The Q by Karen Blayne

Oh by the way red tape first.

Be warned these short stories contain mature content or naughty bits and as such may corrupt you if you’re under 12, 16, 18, 21 or 25 depending where you live thus they are not suitable for you so put them back on the shelf and let them age for a year or two.

They were sort of scribbled for fun. They were first posted on asstr.org. If you’ve paid money for this book just be aware the author has not received any payment. In fact no one has permission to charge money for this book and copyright is retained by the author.   ©2013. 

Tracy placed the last record in the box and looked up to await the next batch.  Nine months she’d been doing this temp job, $2 an hour over minimum wage, but after six months of nothing she was hoping it might just turn into something better.  She’d made sure she arrived five minutes early each day.  She'd been helpful round the office and always left five minutes late.  She was hoping that and her ultra miniskirts would save the day if there were cutbacks.

The rest of the office seemed to have run out as well, perhaps time to get a coffee?  She got up and wondered over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup looking around as she did so.  Jeff, the unit manager, answered the phone and she saw him turn white.

He walked to the centre of the room “OK guys listen up.”   He looked round to see if he had their full attention.  “You’ve all done a great job and as a thank you the company is giving you an extra two weeks' pay.  Just hand your passes in to the HR person who is standing by the elevator and she’ll give you your severance package.  Security is on hand to help you carry your belongings out of the door.”  Everyone hit the phones at once.  She just turned back to her cubicle with her cup of coffee to see the largest security officer she’d ever seen holding an empty photocopier box ready to take her belongings.  Wordlessly she quickly packed everything away.  There wasn’t much, just two mugs, a battered yellow teddy bear and her emergency bag with spare tights and such.  They crossed the room together and the security guard just guided her past the queue at the HR person’s desk.  “Don’t worry they’ll pay it into your bank account.”  She wasn’t going to argue with a six-foot four guy who looked ex-military to her.  

They stepped into the elevator and he pressed the button for the twenty fifth floor.  “I thought I’d been laid off?”  “Impossible, even the chairman is aware of the length of your skirts.”  Well his office was on the twenty fifth floor, what was he expecting her to do flounce round in ever shorter skirts?  The elevator stopped, the doors opened and the guard pointed out the way through the solid wooden doors.

“Ah Miss Tracy, do come in.  Take a seat.  Nice weather for the time of year.  Do anything interesting over the weekend?”  The chairman looked flustered, Tracy took a seat and crossed her legs slowly giving him a good look at her white knickers embroidered with “If you can read this you’re not close enough!” in red silk.  Then she lifted up the edge of her skirt to give him a flash of flesh above her knickers before pulling it down a fraction of an inch lower on her thigh and leaning forward so he got the full effect of her gaping neckline.  “I’ve just been laid off so unless you’re offering me another job it’s important I start job hunting right away.”  She fluttered her eye lashes at him.  The chairman looked very flustered now and looked appealingly at the security guard.  “Jackson perhaps you can explain.”  She turned and caught Jackson with a large grin on his face which he immediately wiped off.  “Yes Jackson what’s so difficult that the chairman can’t explain?”

“Well miss, we’ve hired a quirk, a quark, or is it a quant, anyway it’s some sort of Q word but we’ve heard that they can be a bit disruptive some times.  Apparently social skills are not a job requirement.  So since I noticed you smooth a situation down in reception two weeks ago I suggested to Mr. Southmore that we offer you a job as his assistant to smooth his passage so to speak.”  “For two dollars an hour over minimum wage you want me to nursemaid some idiot with an oversized ego?”  “Well no, would 10% of his salary be reasonable?  That is whilst he works for us,” the chairman added gloomily.  “One tenth of what he’s being paid?  What about equal pay?”  Jackson interrupted “I suggest a tenth of his package including bonuses and if that’s acceptable to you sir I’ll show Miss Tracy her new office whilst she makes her mind up.”  He half-lifted her up out of the chair and bundled her out of the office before she could say another word.  In the hallway outside he mentioned just how much a tenth of the Q’s salary was, more than three times what she’d been making before plus benefits “Plus I slipped in the bit about 10% of his bonus after you softened the chairman up.  How much time did you spend choreographing and practising those moves by the way?”  “Oh you mean the cross my legs then pull my skirt down whilst leaning forward?  I’ve got it down pat now don’t you think?  Mind you it’s supposed to look accidental.”

