Elizabeth's Consultant (Closed)

It was 7:10 AM by the time Elizabeth Montgomery was making her way to the tenth floor of her office. She was already ten minutes late for her 7 AM meeting. Not a great impression, she scolded herself as the elevator stopped to pick someone up on the fourth floor.

It was the first time she was meeting the new consultants she'd been forced to work with by her new bosses. Just two weeks ago Elizabeth was running things, she was the woman in charge, the go to gal, and now everything was turned upside down.

It'd been six years since Liz walked into T&Z's Clothing and fell in love. She was 21 at the time and instantly fell in love with the trendy clothing the small boutique carried. She became a regular customer, and made fast friends with the entire staff. It was a year later, when she had graduated from college with a Communications degree, and only a minor in business, that she'd began working for the company. She'd climbed her way up the ladder, starting as secretary answering phone's at the corporate office.

It's a classic tale really; girl goes from low-pay, replaceable employee to Vice President of the entire company. It'd been a long ride, but she'd been lucky a few times. By the age of 26 she was to the go-to-gal for the franchise of trendy stores and she'd never forgotten the people who'd helped her get there. Elizabeth's main concerns were for the customers. She ensured that they received great quality, fashionable clothes at a reasonable price. She truly believed that "the customer was always right" and she did her best to make sure they were always satisfied.

Though almost at the top rung, Elizabeth did more personnel work, focusing on consumer feedback, employee happiness, etc. She didn't pay much attention to the fancy business aspect of things, she allowed the president and those who worked for her deal with that.

That all changed though, when an even bigger company bought Elizabeth's out. The new VP, a Mr. Steve Jenkins, found it hard to believe that a woman of only 26 could possibly be responsible for this businesses success, and is why he insisted on hiring some sort of consultant to evaluate her. Liz really had no idea what that even meant, all she was worried about was that her once friendly close knit business was going to be transformed into some corporate America bullshit. She was also highly concerned with losing her job. She had been informed that she was going to be looked at closely by the new consultants and that her performance must be above par. Liz wouldn't go down without a fight though. If needed, she was ready to fight for her company, and for the people who'd helped make it such a success.

This is why she cursed herself as the elevator crept up the shaft, finally reaching the tenth floor. She tugged at the hem of her black pencil skirt, ridding it of its wrinkles, and adjusted her form fitting blazer that matched. She'd worn a white button up blouse underneath, with fiery red heels to add a pop of color. Hey, she worked for a clothing business, she might as well make herself look good.

She made her way to the conference room with haste, and could see through the glass walls surrounding it that everyone was waiting on her. She glanced down at her new Rolex, 7:12. Damned traffic. Of course there'd have to be an overturned semi on the highway the one morning she needed to be on time. She pushed the door open and made her way into the room, smiling brightly at the new faces.

"Gentlemen, I sincerely apologize. An awful accident on westbound I75, overturned semi," she explained as she set her briefcase on the table next to Jenkins. He glared at her for a moment, but one of the men commented that he too had caught traffic, and when the rest smiled at her misfortune, his stare ceased.

"Shall we begin then?" She suggested, glancing across the table to a few faces she'd never seen before. Although a rather petite woman, standing only 5'7 (5'10 with those heels) Elizabeth's confidence made her stand 10 feet tall. She commanded attention when she entered a room, and she reveled in the fact that all eyes were on her, if only for a moment.

Of course she had no role in choosing the consultants, Jenkins insisted he knew just the right firm. She figured it wasn't a fight worth picking, so this was her first time meeting them. "I am Elizabeth Montgomery, VP of T&Z before we were taken under the wing of Mr. Jenkins here," she smiled as she held her hand out to shake the men's hands.

Screeeeech!!!! “Damnit!” Michael cursed to himself as he stomped on his breaks for the third time that morning. What is wrong with these people? Do they not know how to drive? He was actually angrier at himself than at the incompetence of his fellow commuters. What was wrong with him? Did he not know how to stop while he was ahead? He could have been relaxing at his firm’s headquarters in sunny southern California basking in praise for his recent triumph. He had single handedly engineering the turnaround of the Anderson account from imminent failure to resounding success. He was the youngest senior consultant at the firm but well on his way to becoming partner. And after his latest feat, he was the company hero – he should be at home enjoying some much deserved R&R. But noooo, he had to show the firm’s partners how much of a hotshot he was by volunteering to take on yet another impossible assignment.

He looked out the window of his rental car; the continuous cold drizzle matched his mood and task at hand. Why had the partners accepted this assignment anyways – T&Z has been the hottest brand to emerge in the retail scene in quite awhile, everyone knew how wildly successful it was, how can his company hope to make enough of a difference to justify his exorbitant consulting fees. He knew exactly why the company had accepted this job of course; it was a personal favor for a past client. He just wished he could figure out why the name Jenkins sounded so familiar.

Glancing out his window once again, he saw why there was so much traffic this morning. A little rain and everyone forgets how to drive - a semi had somehow overturned and was now blocking the three right lanes of oncoming traffic, and of course everyone had to slow down and take a look. Michael checked his watch again; he was cutting it close. This was his first meeting with the with T&Z’s management team, and as an admirer of human talent, he was looking forward to meeting the team behind the company’s meteoric rise. If he was to be the one to evaluate them, being late was certainly not the best way to earn their respect and cooperation.

Pulling up to the office park and dashing into the building Michael ran his hands through his dark hair and composed himself before taking the elevator up to the tenth floor.

“Good morning Miss, my name is Michael Fairchild from McKinsey & Company,” he smiled as he introduced himself to the receptionist.

“Yes, Mr. Fairchild, the others are waiting in the boardroom,” she answered, flashing him a grin that was entirely too friendly. Inconspicuously glancing at his watch, he winced, 7:08, not good.

“Michael!” A voice boomed out as he entered the room, “So good of you to join us. Michael, I want you to meet Steve Jenkins, he is the VP of acquisitions for Investco. Steve, this is Michael Fairchild, one of the most effective senior consultants at our firm.”

“Nice to meet you Steve, don’t mind Jim, he has a way of overstating my accomplishments.” Shaking his hand Michael couldn’t shake the feeling that they had met before.

Before anymore pleasantries could be exchanged, the door opened and everyone turned to observe the newcomer. She glided into the room and flashed her brilliant smile, apologizing for her tardiness. Expecting a response from Jim but not hearing one, Michael glanced over to see that Jim still had his mouth open but no sound came out.

“Ahem, what my colleague means to say is that it’s not a problem at all. I was caught in the traffic myself.”

Michael noticed the silent exchange between the two executives but decided to file it away as the woman continued to introduce herself.

“Shall we begin then? I am Elizabeth Montgomery, VP of T&Z before we were taken under the wing of Mr. Jenkins here," she smiled as she held her hand out to shake the men's hands.

At the mention of his name, Jenkins offered his counterpart a lecherous grin that finally reminded Michael of where he had met the man before. It was on assignment four years ago. Jenkins was working for a different company who had also acquired a smaller competitor. He had let go of the entire senior management team. Jenkins was a heartless shark and Michael felt sorry for the beautiful VP - she didn’t stand a chance. They weren’t here to “evaluate” anything; they were here to give Jenkins ammunition to start firing people.

