Genealogy by Karen Blayne

Oh by the way, red tape first.

Copyrighted Karen Blayne 2018.   All copies must be of the complete document.   

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. Asstr.org accepts donations if you’re feeling rich or even if you’re not.

Luv Karen

AGM, questions raised on green house gases. I read further. Activists were raising questions about emissions for management business meetings. They were comparing average emissions per mile travelled. Oh dear we could be targeted. Well with teleconferencing our managers didn’t travel very often except Mr. Croston had flown at very short notice to reassure a very important client who was in the country for a few days and had two hours to spare. I’d charted a business jet to get him there. He’d returned on a normal carrier but it put our average through the roof.

Then I had an inspiration. I dug through my emails and there it was. Could I find her something for the summer? Keely was shy apparently but very keen on the environment, good for her. I opened up her attached CV and ran through it. An interest in genealogy, well if it was quiet she could always work out the family trees for people in the office. I rang her. “Could you come in for an interview before lunch?” “I’m wearing jeans. It would take me an hour to get changed.” I rephrased it. “Shall we say you aren’t interested if you aren’t here within the hour.” You could feel the shock down the phone, well I hadn’t got all day and if she didn’t work out I’d need to find someone else. Fifty eight minutes later she was sat in my office. “Now we need to lower our average CO2 emissions per mile for management business meetings. Some activists have been targeting AGMs with embarrassing questions. So we’ll give you the title of manager Climate Change and it will be your job to go and talk to people. There is a fair amount of travel involved.” She looked nervous and hesitantly said. “I’m not sure I could manage people.” “No you just have a budget to manage really.” I showed her the pay scale for a junior manager and she sat up straighter. “Would I be travelling by myself?” “Well a boyfriend would be useful to carry your suitcase and I do have enough budget. Do you have one?” She looked down at the floor and quietly admitted she didn’t have one. “Is there anyone you’d like to be your boyfriend?” She blushed and admitted she thought David was rather nice. “But I couldn’t possibly ask him.” “Give me his phone number.” I rang him “We’re interested in reducing our average carbon foot print for business meetings and we need someone to mange the project during the summer.” “I’ve already accepted a job.” I mentioned the pay and asked would he like to come in and chat. I really didn’t have enough hours in the day so suggested he came in and we could talk about it over lunch.

I lifted out two lunches from the freezer and warmed them up in the microwave. I lifted out two china plates and raided the posh flatware. David and I dined in the small conference room and I explained he’d be helping to manage our average business travel emissions and be working directly with the manager of Climate Change travelling around the country and meeting people to resolve our problem. He seemed to like the idea and mentioned the food was good. It is nice not to be taken for granted. We arranged for him to come in the following morning with a bag of clothes ready for the first trip. I called Keely to tell her he’d accepted. There was a gulp then “I’d better going shopping for some new underwear.”

The next morning David seemed surprised to see Keely was the manager he’d be working with. “Right you two here’s your itinerary and corporate account rail pass which as managers covers you for first class and sleepers.” “Rail, wouldn’t it be quicker to fly?” “Perhaps but part of your responsibilities is to act as role models so you’ll be travelling by train or public transport, not even taxis. Keely doesn’t have enough budget to pay you overtime but we do allow you to take off time in lieu. So if you’re travelling 24 hrs by sleeper then you have 16 hours overtime by time and a half which gives you three days leave. Additionally you’ll get eight days annual leave that you can take any time. Provided you get to all the meetings, you can take time off anywhere en route.” “Sounds great except we’d need to pay for the hotel rooms.” “Keely has enough hotel room nights budgeted that if you shared a room you would have enough for the entire period. Note I’m not asking you to share a room but the option is there. Now off you go.” They looked at each other and you could see the hesitant conversation start up as they walked out the door.

