The Personal Assistant (closed)

[Gabe619]

Daniel Keach was a self made man. In his fifties now he had reached the pinnacle of his proffession. A millionaire in his own right, he now handled the financial assets of many influential clients all around the world. Happily married, if you could call having a frigid female as a wife happily, for the last twenty five years, he and his wife had agreed that to live together amicably, they had to allow each other liberties. And so she lived her life, and he lived his, and they appeared together as the perfect couple for fund raisers or gala balls while the rest of the time they lived apart. His son, Travis, now in his early twenties took after his father. He to was bold, charismatic, handsome and never at a loss for a beautiful young woman on his arm.

Right now Daniel stood at his office window, forty stories up in a glass and steel skyscraper, looking out over Manhatten as he sipped expensive scotch from his glass. His immaculate business suit tailored to fit his muscular frame to perfection. Although his black hair had started going gray around the edges, he made sure to spend at least a few hours every week at the gym. It was mid-week, and he expected his secretary to walk in anytime to give him the days agenda. Her office just outside the large, wooden double doors of his office was spacious and grand for a position such as hers. He called her a secretary, although properaly she would be his PA, fetching and carrying for him on demand. Daniel smiled to himself, he did so like a woman to know her place.

 

[Angeleyz]

Tina Johnson sorted through the various folders on her desk, selecting those that would need Mr. Keach's signature, while carefully cradling the handset between her left shoulder and ear.

'Yes, miss.... Yes, miss....," her well modulated tones gave no indication of the irritation the high-pitched, breathless speaker on the other end of the line was causing her.

"Yes, miss, I have captured your various numbers. As you know, Mr. Keach is a very busy man, so I can't tell you when he will be able to return your calls; however, rest assured... I will personally see to it that he gets your messages," she said pleasantly, "Will that be all?"

Assuring the caller one more time that she would pass on the message, Tina waited until she had hung up the phone before she muttered, "Sure, I'll give him that and the other five messages you've left in the last two hours.

Blowing out a small exasperated breath, she jotted down two last notes in her notebook before pulling out a small handheld mirror from her top drawer. Tucking in a few loose hairs back into her French braid, she squinted and then softly cussed, "Oh for the love of God, 35 is too fucking young to be getting a grey hair." Tempted as she was to pluck the offending hair, she freshened up her lipstick and placed the mirror back in the drawer. She no longer thought twice of this routine having been warned by her predecessor two long years ago to always ensure she was freshly groomed before greeting Mr. Keach. Tina still cringed of the memory of Mr. Keach sending her home on her first day because of her make-up free face.

Standing up to brush out any wrinkles from her navy blue, knee-length dress, Tina gathered the folders and her notepad and walked to the large, wooden double doors. Mentally running through everything that she needed to say, she knocked twice and waited for permission to enter.

 

[Gabe619]

"Come in, Tina." Daniel called not turning as he heard the door open behind him.

He took another sip of the whiskey and finally turned back to his desk, placing the glass tumbler on the dark mahogany wood and slipping into his black leather chair. He smiled up at his secretary as she approached him, files in hand. He once again let his eyes wander over her as she got closer. Tina's name had been put forward by her predecessor as a woman more than capable of filling her shoes after she left, and she had been right. Tina was professional, modest in her own right, organised and kept the office humming like a finally tuned engine. Also, and this was of equal importance to Keach, she was attractive.

Daniel didn't dip into officer gossip, but he heard things, and if seemed that most of the people who reported to Tina were almost in awe of her, as they should be. Daniel Keach's reputation and image were on the line and Tina was on the front lines of that war. All the clients spoke to her first, she was the first face they saw when turning up for a meeting, if she didn't deliver the correct sort of aura at that desk outside his office then it could effect how those clients treated, or looked upon, Daniel. It mattered not a jot to him that his reputation as a ladies man was the worse kept secret in town, and he knew that the office staff regularly kept a list of who he'd slept with last, including most of the secretaries in the office. However, as of yet, he hadn't made a move on young Tina. Some were no doubt asking why. She had been here long enough, what was stopping him. She was certainly his type, married and sexy, even if the sexiness was understated by the clothes she wore. However his time of waiting was over and he had decided it was time for her to take her place not only in his office, but in his bed, but there were rules to this game, he needed to be patient just a little while longer.

"Good morning, Tina, and what do you have for me today?" He greeted her cheerfully as he lent forward placing his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands together.