She looked round the corner office suite with its own small kitchen, wash room and work cubicle off to the side of the large office with imposing mahogany desk and two leather sofas with matching arm chairs either side of a coffee table.  There was a wardrobe for coats with a steam iron on the shelf over a set of drawers.  Well the cubicle at least was twice the size of her old work space so she dumped her box of belongings in the corner.  “Like it?”  Jackson asked “It was the VP of sales eastern seaboard’s until he missed his sales target last week.  He got moved to a standard cubicle in an effort to motivate him to get his office back.  Now if you’ll just sign this letter of offer I’ll run it down to Personnel and you can settle in.”

Tracy set teddy up so he could get a good view of the office then wandered into the kitchen.  She’d always fancied trying out a bread-maker, she looked through the drawers and found a notebook with recipes in including one for the bread maker.  There was butter in the fridge, dried milk powder and flour in one of the cupboards plus a small electronic scale.  Ten minutes later the bread maker was whirling away merrily to itself.  She made herself a coffee then signed onto the internet to check her email.

Jackson’s voice came from the door, “If you’re ready I think it’s time to go and pick up your new co-worker with the chairman’s limo.”

He led her through the parking garage and she sprawled out across the rear seat.  “Hey impressive, fancy stuff.”  “It’s a pity he doesn’t use it more but his teenage daughter has been on at him to save the world so now he usually takes the hybrid.”  Tracy stared at the Toyota in the next parking slot.  “Really?”  “Oh it’s good for publicity and parking but the ride isn’t the same.”  Tracy helped herself to a fruit juice from the bar.  “And let me guess when the chauffeurs gather having a tiny subcompact just doesn’t cut it.”  Jackson grinned at her in the mirror.  “Well there is a pecking order.” He admitted.  “Did we miss the turn off to the airport?”  “Train station.”  “What?”  “Q’s are different and he prefers the train.”

At the station she guarded a luggage trolley with one hand and held up the printed sign that Jackson had given her with the other.  She was scanning the crowds looking for the guy in the photograph she’d been given when she was approached by a scruffy back packer from the side who took the card from her and pointed to himself.  “Me Tarzan, you Jane?”  She took a closer look at him as he pulled out his letter of introduction.  “Right, I’m Tracy and after we’ve picked up your baggage if you’d like to come this way.”  “Oh I travel light.  It's all in here.”  He gestured towards the backpack, Tracy pushed the trolley towards a woman who was struggling with two children and two large bags before leading him back to the limo.

Jackson had the rear door open ready for them.  The Q just threw his back pack on the floor inside and followed it in, Tracy admired his butt as he entered.  Tracy raised her eyebrows at Jackson who was being impenetrable.  “I’m Daniel by the way.  I thought the company had gone green and was using hybrids these days?”  “Well we do but the chairman might need the hybrid so you’ve got last year’s limo it doesn’t use too much gas around town.”  “Right, reuse etc.  Good thought.”  He took out an electronic pad and was soon engrossed, totally ignoring Tracy accidentally letting her skirt ride even higher than normal.

Back at the office he looked round at the desks.  “You don’t mind having the old wooden one do you? Then I can take the one in the cubicle which doesn’t have the reflected light from the window problem.”  Tracy shrugged whatever, she could live with a corner window office and an antique mahogany desk, she moved teddy into the larger office and moved her emergency bag into one of the big office drawers.  Daniel was soon engrossed on his computer so she took out a paperback to read until home time having nothing else to do other than read the email that mentioned the regional manger’s meeting the following day she was supposed to get Daniel to.  She printed out the attachments and left them on his desk.