It was getting close to the end of summer. I’d taken a late lunch and just to get out of the office I’d taken a stroll round the mall people watching when I saw her. There was something about the way she held her head but I couldn’t place her. “Are you all right Miss?” Miss, bless him, I looked up to see a security guard asking the question. “I just thought the girl in the pale blue dress was someone I ought to know but can’t place.” “She’s a regular.” On impulse I opened my purse and drew out a hundred dollar bill, it would have been a $20 but he’d called me Miss, and discreetly tucked it in his shirt pocket with my card. “If you could find out her name for me? I’m sure it’s nothing but it bothers me and I know I’ve never seen her before.” “Yes Miss you’ll find the Matthew’s store at the end of the mall.” I thanked him and took my leave of him. My day brightened by his use of Miss.

As I walked down the corridor, I saw Magdalene coming out of Jason’s office with a smirk on her face. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to disturb Jason when he’s working.” I mentioned to her. “You don’t tell me what to do. I’ll disturb who I like when I want a bit of male attention.” But not the programmers who like their quiet so they can concentrate. She stalked off her high heels clicking as she walked. Well she was right there was nothing I could do at the moment but you never know as the CEO’s private secretary I often dealt with problems before they reached Mr. Croston, my boss.

I had a look at my dairy then made up the signature book. I spoke with Mary, Mr. Peffer’s secretary, to see how things were going. He’d been diagnosed with cancer so wasn’t coming in the office at the moment but working from home whilst he underwent treatment.

“I don’t think he’s going to recover but he’s still taking an interest in work.” “Anything you want Mr. Croston to look at?” “No I think it’s all under control.” The two men were partners in the business and gradually Mr. Croston had taken more of the workload on. Mr. Peffer took a more strategic view of the business or at least that was his view. Mine was he’d had some good ideas that had set the business up on its feet but these days things were getting more complex.

Keely and David walked through the door was it the end of summer already? “We’ve done all the meetings. David thinks we’ve travelled every railroad track in the country. Was that the idea?” “No, it wasn’t but thank you both, you’ve done a wonderful job.” “But we didn’t actually do anything.” Oh dear should I explain what they’d done? “Close the door and sit down.” They sat down. “We don’t do that many business trips these days we use teleconferencing but last year Mr. Croston flew across the country to reassure one of our major clients who was visiting the west coast for a few days at short notice rather than visit them overseas. In order to get him there quickly we charted a business jet. He came back on a normal carrier but it put our average business trip CO2 emissions through the roof and some climate change activists are targeting AGMs on average management business trip emissions.” “So that’s why we have the titles of manager climate change and manager carbon dioxide emissions?” “ I smiled at him. “You mean we’ve been travelling by train to get the average down? I don’t believe it.” “I did wonder if something was odd when we went to the butterfly conference.” “Butterflies are good indicators of changes in the environment and you have managed to spread the company name in places where it wouldn’t really be reached.” “Two of us?” “Well I could hardly send Keely by herself. Stuck in a hotel with nothing but a bar downstairs that she’d get propositioned in if she entered by herself now could I? And it wasn’t that much more expensive with you sharing a room or a sleeper. You know I asked Keely if she could think of someone she wouldn’t mind sharing a room with.” Keely turned pink and looked down at the floor as David turned and stared at her. “She hadn’t mentioned it.” I didn’t ask any further. “So it wasn’t too bad a summer then?” “It’s been one long overpaid holiday and I’ve got to know Keely very well. Keely blushed deeply once again. “Now out you go the pair of you and thank you for all your hard work.” Keely grew ever pinker if that was possible and glanced at David’s crotch at the word hard. As they scurried away, holding hands I remembered my plan to get her to do my family tree. Oh well I’d get round to it sometime in the future.

I looked at my watch, time Phillipa, my daughter, was back from school and starting her homework. We’d just been blessed with the one child and she was everything a parent could wish for. Well this parent anyway, bright, intelligent and inquisitive but careful and cautious as well. Brad thought the world of her and she of him. Can you imagine at seven she can actually recognise the funny ends on screwdrivers and finds him the type he asks for in the size he asks for. He’s a practical sort of man. I think he’d like a son sometime to share his collection of power drills. Why would anyone want seven power drills? But he’s very good at putting up shelves for my shoe collection.

