The editor's assistant (closed for LissomeYen)

[DarelHute]

OOC:

Richard Marshall
Age: 36
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Body type: Athletic

IC:

Richard Marshall is a very successful editor at a major Publishing House in New York. He recently lost his assistant, who went on to work as an editor herself in the same company, in another division. Interviews for a new assistant have been very strict, and Richard is tired after going through 50 or so resumes and interviewing over 10 candidates.

As usual, Richard arrives in the office before everyone else, and makes his own coffee. "I need an assistant who can actually edit books, not make coffee!" he always said. He looked at his watch, wondering what time the new assistant will arrive...

 

[LissomeYen]

OOC:

Mara Langford
Age: 20
Hair: Brunette
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 5' 4"
Body: C-cup, slender, hourglass figure

In high school when all of her friends were out partying, Mara was at home, studying and hanging out with her protective older brother while her single dad, a doctor, worked late into the night. Her work has paid off--she's a part-time, English major at her number 1 university and she's about to be working as an assistant. Looking forward to adding this new experience to her resume and being around books and successful authors, the virginal young woman is aware of the way some men treat women in the workplace but is willing to put up with a little ogling or the occasional grope to make her way to the top. However, until a few years ago she was guilty about even masturbating on her own and wants to remain chaste until marriage. Headstrong and resilient, she is prepared to buckle down.


IC:

Mara was nervous. Running a hand down her white blouse and making sure her pencil skirt was lint free, when the elevator doors opened she took a deep breath in, let it out slowly, and headed out into the hallway. Clasped in her clammy hand was a binder, and written inside in her neat, loopy handwriting was the name of the man she was going to work for and where his office was located. Richard Marshall. She had spoken to him on the phone briefly, but this would be their first meeting. She tried to picture him in her mind. In an effort to soothe her nerves, she imagined an elderly man with a British accent and a kindly smile. He would say things like "pish posh" and in the morning she would pour him a cup of Earl Gray. Smiling a little at the cliche images her imagination offered, Mara made sure her back was straight and head held high, the picture of confidence as she headed to his office. The floor was mostly empty--it was early, but Mara liked being more than on time--so she stopped at his door, giving it a few knocks.

 

[DarelHute]

Richard was at his desk, opening the first manuscript on a big pile. His red pen was at hand, ready to strike.

"What a dumb title!" he said out loud, writing down the same comment.

His attention was averted by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he shouted, his eyes still on the manuscript, turning to read the first page.

His eyes rose briefly as he took a look at the young girl who walked in. Before he even said anything he looked at his watch. He then gazed at her with severe look.

"Mara, I presume? Sit!" he said and returned to the draft in front of him. "I was expecting you to be in sooner, given this is your first day." he added, his eyes firmly planted on the manuscript, making corrections and striking out entire sentences.

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara couldn't help but smile a little when he heard Richard's exclamation about the title through the door, but the smile was quickly hidden when she was bidden to enter. At his admonishment her mouth dropped open slightly, but decided that arguing with him on the first day wouldn't be a great start. "I'm sorry Mr. Marshall, I'll be sure to come in earlier tomorrow," she answered, sitting primly on the edge of the seat in front of his desk and clutching on to the binder tighter. Breathe. She had to remember to breathe. Not sure what to say, Mara crossed her legs and twiddled with her hair, looking around his office in an effort to determine his character and personality through the objects in it.

 

[DarelHute]

"Uh-huh... Oh, for goodness sake!" he huffed as he turned the page. "The shortest chapter in history!" he scoffed and threw the manuscript in the bin.

He then looked up and leaned back in his chair.

"Right. Mara. Stand up, let me look at you! And what is that you're clutching so lovingly?" he asked her, looking at her with a slight smile, amused by her nervousness.

 

[LissomeYen]

Still trying to guess his personality and characteristics through the art on the walls and objects on his desk, Mara tensed at the loud clatter and blinked at him in surprise.

"O-oh. Okay. Of course," she said, rising and trying to look more confident than she felt by straightening her back. So far he seemed to be a very blunt man but not unkind--it would be fine, she reassured herself.

"Oh, it's my binder. I like writing directions in it, things to keep note of--sometimes my memory isn't the best but um--" Realizing she was beginning to ramble, Mara smiled and turned, placing it on the chair she had vacated before turning back to him.

She straightened her blouse--was there something wrong with her wardrobe, perhaps?

 

[DarelHute]

"I see. Organized. Good!" he said and smiled, looking at her top to bottom.