“Shouldn’t we wait for the rest of the management team?” Jim piped up, finally finding his voice again.

Elizabeth’s brow creased at a sharp disdainful angle, “I am the management team.”

Groaning to himself, Michael couldn’t help but wonder how Jim always managed to put his foot in his mouth. For being such an experienced consultant Jim didn’t have a very good filter on what came out of his mouth. On the other hand, his impression of the young executive sitting across from him shot up tenfold. Could it be that she alone was the driving force behind T&Z’s smashing success? It was hard to fathom someone so young, and so attractive could also be so talented.

“Please excuse Jim’s… excitability, I agree, let’s begin. Jim is here access the financial viability of the combined companies. I am sure Mr. Jenkins has that information for him. Am I to understand that you are going to go through company operations with me Ms. Montgomery?”

"I am the management team," she scoffed at the man named Jim. Why does everyone think it's impossible for a woman to run things? she went off in her head, imagining herself telling all of them off, it's the not the 1900s anymore! she'd scream, giving them a feminist speech about the power of women.

Elizabeth wouldn't quite consider herself a feminist, not an extreme one anyways. She still believed in chivalry, the man opening the door, paying for dinner, etc. But she did believe that women were very much capable of being strong, independent individuals and that they needn't depend their entire existence upon a man. This is why she'd taken so much pride in everything she'd accomplished at this business.

“Please excuse Jim’s… excitability, I agree, let’s begin. Jim is here access the financial viability of the combined companies. I am sure Mr. Jenkins has that information for him. Am I to understand that you are going to go through company operations with me Ms. Montgomery?”

By his immediate apology for his partner, and his overpowering tone, Elizabeth instantly knew that he was the man in charge, or at least thought he was. But when the man named Jim shut his mouth and sat back down, she knew that his power wasn't just in his head.

"Yes, you must be Mr. Fairchild?" Elizabeth assumed, holding out her hand to shake the man's before sitting down. The man's hands were big, they swallowed hers when they met, but she held her hand firm, gripping his with an equal force to assert that she wasn't going to be a pushover in this arrangement.

"We've heard wonderful things about you from your firm. We are very excited to be working with you," she lied, giving him a faint smile. Liz wanted nothing less than to be working with this man who'd be evaluating her company. What'd he know about anything? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and although she refused to sit next to the 'man in charge' like a good, obedient woman should do, she forced a smile and reluctantly agreed to this plan. She didn't have much of a choice, she had to go along with it if she wanted to save her company.

"Mr. Jenkins has informed me that we are going to be working very closely together," she said with a small smile, looking the man in the eye. Sitting across from the man, she was able to get a good look at him. She was immediately attracted; he was a gorgeous man. The typical "tall, dark, and handsome" was truly an understatement. Liz definitely wouldn't mind some late nights full of working with him. She tried to ignore the man's attractiveness, but she couldn't stop staring. Perhaps it was because it'd been such a long time since a man had ....

She quickly pushed the thought from her mind as Jenkins began rambling on about something, but there was still a small part of her mind that was still focusing on how lonely she'd been lately. With all of her focus and attention being spent on work, Elizabeth didn't bother trying to get into a relationship. She knew she wouldn't be able to put her full self in it, and that wouldn''t be fair to the person she was with. Her focus at this point in her life was her career, and she liked it that way... most of the time.

Those times that she didn't were the times she'd go out at night and pick up some good looking guy at a bar or restaurant and take him home to release her sexual desires. Elizabeth was a very sexual person, she enjoyed sex; it made her feel good. She didn't need all of the emotional baggage of a relationship, she just wanted someone to make her feel good every now and then.

"Miss Montgomery .... Elizabeth..." she heard Jenkins call her name, waking her from her thoughts.

"Yes sir, that's correct," she agreed, having no idea what the man was saying. She just knew agreeing with him made him happy, and for now, that's exactly what she needed to do.

"We've heard wonderful things about you from your firm. We are very excited to be working with you."

Her thin smile belied her claim of eager cooperation. He didn’t blame her, her company had just been bought out, and she was definitely sharp enough to recognize her position was in jeopardy.

“Yes we are very excited. This was a major acquisition for us and we are eager to have it pay off,” Jenkins offered. “Jim and I are meeting with several investors later this morning. Repackaging the brand to get it ready for an IPO is going to take a lot of work, and it’s going to result in a big payday for Investco.”

Michael got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he needed to take control of the situation and set this guy in his place, “Not necessarily Steve. I am here to make sure that all options are explored. I reviewed the financials that your company sent over and the NOI growth rate actually suggests that a hold may be the smarter play here. Add to that the fact that T&Z has a great public relations image that can lend a more humanizing light to Investco. We’re all well aware that your shareholders have been clamoring to soften up the company’s image. All I need is to form a better understanding of T&Z’s supply chain and how it plans to extend its value proposition to maintain its current trajectory.”

Jenkins’ did not try to hide his disinterest at all. It was painfully obvious that the takeover was aimed at dismantling the company for a quick profit and nothing more – that was why Jim was here.

Looking over at Jim’s sheepish shrug, Michael had to wonder why he antagonizing Jenkins by suggesting how valuable long term operations can be and how much Investco had to gain from having T&Z as part of its portfolio of companies? What was he doing? He had to squash his white knight complex if he wanted to get the job done. He was here to do what was in the client’s best interest, not to save a damsel in distress. It didn’t matter how promising her young career was, nor how undeniably attractive she was.

“Well I’m confident Miss Montgomery would be happy to assist you in any way she can,” Jenkins sneered as his eyes roamed her body no doubt appreciating how her form fitting outfit accentuated her considerable charms, “Isn’t that right Miss Montgomery… Elizabeth...”

"Yes sir, that's correct," Elizabeth answered as if distracted by something.

“Well then, I’ll leave you two to it,” with that he stood and left the room without as much as a handshake. Jim followed him glancing back an apology to his colleague and nodding in acknowledgement to the remaining executive.

Michael didn’t like working for the man in his prior assignment and it looked like nothing much will change for this one either. If Elizabeth hadn’t already caught on to what was about to happen to her company, he hated to be the one to break it to her.

He looked across the table at her, perfectly made up, immaculately dressed, so full of poise and confidence for such a young woman in her position. He couldn’t help but marvel at the inner strength that was necessary to maintain her calm in light of what she was currently facing. Her career, all the work that she had put into building up the company, it was all potentially going to be taken away from her. Maybe it was just in his head, simply because he knew the trouble brewing, but for a second there, he could have sworn he saw a lonely, hopelessly lost little girl sitting there beneath Elizabeth’s beautiful façade.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and putting on a smile that exuded strength and confidence, he stood up and extended his hand to gesture towards the door, “Shall we go to your office? You can show me your current year to date numbers.”

As Michael walked with his client to her office, he couldn’t resist the temptation to surreptitiously give her a once over. She was undeniably beautiful, but what caught his eye was the inconsistency of what he saw. Her skirt suit, obviously tailored, fit her like a second skin. It was conservatively cut, yet the way it clung to her, accentuating her delightful figure, screamed out at people to look at her. And that’s not to mention her fiery red pumps. She played in the big leagues with men more than twice her age so she made sure her appearance was always formal and professional, yet she had on several pieces of tastefully delicate jewelry that reminded everyone of her femininity. She moved with purpose, obviously a woman used to people getting out of her way her way; yet each motion was an exercise in elegance and daintiness. To get to where she is, she was undoubtedly a no-nonsense executive yet her charisma was apparent as every employee they passed greeted her with heartfelt warmth.