As I made a fresh pot of coffee I noticed Magdalene goose Jason. One day my girl, one day. I took a mug into Mr. Croston. “You aren’t supposed to make me coffee these days.” He remarked. “Oh do you prefer tea in the afternoon?” I enquired. He glowered at me and I smiled back. “What’s put you in a good mood?” “I was addressed as Miss today by a security guard in the Mall.” He gave me a look so I put my tongue out at him.

Three days later I received an email from the security guard giving me the girl’s name by which time I’d forgotten all about her. Then it came back to me who she reminded me of, Mr. Peffer. The email joked that if I’d like more details such as her birth certificate I should send him a plain brown envelope stuffed with a thousand dollars. I was curious so sent him a thousand dollars in a plain white envelope to call his bluff. We have brown ones but the white recycled ones are cheaper and I keep the books.

As I was passing Sonia’s workstation, I heard Magdalene’s voice. “We could walk there in our lunch hour and stroll back. We could claim the bus fare.” I scurried back to my office and opened up Sonia’s calendar, there it was, a CPR training course that afternoon offsite. Such a nice day for a coffee I thought as I sent out a reminder about travel policy to everyone. No one ever reads them but at least it had been sent out. It’s amazing how much you can get done in a coffee shop these days with laptops and WiFi. At three o’clock there the pair of them were walking back to work. Sonia had a transit pass on her payroll deduction for heaven’s sake. A press of a button and they were recorded in video for prosperity. I moved the camera slowly to record the time on the clock at the back of the café and the date on the chalked menu.

I checked up on Sonia, she’d just brought a house and her work was good. There was a recommendation on file for a promotion. Sorry kid, collateral damage I think the term is.

I was sent an envelope with a snippet of hair from the hair salon and a scan of Abby’s details and birth certificate. Abby had applied for a job at one of the stores in the Mall. I felt like a Peeping Tom. There was no father named and the date was right for a conference that Mr. Peffer had attended. I recall he had a somewhat guilty look about him for a month or two when he’d returned. He and his wife hadn’t been blessed with children.

Mary dropped by. Mr. Peffer had been admitted. Thank god for that, at least I could talk to him without his wife being there. I dropped in to see him on the way to work the next day. Had he thought about his genealogy? Apparently some sites now collected DNA samples so you could see if you were related to Mary Queen of Scots. He smiled “That’s a good one. I’m more likely to be related to Attila the Hun.” Still he was a good sport and I came away with a precious DNA sample. Can you believe the price of DNA sampling? I prepaid a dozen samples as it was only three times the single price. At least I could send off a sample from Mr. Croston, just to see if he really was human.

They matched. She was his natural daughter. What to do next? I felt awful should I tell him? Should I tell her? I decided on him.

Have you ever had to tell someone they have a child they didn’t know about? I was nervous and he could tell. “Come along child you have something to tell me I can tell. Don’t be afraid now it can’t kill me and even if it does the end is coming soon now anyway.” “You have a natural daughter.” I blurted out. He turned pale with shock. A nurse was passing “I’m afraid you’re disturbing him I’ll have to ask you to leave.” “No no she’s just giving me some surprising news and I need to find out a few more details.” “Well I’m not sure if I should let her stay.” “She’s given me hope for the future my dear.” For a moment the nurse looked as if being addressed as my dear was going to get him turfed from the hospital there and then before she relented. “Ten minutes more then and don’t wear him out.” She stalked off. “Well what more can you tell me?” I poured out the details I’d found so far. He recognised her mother’s name. “I’ll have to keep it quiet from my wife but we’ll do something. Get young Robert to come in and see me as soon as he can.” It took a moment for me to register young Robert as Mr. Croston then I nodded in agreement. “I’ll have him in this afternoon.”

When I got into the office I made his lordship a coffee and took it in. “Are you sitting comfortably?” He looked at me and then at his watch. “I have a feeling I may not enjoy the next few moments.” How could I resist. I perched myself in his lap and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Are you quite certain?” “Tell all.” “It’s very confidential and I’m not even sure Mr. Peffer would like me to mention it to you but I think he’s going to tell you anyway.” I told him what I could about Mr. Peffer‘s natural daughter and that Mr. Peffer had requested he pop in to see him.