He had to admit she was so much more than what he had expected when they talked over the phone. The 10 idiots he interviewed were such a dissapointment, that he had to go back to the pile of rejected resumes. The girl seemed to have potential. All kinds of potential. And the face to face encounter was very encouraging.

"You're not half bad looking, which is a great help in this industry!" he began still looking at her. "You're far too conservative in the way you dress, however. You will find that you'll be out of place in this office. None of the women working here wear skirts under the knee! Do you have a problem with short skirts and high heels?" he asked her bluntly, his blue eyes looking straight into hers.

 

[LissomeYen]

"Thank you." Mara smiled, pleased with his compliment. Well, that should make up for his slight irritation at her late arrival, even though she still believed it would have been a ridiculously early arrival to anyone other than Richard Marshall.

Her smile slowly slipped away at his next words, replaced by a light blush. This was it. She had always been prepared for the way a man in a superior workplace position might treat her, and this almost matched some of her imaginings and even some of her fantasies.

Late at night in her room, sitting at her desk chair and nibbling at a pen, she had gone over her possible responses. She could simply refuse or ignore any advances. She was sure she wouldn't be outright fired but it would certainly make things tense. Or she could play along.

Although she loved her father and brother, their overprotectiveness was smothering. Being conservative and afraid of sexiness and flirtation didn't automatically make her a strong, independent woman. She wanted to make her own choices with confidence!

All of this went through her mind in a matter of seconds. When Richard locked his blue gaze on hers she shook her head.

"That won't be a problem, Mr. Marshall. But...how short do you want it, exactly?" She bent and folded her skirt up past her knees, looking up at him through long lashes. "This short?"

 

[DarelHute]

He chuckled at her willingness to please, which endeared her to him much faster than he thought possible. Usually such girls proved to be too much work for him, but this was certainly different.

"No. Higher!... Higher!" he said, until she raised it to such a height, that if she sat down and crossed her legs, the color of her panties would be fairly easy to spot. "That will do, Mara!" he smiled.

He then picked up one of the manuscripts from the pile and handed it to her.

"Take this!" he said and then he reached in his jacket pocket and took out a credit card. "And this! Go to the nearest store and buy a set of clothes and high heels before your co-workers see you dressed like this! And try not to get a top that buttons all the way up to your neck, would you? We're not in Amish country! After you get dressed, read the manuscript and tell me what you think! Questions?" he asked, handing her the credit card.

 

[LissomeYen]

Blushing brighter as she folded her skirt higher, Mara was rather taken aback at how high Richard wanted it. Quickly folding her skirt back down when that was cleared up, Mara took the manuscript. She hadn't expected to be able to actually read and edit one right away, and she was already rifling through it eagerly when he handed her his credit card.

Accepting it with some hesitation, Mara listened to him with wide eyes, and then shook her head when he addressed her. "N-no Mr. Marshall, I'll go right away." Still not quite believing the situation she was in, Mara picked up her binder from the chair and quickly headed out the office, stopping at the doorway and lifting up the hand that held the credit card. "Ah, thank you!"

Although her family wasn't poor, she appreciated that she wouldn't have to use her paycheck for sexy work clothes. Smiling to herself as she headed for the elevator, the prospect of a free makeover was actually pretty exciting.

- - -

An hour later, Mara headed back to the office. Her outfit was simple--black stiletto heels and a form fitting, black cocktail dress. As she walked to Richard's office, she was suddenly aware of the way her hips swayed as she walked and she had to will herself to keep her hands at her sides and not pull up the dress to hide her cleavage or pull it down and hide her thighs. She felt like she could feel her co-worker's eyes all over her.

"All done, Mr. Marshall," she said, sidling shyly into his office and holding out the credit card and manuscript.

 

[DarelHute]

Richard looked up as she came in, and a wide grin appeared on his face, which he quickly wiped out. He took the credit card and placed it on the table, but did not take the manuscript.

"Good, Mara, good! The color is a bit bleak, though. This is not a funeral parlor!" he said with a corrective tone. "It's a good start, however!" he said as his eyes traveled on her body, admiring her sexy long legs and her alluring cleavage. He felt a stirring in his trousers, and he couldn't believe it.

"Now sit and tell me what you think of the manuscript! I haven't read it so fill me in!" he said and leaned back in his chair, watching her closely as she sat down opposite him.

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara smiled. "Thank you. I'll be sure to wear some brighter colors tomorrow," she reassured. In fact she had bought more than one outfit--might as well take advantage of the opportunity, he hadn't exactly specified how much she could buy and if it was too expensive returning the clothes wouldn't be a problem.