 

[Angeleyz]

"Good morning, sir...," Tina said in greeting as she bustled into the room and approached the dark mahogany desk, its surface specially maintained by Louie, the jack-of-all-trades man that she had hired a couple of months ago. Louie was a wiz at helping maintain the pristine environment that she demanded - after all appearances were everything to Mr. Keach. As was her norm, Tina waited patiently for him to turn around before placing the folders before him. She just barely contained a flinch when Mr. Keach got that odd look on his face before greeting her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there had been... something... that had raised her internal alarms, if only momentarily.

Thankful that his words at least were normal, Tina outlined the contents of each of the contracts before Mr. Keach, explaining that Steve Davis, the company's legal advisor had reviewed and approved each one. While she had flagged where she needed his initials or signature, Tina had copious notes from her various discussions with Steve and was prepared for any questions Mr. Keach might have.

After reviewing each of the folders, Tina sank gracefully into a leather seat before his desk, unconsciously tugged the dress over her knees while she consulted her notepad... The consultation more out of habit than necessity. "Travis called and would like to know if you'd be up for some racquetball on Thursday," she stated, making sure to keep her voice neutral whenever she discussed his playboy son, "I've already checked your calendar and can easily reschedule Mr. Bowie and Mr. Sanchez for another time."

Not bothering to wait for a reply, knowing that he preferred to receive all his messages first, Tina continued, "Mrs. Keach called asking if you wanted to attend the Smith-Smythe's annual gala. It's coming up in three weeks, and if I understand correctly this year's proceeds will assist wounded warriors. As far as I can tell, you do not have any commitments for that time." It had taken her several months, but Tina had finally realized that Mr. and Mrs. Keach lived largely apart and that while she was privy to his work schedule that she was not always aware of his other... commitments.

Thinking along those lines caused her to careful schooling her face, before Tina delicately cleared her throat and added, "There have also been several phone calls this morning from a Ms... Bambi...who is insisting that you have an upcoming meeting regarding a... merger of some sorts....". Her eyes guarded, she struggled to maintain an innocent expression. Just because he seemed to have slept with most of the women in Manhattan between the ages of 21 and 50 didn't mean she needed to acknowledge it. She was fairly positive that had been lesson #42 in the executive training session given to her by her predecessor.

Pen in hand, Tina sat posed to receive Mr. Keach's responses along with his direction for the day.

 

[Gabe619]

Daniel sat back, fingers steepled before him as he listened to Tina lay out his days messages and meeting. She really did have a lovely voice, one he never got tired of listening to. Almost melodic he considered. After she had finished he considered all the items on on her list, his mind easily dissecting and compartmentalising them. He knew his schedule as well as Tina did, he found it helped and gave him an air of superiority.

"Tell Travis I'll be happy to beat him at raquetball again." He smiled at his secretary. He knew that Travis had a sneaking soft spot for Tina, but he had never mentioned it to his secretary. However it was amusing how often his son seemed to have to call him at the office when he knew his father was elsewhere and so leaving him free to chat to Tina instead. "Move Sanchez to 2pm and I'll see Bowie the following morning for breakfast. That should smooth any ruffled feathers."

He paused to consider his wifes request. He hated gala balls, they were so boring, and he had at times only survived the night by pulling a submissive waitress into a dark corner for a little fun. His wealth and power always greased those particular wheels it seemed. He smiled to himself at that thought. However the gala's did have one good point, they added good press to his firms reputation. Charity work alway made a company look good to the huddled masses.

"Very well, tell my wife I will attend the Gala with her. At least three weeks should just about give her time to figure out what she is going to wear." He smirked. What was the last item ... Bambi?

He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully, a habit he had never been able to break and one reason he never played poker. Bambi? He didn't recall a Bambi .... oh, wait a minute. A smile spread across his lips. Yes, now he remembered. He had thought the girl had been being cute when she had introduced herself as Bambi, it sounded like some porn stars name, but in actual fact it turned out her mother had just really liked the Disney movie, go figure. He had met the young lady at lunch yesterday, or to be more exact she had served him lunch and he had been taken by her looks and suggested her talents were wasted in waitressing. He had suggested he might be able to set her up with a photographer he knew to take some model shots of her, maybe start her in a new career, but that he would need to meet her in private to ... discuss, certainly details. They had both understood what he wasn't saying and he had given the girl his card so she could think it over. It seemed she had made a decision.

"Please call Bambi back would you Tina .." He couldn't remember the girls last name even if she had given it. "Take her address and tell her I will send a car to pick her up this afternoon at 3.30pm. Please make sure the rest of my afternoon is free would you?"