When he returned he gave me one of his looks. “I’m to verify the DNA tests then somehow look after his daughter without his wife and family finding out. How on earth can I give her money without an explanation? Oh and he’s set up a trust so that his wife gets the dividend income but can’t touch the capital and it reverts to his daughter when his wife dies.” “Well you could hire her, sexually harass her then give her a big settlement and no you’ll have to do your own sexual harassment.” He glowered at me. “Do we know exactly who she is and how do we hire her?” “Leave it to me.”

We had a vacancy in security and I was quite certain we paid more than the mall. I sent off another plain white envelope stuffed with another thousand and a job offer for our security team. This time I wanted the names and addresses of her friends, especially the girl I’d seen her with. My favourite security man arrived first thing the next morning and dropped an envelope on my disk. “Here you are and I hope I’m not doing the girls any harm here. By the way is the job for real?” I reassured him the girls would come to no harm then picked up the phone and called down to security and spoke to Sam. “Come up to my office and convince a doubting would be employee we have a real job for him.” I made coffee, even one for Sam whilst I waited for him to arrive.

“Sam, I like him so convince him.” Sam looked at the pair of us. “Some days I just don’t want to know the details.” He turned “Do you have any disabilities?” “No?” “Pity I’m below the number of disabled persons I’m supposed to have.” “Sam would someone in a wheelchair do?” “They could look at the screens I suppose and handle the phones. You couldn’t find me a visible minority one whilst you’re at it?” “He is a visible minority, either that or he has a really good suntan.” “So he is. What do you want to know? It’s a visible pay scale with increments. Four weeks vacation and Monica here chases me if you don’t take it, well you’re allowed to carry over a week at the end of the year.” He took a sip of coffee. “Monica has better quality coffee than we have but there is a kitchen. We generally work office hours with very little weekend working, dental and drug plan that’s about it really.” Sam’s really good with words and they worked like a charm.

Somehow I got hold of someone who knew Samantha’s mother and let her know there was a vacancy. Samantha rang “Well I have two vacancies do you know of anyone else who might be interested?” I crossed my fingers as Samantha mentioned Abby. “She sounds perfect why don’t you both come in this afternoon?”

I made them coffee and signed them both up as management trainees and sent them to a nearby office that offered in depth testing and had our tame private eye see what they could come up with. Abby’s coffee mug went off for DNA testing. The results were interesting. On the testing side both girls looked capable of far more than their school grades indicated. Samantha it appeared had an interest in design so I’d give her to Jason to see if she could come up with a better screen design.

Guess who had claimed for two bus tickets then. I couldn’t believe my luck. I arranged for Ms. Sanders, the union rep, to be in Mr. Croston’s office then sent for Sonia and Magdalene. We had Sonia in first, well she would crack more easily. “I understand you’ve submitted a claim for bus fare when you walked?” She looked scared and nodded. “This is contrary to our financial controls policy so I’m afraid as a result I’ll have to terminate you. Sign here please.” I thought she was going to faint from shock but somehow she held up. She signed and I gave her a photocopy and Ms. Sanders ushered her out the door. I slipped five dollars in Ms. Sanders’s hand and asked her to take Sonia down to the cafeteria. I heard her say to Magdalene “They’ve sacked me for fraud for claiming a bus ticket.” Magdalene came storming in. “You can’t sack me. I quit.” I had Sam escort her off the premises after telling her she didn’t need to work her notice period. I noticed Abby waiting outside Mr. Croston‘s office so murmured I’d be back shortly to her as I scurried down to the cafeteria to find Sonia still in a state of shock. Ms. Sanders favoured me with a look of rebuke. “I can’t believe you sacked someone over a $5 bus ticket.” “Have you read all the paper work?” “What paperwork?” I teased the photocopy from Sonia and held it out for them both to read. She’d signed her acceptance for a new post that paid $10,000 a year more than her old one starting date in a month’s time. “I thought it might be young madam you were after.” “Oh she resigned.” “A lot easier on the paperwork.” Sonia blinked “What happened?” “Magdalene resigned as I hoped she would and you have a month’s holiday before you start your new post.” She had a little cry then rang her husband. I asked Ms. Sanders to run her home nicely and not to forget to submit a mileage claim.