Even her office, a model of neatness and efficiency had little hints of something peeking though. It was apparent to anyone with a trained eye for detail. As they sat down to pour through the financials, Michael kept picking up on the contrasts, almost as if there was a dichotomy in thought and action. The more of these dichotomies he came across, the more he couldn’t help but draw parallels between his attractive client and Lindsay, his ex-girlfriend. Lindsay had also been a strong, independent, successful, woman in her professional life; taking on responsibilities that should have been far beyond her. Maybe that was a part of the reason why she was the way she was. Maybe she was just tired of being the one everyone depended on. Maybe she had always been searching for someone that she herself could lean on. Maybe she had never found anyone that could measure up, someone strong enough to lead her when she finally surrendered herself to them. Not finding that person she had walled herself off using her accomplishments to convince herself that she didn’t need to rely on anyone. Looking at the beautiful young woman sitting beside him as they combed through her reports, Michael was lost in thought, considering the implications.

Elizabeth must have sensed his eyes on her because she stopped her narration and turned to look at him. The eye contact in such close proximity was exhilarating. He was astonished by the complexity of emotions present in the pure blue expanse that looked back at him. The expressiveness and the clear look of inquisitiveness as she returned his gaze (probably wondering why he was staring at her) were irresistible. Lost in the depths of her eyes, Michael didn’t have the presence of mind, nor the desire to break eye contact. His unwavering gaze must have been too overwhelming because after several long moments she dropped her eyes to look down at her hands murmuring something he couldn’t quite make out. Lindsay had the same habit, she had always held her head up high and proud, but unless he commanded her to look him directly in the eyes, her gaze would drift downwards under his intense scrutiny.

Michael’s thought kept returning to his early days with his ex as he watched his client. Obvious passion behind her work, supremely competent at what she did, a woman of recognizable accomplishments, yet she sat there one hand repeatedly tucking an auburn lock of hair behind her ear, the other hand nervously fidgeting with her pen as she briefed him on the company’s operations - yet another contradiction that he couldn’t explain. The similarities in the two women’s personalities were uncanny.

When he had found chinks in Lindsay’s otherwise impenetrable venire of confidence and pressed her on them, she had crumbled like a house of cards. He hadn’t done it on purpose; he was just making sure their case was airtight. Being such an accomplished, high powered legal counsel at such a young age, no one had ever dared stand up to her. Recognizing he was not someone she could push around, she had opened up to him not only professionally, but also on a personal level. What followed was a torrent of sexual and emotional outpouring as she finally released all the latent desires held back for so long. To other people she had remained the same aggressive, take charge corporate lawyer, but to him, she was extremely deferential, submitting to his will, and always eager to please him. It was as if she were two different people, flowing back and forth between her personas depending on the situation.

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Michael thought he saw little hints of the same struggle within this alluring woman that he had just met a few hours ago. If he was correct, he needed to proceed carefully this time. Lindsay’s submissiveness, once revealed, had quickly gotten away from them both and had taken her to a place that he could not, and would not go. He could easily see himself falling for this doe eyed beauty but didn’t want her repressed desires to consume her.

"Of course, right this way," Elizabeth said as she stood up and gestured Michael to through the door. She walked by him and led the way through the congested building. As she walked by she made sure to smile at everyone. Making her employees happy was one of her main priorities. Elizabeth had never wanted to be a part of something like this, something this big. That's why she'd chosen T&Z, they were a small, close-knit business. Of course she wanted them to expand and be successful, but she'd never wanted them to turn into some corporate mess like they were now.

She couldn't blame Bill though, her previous boss who had sold to Jenkins. He had to do it or the business was going to go down, fast. When they went into business to expand the business together, the weren't experts in the field. They'd had too much money going out, and not enough coming in. Consequences of caring too much about the personnel than the actual business. Elizabeth never had an idea of how bad it was, Bill wouldn't let her bother with the business side; he wanted her focused on HR, customer satisfaction, etc. Sure Elizabeth knew about business, but after all these years not having to worry about it, she was a little bit rusty.

When the two of them reached her office, she gestured for Michael to sit down in the chair opposite her desk. She began rambling off some facts and figures, talking about products, finances, anything that came to mind while Michael listened. But when he was a bit too quiet, she looked up from her papers to meet his intense brown eyes staring at her. She could tell his mind was somewhere else, so she stopped talking for a moment and tried to hold his gaze, but his stare was too intense, and she had to look away.

She hated losing, even at things as small as a staring contest. She looked back down at the papers and fumbled with the watch on her wrist. "This is awkward..." she mumbled, hopefully not loud enough for him to hear. A man hadn't looked at her like that in quite a while.

It'd been a few months since Elizabeth's last one night stand with some horny college guy she picks up at the bar, and to tell the truth, she was quickly growing sick of having only toys to please herself with. She longed for a man all of the time, but now sitting here with Michael staring at her so intently, had her yearning for a man more than she had in a long time.

It didn't help that he was absolutely gorgeous. He was the typical tall, dark, and handsome guy, but something about him made Elizabeth want to know more about him. For some reason she felt the desire to know the man on a much more personal level than what their business relationship would allow.

"Mr. Fairchild ... a little distracted are we?" she said, with a small laugh, trying not to sound too rude. The intensity in his eyes faded and he gave her a slight smile, and she couldn't help but smile back when she saw his dimples.

"To be honest, the business side has never been my forte. I know the important stuff, but before we were bought out, we never worried about it too much. I suppose that was one of our biggest mistakes. But there aren't too many business' out there that care about their customers anymore. I guess we were just trying to be a franchise people could depend on. Where they knew they'd get the best quality of clothing at a reasonable price, and always be treated with the utmost respect from our employees. But look where that got us."

Her voice trailed off, and she cleared her throat and smiled, trying to mask the sadness in her voice as she talked about the failing of her company. "Here's our portfolios," she said, handing him a binder containing all of T&Z's important business information.

He didn’t know if the gamble would be worth it. And he couldn’t help but think that if he weren’t so inexplicably attracted to his client that we wouldn’t even consider taking on Jenkins. True, the guy was a heel to deal with, but his plan was a solid one, buy the company, strip the company, sell the parts for a nice profit. Solid or not, Michael knew he had Jenkins beat. Even while distracted by the beautiful Miss Montgomery, the gears in his head had been constantly turning as she had laid out the inner workings of her former company.

After four hours of pouring through the financials and value propositions of their operation, Michael knew he had a workable plan that would easily dwarf anything Jenkins could do. The only problem was convincing the company president to go along with it. Was he willing to go to bat for them? And did he really want to make an enemy out of the guy that hired his consulting firm in the first place? If he went along with the original plan to dissolve the brand, he and Jim could wrap the project up in a couple of weeks, go home, and be a hero of yet another successful assignment. If he wanted to save them, it would be a long drawn out process. Though it would be an even greater victory, it would take at least four or five months. He really didn’t want to stay here any longer than he needed to, there was nothing here for him, and he missed the sunshine of southern California and wanted to return to it. So much to mull over he found his mind wandering again.