It was so liberating not having to dance around his infidelity where his wife was concerned with his secretary. He knew that she knew, and she knew that he knew she knew. Made things so much less complicated.

 

[Angeleyz]

Shifting in the chair, silken hose making a small snick of a sound as she crossed her legs, Tina jotted down actions associated with each of Mr. Keach's responses.

1) Call T about racquetball - Remind him to eat his Wheaties or be prepared to get schooled.
2) Call Mrs. K about gala. Check for tux in K's office closet. Send to Marie for freshening three days before event.
3) Arrange service for 3:30 pm.
4) Contact Bambie. Inform her of the car service at 3:30 pm. Ensure the rest of K's calendar is cleared for the day.

An errant curl escaped and fell in front of her eyes. Blowing out a small breath to clear her view, Tina looked up and asked pleasantly, "Anything else, sir?". Her brows furrowed ever so slightly when she thought Mr. Keach was staring at her legs. She thought she had made it perfectly clear that one time Mr. Keach had propositioned her that she was happily married. Even if she hadn't been, her Catholic upbringing would have precluded her from any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage, and she had made no bones about it! After all this time, she had assumed that she was safely off his "Pending Conquests" list. Hoping that she was just overreacting, Tina uncrossed her legs and sat primly with ankles crossed, while maintaining her best professional smile.

 

[Gabe619]

"Actually, Tina, yes there is." Daniel kept a straight face as he watched his secretary straighten up and fold her legs closer together. "I have a favour to ask of you."

He stood and walked to the drinks cabinet and refilled his glass with whisky, then he turned to face her, his expression serious, almost grave. he should of been an actor he considered.

"I have this potential client who is flying into the city in a few days time. His business could be worth millions to the company if we can secure his business, however he is notoriously ..." Keach shrugged, "well, I suppose the description would be a perfectionist. He also enjoys his little pleasures and expects nothing but top quality service. Thats nothing new, I am like that myself. However my problem is that he is only going to be in town for one night and the next morning. My meeting with him is first thing that morning, you have him in your calendar as Mr. Graves? The appointment I made myself, remember?"

Daniel wander slowly across the office till he stood next to Tina, leaning back against his desk, looking down at her.

"He will expect to be wined and dined the evening he arrives. I already have a room booked for him at one of the most expensives hotels in the city, but I have no one I can trust to look after him for the night." Now he paused and turned his gaze fully on his secretary. "No one but you, Tina. Now I know this is a little above and beyond your normal duties, and of course I will recompense you for your trouble and the late hour this evening will probably run to. I will also give you a rather large bonus if you deliver Graves to me the following morning, happy and ready to sign on the dotted line, for the meeting."

He smiled and stood and walked back around his desk and sat down in his chair, leaning back, cradling his glass in his hands as he watched Tina.

"Obviously if we land Graves it will benefit the entire company and send a lot of work our way which will only make everyones lives the better. So what do you say?"

 

[Angeleyz]

Tina had noted the Graves calendar entry when she had performed her typical two-week outlook earlier that morning. While it wasn't unusual for Mr. Keach to add the odd calendar entry, she had observed that these meetings were typically centered on his personal activities versus business endeavors. She knew from past experience that Mr. Keach would or would not share the details of these engagements based on what he referred to as her "need to know".

Her dark eyes looked to the ceiling as she mentally clicked through her personal calendar. Despite the fact that she tried hard to keep her personal life separated from her professional one, Tina had occasionally adjusted her hours to offer surge support to Mr. Keach when he had early-morning / late afternoon client meetings.

Recognizing that Mr. Keach was always more than generous with recompense, Tina smiled regretfully up at him, "I'd be more than happy to handle Mr. Graves during my core hours, Mr. Keach; however, I can't do anything past 5 o'clock. Mike will be on travel during that time."

Her smile brightened considerably, "This is an important presentation that is critical for the promotion he's been working hard for this last year."

 

[Gabe619]

"Oh, that is regretable." Daniel said with a sigh and an expression of sadness. "I shall have to try and arrange another meeting date as I am fully booked with another client that night and Graves is only in town for that evening. Well, never mind, it can't be helped."

Keach smiled to let Tina know not to worry, while in his head the gears were turning as he planned. He had doubted things would go as smoothly as he had wanted, when did they ever, but he was not above greasing certain wheels and if necessary altering peoples lives to get what he wanted ... and he wanted Tina Johnson. Her refusal of him not long after she had started working for him had only made her more desirable to him. He had kept that desire locked down when she was around though, so as not to give the game away, but no woman ever said no to Daniel Keach, they all eventually succumbed to him, one way or the other.