She took a seat and scooted closer to the desk, still smiling. The smile faltered when she noticed that the dress was riding ridiculously high, but she chose to ignore it--he was on the other side of the desk, anyway.

"Well, I thought it was beautifully written but it was a little underdeveloped in terms of the overarching plot and the character's motivations. I had trouble connecting with them. There's also the issue of typos and grammar errors, but those could probably be corrected easily."

She was reading notes she had taken in her binder, and when she was done she looked up for his response, tense.

 

[DarelHute]

"I see!" he said raising one eyebrow. "Not bad for a first read. Tell me the main plot and summarize the book in one sentence!" he said and got up from his desk, and walked around it, sitting on its edge.

He crossed his arms and looked down at her, admiring her exquisite legs and delicious cleavage. He had to admit he hit the jackpot. This girl was both smart AND gorgeous. He thought his last assistant was the best that could ever be, but he was beginning to think he was wrong.

"A good book should grip you from the first page. And usually, one should be able to say, in one sentence what the book is about! Go!" he added, looking at her with expectation.

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara looked up as her boss rose and walked around the desk, sitting near her. It was easy to discern the direction of his gaze and her hands clenched in her lap, not because she didn't like it--she figured that wearing clothing this revealing was going to invite one or two stares--but because this sort of timed evaluation was just the sort of thing to set her nerves ablaze.

One sentence, summarize the manuscript in one sentence...biting her bottom lip and looking down at her hands, sentences, words and phrases ran through her mind. One sounded too boring, the other too wordy. After a few seconds, she got it.

"Broken by the violent death of her husband, a business woman seeks solace through revenge." She looked up at Richard again expectantly, hands still clasped tight.

 

[DarelHute]

"Hm..." he said, looking down at her shoes. "Not bad! Pretty boring though, wouldn't you think? I mean, would you buy this book? And why? Why should I read this? There are plenty of books out there on revenge! Seems pretty predictable, doesn't it?" he fired the questions one after the other as he looked at her.

"And you said you didn't connect with the characters! That would make one not like the book, right? Is that enough to make you not buy it?" he asked her, his eyes drawn to her cleavage as he waited for an answer.

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara's chest heaved as she took in a deep breath. She felt as if she was being interrogated with the barrage of questions, but she had a feeling it was just Richard's blunt style of speaking and expressing himself. She would have found it endearing if she wasn't currently in the hot seat.

Speaking of hot...he wasn't disguising the fact that he was staring at her breasts at all, and this fact, compared with her current anxiety, created a strange reaction within her. Her legs crossed tightly, heart rate picking up.

"I love the premise," she finally said, looking at him even though his gaze was directed at her cleavage. Her legs squeezed tighter. "It's relatively rare to have a woman seeking revenge instead of a man. But you're right...in its current state, I wouldn't feel compelled to buy it. The author needs to develop the characters more. Revenge will always be a cliche motivator but I think what differentiates it is the characters' personalities and...passions." She looked down at her hands.

 

[DarelHute]

"Passions? I want to hear more about that, but before you tell me details, you seem quite ambivalent about it. Not quite sure where to go, are you? Is it worth spending the time to edit this book, is it going to be a seller, or reject it? I don't usually send books back to authors. I either edit or reject!" he said with a serious face as he looked in her eyes.

"So this one is in your hands! You said you liked the premise - the woman seeking revenge instead of the man - not new, but slightly different. OK... Then you mentioned the characters' personalities and passions. What did you mean? What personalities and what passions?" he asked, holding her gaze.

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara looked back up at him as he spoke, willing herself to keep the eye contact even though part of her wanted to run and hide. She imagined how ridiculous that would look, standing from the chair and running away in her high heels to a nearby corner, and that image helped lessen the anxiety.

"I liked the way the main character's personality develops over time--she's this tough business woman but she's also very passionate about their relationship. When he dies, that passion gets kind of...warped. All that love for him is just fuel for her revenge. I wish there was more of that, but the character development gets thrown on the wayside after the beginning--or, first few chapters."

Mara could tell that her voice was shaking a little, but she tried to speak up and enunciate. She was learning that Richard liked specifics and well thought out responses, but could already tell she used too many vague terms. She sighed inwardly. It was something she would have to work on.

 

[DarelHute]

He was yawning as she was speaking, clearly making his point.