As she talked about her regret for not personally overseeing every aspect of the company, she looked at him. He looked back. What he saw was inconsolable sadness in those big beautiful eyes, and he felt part of him wanting to replace that with the happy girl eyes he had looked into just a moment ago as she was teasing him.

Wanting to do anything to cheer her up, Michael spoke before he had time to consider his words, “don't look so glum Miss Montgomery, I’m positive I’ve figured out a way to save your company.”

Damn, why had he done that? He didn’t owe this woman anything. Trying to cover his momentary lapse in judgment and hoping she wouldn’t read his last statement as a promise, he decided a change in tactics was in order.

“Well we’ve been at this for way too long. How about you coming out to lunch with me; we’ll make it a working lunch.” He knew he was being forward, but if his hunch was correct about her, she would have a difficult time resisting such a direct approach.

“Do you know of a good Italian place we can go to? I’m not familiar with the area yet.”

"Don't look so glum Miss Montgomery, I’m positive I’ve figured out a way to save your company.”

Elizabeth's eyebrows raised, and looked at Michael quizzically. Surely he didn't just say what she thought he did. He could save the company? How would he do that? Why would he do that? It didn't make sense. She must have heard him wrong.

"Excuse me, did you just say you could save my company Mr. Fairchild?" she asked searching his face for any hint of an answer. Before she even got her question out, he'd already interrupted her in asking her out to lunch. That's a little surprising, she thought to herself.

She let her mind run free and multiple scenarios flooded her brain. One - Michael Fairchild was a wonderful businessman, and for some reason saw a potential profit from saving the business. Two - Michael Fairchild, like herself, wanted what was best for the customers, and he believed in Elizabeth's mission, and wanted to help. Three - Michael Fairchild was a cocky, horny consultant who was just playing with Elizabeth's emotions to try and sleep with her.

Though she hoped it wasn't the latter, she still wasn't completely disgusted with the idea, which frightened her. If that was the case, Elizabeth feared she wouldn't have to power to say no. She instantly felt attracted to the man, and she got a weird feeling around him. Like she was some schoolgirl with a crush; she couldn't explain it.

Regardless of his intentions, (Elizabeth would worry about them later) she was in fact starving. In her hurry, she'd forgotten breakfast this morning.

"Actually yes, there's a little cafe a few blocks away that has some of the best Italian I've ever eaten." Little did Michael know that Italian was Elizabeth's favorite food. She didn't want to seem overly eager to go out with him however, so she kept that information to herself. She smiled at Michael, a little excited to spend some time outside of the office with him.

“I'm sorry, I was speaking out of turn. I will go over the idea with you after I give it a little more thought. In the meantime, the cafe sounds delightful.” Michael said, his tone not hinting at what he really felt. Glancing out the window he added, “And it seems the rain has stopped for the time being. If it’s only a couple of blocks away, we can go for a nice walk.”

At this point he was merely testing his boundaries. It was obvious that Elizabeth was a woman used to having her way, used to everyone deferring to her preferences. He wanted to see how she would react to someone that didn’t cater to her every whim, ask her opinion in every decision, someone confident enough to make his own decision without seeking her validation, not because they were cocky, but simply because it made sense.

A walk would also allow them to spend some time together outside the office. He wanted to see if she was the same intelligent, self-assured, charismatic individual outside of her work environment.

"And lets dispense with all this Mr and Miss business, please call me Michael and I will call you Elizabeth."

On their way down the elevator and out the building she kept up admirably with his banter, showing her warm personality and sharp wit. Asked about how she got started working at T&Z, Elizabeth launched into an animated retelling of her of her time with the company. Speaking with such passion, it was apparent that she loved what she did, she loved the company, and she loved the people she worked with. It was also very apparent that she was a genuine people pleaser; Michael stored that last tidbit of information away.

As they stood waiting for a table at the quaint neighborhood café, Michael’s curiosity got the better of him, “So, you are obviously a very beautiful, successful, intelligent woman, where are all the guys beating down your door to ask you out? Or has Jenkins’ creepy leers scared them all away?"

Elizabeth's brow creased at Michael's assumption that she wanted to walk to the cafe. Granted, she walked there nearly every day for lunch, but he didn't know that. She felt it quite rude to just assume, but it wasn't a huge deal. She convinced herself she was looking too much into it.

"Of course, its nice out. And I usually walk anyway. Good exercise for the day," she said, smiling as she stood up, assuring Michael that he was having her do nothing outside of her normal routine. She was the one allowing him into her schedule. At least, that's what she tried to tell herself.

As she was walking, Michael let out strike two. He WILL call me Elizabeth? What nerve! she spat in her head. Of course she was just about to suggest that he call her Elizabeth, Liz, Beth, or any other nickname derived, but she would never have told him she would call him Michael, without him first suggesting it. She once again pushed it aside, trying not to read too much into it. Because she knew if she did she would discover quickly that she actually didn't mind his assertiveness.

The walk was rather enjoyable, and the two made small talk about their history in their respective businesses. Michael was easy to talk to, it felt as if the two of them were long ime friends. He smiked often, showing his dimples, which in turn had Elizabeth smiling just as much. Their conversation stayed strictly professional until they reached the cafe and awaited a table, where Michael asked her about her love life.

Strike 3. She knew she should have been upset with his question, told.him that he was being unprofessional, and ignore the question. But for some reason Elizabeth wanted to tell him she was single, she wanted to know him and foe him to know her. She felt and inexplicable pull toward this man she had known only a few.hours.

She unwillingly blushed at his compliment, and half laughed at his statement of Jenkins creepiness."Never though about it like that, maybe that's why the men stay away." She smiled and paused a moment, allowing a glimpse of her loneliness to show through her eyes;those eyes always gave her away. But then she added "In all honestty, I'm too focused on work. I have no time for relationships, especially with the company how it is now. It'd be unfair to not give my while self." She half smiled and turned away from him, slightly embarrassed to have been so open so quickly. She was thankful that the waitress interrupted her to seat them. God knows how long she would have rambled.

His last probing inquiry was in part to see Elizabeth’s reaction to a direct although inappropriate question. If she rebuffed him for being uncouth he would know that she was just another woman, albeit a very smart and pretty one, but if she responded without protest, it would be yet another hint of a very special personality that he was more and more convinced that she had.

His suspicions were very pleasantly confirmed when a momentary flash of anger that hardened her soft blue eyes was quickly replaced by the coloring of her cheeks as she blushed from his indirect compliment. She was clearly indignant of the question, but something else inside had won over and compelled her to answer the question anyways. Michael was now undeniably fascinated by the spectrum of emotions that played across her features in the span of a couple of seconds. He listened with interest as Elizabeth tried to explain why she was single. It was obviously a subject that she was not comfortable with, yet she kept opening up to him because of his expression conveyed that he expected her to keep talking. There was something else in her deep expressive eyes. There it was again, a poignant sense of sadness, almost loneliness, as if she was adrift by herself, lost, looking for something…

The moment passed quickly as a waitress came to seat them. He wished the waitress had given them an addition minute or two, he wanted to ask Elizabeth about that look that seemed to communicate her deep sense of longing, wanted to know what it was about. But he knew the moment was over; yet something else he had to file away to ruminate on.