She glanced at the clock, nearly home time.  God was she supposed to make sure Daniel had a bed to sleep in.  “Are you booked into a hotel for tonight?”  “No, one of the sofas will do me tonight.”  Well she couldn’t invite him back to her place that was for sure.  She’d lost her apartment months ago and was currently crashing on Jessica’s floor for a third of her rent and even that was dicey.  Jessica had just met the “perfect” man and was currently trying to lure him back to her place.  Tracy’s view was males and perfection just shouldn’t be included in the same sentence.  “I’d invite you back to my place but it isn’t mine and I’m crashing on the floor at the moment.  I’m not sure security will have the same view as you about the sofas.”  “I’ll just be working very late and having a nap in the office.”

The conversation was interrupted by the bread maker’s beeping.  “Is that your alarm to let you know it’s time to go home?”  “No I was playing and found a bread maker, looks like it's done.  Want to see what my first loaf of bread has turned out like?”  Tracy was impatient to see what it was like and burnt herself trying to lift the pan out.  Daniel picked up a cloth and turned it out on the wire rack.  Tracy opened the fridge door, “Besides the microwave there’s some bacon and eggs here.  Fancy a sarnie?”

That evening she planned her wardrobe for the following day, perhaps more of a professional image?  She dived through Jessica’s wardrobe and dug out an ankle length charcoal wrapover skirt that practically matched her one good jacket.  The one she never wore that her mother had picked out for her.  Matched with a white silk blouse it looked very smart, well smart enough to pass without comment from the other bitchy senior executive assistants who would be at the meeting.  Trouble was, it wasn’t her but then she remembered the in “case of male” parcel that her cousin Kyla had sent.  She hadn’t dared open it yet afraid it might contain something really indecent.  However if she wore whatever was in the parcel underneath her prim exterior she’d feel more in control and comfortable that she could give a heart attack to any middle aged male whenever she wanted to.  Hopefully it didn’t just contain something as corny as a skimpy black sheer baby doll nightdress.

Hanging her outer layer of clothes up carefully she lifted out the garments one by one.  Not as bad as she’d feared, she held the pretty white lacy garter belt up to her waist.  Black silk seamed stockings of course, didn’t men have any imagination?  She liked the lacy bra although it did seem skimpy in her hands.  She cupped her breasts to get the best fit then noticed it was rather lower cut than she’d first thought, more quarter or third cup than half cup or should that be less quarter or third cup?  Well if she kept her jacket on no one would notice a pert nipple straining against her thin silk blouse, especially if she remembered not to day dream about sexy movie stars.  The thong had four holes?  Yes well as Kyla explained in her note bras that left nipples exposed and crotchless thongs had an interesting effect on men, or at least her new husband.

Next morning Tracy stopped off to buy some frozen orange juice and marmalade.  Well she remembered marmalade has fruit in it and fruit was part of a balanced diet, and since her job depended on a healthy fit Daniel, Daniel was going to have a balanced diet like it or not.

She fed him a half pint glass of orange juice together with toast and marmalade.  Heck this cooking thing wasn’t so bad with the crib sheet recipe book in the drawer, then she inspected him.  “Take your shirt off.”  “But we’re supposed to go to a meeting in a few minutes.”  “I know I want to give it a quick iron so you look respectable enough to impress people.”  “Won’t they just listen to what I have to say?”  “It doesn’t work like that, trust me on this.  Besides I’ll not have all the other executive assistants looking down their noses at me which they will if you appear in a wrinkled shirt.”  “If you say so.”  He stripped off his shirt and as she looked at his bony chest she thought he really could do with a bit more weight.  As he put his shirt back on she dived in the wardrobe and dug through the drawers. There it was, a folded up tie, it wasn’t even too garish either.  She carried it across and held it out.  “I’ve never worn one.”  Exasperated she stood before him and put the tie round his neck tying and adjusting it carefully so it looked just right.  Then she gave him a peck on the cheek and announced he’d do as she’d done with her six-year-old nephew when she’d helped him with his tie for school once.  It seemed shockingly more intimate with Daniel.