"That's not what I asked! Or... maybe it is! Sounds like a flop to me... So is it good or not? Would you buy it?" he asked bluntly, losing his patience a bit, as his eyes lowered again to her legs, shifting in his seat.

Her sexy attire was getting to him, and he smiled to himself because of that.

"I'll leave it up to you! Edit it or throw it in the bin? Give it to me straight! Your first decision!" he asked her, his eyes moving to look at her.

 

[LissomeYen]

Her eyes moved away from his when she noticed his gaze moving downward again, her own gaze falling to his crotch. On the few seconds that her eyes lingered there before quickly averting her gaze, she could definitely make out a discernible lump. How did she feel about that? She would have to spend some time alone to fully explore that question.

Shifting in her seat as well, Mara let out a breath at the question. This was a hard decision. She really did love the premise but she couldn't edit in good character development--it was either there or not. "I would...have to throw it," she said. "But I would write a letter to the author to share my opinions about it, too," she added, looking up at her boss.

 

[DarelHute]

"Nonsense! Bin it!" he said, pointing to the bin next to the desk.

He then got up and moved back his desk, taking a seat. He picked up another manuscript and opened it.

"Oh, good! Another erotic novel! I love those!" he scoffed.

He then held it to her, waiting for her lean over the desk, looking forward to watching closely how her breasts would handle that position.

"See if you can sell this to me! You have two hours!"

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara stood and did as told, though she still planned on writing to the author later in the day when Richard didn't need her. Turning to him, she couldn't help but laugh at his reaction to the erotic novel, quieting immediately when he held it out to her.

"Oh um, sure, of course," she said, stepping to the edge of his large desk and leaning forward to take it. There it was, his eyes on her breasts again. It was manipulative, inappropriate and unrepentantly lascivious--so why did she take extra long to straighten? Hugging the manuscript to her chest, Mara excused herself and stepped out of the office to her desk nearby.

It took her an hour and a half to finish the manuscript. The sexual images and dirty dialogue in her mind and the remembrance of Richard's blue eyes on her body, when Mara took a short trip to the bathroom she wasn't surprised to find her thong panties wet. She had to keep reminding herself that no one could possibly know when she walked back through the floor to Richard's office.

Sell Richard Marshall on an erotic novel--for some reason Mara wasn't quite as nervous as she was before. Maybe because the novel was, pardon her language, damn good, and maybe because she was more prepared for his rapid-fire, blunt responses. Now, she was just looking forward to going home, changing her panties and curling up with a few erotic novels of her own.

"This is a keeper," she announced as she stepped inside, smiling a little as she took a seat again across from his desk.

 

[DarelHute]

"Oh, it is, is it?" he said as he looked up, welcoming her again in her office. It was almost like he had missed her. How was that possible. He had only met the girl.

"What, you like erotic novels, do you? OK, I'll play this game! Why is this such a keeper?" he said as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"And I'm warning you, I'm not easy to please when it comes to erotic stuff!" he grinned, his eyes saying a flirty hello to her cleavage before he looked at her.

 

[LissomeYen]

Mara laughed, playfully covering her cleavage with the manuscript before placing it in her lap. She was quickly finding that the man was much less intimidating when he was grinning, though the anxiety of the coming string of questions and answers still twisted a knot in her stomach.

"This may come as a surprise, but I'm a bit of an erotic novel connoisseur," she admitted, raising an eyebrow. Would she regret revealing that later? Probably. She was winging it.

Mara opened up her binder and flipped through the pages. Richard liked specifics. If she focused on the specifics and kept her mind on the task, everything would be fine.

"Firstly, the main goal of erotic novels is...arousal, and I think this one was successful. It started with the basic premise of a younger student and an older professor and took a few chapters to develop their characters and for them to interact with one another. Their chemistry really helped heighten the--the following sex scenes' affect."

She had kept eye contact with him the whole time, and besides the stuttering near the end she was rather proud of herself.

 

[DarelHute]

He watched her intensely as she answered his questions. He was beginning to really like the sound of her voice, the way she pronounced words and enunciated. He found it very sexy and her tone arousing. He couldn't believe he was turned on, shifting in his seat as she spoke.

"Oh, you're an erotic novel connoisseur, are you?" he said smiling. "You mean you read them at bed time?" he asked with a wide grin, his growing erection twitching as his eyes washed over her cleavage.

"OK, let's see. You said, and I quote, 'the main goal of erotic novels is...arousal, and this one succeeded.' Did I hear that correctly? Did that mean you were aroused yourself? Did it turn you on?" he asked her, running his tongue over his lips.