"Well, I think thats it for now, Tina. Thank you. If you could make those arrangements for me, please."

And with that he dismissed her. He waited till she had left the office and closed the doors behind her before picking up the phone on his desk. He pushed a single button, a speed dial number and waited a couple of rings for it to be answered.

"Its Keach. I have a little job for you. I want to you to dig up everything you can find on a Michael Johnson, I'll send you what details I have by email, address, telephone numbers etc. I want to know specifically who he works for and if we have any connection to them .." He listened as the man on the other end of the line confirmed his understanding. "I want it by 1pm today, understood? ... Good."

And he hung up, sitting back in his chair as he thoughtfully stared at the doors. It seemed that his secretary, or more specifically her husband, was going to be getting some bad news rather soon. He allowed a small smile to slip onto his lips.

 

[Angeleyz]

Hearing the dismissal,Tina bustled out of the room, closing the heavy wooden doors behind her. Settling herself at her desk, she picked up the phone to call Mrs. Keach. Unsurprisingly, the call went straight to voicemail. Tina left confirmation that Mr. Keach would be interested in attending the gala and hung up.

Pressing a speed dial, she called the company's car service. "Mr. Briggs, this is Tina Johnson," she began when the owner picked, "I was wondering if Marco would be available to provide transportation for Mr. Keach and an associate this afternoon." Upon confirmation that Mr. Keach's preferred driver was available, Tina provided all the necessary information. Once that was taken care of, Tina smiled as the gravelly voiced old coot went through his customary entreaties for a cup of coffee or lunch. One of these days, she was tempted to say yes, but was afraid she'd give the poor man a heart attack.

"Now Mr. Briggs, you know the moment I decide to leave my husband, I'm going to be looking you up," Tina teased good naturedly, "until then, we have these calls." She giggled as she hung up with him sputtering on the other end.

Calling Ms. Bambi, Tina was unsurprised when she answered on the first ring. Passing on Mr. Keach's invitation, she outwardly winced at the shriek of excitement from the young woman. 'You bring that level of excitement to your session and I'm sure you will do just fine,' she thought to herself as she hung up.

She was getting ready to call Travis when one of the outside lines rang. "Good morning, Mr. Keach's office... How may I help you?"she asked pleasantly.

"Hey baby doll... How are things going so far," asked a husky voice.

Tina's entire face lit up. "Mike...Just fine, sweetie... And you?"

"I was between meetings and thought I'd call... Was wondering if the overlord would let you escape for lunch?"

Tina's voice lowered as she responded, "Now honey, we've talked about this. Mr. Keach may come across as overbearing, but he's actually been a very good employer. " she smiled crookedly as she acknowledged that she could see Mr. Keach as a feudal lord in ages past. She took a look at the rest of the day's activities. "Unfortunately there are back-to-back meetings so I won't be able to escape."

"Okay, I figured it was a long shot, but still wanted to ask. I have to run to my next meeting. Love you!"

"Love you too, honey... See you tonight."

Then, Tina called Travis and relayed his father's agreement. They chatted for a few minutes while Tina answered email inquiries. Travis was like the kid brother she never had, and he always chatted her ear off. She was trying to think of a polite way to remind him that some people had to work for a living, when there was a ring at the suite door.

"Sorry, Travis, " she interrupted, "looks like there's a delivery at the door... I need to go. Have a good day."

Walking around her desk to the executive suite's outer doors, she was pleasantly surprised to see a florist's delivery man standing there with a beautiful arrangement of flowers.

"I have a delivery for a Mrs. Johnson," the man said.

"That's me," Tina smiled, "here, let me take those." She removed the vase from his arms so that he wasn't having to juggle the flowers and a clipboard, and placed the vase on her desk. Signing her name, she thanked him as he left.

Opening the attached card, Tina grinned once more as she read

Just cuz...

"Oh, Mike...." She giggled as she leaned over to take a deep breath of the gorgeous flowers.

 

[Gabe619]

Three hours later Daniel Keach was on a conference call when his cell phone rang. He excused himself from the call and placed it on mute as he answered the cell.

"Keach .... good, excellent. Give me the contact details ..." Daniel swiftly wrote down phone numbers and email addresses. "And you think they are open for a little negotiation? ..... Very good. I'll make sure your usual fee is transfered immediately."

With that he hung up and smiled to himself. Time to ruin someones day, but to make his a little more exciting. Picking up the conference call again he apologised and promised to contact the other two men later that day, but that he had something urgent that just came up. Hanging up he dialed the number he had just been given and waited as it rang.