They rolled into the conference room and Daniel took his place at the table.  Tracy took a seat on the wall was amazed at the blatant way an intern sat in front of her at the table lifted her very short pleated skirt up only to pull it down a quarter of an inch lower down her thighs.  Then she’d managed to display her knickers to those sat behind her as her ultra-short skirt had ridden up at the back.  Really the girl had no shame.  One of the other executive assistants leaned over and whispered to her “She’s coming to the end of her internship and is going the extra inch in the hopes of a permanent job.”  Tracy exchanged glances with her and had a quick fitting of coughing to hide her amusement.  “Of course if you really want to see some fun Henry gets very flustered by the sight of silk-stocking tops and he’s presenting next and judging by the bumps on your thighs...”  She let the sentence trail off and turned her head towards the presenter.  Tracy blushed at the idea that anyone had realised just what she was wearing under her wrapover skirt.   She twitched her wrapover skirt to flash her stocking tops and thighs so only the presenter could see.  She felt herself warm grow warm inside at the thought she was managing to discreetly fluster him.  When she crossed her legs giving him a really good look up her skirt he lost his place completely and people turned to see what might have distracted him by which time her demure looking skirt was discreetly back in place and she was looking to her left as if to see what the distraction was.  Her new friend gave her a discreet thumbs up.   She felt a potent sense of power knowing that she could get this sort of reaction from just a glimpse of thigh why put everything on display like the intern?

The last item on the agenda was Melissa was making a presentation about saving $200,000 by changing a procedure but the regional manager seemed a bit impatient, as was Tracy, she really needed to find some relief.  At last the presentation ended.  “Yes well considering the risk factor of change compared to the potential savings I think we should leave things just as they are, is there any other business?”  She sensed Daniel rise to his feet and take a white board marker in his hand.  The regional manager seemed about to have a fit but Daniel seemed unconcerned as he sketched out Melissa’s ideas then added in a few changes.  Tracy closed her eyes, well it had been fun while it lasted.  She opened them again and there was Melissa saying but the total savings that way would be between $12 and $15 million.

The regional manager seemed furious, probably because his pay was related to the amount he spent.  Oh dear how was Tracy going to keep everyone happy.  The really big problem of course was that everyone now knew what could be done.  She lifted her phone up and took a picture of the white board before anyone could erase it.  Then inspiration arrived as she heard the caterers in the next room.  She stood and walking towards the door she announced “I think coffee has arrived.” Starting a stampede for the exit.  It would at least stop the manager from saying something he might regret later.

She followed him back to his office carrying a slice of fruit cake from the refreshments.  She bent forward allowing a glimpse of nipple to show as she placed it on his desk.  She flattered him and admired his courage at implementing these new cost saving measures in his area and how the board would be impressed with his management skills, standing perhaps a little closer than she was comfortable with as she pattered on.  He seemed receptive to her closeness and reached out to fondle her breast.  She leant back against the desk and moved his hand onto her thigh “I think this would be less noticeable if someone comes in.”  Well if she was going to be mauled she might as well get some relief at the same time.  

Ten minutes later she was wondering if she ought to give him a lesson on where her clit was rather than have him just poke his finger up between her legs, well occasionally his thumb would brush against it but it really wasn’t quite enough, when the door opened and his executive assistant walked in.   Tracy stepped away leaving Harold’s moist finger in the air.  “Here let me dry that off for you.”  His executive assistant whipped out a paper tissue and dried his finger before placing it in a zip lock plastic bag.  Tracy looked puzzled, “Oh you’re the sixth employee he’s put his finger up and I’ve got four samples with both DNAs mixed in.  One you can bluff your way out of perhaps two you might intimidate or say it’s a conspiracy but six no way.  One sexual harassment complaint from me about him touching my bum in the elevator will bring up the history, have there been any other instances sort of thing.  No Harold’s goose is cooked.”  She turned to Harold “There’s a training course being held in Barbados I’d like to go on and the airfare difference for a Saturday night stay is less than an extra week at the hotel.  I’ll just go and get the forms for your signature.”  She turned to Tracy “And of course if ever you need his support for any project you only have to let me know.”