Abby was still waiting when I returned. “Did you really fire someone?” “Yes but it isn’t as bad as it sounds. I tell you about it sometime.” I led her in and introduced her to Mr. Croston who was staring hard at the tests results. “I see Monica has you down on the wrong grade.” He scribbled something on her letter of offer and returned it to her. “$15,000 a year extra?” Abby queried. He nodded and she swept round his desk to give him a hug and kiss. “You’ll be working directly for Mr. Croston.” I added. Mr. Croston gave me a startled look. We packed her off on the mandatory Health and Safety course run by Sam that afternoon and I grilled Mr. Croston. “$15,000 a year pay rise on her first day?” “With luck she’ll stay rather than look for another job so we can keep an eye on her.” Well yes but what would she think it was for? “Now remember you’re going to sexually harass her and it’s easier if she’s working directly for you.” Mr. Croston thinks about work morning noon and night, in fact he rarely thinks about anything else. He looked blankly at me so I walked in front of him and kissed him deeply then turned my back on him and brought his hands up over my breasts covering them with mine to give him a quick refresher course on what to do with a young lady. My nipples hardened between his fingers. “Think you can remember now I’ve reminded you what to do? And try nibbling my ear lobe whilst you’re working on the rest.” I melted, Mr. Croston can warm me up with a glance but this evening Brad was going to get jumped on.

If I’m warmed up to start with then Brad really feels chuffed when I orgasm as he slides it in. He’s just not that strong on the foreplay side of things and he’s sensitive so there’s no point in trying to fake it.

The next morning I walked into Mr. Croston’s office. He was stood behind Abby and had his hands covering her breasts nibbling her ears. She was lapping up his attention. Enough, I’d witnessed the sexual harassment so I coughed. After all there was no need to take these things to extremes. Mr. Croston quickly lowered his hands. There was almost a look of disappointment on Abby’s face. “The redevelopment plans you’d asked for Mr. Croston.” Later I spoke to Abby about whether she’d be interested in a settlement for sexual harassment. “It could be a substantial sum.” “Yeah but it’s crazy but I felt safe and protected in his arms. It was almost as if he was acting a part and I haven’t figured out why yet. You know I lost my mother when I was born. Can you imagine dying in childbirth in this day and age but it still happens. I never knew my dad. I’ve grown up in care homes and with foster parents and it’s the first time I’ve ever felt a connection to someone. I did wonder if he was my dad but he’d have to have been a really precocious five year old to have fathered me. No I didn’t feel harassed at all. It was just ever so nice.” She gave herself a little hug. “Besides when I spoke to Samantha about my pay rise she said it’s probably so he can put his finger up you.” “You didn’t come across any disabled people in care did you? Sam is after a disabled person to check his screens to keep his number of disabled persons employed up, preferably minority and female.” Abby looked at me. “I’ll make a couple of phone calls.”

Late that afternoon after Abby had left I spoke to Mr. Croston. “You’ll have to go further with her.” He looked blankly at me so I stood in front of him and guided his hands down to my crotch “Slip your finger in next time like this.” I guided his thumb across my clitoris, ”Now not too close some girls are very sensitive there including me.” Slowly he started to get tuned into my body. Mine was already tuned into his. I came in a nice gentle O, so turned and kissed him. He has the nicest kisses. “Now tomorrow remember to pay some attention to Abby.” I wiggled away. I wasn’t sure what Brad would think of me jumping him twice during the same week.