"Yes, hello. My name is Daniel Keach, I'd like to to talk to Mr. Eriksson please ... yes I'll wait." The company that Tina's husband worked for were nationwide, indeed if their growth continued at the current rate they very well might become worldwide in the near future and if so they would need financial backing, and thats where Daniel Keach came in. "Yes, hello, Mr. Eriksson? Ahh, so happy to speak to you. I'm not sure if you know who I am .... oh, you do? Good, that should make this a little easier all round. I have a proposition for you. Its unusual I will admit, but i think by the time I'm finished you will be assured that it would be in your companies interests to take me up on the offer."

Nearly thrity minutes later Keach hung up and sat back his usualy self assured smile on his lips. Poor, poor Mike Johnson was about to get some very bad news. It seemed that his deparment had to cut back on employees for the forseeable future due to financial constraints and although his work had been sterling, Eriksson had to let him go immediately. Of course Keach had assured Eriksson that he would make sure Mike was taken care of, and he would indeed do so, but through Tina. Mike would never know that his wifes boss had orchestrated his redundancy for no other reason than to make Tina Johnson his mistress and whore. Ah, power, there was nothing like it, Daniel considered as he reached for his glass.

 

[Angeleyz]

Tina was surprised how quickly the day was going, considering there wasn't nearly as many meetings on Mr. Keach's calendar as there normally was. She easily completed the rest of the filing, while fielding the normal influx of calls from potential. She had eaten her small lunch at her desk because of Mr. Keach's back to back meetings, and had just escorted Mr. Webster in.

Now she had heard stories about Mr. Webster when she first started working. Tina knew that Webster was one of Mr. Keach's closest associates, so he likely was a womanizer to the n-th degree as well; however he had never been nothing if not a perfect gentleman around her. She was idly reflecting on that when the phone rang.

"Good afternoon... Mr. Keach's office... How can I help you?," she asked closing the email she had been reviewing.

"Hey baby doll," came the voice of the other end, its tone and inflection a marked contrast from earlier.

"Hey sweetie, what's wrong?," Tina asked, her eyebrows crinkling.

"Nothing... I was just wondering.... When are you coming home today?"

"My normal," she replied, "do you need me to pick something up?"

"No... Just... Um... Just come home whenever you can, will you?"

"Mike, seriously.... Is something wrong? The kids? My parents? Your parents?," Tina's voice raised ever so slightly as his odd tone worried her more and more.

"Everyone's fine. I just wanted to hold you. I love you, baby doll, just come home when you can."

Tina looked at the handset as if it would give her answers when Mike hung up so quickly. Something was definitely worrying her husband. She tried not to stew about it for the rest of the afternoon, but there was something so.... off... in his voice, she couldn't help but worry. She was still worrying when she received the phone call from Marco that he had picked up Bambie.

Making her way to the double doors once more, Tina knocked and waited for permission to enter. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she almost didn't hear his bid to come in. Standing just inside the doors, she said, "Sir, Marco just called and your 3:30 appointment is en-route."

 

[Gabe619]

Daniel nodded to Tina and smiled to let her know he had heard her. As she left John Webster grinned and shook his head.

"How do you get any work done with that lovely creature just outside your door?" He chuckled. "Isn't it distracting?"

"Very." Keach laughed and nodded.

"You, um, had the pleasure yet?" John winked with a nod to the doors.

"No, she knocked me back when I tried a while ago." Now Daniels face slipped a little, letting his frustration show through.

"You mean theres a woman alive who won't sleep with the great Daniel Keach?" Webster asked in fained surprise but with a big smile.

"She hasn't slept with you either, John."

"True, but then I haven't asked yet."

"Do you want her?" Daniel asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched his friend.

"Of course I want her, what man with a pulse wouldn't .... why?" Now Wensters curiosity had been peeked.

"Oh, no reason, just curious." Daniel smiled, filing away his friends desires for a later date. "Look, I really need to get to that appointment. We'll catch up tomorrow for drinks?"

"Ok, you go have your 'appointment'." Webster smirked knowing full well where and what Daniel was going to be doing for the afternoon. He had done the same thing many times.

Keach escorted his friend to the door of his office, watching as he smiled warmly at Tina and complimented her once again, the man was a dyed in the wool flirt with any woman, but he did seem taken with Daniels secretary.

"Well, as I won't be around for the rest of the day, Tina, why don't you go home to. We can pick up anything that comes in tomorrow morning, ok?" Keach said to the woman with a smile.