They were seated off in a corner by the window and presented with a menu that was decidedly northern Italian cuisine. Among her other attributes, he recognized that this young woman had very refined tastes. Half scanning the menu, Michael surveyed the angelic visage before him, sublime half smile as she studied her own menu, perfect nose peppered with a few freckles, soft blue eyes, and long luxurious lashes. He didn’t offer any more small talk, opting to see how she would react to a companionable silence.

Elizabeth walked quickly to keep pace with the waitress, who sat them at a table for two off to the side of the café. She smiled to a few of the waitresses and the manager as she walked by, saying hello. They knew them well since she was here quite often. They probably think we’re on a date or something, she thought to herself, since she had sat them in a more private area of the café. She thanked the woman as she sat down and looked over the menu, though she knew what she was going to get. She ordered the same thing every time she came; chicken parmesan with a caesar salad on the side.

It was quiet for a while; neither of them said a thing. Elizabeth didn’t mind the silence, though she was aching for conversation with Michael. She could feel him eyeing her as she looked over the menu and she smiled to herself, pleased to have his attention. She was glad to know that she still in fact could hold a man’s attention for a long period of time. Since her last ‘relationship’ Elizabeth hasn’t given men the chance to lose interest. That’s why when she hooked up with a guy she only did for a short period of time; no more than 5 times per guy. She was nowhere near being considered easy, but she liked sex, and when she wanted it, she went out and got it. More than a week or so and then emotions started to come into play, and Elizabeth wasn’t ready for that, not after what had happened Andrew, her ex.

He was not the first of her long term relationships, but he definitely was the last. They dated a few months, where it was just starting to become serious. The two of them had an amazing chemistry, and their sex was even greater. She was beginning to fall in love with Andrew, and that’s when she started to feel comfortable with her sexuality even more, and wanting to try new things. Although great, their sex life was rather vanilla. Elizabeth wanted to change that, she had an inexplicable urge to add a little kink in the bedroom. It started with being blindfolded. Then it was having her hands tied. She’ll never forget the night she asked Andrew to spank her, the look on his face was imprinted in her mind forever. He was shocked, but he obliged her, making her scream in ecstasy without even entering her.

This continued for some time, and Elizabeth enjoyed Andrew taking control in the bedroom. Granted, she had no idea how strong her urge to be controlled was, and she still doesn’t, but at the time she enjoyed giving up some control. She was such a powerful woman in her career, everyone answered to her, came to her for help, left the decisions up to her, that she enjoyed being able to just let go and not call the shots for once. But never again would she allow that to happen, not after Andrew had hurt her like he did.

It was a typical night for the two of them, and they were engaging in some pretty hot and heavy foreplay. Andrew’s hands were roaming, and they made their way down her pants, but stopped just before reaching her sweet spot. “Do you want it baby?” he’d whispered in her ear. Her response came out of nowhere, and before she could stop herself she’d moaned to him, “Yes please, make me your dirty little girl.”

For some reason, this had triggered something with Andrew, and she guessed it was just the tip of the iceberg. He’d continued as if nothing was wrong, but the next morning he’d told her that she was getting a little too experimental in bed. Some guys aren’t into the kink, and Andrew was one of those guys. He wanted nice, normal sex. Elizabeth had tried to fix things, but it was just downhill. The awkwardness of it all was the worst part. The way he looked at her as if she was some disgusting sex addict broke her heart. From then on she’d repressed the need to give control to someone else, and she’d done so before having the chance to explore how much control she was truly willing to give to someone else.

The waitress returned, and they both ordered. The silence continued, but Elizabeth couldn’t help herself from breaking it.

“So Mr .. Michael, you’ve learned about my personal life. What’s a handsome fellow like you doing without a lovely lady on his arm?” ’Handsome fellow’, really Liz?, she smacked herself mentally for being such a dork. Why did he make her so nervous? And why did she like the way he looked at her as if she were a piece of meat?

The waitress was especially gracious, obviously familiar with Elizabeth. Again he wondered at her unfailing charisma, everyone seemed to be so comfortable and truly warm around her. Despite her striking attractiveness she seemed to exude a sense of approachability.

He ordered the shrimp tagatelli, exited to try out their sauce.

“So Mr .. Michael, you’ve learned about my personal life. What’s a handsome fellow like you doing without a lovely lady on his arm?”

Michael grinned, amused at her attempt to turn the tables on him.

"My dear Elizabeth, what makes you think I don't have two lovely ladies back home waiting for me, eager to be at my beck and call?"

He maintained a straight face while Elizabeth's went from shock to, to embarrassment, to desire (interesting), back to embarrassment, and finally settled on anger as she realized he was pulling her chain. He chuckled lightly as he apologized for having fun at her expense, somewhat mollifying her ire.

"In all honesty, I just haven't met Mrs. Right. I have a somewhat inflexible checklist of traits I look for in a woman and so far I haven't found the one that embodies them all. I don't settle for anything in life and believe that we should all strive to find that which makes us whole. Even if we get hurt in the process..."

Michael trailed off near the end and paused for a moment to ponder his words. He was quite surprised that he was opening to her this quickly. It seemed easier to admit to her some thing that he could hardly admit to himself.

"For a short time, I thought I had found her, but ultimately it wasn't so. I guess the fall was kind of painful and I've been a little slow in getting back on the horse."

"Oh..." Elizabeth she mumbled and she lowered her head and fought back the rush of blood to her cheeks that gave away her embarrassment. Ugh how stupid! Of course he wouldn't be single. now I've just made an idiot of myself. She started to mumble an apology but was interrupted by Michael's small laugh. Realizing he was just fooling around with her, her expression turned to anger. Not at him, she was angry she allowed herself to believe him.

She smiled sympathetically as he spoke of his heartbreak, and her heart ached for his pain. She could see it on his face briefly, and she wanted to reach out and stroke his cheek. She couldn't believe how much she already felt towards the man. She wanted to make his pain go away, make him smile. She felt as if she had known him for years, and the chemistry she felt between them was undeniable. She knew there was no way he would notice. He could have any woman he wanted, he wouldn't want her. She knew she was beautiful, she had confidence, but with Michael it was different. For some reason she felt the need to please him. Every time she spoke she paid special attention to his reaction, ensuring he was satisfied with it. Elizabeth didn't know why she felt that way, and she wasn't sure yet if she liked it. So for now she ignored it.

""Oh yes, I know how that goes. Been off the horse a long time," she said laughing, shocked at her words once they left her lips. "I mean ... uh ... I haven't been in a relationship for quite a whole either," she attempted to explain in a more lady like manner.

Michael cocked his head to a side and looked at her with intense curiosity.

"So the reason you haven't been in a relationship in a long while is because you feel your job doesn't give you enough time for one? You're the VP of Operations... do you think you'll ever have time without making the time yourself? Plus from what I've seen of your abilities, your career is just beginning."

Michael continued to study the conflicting thoughts evident in her eyes and decided to go for broke, figuring the worse she could do was slap him.

"Are you sure there aren't other reasons and you are only using your career as an excuse to not persue a relationship?

