer and with my mother's help, we determined a new telephoto lens for his DSLR camera would be just the ticket. He loved outdoor shots, particularly of animals and birds. He was very surprised and very grateful for the gift.

They would be leaving to travel south in two days and Muriel was very happy that we had moved his retirement forward, even if it was just a couple of weeks. She thanked me personally and wished me luck with the branch. Don shook my hand and also thanked me warmly for stepping into his place. He said he was confident that I would make Lynnwood a big success and would try and keep in touch as we progressed.

The four ladies all gathered around to hug and kiss Muriel and Don. I could see the affection they held for him was genuine and I think that was a pretty nice send-off present for him as well. It was a Friday evening and it ended reasonably early at ten o'clock. The foursome decided the night was still young and dragged me into the bar where a small crowd was listening to a live quartet.

I barely had time to order a round of drinks when Sue rose and pulled me up to dance with her. The number the band played was reasonably slow and she immediately plastered herself to me. I was getting a full measure of her body on mine. I'm five-ten and Sue was about five-seven or even eight. With a pair of medium heels, we were pretty much eye-to-eye.

I tried to ignore the blatant moves she was making, but it wasn't possible. Her generous breasts were pressed to my chest, her full hips ground into my front, and her movements were anything but modest. In the subdued light of the room, her coloring became even more dramatic ... and for me ... erotic.

"We could get arrested for indecent behavior, you know," I warned with a smirk.

"Oh, I hope so," she said, exaggerating her movements even more.

"I see you've abandoned the share concept and gone for the lone kill," I said, looking her straight in the eye.

"Oh, no. I'm just the first contestant. When we're done with you, we'll take your lifeless body back to our lair and revive you. Then we'll have our way with you," she said with a sassy expression.

"So, there's no escape for me?" I asked lightly.

"Not a chance. White knights have obligations to their rescued damsels. Sultans have obligations to their harem. You need to face up to your obligations."

"You're serious?" I deadpanned.

She looked at me directly, unblinking before she answered. "As a heart attack."

"This could cause problems, you know," I said as I began to consider just what these women were proposing.

"It could, but you're a wise man and we are four very committed women. None of us are naïve kids. We're single, but not hunting for a husband. We know when the right guy comes along, and I think we knew it was you that first night we met. You just have to accept your fate and learn to love it. I'm sure you will love it."

"How did this happen?" I asked myself as much as Sue.

"We couldn't decide which of us was going to make a move on you, so we decided we all would. There isn't much to choose among us. We're all about the same age and ability ... both in and out of bed," she chortled. "We're all very good friends and trust one another. We want a male companion whom we trust and can love. We don't have to marry him. We just want him close for all the good male-female reasons."

"The way you explain it sounds kind of clinical ... cold," I said.

"No ... nothing like that. This isn't just about sex, Gabe. This is about friendship and sharing. The sex will come about naturally ... or it won't. No one will force anyone to do something they aren't comfortable with. No, it's far from cold. In fact, you might find it's a little too hot for you. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"So what's next?" I asked, wondering if this conversation was really happening.

"You grab a change of clothes for Saturday and Sunday and follow us home. Lori and I will ... entertain you tonight. I promise, it will be a weekend you will not soon forget."

"Won't Jan and Lexi be upset to be left out?" I asked.

"There's still Saturday and Sunday, Gabe. It's just the beginning of the weekend. How long will it take you to pack an overnight bag?"

I shrugged. "Ten minutes, I guess."

"Good, then we have lots of time to get you warmed up," she snickered, once again increasing the pressure of her body on me.

By this time I was as hard as a rock with no way to hide it. Sue made sure of that when she slipped her hand between us to grip my member and squeeze.

"Oh my, you are ready, willing and able, aren't you Mister Hancock."

"I'm not so sure about the willing, but the rest is obvious, isn't it?"

"Yes," she breathed, "and I'm sure when you see our special harem attire, you'll be a confirmed, willing Sultan."

"Let's take a break from the public sex scene and get our drinks. They've been there for a while," I said as I led her back to the other two women.

"Is he all warmed up for me?" Lori asked as we sat.

"Oh yes, you'll find he's quite warm," Sue snickered once more, casting a glance at me.

Lori was giving me a lustful look. I glanced at Lexi and Jan and saw them watching everything that was going on. I didn't see anything that indicated they were unhappy or discouraged. It was pretty much as Sue had described it. They were all in this together and they planned to make sure each of them was treated equally.

I was a little longer than the ten minutes I predicted, but not much. I could feel my insides vibrating as I thought about what I was about to do. This may turn out to be a very stupid idea, I thought, but I'm committed to it now. If it all goes sideways, I'll have no one to blame but myself.

But somehow, listening to Sue and the other ladies, I had a feeling they had thought this all through. As weird as it sounded, in some way it made sense for them to do this. I was the one with doubts, not them.

We got to the duplex just before midnight and once again, all four ladies trooped into Sue and Lori's side. None of us had consumed very much alcohol that evening since we were driving, so when Sue brought out the liqueurs and made some coffee, we all indulged. I had a B & B that I cut further with some brandy. It went down very easily ... perhaps too easily. I was still somewhat nervous and wanted to relax and get a grip on what was going to happen.

The women were all teasing each other and at some point, Lexi said it was time for the fashion show. With that, Sue and Lori got up and disappeared into the back of the unit. I wondered just what they would wear, but my imagination tended toward Victoria's Secrets apparel. When they reappeared, I learned that I didn't have enough imagination.

Both Sue and Lori wore floor length satin nightgowns. Sue's was a soft sea green, lighter even than her skin tone. Lori's was burgundy to complement her auburn hair coloring. The gowns were clinging to their voluptuous bodies and it was immediately apparent that they didn't have anything on in the way of undergarments. Sue's generous breasts swayed as the two women walked into the living room and approached me. They had my undivided attention.

"Well, what do you think?" Lori said seductively.

"I think you both look fabulous," I said sincerely. "Very sexy."

"Thank you, Gabe," Sue smiled.

I didn't know what to do or what was expected of me at that moment. I just sat there with a somewhat bewildered look, I suppose. In the back of my head I could hear warning sirens and alarm bells, but I really wasn't willing or able to respond to them. I had reservations about what might become of me this evening, but none of them strong enough to stand up, put on my coat, and return to my hotel room. In short, I was stunned into immobility.

I had been sitting on the sofa and both Sue and Lori decided I needed company, so they took a place on each side of me. A few seconds later, Sue was nibbling on my earlobe and teasing me with her tongue on my neck. Lori had her hand on my thigh, stroking it slowly as she progressed closer and closer to my erection.

"It's all right, Gabe," Sue whispered in my ear. "You can touch us. We won't break."