A bemused but still aroused Tracy wandered back to the office where she found Daniel just sat in a chair staring into space.  She remembered that one of her friends did something similar after speaking in public they seemed to need to calm down afterwards but Stephanie had said it helped if she could stoke her cat.  Tracy didn’t have a cat available so she quietly sat down in his lap.  “Stephanie used to say stroking her cat helped her calm down, will I do as a poor substitute?”  Daniel absently stroked her blonde hair as she snuggled down.  She felt safe, secure and content as Daniel absently stroked the nape of her neck which put Tracy in a very warm glowy state especially as she was still aroused from flashing Henry at the meeting and Harold’s fumbling hadn’t helped either.  She purred then raised her lips to Daniel’s and gently kissed him, growing bolder she deepened the kiss and guided his hand up over her breast beneath her light jacket.  Snogging on company time perhaps that wasn’t quite the thing to do, but Daniel’s hands were doing delightful things as he cupped her breasts.  Every stroke that his thumb made across her nipple seemed to be wired directly down between her legs.  She came with a slight shudder then dozed off in his lap.

Daniel was quite surprised she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his lap.  Actually he had had a few surprises today, Tracy serving him breakfast then ironing his shirt as if his appearance mattered.  Melissa’s support of his ideas and her being able to put numbers in so quickly, he supposed that Tracy’s undergarments where the latest fashion but he’d certainly been surprised at them and how pleasant it had felt to caress her nipples through her silk blouse.  He’d always been a little shy of girls having been the butt of some teasing at school and had buried himself in his study of mathematics to avoid having to deal with people which he’d be the first to admit he wasn’t very good at.  He had a feeling that he’d upset the regional manager somehow but wasn’t sure why, but hopefully Tracy would sort it out.  He stroked her hair again and kissed her head before closing his eyes and dreaming about somewhere comfortable to live.

Tracy stirred and looked at the time.  “Fancy a coffee?”  Daniel nodded and as she got up to make coffee he wandered back to the computer and logged into to check his share prices.  “What are you going to do with your million dollar bonus from this morning’s meeting?”  “I could buy a house I suppose, detached with a double garage, something with a bit of character, quiet but just off a transit route to the office.  You must know the area, think you could find me one this afternoon?  Sort of scout it out then give me a call when you’ve found something?”  He turned back to the computer and his calculations.  Tracy shrugged then thought about him sleeping on the office coach and decided since she was supposed to smooth his way it was within her job description such as it was.  Church Boulevard sprang to mind so she grabbed a handful of taxi chits and set off.

She stepped out of the cab and looked round.  It was one of her favourite parts of the city with shade trees growing by the side of the street.  At the end of the road was a small shopping area with a book store, a rather fashionable boutique that she liked to browse through their sale items from time to time and a Pâtisserie Française that had heavenly chocolate éclairs.  She’d noticed that Daniel had one or two real books stuffed in his bag.  She’d been impressed, real books with paper pages not just an ebook. 

She narrowed her search down to three houses fairly close to each other.  From the outside the middle one looked comfortable so she left it until last.  She knocked on the door of the first house.  Could she have a peek?  Certainly not without the realtor being there, Tracy shrugged her shoulders and moved onto the one on the far side.  They showed her round but said they’d prefer to discuss prices with the realtor.  It was a sort of would do.  She thanked them and walked up the path to the middle house.