Still puzzled as to why he was having this conversation with a woman he had only met that morning, he seemed unable to stop the words coming out of his mouth. It was as if something within her compelled him to keep pressing her. He had not come here for a hookup, and honestly, the last thing he needed was to get involved with a client. But something about her convinced him that he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn't at least explore the possibilities that this extraordinarily alluring woman represented.

This time Elizabeth couldn't hide the shock on her face at Michael's blunt intrusion of her personal life. This was supposed to be a business lunch, talking about the company; not her love life. She wanted to tell him that, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. She cleared her throat and eased the tension in her face before answering.

"No, that's not what I am doing Mr. Fairchild... I ..: Elizabeth cursed herself for fumbling her words in front of this man. "I've tried making time .. just .. I ... I'm too focused on my career." She stuttered more trying to find the right words before blurting "Nobody wants to date a workaholic." And with that she clamped her mouth shut and took a drink. She waited for him to speak, but when he didn't do so immediately she jumped in.

"Michael, I do believe this is supposed to be a working lunch," she said politely after finally gaining enough courage to do so. "We're on the clock, we needn't be this personal with one another if we are going to have a strictly business relationship." She looked down at the last words, because she knew that already she wanted much much more than a business relationship. She wanted Michael to ask her on a date, take her dancing, something wonderful. But she knew that wouldn't happen. Although he was joking, he probably did have women at his beckon call, ready to please him at a moment's notice. Elizabeth only wished she could be one of those women.

Despite her shock and reluctance to respond, it looked as though she was compelled to follow direct instructions and answer direct questions from someone she respected or liked. Schooling his features so as not to belie his giddy excitement, Michael listened patiently as the young woman sitting across from him struggled to articulate her pent up emotions. He had taken a gamble and it had paid off; he was now almost certain that she had a very deeply buried submissive personality. The next step would be to figure out how to go about coaxing out her latent desires and how to nurture those tendencies. But at the same time, realizing that he had been given a second chance, he had to be careful to not let things get away from them this time.

He was amazed that someone as smart, pretty, and kind as her could possibly think that she was undateable. Surely she knew guys would line up in droves just to get her to smile at them.

Discovering what he needed to know, Michael didn’t want to cause her anymore undue distress and recognized he should stop pushing her for the timebeing. Flashing her a disarming grin and leaning forward to cover her hand with his, “On the contrary Elizabeth, business is all about relationships, that’s just the reality of how things get done. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable though. I was merely curious to get to know you better seeing how easy it is to talk to you.” He squeezed her hand one last time before letting go and sitting back, giving her a warm friendly smile.

Just as he let go of her hand the waitress arrived with their food and they spent the next few minutes sorting out and tasting their dishes. Once again Michael was reminded of her impeccable taste as the food was delicious. He stayed quiet for a bit allowing Elizabeth to work out her inner turmoil as they ate. It was hard not to stare as he admired her expressive features cycling back and forth while she sorted out all her feelings.

“Speaking of business and relationships, you seem to place great importance in connections you’ve made with your various vendors and suppliers. I couldn’t help but notice that your supply line has not changed at all from when you started out with just three stores to now with over a hundred nationwide. You’re losing out a lot on economies of scale having little one off local vendors supplying what you need. I bet your costs would plummet if you used one or two national suppliers to supply all your stores at once and switched your inventory to a just in time system. That was you wouldn’t have to carry such large amount of product all at once only to have to blow them out with a large sale at the end of every season.”

The transformation from innocently timid girl to competent self-assured professional was astounding. As soon as he changed the subject to the possible turnaround of her company, she eagerly engaged with every single one of his suggestions, breathing life and detail into them.

Her smile was infectious; he leaned back in his chair and couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm. She was so full of life, he wanted so much to just lean across the table and kiss her. If he could somehow make her comfortable with her submissive self, that personality, combined with her natural vibrancy would be quite a sight to behold. He now knew he wanted to be the one to be able to do that for her and a plan started to take shape in his mind...

Elizabeth's hand tingled as if Michael's hand were made of fire as he touched her, and chills shot through her whole body. At that moment, that one single touch, Elizabeth knew that her relationship with Michael had to become something much more than professional.

"Oh, you didn''t make me uncomfortable Michael," she tried to assure him as she smiled coyly at him, trying not to blush as he spoke. "You're rather easy to talk to yourself. I felt like I've known you for ages," she smiled, disappointed as he let go of her hand. She'd never felt so strongly for someone this quickly, she questioned herself a million times over already, but she couldn't stop the feeling in her gut, or her curiosity. Everyone knows curiosity killed the cat, but Elizabeth prayed this one wouldn't bite her in the ass.... well, a little nibble would be okay.

Her insecurities quickly vanished and her confidence flooded back as he spoke about what she knew - her company. She listened intently, taking each of his suggestions for what they were worth, and she knew he was right. But, she still couldn't bring herself to do it; her conscious wouldn't let her.

"Yes Michael, that all makes perfect sense. But like you said, I place great importance on the connections I've made. What sort of message would I be sending if I dump the people who helped me get this far just to get myself even further ahead? I'm not the type of girl to walk all over and use people Michael. I mean, there's got to be something we could do so that our current vendors wouldn't get screwed out of the deal. That's what you do, you've got to help us Michael," she explained energetically. She noticed his grin as she spoke, and she couldn't help but flash a smile in return.

Even when her career was on the line, she was still worried for other people. Michael was starting to see why everyone around her liked her so much. She was always so preoccupied with taking care of other people, he wondered if she ever longed for someone to take care of her. Someone that could make her feel safe enough so that she can just stop being so damn responsible – let them take the lead and allow her to just exist in the moment, for the moment, for herself.

"Elizabeth, I know how important it is for you to do the right thing, but sometimes you have to put up with the bad to get the good. You’ve been a great customer to those suppliers all these years; you don’t owe them anything beyond that. If you switch over to a national supplier, they can be much more efficient at delivering the product you need. Your stores generate more than enough revenue, your only issue is with cost and that’s only an issue because you haven’t been involved with the supply side of things. This is a chance for you to keep your company intact and keep all your employees from losing their jobs. With my backing I’m sure we can convince the board of directors to keep the brand rather than sell it off in chucks to the highest bidder.”

He could feel her fix him with those pale blue eyes again, as if to ask why they would do such a thing.

“Surely you knew that was what they had planned for the brand when they bought it didn’t you? Don’t worry though; now that I’ve seen what your operations is capable of, I don’t intend to let you guys be dismantled without a fight.”

Michael flashed her a mischievous little grin, “Not to mention, I’ll have a beautiful young executive showering me with thanks once I figure out how to save her company.”

Looking out the window, he saw the weather was turning once again, he hoped they would be able to get back to the office before another storm broke out. Then inspiration struck, actually he hoped a storm would break out soon. He had to prolong the lunch to give the weather a chance to help his plan along. What better way to spend the time than to talk about his recently discovered subject of choice.

“When we get back to the office, I’ll help you sketch out a rough reorganization plan. We have a few days before I have to present my recommendations to the board.” Michael gave her a playful wink, “How about we get back to building that rapport we need for this to be a successful business relationship?”