Two days later I guided Aisha up to Sam’s office. Once we’d worked out the logistics of how she was to get to work and the shifts Sam would like her to cover both Aisha and Sam seemed happy. Abby still hadn’t approached me about the sexual harassment thing and settlements. It looked like we might be stuck with having her around the office for longer than I’d planned. Still she could always have the penthouse apartment we created during the last transit strike. I gave her the key and took her up there. It’s very basically furnished just a couple of beds, a few office chairs and two or three spare desks from the office. Still Abby seemed to like it. “I could raid the office furniture budget if you’d like to choose one or two things.” I offered. She looked round “A wardrobe?” “As long as its IKEA furniture then it’ll slide past the auditors. I showed her the basically equipped kitchen.” Abby’s jaw dropped as she stared at the Meile washing machine and tumble dryer. “The tumble dryer is special and doesn’t need an outside vent so we brought the washing machine to match.” “Does it come with a training course?” She looked at the buttons offering different washes. “You don’t have to worry about those buttons.” I pressed the one marked Master Care and another dozen options showed up. “And of course you can always add an extra rinse or a longer soak.” “My God no wonder they said that its essential that girls should study computer science these days.” She turned to me. “I know he’s going to put it in me but I still haven’t figured out why. You know I think our first time would be better on the double bed up here rather than me bent over the desk.” I shrugged well she owned the company or would do some day even if she didn’t know it so what she said went, right?

“Let me sort something out in the office first then we’ll going shopping this afternoon. If you’re going to do it best do it right.” She looked at me thoughtfully “Done.” I left her straightening the apartment out and rearranging what furniture there was. I’m not sure why she felt compelled to rearrange it I mean I’d put a lot of thought into where everything was perhaps she just wanted to make her mark on something.

I reached Mr. Croston’s office and told him the bad news. “You haven’t taken her far enough.” “Bondage and whips do you think or is she perverted enough to enjoy them?” He added gloomily. “You could try just pushing her a little further?” He looked at me so I locked the office door and gave him a deep kiss just to warm him up. “We shouldn’t be doing this. Besides aren’t you trying for another baby?” “It’s safe enough the fertility clinic suggested I went on the pill for three months then came off it. Apparently lots of women get pregnant just after they come off the pill.” He gave me a look of disbelief. “It’s a lot more comfortable than some of their other ideas like having a pillow under my bottom so the sperm drains down.” “Sometimes I think half the women are trying not to get pregnant and the other half are trying to get pregnant.” He said shaking his head. “Is Abby on the pill?” “No but she has some fancy IUD so she’s safe enough. Now are you hard enough to start or do you want me on my knees in front of you?” I groped him lightly before unzipping my dress and letting it pool to the ground. Underneath I was wearing a white lacy set with the straps and black stockings that Brad likes to see me dressed in. Mr. Croston felt considerably harder once I’d exposed myself to him. I wiggled up against him and reminded him where to put his hands for maximum effect before undoing his belt and sliding down his slacks. I don’t know what’s wrong with bending over a desk with your boss’s full attention as I coached him what he needed to do for the sexual harassment. He needed reminding that my breasts and nipples needed manipulating to give me the most enjoyment as he plunged in below. He was sweet so I squeezed down on him with my inner muscles as an experiment. I’d read about it in some women’s magazine or other. He seemed to enjoy that. I had to line my knickers with a paper handkerchief to catch his white goo as it trickled out afterwards but I gave him a tender kiss as a reward for my little O.

I took Abby to the discreet store recommended in stage one of the fertility clinic’s treatment. I mean Brad’s sperm count was a little low but we only needed one to get through for heavens’ sake. I brought one or two on sale items there for Brad and they worked well but today we had the office credit card. “You can bill it as uniform?” I queried fingering one of the more expensive items they had. Abby cringed “Uniform is what everyone wears not just one person.” “Now how do you think Mr. Croston will react if we both wear identical clothes?” “These garments? We’d better have a qualified first aider on site just in case.” “I’ve been on the training course for mouth to mouth resuscitation.” I mentioned casually. She stared at me wide eyed “We couldn’t.” “Couldn’t or shouldn’t?” “Definitely shouldn’t I mean it wouldn’t be fair on the poor man.” The sales assistant murmured “Are you quite sure you don’t want to make a major impression?” “It won’t be right but I guess maybe we could and feel terribly guilty about it afterwards.” The assistant handed her a silk slip with the most gorgeous embroidery on it. “You shouldn’t tempt me like this.” “It’s my role in life to tempt you. Now are you serious about identical?” I nodded. “Lucky guy. Let me think for a moment or two you have slightly different body shapes.” I grimaced. I know I’m a couple of pounds heavier than I should be. Perhaps I could feed Abby up on chocolate cake? “But nothing serious.” We started going through the racks. “If we started with a dress with a full skirt just below knee length to cover everything up?” They had two in the same colour and pattern which fitted us both in a pale mint colour.