“Well you’re the first in three months so I’m not going to say no but the house isn’t as tidy as the realtor likes.  Bring yourself in and have a cup of coffee or would you prefer tea?  The kettles just boiled anyway.”  Tracy thought the kitchen was the original one and showed signs of wear but it was comfortable and overlooked a charming garden.  When she walked through the house she thought it well-proportioned another possible she decided.  She rang Daniel and told him there were two possibles for him to look at, maybe even three.  “Can you get a lawyer on site in fifteen minutes and I’ll see you there.”  Well there was always a long shot that Brittany’s boss would be free.  Brittany had been afraid she might be laid off now that the housing boom had dried up.  “Hi Brit, stuff your boss into your car and get her over here forthwith.”  When Tracy spoke to you with that tone of voice Brittany knew from experience you just obeyed.

Jennifer when she arrived had mentally added $200 on to the bill for the inconvenience, then took it off again when she remembered just how few and far between paying clients were at the moment.  She accepted the cup of coffee and sat back in the corner to see how it would unfold.

Daniel arrived and looked round, there was just him and Tracy in the kitchen.  “This one the one you like most?”  “Well yes but the kitchen would need money, you ought to look at the others first.”  “This one will do.  I’d like to move in by Wednesday evening so wave your magic wand.  Money isn’t a problem, just offer them an extra $50,000.”  He turned and left a stunned open-mouthed Tracy trailing behind, as he entered the living room his eyes caught the lawyers.  “You’ll need money.  Tracy can sort it out at the bank, Main and Twenty Third.”  With that he left.

The elderly couple looked up hopefully.  “Is he going to make an offer?”  “Yes I think so but he wants to move in by Wednesday.”  They looked at each other blankly.  “Well we were hoping to sell this one and our daughter’s smaller one and buy something together to save a few bills, but Wednesday.”  Jennifer spoke up.  “Do you have a lawyer?”  “No.”  “Would you like me to act for you?  It would be quicker and we could always add it onto his bill.  In fact why don’t you sign this letter dismissing your realtor before you get the offer?  That will save you the commission.  Brittany can hand deliver it for you.”  They signed the letter and Jennifer turned to Tracy, “Is he always so brusk?  Anyway looks like we had better go to the bank and see what needs to be done about mortgages and such.  Then we can report back, but I can’t see them arranging a mortgage so quickly.”

They let Brit take her car and they decided to take the bus.   As Jennifer said to Brit later I’m billing him a higher rate per hour for my time than yours and we didn’t have anything else on at the moment so it seemed sensible that you should take the car.  On the way out they were waylaid by a forceful realtor.  “I’ve come to escort you round your dream home.  Just step this way and I can show it off to you in its full glory or I can show the other houses in the street to you if you’d prefer.  I have some really exciting single family homes available as well that I can take you round in my car afterwards.”  Jennifer looked at Tracy, “She must be the realtor from the first house I looked at that told me they couldn’t let me even peek without their realtor being present.”  The realtor beamed.  “However her house wasn’t available for viewing when I was so I think that’s the end of story.”  “But I could help you negotiate a better price for one of the other homes.”  “Sorry the bus is coming, Jennifer?”  They dashed for the bus.

They entered the bank without knowing whom they should ask for but the receptionist, turned and signalled someone before stepping out from behind her desk and greeting them.  “Tracy, I’m Amber, the manager will be here shortly, won’t you step this way.”  She guided them into a side office and asked them to be seated.  “Would you like tea or coffee?”  Jennifer, who was feeling thirsty, requested two teas with a queried look at Tracy who nodded in agreement.