Of course he knew what awaited her at home and although not a needlessly cruel man, he was eagerly awaiting tomorrow morning to see the outcome.

 

[Angeleyz]

Tina looked at Mr. Keach in surprise since he normally preferred to have her man the office when he left early; however, she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Quickly gathering her things, she took off, eager to get home a figure out what was going on.

Forty-five minutes later, Tina entered their modest split-level and dropped her things by the front door. Wandering through the house, she eventually found Mike snuggled up with Cassidy and Mason watching some show on the Disney Channel that he normally couldn't be bothered to watch. He didn't say a word, just motioned to her to come join them. When she started to speak, he just gave her a look that promised that they'd talk later.

Cassidy eventually informed her that they had declared it to be a puppy pack evening, which meant pizza in front of the TV and the family all gathered together. They stayed that way, quietly watching TV, only moving when the delivery man got there and pizza was available for eating. Around 8:00, Tina announced that it was time to get ready for bed and for once, there was no fussing from the kids. The twins were washed up, wearing their pajamas,teeth brushed and ready to be tucked in less than 15 minutes... A record for the 5 year old Johnson twins.

Kissing the kids goodnight and turning off their lights, Tina cornered Mike in their bedroom where he sat on the corner of the bed, head down. "Alright, mister... What gives?" she asked.

"I... I don't know how to tell you this, baby doll..."

Sitting down next to him, placing her small hands over his larger ones, Tina said softly, "Mike, you're scaring me... What IS it?".

Mike went on to explain in halting terms all that had transpired that afternoon with Mr. Eriksson. To say she was shocked at his termination was putting in mildly, but she was determined to not to let on how worried she was. While she made good money, Mike had always been the primary breadwinner and there was no way they could last long on just their salary. Mike was already stressing out, and she didn't want to add to his concerns so she talked him into a nice back rub and said they'd figure out the game plan in the morning.

Long after Mike fell asleep, Tina laid in bed unable to stop all the thoughts whirling inside her head. She watched the clock read midnight, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00... sometime after 3am she finally fell into a fitful sleep.

Tina dragged herself out of bed when her alarm went off, feeling like death warmed over. She kept a brave smile on her face while getting the twins ready for school. Mike indicated that he'd take care of getting the to school before he'd start polishing his résumé and making calls. Kissing everyone goodbye, she headed to work, feeling like she was in a fog. Tina had been sitting at her desk, staring at her computer monitor for about 10 minutes before Mr. Keach arrived. "Good morning, Mr. Keach," she said in a subdued voice.

 

[Gabe619]

"Morning, Tina." Daniel said cheerfully before he glanced up on his way into his office and his face became one of concern.

Inside though he felt elated, not at her obvious sadness and stress, but that his plans were in motion. Mike had obviously dropped the bombshell last night, now Keach had to play the concerned boss for a while and see how it played out.

"Tina? What's wrong?" He asked, his concern for her evident on each word.

He moved behind her desk and lent down, one hand on her desk, the other on the back of her seat. They were the only two in here, Tina's outer sanctum to his office equally as private as his own.

"You look so pale, are you feeling ok? Do you need a glass of water or something?" Without asking he poured her some water from a decanter on her desk into a glass and handed it to her, his eyes radiating worry for his secretary.

He had learned early in his career that being a good actor would get you a long way in this business. Faking out a client or competitor was equally as beneficial for him in the right situation. Right now he was putting in an Oscar winning performance. He had left his apartment only twenty minutes earlier, leaving young Bambi naked and still in his bed. She had more than met his expectations last night and he had decided to uphold his end of the deal after all. He would put her in touch with a photographer friend he knew. But he did confess to feeling a little tired, the girl had kept him up most of the night, but what a night. He fought to stop the grin making its way to his lips at the image of what they had done.

 

[Angeleyz]

Accepting the glass of water, Tina took a tiny sip to make sure her voice was controlled before responding, "I'm fine, Mr. Keach. I just had a hard time sleeping last night." Tina had always tried to keep her personal and professional lives separate, and didn't want to bore Mr. Keach with mundane details about how the working class sometimes had to worry about putting food on their table and paying their mortgage. He seemed so sincere in his concern that she was so tempted to tell him everything, to lay out all her worries and see if he had any suggestions. However, one thing she had noted about him in the two years she had been his assistant was that you never showed this man any sign of weakness...

"I'm sorry, sir... Just give me a few minutes for my caffeine to kick in, and I'll... I'll be good to go," she said, trying to find her composure.