Colour matched stockings came next. From thence we moved on to the other flimsy underthings in a matching colour. We just piled them up on the counter two of each. “Did I mention if you’re spending more than five hundred it’s buy two get one free of equal value today?” I didn’t mean to add to the pile I mean it was expensive enough as it was but we were so close to the five hundred that another pair of throughly indecent knickers put it over the top. I mean how could so much material cover so little? Then it was a free for all as Abby and myself went through the racks. I mean we said we’d go through all the choices and discard some but it was getting late and the salesgirl had been so helpful I just put it all on the card. Besides she gave us a 10% corporate discount on it as well.

We scurried back, Abby took most of the carrier bags upstairs to the penthouse apartment and I checked the emails. Where do they all come from? I think there is a little gremlin somewhere in a computer whose task in life is to churn out boring emails but they all have to be read just in case.

Abby came back down and admitted she’d put a chocolate cake in the oven when she got back and it was cooling down on the rack at the moment. I complemented her on her looks and slipped into my identical outfit. Abby led the way into Mr. Croston’s office. “I’ve just turned out a chocolate cake on the cooling rack upstairs.” Mr. Croston’s face as he noticed Abby wearing a dress with below the knee skirt was a picture and there was a puzzled look on his face as he realised I was wearing an identical one. “The phones can look after themselves for the moment.” He looked wary “Come and try her cooking. I’ll be there as chaperone.” He begrudgingly got up out of his office chair and as he passed me he murmured “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Abby carried the chocolate sponge in from the kitchen and cut slices off it. It was so good I had two slices and Mr. Croston three and started to relax. Abby, bless her, laid her forearms on her thighs and gently caused her skirt to ride up over her thighs until her stocking tops were showing as she lent forward to pay attention to Mr. Croston’s compliments. Well I didn’t want her to appear forward did I? I followed suit. “You’re both wearing stockings?” “Matching ones. The rest matches as well.” We both stood up and I unzipped Abbey’s dress’s back zip leaving her in expensive French designer label underwear. We turned and she undid my zipper as well. Mr. Croston looked shocked as if he could believe his eyes. Abbey looked at me and whispered “I think he’s in shock and should lie down.”

We loosened his clothes on the bed and Abby gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation whilst I went for the more interesting bit below the belt. Well I was feeling noble and the more lubrication he had on his rod the more comfortable it would be for Abby. One of the hardest things in my life was to raise myself when I sensed him about to come. “Unfair.” Came the cry from the bed. Abby took over and although she didn’t get satisfaction he did. “I thought you were supposed to be chaperoning?” “Well I wasn’t sure as an unmarried girl she’d knew exactly what to do so I thought I’d better demonstrate first.” Silly man.

I left them to it other than to mark both their calendars as in conference. I wondered if I was descended from Attila the Hun. I gathered together my DNA samples and sent them off since I’d paid for them. The family of course, I passed the other half dozen to Mary just in case she had a use for them.

Abbey and Mr. Croston eventually arrived back in the office. Abbey was looking very pleased with herself so I sent the pair of them off to have dinner together upstairs since I’d placed a couple of different frozen dishes neatly labelled in the freezer.

A week later Mary popped by to say Mr. Peffer had passed away during the night so I left a hand written note on Mr. Croston’s desk, together with the DNA test results for my daughter and himself. Perhaps I really shouldn’t have had three glasses of champagne at the Christmas party all those many years ago.