The manager entered shortly afterwards, “Now there is just a tiny bit of red tape, the sample signature form to fill in and do you have your driving license handy?”  Tracy looked at Jennifer who glanced at the form and nodded.  She pulled her driving license out and the manager scanned it at the computer then handed it back to her.  “Thank you, now you’re set up on the joint account.  I do hope we can meet all your banking needs, if you have any questions or concerns no matter how trivial you think they are I hope you’ll feel free to  contact me personally and I’ll do my best to sort it out for you.  Now I understand you need some funds for a house.  I have the current account balance here.”  She handed over a printout with more zeros on it than Tracy had ever seen before.  “So unless it’s a very expensive house I think it’s just an electronic fund transfer over your signature.”  She turned to Jennifer “Do you have your trust account details with you?”  Jennifer dived in her handbag and brought out a cheque book.  “I think all the numbers you need are on here.”  “How much?”  Tracy looked at Jennifer “I think he said the asking price plus $50,000?” with awe in her voice.  The manager printed off the slip and asked Tracy to sign then entered some numbers in the computer.  “Right all done.”  Then looked up as Amber entered carrying two envelopes with Tracy’s name on.   “Your credit card, debit card and I think he left a note for you.”  Tracy took the cards in a daze then opened the envelope.  “Do whatever you need to do to get the old fogies out by Wednesday.  Use the balance of the account to redecorate and furnish the house in whatever style you like as long as there is a bed for me to sleep on by Wednesday evening the other furniture can come later.  Rip out the kitchen and have it redone.  Don’t forget the back bedroom is yours.  Rent is 25% of the mortgage.  I don’t need you in the office until next Monday and I promise not to meet with anyone here until you get back.  D.”

She folded the note up and shoved it in her pocket.  God he was impossible.  You didn’t go round calling people old fogies, at least to their faces you might offend them.  She ought to tell him no but the idea of refurnishing the house with matching furniture was irresistible.  Her own room furnished exactly as she wanted instead of Jessica’s floor, her back felt better already and she could retain her independence since she was paying rent, good, but perhaps she didn’t think her attractive enough to share his bed, never mind for the moment her mind was full of ideas about curtains and soft furnishings.  She addressed Jennifer “I think we have a house to go and buy and this time we’ll take a cab.”

She phoned around her old team who’d been working temp with her and assembled a team of packers.  Amanda had had courses in cordon bleu cooking so was co-opted on the design the kitchen.

Jennifer was dispatched to sort out how to buy an acceptable house for the old couple and their daughter in two days.  Well Tracy felt she owed them Jennifer’s assistance and it could just go on the bill.  By Wednesday lunchtime the house was brought and paid for.   By tea time two beds had been delivered, and a start had been made on painting the walls.  By the time Saturday evening came round the house was practically sorted out except for the custom designed kitchen.  Tracy was exhausted and just crawled into bed.  One look at her frayed pyjamas in her new room and she’d been reduced to wearing the rose coloured lacy night dress that her cousin Kyla had sent her that didn’t look like it would pass the thirty washes test and still look like new.  She had a sudden thought she was on 10% of Daniel’s bonuses, she wasn’t too sure what 10% of 10% of twelve million dollars was but it must run to a few new clothes.  Thinking Monday she’d hit the stores and find a more respectable night dress, she fell fast asleep.

The following morning she woke up slowly.  There was something at the back of her mind to do with shopping.  That was it, how much money could she spend on clothes and such, she’d need to do a budget and putting down her rent and so forth.  Rent, a quarter of the mortgage, but there wasn’t a mortgage.  The fink he’d thought she wouldn’t notice well she had and he was going to pay right now.  She stormed into his room grabbed a pillow and proceeded to attack the still sleeping Daniel with it.  “You knew there wasn’t a mortgage.  You had me move in here under false pretences.”  She thumped him again harder this time and ignored the muffled cries as she worked out her frustration.  An arm sneaked out from under the cover and grabbed her, pulling her under the cover as Daniel tried to avoid further blows. She squirmed so he held her closer, she ranted at him so he kissed her to keep her quiet.  He found her wriggling body was arousing to say the least, she found his smell, and kisses were having a disastrous effect on her, it even brought back the memory of his butt entering the limo.  Oh what the heck it had been ages since she’d felt this aroused and wanted.  Feeling his hard John Henry pressing against her was just too much.  She slipped her hand down between her legs, pulled her knickers to one side then yanked him in.  If she was going to be living with someone and not be paying rent then she might just as well have the benefit.