 

[Gabe619]

Daniel stayed silent for a few seconds, just looking at her as if he didn't believe her saying she would be ok. He finally stood straighter and sighed.

"Very well, but Tina, I hope you know that if you ever need to talk, about anything, my door is always open." He smiled kindly at her.

He knew he had a reputation as a hard assed business man, and rightly so, but right now he needed this woman to feel she could trust him.

"I hope you realise how much I value you, Tina." He confessed. "This office would be a mess without you. So, if you feel you need some time off, if you're feeling sick maybe or tired, its ok. I need you at you normal outstanding best and if you need a couple of days downtime to stay at that level then we can muddle through."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently before turning and walking into his office. Unlike usual he left his doors open, a silent indication that if she needed him he was available. He stopped just inside the doors though and turned back. Now was the prefect time to remind her of his previous offer, the one she had turned down. He wouldn't be blunt, he didn't need to, a gentle reminder and she would recall all of the proposal he had made.

"When you feel a little more yourself, if you could make a note to remind me later to call Mr. Graves to postpone our meeting?" He smiled at her comfortingly and disappeared into his spacious office, the smile on his face changing to one of evil joy at the thrill of the chase.

 

[Angeleyz]

Tina tried to maintain her semi-composed demeanor until Mr. Keach retreated to his office. She noted that his door was still open and wondered if she'd give in to the impulse to talk to him about her situation. 'No, I can handle this on my own,' she thought.

Straightening her backbone,Tina took one last swallow of her venti Skinny Vanilla Latte and got down to business. She idly noted the reference Mr. Keach had said about reminding him to call a Mr. Graves about postponing a meeting, but couldn't immediately recall the subject matter. Normally priding herself on her recall,Tina shrugged the reference away and told herself she'd look it up later.

The next few hours flew by. The phones were constantly ringing, and people dropped in trying to get on Mr. Keach's calendar as if a personal plea to her would get them seen sooner. While she was efficient in all her dealings, the normal warmth that most people associated with her was... lacking. She even transferred Travis to his father's line with no more than a "One moment, transferring now" response to his customary greeting.

Mike ended up calling during one of the few breaks in calls and visitors. He filled her in on all the people he has reached out to, and she reminded him to send her a copy of his current résumé. Mike ended up hanging up when his cell phone started to ring, hoping it might be a lead. Just as Tina received the email with his résumé, she thought of something so exciting that she went bounding out of her chair and stood just inside Mr. Keach's door.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I was wondering...," she said hesitantly once Mr. Keach looked up, "Doesn't Mr. Webster own an engineering firm?"

 

[Gabe619]

Daniel sat back in his chair, looking at Tina quizzically. This was a definite change in her demeanour. She seemed almost excited. The only thing that Keach could imagine that would get her worked up this much was if Mike had found a job, but he had made certain that no company in the local area would hire Mike Johnson, so, his interest piqued, he smiled at his secretary.

"Yes, he does indeed. Why do you ask?"

He waved her into the office so they weren't shouting at each other. He placed the file he had been reading on his desk as she walked closer.

"You seem recovered from your earlier malaise, my dear." He said warmly. "That's good to see. I'm glad it was only a passing bug. Please, sit, you seem to have something you wish to talk to me about."

 

[Angeleyz]

Seating herself at the edge of the seat in front of his desk, Tina waved away his words with an airy, "I just needed my caffeine to kick in, sir... I'm fine." She was much more interested in hearing what Mr. Keach had to say about Mr. Webster than to dwell on the negativity going on in her life right now.

"I know.... someone, sir... Who has found themselves... In between jobs at the moment... And I thought that perhaps I could pass their resume on to Mr. Webster," Tina said, feeling like it would be disloyal to Mike to tell her boss about his situation. She smiled at him winningly, sure she had found a potential solution to their worries.

"You don't think he'd mind if I forwarded him the resume, do you?" she asked.

 

[Gabe619]

"Oh, I doubt it, you know he has always liked you, Tina." Daniel smiled. "Why don't you leave it with me and I'll personally make sure he gets to read it. I'm sure if your ... friend, has the relevent skills he would be more than happy to offer them a position."