Smiling at her teasingly, he tried to keep Elizabeth from retreating back into her protective shell. “You seem to be always looking out for other people, when was the last time you had someone to take care of you? Surely you can’t be all work and no play… share. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Surely you don’t believe that any guy would give it a second thought if they had a chance to go out with you. When was the last time you went on a date?”

As Michael spoke of his proposal, Elizabeth knew he was right though she hated to admit it. She didn't want to believe that the only way to save her company was to turn her backs on the very people who helped her build it. What would they think of her? They would hate her ... No.. she pushed the negative thoughts from her mind. They would understand .. it's the only way. She'd take care of them once the business got back on its feet; she'd make sure they got something out of the deal, though she wasn't quite sure what that would be.

This is a chance for you to keep your company intact and keep all your employees from losing their jobs. With my backing I’m sure we can convince the board of directors to keep the brand rather than sell it off in chucks to the highest bidder

Elizabeth's brow wrinkled and she cocked her head as if he was speaking another language. She felt the tears swelling behind her eyes, and swallowed hard as she fought them back.

“Surely you knew that was what they had planned for the brand when they bought it didn’t you? Don’t worry though; now that I’ve seen what your operations is capable of, I don’t intend to let you guys be dismantled without a fight.”

His last words gave her a tiny bit of hope, but she still was devastated. "Yes, I suppose the thought was there," she said clearing her throat. "But, hearing you say it makes it so much more real." She sniffled, and knew that her wall was breaking down, and she couldn't explain why. Hell, she'd already bared to him her nonexistent love life, and she's almost cried in front of the man multiple times. No one had ever seen her cry, not even as a child. Not even at her mother's funeral.

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at his playful grin and compliment, and as fast as it came, the sadness went. She held on to the small belief that with the help of this man Elizabeth could save her company and everything she'd worked for. She knew the odds were against them, but she knew that she would never give up fighting, and she prayed that Michael would fight just as hard.

"That sounds great actually, I'm a bit tired of all this business talk anyways," she said in response to his suggestion, giving him a flirtatious smile back. Where'd that come from? she asked herself. Elizabeth was always strictly business when it came to people she was working with. How in the world was this man changing her already?

She laughed out loud when asked the last time she'd been taken care of. "Michael, it's been a very long time since I'd been taken care of. I've took care of myself since I was 15 years old, since my mo-" she stopped herself. She knew the last time she was taken care of was when her mother was alive, but she didn't talk about her mother with anyone, and despite to pull she felt towards this man, it wasn't quite that strong. She paused for a moment, debating whether to continue. She decided not too. If desired, Michael would earn that information in time. She wasn't going to completely open up to the man on the first day they met.

"Besides, I don't need someone to take care of me. I mean, sure it'd be nice, but I'm perfectly capable of being on my own." The truth was that Elizabeth longed to be taken care of. She knew that that was the root of her desire to be submissive. Since she was a teenager she'd had no one to rely on except for herself. She fantasized about having someone take care of her, of giving herself over to someone, trusting someone enough to let them take care of her. But that desire manifested in a sick, distorted way. At least that's what Elizabeth had convinced herself of her submissive wants. She'd tucked all those feelings away, never to be brought to the surface again.

"And as for a date," she laughed again, "I couldn't tell you the last time." She was telling the truth. She didn't count her late night encounters with the young men she met as dates. "I suppose I don't allow myself to bother with it..." her voice trailed off. As she took a sip of her wine, she hoped he wouldn't probe her for more information, all the while knowing he would.

"Michael, it's been a very long time since I'd been taken care of. I've took care of myself since I was 15 years old, since my mo-"

He noted her momentary hesitation, but seeing the pained look and the unshed tears in her eyes, he opted to let it pass. He only wanted to press her to get her out of her comfort zone and encourage her to push her limits, not to actually cause any pain.

To gain them a bit more privacy, he stood up from the seat across from his lunch date and moved over to occupy the seat beside her. Their table was already in a corner of the intimate café and seated with their backs to the main area of the room, he was fairly certain they would not be interrupted. Waiting to see if she’d turn her body towards him, a sign that she welcomed his advance, he studied her wide-eyed stare at his sudden closeness.

And the look from those pale blue eyes made his breath to catch. Another part of his brain also responded, as well as another part of his body, that look guaranteed a reaction from the "male" aspects of his psyche. He had to struggle to push that thought down, and willed the reaction she caused to subside, not being 100% successful with either effort. It was difficult to think, being that close to her. He could smell the feminine fragrance of her light perfume mixed with the freshness that was no doubt her natural scent. Seeing the stray wisps of hair that she had intermittently tucked behind her ear come loose again, Michael reached out before he had a chance to think about what he was doing, and tucked them behind her ear. The brief and slight contact with her ear sent a tingle through his fingers. The feeling was so exhilarating; he couldn’t help but gently glide his index finger from her temple to trace along her cheek and along her delicate jawline to end at her chin. His eyes never once left the soft blue expanse that was hers and he couldn’t stop marveling at the vastness of emotions churning within the clear intelligence that looked back at him.

“I know the drive and determination it takes to get so far at so young an age, heck I’ve lived it for the past 10 years. Everything I’ve done professionally was to strive to get to where I am today, to get to where I want to be in a few years. I know what it feels like to have to constantly be the rock that everyone depends on. It gets very tiring over time.” He continued to use the back of his fingers to lightly caress her cheek, lengthening his stroke to gradually include her jawline and even her neck – being careful to use a steady, light, featherlike touch, not enough to make her feel threatened in any way, just enough to impart a sensual yet calming sensation on her sensitized skin.

“Elizabeth, can you imagine how good it would feel to just be free of all responsibilities for once; to just let yourself float in a sea of sensations, not having to think at all, just to feel all the wonderful things that your senses can bring you and just to exist in the moment for no one but yourself.”

His extreme violation of her close personal space was no doubt having an effect on her as he noted the ever so slight tilt of her head as if offering her neck to him, her rapid ragged breathing, the obvious dilation of her pupils, and the tantalizing contractions of her throat as she repeatedly swallowed - getting ready to speak. He knew their lunch was drawing to a close and it took every ounce of willpower he had to not take hold of her and press his lips into those soft full red lips that were mere inches away from his own. He realized how inappropriately close he was leaning towards her and forced himself to sit back in his seat and take a deep steadying breath. He realized the mistake as soon as he did it as his deep breath drew in a lung full of her intoxicating scent and made his head swim anew. Letting out an audible sigh, Michael quickly slipped back over to his own seat across the table from his object of desire.

He gave her another self-assured grin, feeling anything but, “As for not knowing when the last time you went on a date was, how about we rectify that and you allow me to take you out tonight. It will give me a chance to explore a bit of this town since it looks like I am going to be here for a while.”

“Care to share a strawberry sabayon with me? I saw it on the menu earlier and can’t wait to try it,” with that, he made eye contact with the waitress to place his dessert order.

Elizabeth felt her heart stop as Michael stood up from his chair and made his way next to her. Her eyes widened as she struggled to keep eye contact with his intense stare, but she stayed strong, and didn't look away. As he sat down she unconsciously turned her body slightly towards him, letting him know that his closeness didn't make her uncomfortable. She didn't even realize she'd done it until her shaking knee had accidentally bumped his and she looked down to see that they were only inches apart.