Afterwards as they lay back on the bed together he asked “Have you got something suitable for a wedding on Saturday?”  “Think so, is it out of town?”  There was answering murmur that probably meant he had dozed off so she left him and descended to the kitchen to tackle an adventure in cooking her first Sunday lunch, timing potatoes, peas and broiled chops to finish at the same time took all her concentration.

Tracy was pressing buttons in the kitchen when she heard the door bell ring.  A school bottle drive she thought to herself and left Daniel to deal with it.  He seemed better able to be more direct and say no than she was.  “Hello Mother, Father.”  Oh God No!  The words struck horror into her, there was no way she could sneak back upstairs and get changed into something more respectable.  A rose coloured lacy baby doll was just about the worst thing she could be found in.  “Your mother thought we ought to come over with some spare curtains but I see you’ve got some up already?”  “Tracy picked them out.”  Tracy heard every damning word and desperately wanted the ground to swallow her up.  “Tracy?”  His mother’s voice queried.  “Tracy, oh she’s around somewhere I think.”  She’d kill him for this.  She squared her shoulders added two more mugs to the tray with the coffee pot on then picking it up she entered the room to brazen it out.  “Hi I’m Tracy, Daniel didn’t mention he was expecting you this morning would you like some coffee?”  His mother looked ready to faint.  His father was looking very appreciatively at her night gown.  Tracy slipped upstairs “I’ll be down in a minute once I get dressed.”

His mother’s voice drifted up the stairs “But where on earth did you meet her?”  “Tracy, oh at the railway station, she was waving some sort of sign in the air outside.  Do you think if I doubled the first value in the equation I might get a better fitting curve?”  His mother restrained herself from picking up the nearest object and hitting him.  She’d never been able to get any sensible answers from him.  She’d always had a dream that he’d be a manager one day supervising two or three staff in an office perhaps an insurance office but he didn’t seem to be interested when she suggested he might like to think about a job as a trainee manager he just seemed to spend all his time fooling around with numbers.

Tracy grabbed a pair of jeans and a semi respectable top then dashed downstairs to see what damage control she could manage.  She did the hostess bit by handing round coffee and biscuits and tried some small talk.  “I suppose you’re here for the wedding on Saturday?”  “I haven’t heard about a wedding.”  Daniel spoke up “I meant to send you an invitation.”  Tracy’s ears perked up at this, Daniel was sending out invitations?  “Daniel darling, whose wedding is it?” she asked casually as she picked up a nearby cushion just in case. “Ours of course, you did say you could manage a wedding on Saturday didn’t you?”  Tracy launched the cushion first then followed it by herself.  “It is normal to ask the bride to be if she wants to marry you first.” She commented as she pummelled him for all her worth until he stopped her by wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.  “But I thought we’d sorted that out ages ago when I asked you to buy the furniture and things for the house?  I mean why would I want you to choose them if we weren’t going to be married and live here?”  He asked in a puzzled voice, he supposed he never would understand women.  Tracy stopped trying to pummel him and counted to ten to calm down.  “I mean to say we are getting married on Saturday aren’t we?”  “Yes but a bit more notice won’t have hurt so I could invite my parents and sisters maybe.  Oh I will but it doesn’t stop you being the most infuriating man I’ve ever met sometimes.” She hit him again with the blue cushion.

His mother turned to his dad, “You know I was beginning to imagine all sorts of things like was my darling queer.  I’d practically given up the idea of him ever inviting a girl out or one going out with him for that matter.  Do you think she’s good enough for him?  Do you think he might settle down and get a serious job now something like a trainee manager job?”  “Oh I think so, you know she looks like just the sort of practical girl that knows how to get his attention in a way we never could.  I think they’ll suit very nicely.  I’m not so sure about the job though I understand some of these mathematicians get paid very well.”