She waited for him to say something, to explain why he had gotten so close to her, but it was silent as he surveyed her with his eyes. She felt as if he was trying to read her mind or something by the way he was staring at her. She kept his gaze as long as she could before it became to intense and she was forced to look away, clearing her throat uncomfortably. And then she felt his hand touch her face, and she thought her skin would melt off of her body. She willed her jaw not to drop as he pushed the strand of hair behind her ear, and he didn't stop there. As his fingers lightly caressed her cheek, Elizabeth's pulse began to quicken, and her chest began rising and falling must faster and she knew that it was noticeable. Michael seemed to like getting this reaction from her because he continued his touch on her face. Instinctively Elizabeth strained her neck, allowing him access to her flesh, cursing herself as she did, but unable to stop herself.

He might as well have been speaking a different language because in no way, shape or form was Elizabeth comprehending a word he was saying to her. She was too busy trying to control the arousal that was building in her body. Just the simple stroking of her cheek was already getting her panties wet, and if this continued, there's no doubt that Michael would be able to smell her arousal, especially with how close he was to her. She couldn't help herself from thinking about his hands stroking her in other places, making her whole body tingle with pleasure ...

Her thoughts were interrupted as he pulled his hand away and sat back in his chair. She wanted to protest, beg him to continue, but she didn't. She calmed her breathing and squirmed a bit in her chair, feeling for herself how aroused he had gotten her. Surely it was all in her mind though. All of Michael's talk about living in the moment, letting go and just feeling the sensations, letting someone take care of you .. he couldn't have been referring to Elizabeth's fantasy.. could he?? No .. it was too ridiculous. Nobody longed to have power over a woman, it was sick to think he would ever take part in such grotesque things. Liz had herself convinced of that.

She let out a deep sigh as Michael returned to his side of the table, and she still couldn't find anything to say. She was completely taken aback when he asked her out .. at least, she thought he was asking her out. Blood rushed her cheeks as she blushed, and she smiled at him like a schoolgirl with a crush.

"Sure Michael, I'd love to," she answered as she admired his dimples once again. What's one harmless date? Maybe he's just being nice ... or maybe he really does like me? Elizabeth went back in forth in her head while Michael suggested dessert. Without giving her time to answer, he placed the order with the waitress. This should have bothered her, him just assuming she wanted dessert (although she did) but she couldn't will herself to comment on it, because a part of her, deep down, liked it.

As the waitress cleared their table to set up for dessert, Michael stole a quick glance out the window to see that the weather was indeed going to be his willing accomplice; another rain shower was fast approaching. Looking back at Elizabeth, he was again struck by understated beauty. He couldn’t help but grin at her look of contentment as she sat there blushing and smiling back at him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the one now being studied.

Dessert arrived and to his delight, it was tableside service – a very classy touch considering it was lunch service. The waitress began whipping the egg yolks and sugar to a bright yellow frothy mixture before setting it over an open flame and adding the champagne to it. Incorporating a large amount of air into it, their waitress’s deft hands soon turned the concoction into a pale creamy sauce that was both airy and smooth. She spooned the velvety sauce over three perfectly lush strawberries, set the plate delicately in between them, and promptly left them to their own devices with a gracious nod of her head.

Michael grasped one of the delectable treats by the stem, took and enthusiastic bite. Emboldened by his recent success at reading her, he reached across the table to offer the same strawberry he had just taken a bite out of to her. He smiled brightly at her and raised an eyebrow expectantly, it was so close, all she had to do was lean forward and take a bite of the offering.

As the waitress whipped up their dessert, Elizabeth never took her eyes off of Michael. She watched him intently as he studied the waitress' every move. He seemed so fascinated, but she had seen this done so many times she could probably do it herself.

As she watched the man sitting across from her, all she could think about was his lips. She stared them down like an animal stalking their prey. He'd been so close to kissing her while he satnext to her; she felt his breath against her. She imagined the intoxicating taste ofhis kiss and imagined the ecstasy she would be in with their mouths together. She felt herself squirming under the table as the thoughts created a not so business like reaction down below.

Her thought was interrupted by Michael's offering of a strawberry. Elizabeth had never let a man feed her, she felt it was a stupid act that only further placed men ahead of women (that was her feminist side coming out) but here with Michael she relished in the thought of taking foodfrom him. So with that she opened her mouth and took a small bite of the strawberry, and not surprisingly, got the sauce on her face. She let out a girlish giggle as she patted her face with the napkin.

"Mmm better than I remember," she said, smiling, as she reached and grabbed a strawberry for herself, grinning at him as she wrapped her red glossed lips around the strawberry. She ate in a way much more seductive than it should have been. Something about this guy made her do strange things.

Once again, Elizabeth was fine sitting in silence, so she did, admiring the man while waiting for him to speak.

Michael grinned in satisfaction as he watched Elizabeth lean forward to demurely take a bite of the proffered strawberry. The fact that she so willingly ate from his fingers convinced him that she would be very willing to let him coax out her submissive tendencies, he just had to figure out the appropriate enticements. And the fact that she so readily fed from the same piece of fruit that she watched him take a bite out of suggested that she was not adverse to his advances.

He purposefully lifted the strawberry up a little too soon after she took her bite and “accidentally” smeared a little sauce onto the tip of her nose. He watched in amusement as she daintily dabbed it off with a napkin and delighted in her girlish giggle. He couldn’t ever remember being drawn to someone so quickly; the woman sitting across from him was so fresh and full of life.

His opinion of her being fresh and full of life quickly changed to her being sultry and full of mischief as he watched her feast on her own strawberry. Somehow taking an otherwise innocent, mundane activity and turning it into an amazing display of erotic sensuality. Even the bright vibrant color of the strawberry paled in comparison the red shiny fullness of her lips as they wrapped themselves around the piece of fruit. He couldn’t help but imagine them worshipping something else entirely but had to quickly squash that line of thought.

Michael had to swallow a couple of times before he could find his voice as she sat back to watch him, fixing him with an impish smile.

“Ahem, so, thank you for suggesting such a lovely place for lunch. As much as I’d love to sit here and enjoy your company, it looks like the weather is about to change again and we’re going to get more rain and neither of us brought an umbrella. Hopefully it won’t be raining tonight for our date,” he couldn’t resist giving her a playful wink at the last comment.

He waved the waitress over and paid for their meal, adding a generous tip to thank her for the wonderful performance with the sabayon. He was also pleased to see that Elizabeth was classy enough to not fight with him over paying or splitting the bill, preferring to just sit there in her seat and smile prettily at him. Waiting for her to stand, he replaced her chair under the table for her and led them out of the café.

Michael was felt elated by his success at drawing Elizabeth out of her shell as she now spoke excitedly about every little thing he pointed out as they walked back to the office. They even walked by a sporting goods store where he made a teasing comment about finding a more entertaining way to use the ping pong paddle. Her reaction was definitely interesting until she recovered and added her own teasing comment which got him a little hot under the collar.

They were still two blocks from the office when the sky opened up and released a sudden downpour onto them causing both to scramble under a nearby overhang to seek shelter from the drenching rain. He looked over to her and arched an eyebrow as if to ask, “What now?”