Keach found the situation hilarious, that Tina would come to him to help fix a problem in her life he had caused. But he had to act the part out, and maybe this might be a good thing in the long term. He had had plans to let his friend, Webster, have Tina at some point, surely it couldn't hurt to make him look even better in her eyes. Perhaps to the degree that her having sex with Webster would seem like Tina simply repaying the debt she owed the man. And who was to say that the 'position' Mike got offered would be long term, or indeed pay that well. Keach had made enquires into the Johnsons finances and it seemed Mike was the main breadwinner. Tina's pay would keep them afloat for a little while, but not long. And if she somehow found a way to not come to him and take up his offer of a night with Mr. Graves, well, then he would just have to arrange a few more unfortunate financial problems for the Johnson family. He felt more than happy to do so, after all he had the power to give as well as take away and once he had the 'dirt' on Tina Johnson and she was under his control he could wave his magic wand and make all of her money problems vanish.

 

[Angeleyz]

Tina's eyes widened in surprise as she stammered out, "Oh, Mr. Keach, I couldn't impose on you like that...". It felt like oddly like being saved by the bell when they heard the buzzer at the suite's entrance announce that someone was waiting to be admitted. Looking at her watch, Tina exclaimed, "Oh my, she's earlier than normal," and bustled out of his office to greet the visitor.

Walking quickly to the door, Tina greeted the regal lady leaning heavily against a stout walking cane. "Ms. Sophia, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, you're earlier than normal. I thought grand entrances were supposed to be marked by being just a tad late," she teased. She was not surprised when the petite, silver headed woman waved off her offered arm and thumped the floor noisily with her cane.

"Claude's home sick, and his darn fool of a substitute thought I might need more time to navigate the stairs. Damn upstart', grumbled her visitor as she settled herself in her customary seat across from Tina's desk.

Tina fought hard to keep the corners of her lips from twitching as she looked at Ms. Sophia. Most people only saw a fragile looking octogenarian; very few realized she still swam 5 miles a day and was as sharp as a tack. Rumored to have been a mafia boss' girl friend a lifetime ago, no one knew the source of Ms. Sophia's wealth but Tina reckoned she could have rivaled Mr. Keach in wealth and power if she cared to.

"May I get you something to drink, Ms. Sophia?" asked Tina, "perhaps a cup of tea? Water or juice?".

"No, I'm fine, child," answered Ms. Sophia, "but you can answer a question."

Tina looked at her in inquiry until she cocked her head to the side and asked,"Have you been following my advice about your wardrobe and are only wearing that to needle me, or do you continue to hide your figure behind all that drab garb?". Her wrinkled nose telling Tina what she thought of the grey pantsuit that she had slipped on that morning.

"Ms. Sophia, we've talked about this before... There are certain expectations that people have of Mr. Keach's assistant and dressing like I'm going out for the night is simply not appropriate," Tina calmly answered, this long battle over her 'convent attire' still amused her.

"And Danny... He is treating you well, yes?"

Tina smiled in reply, "Mr. Keach is nothing but generous with his employees as you well know."

Taking a moment to answer a call, Tina took down the pertinent information, hung up and was startled to find Ms. Sophia staring at her in an odd fashion. "Do I have something on my face?" she asked self consciously.

"No, child," Ms. Sophia replied, looking at her seriously, "but I've heard some things... Things that concern me...".

Tina waited for her to continue, but just as she was getting ready to say more, a throat was cleared in Mr. Keach's doorway. Looking up, Tina caught a strange look between her boss and his visitor, some unspoken communication that went completely over her head.

"Perhaps we'll speak later, child," Ms. Sophia said as she stood up and walked towards Mr. Keach's office. Tina looked on in bemusement as Mr. Keach waved her into his office and shut the door behind them.

'Well that was odd,' she thought to herself, mentally shaking her shoulders. Tina took a moment to send Mr. Webster an email, attaching Mike's resume and a cover letter.

Mr. Webster, I hope this isn't too forward, but I'm sending you a resume for your consideration. Thank you, Tina Johnson​

Crossing her fingers, she hit the Send button and then settled into review the latest batch of contract letters that Mr. Keach would need to sign later.

 

[Gabe619]

"How are you Sofia?" Daniel asked leading the old woman to a chair in front of his desk.

He really wasn't interested in her health, apart from making sure she wasn't about to die and in so doing remove a lucrative client from his portfolio. He walked over to make her a drink, her usual JD on the rocks as he awaited an answer. She always made him think of his departed Mother in law, the way she scowled at him and reprimanded him. No one reprimanded Daniel Keach, but he allowed her the eccentricity, she did after all make him a great deal of money.

"I'm just fine, but tell me, Daniel, what are you doing to that poor girl out there?" Her look as she took the offered glass made him smile.

Sofia had her sources the same way he did, it wouldn't surprise him to find out that most worked for them both. It had annoyed him to no end how she managed to find out some of his below the belt dealing, but usually she didn't care because in doing so Daniel only made her wealth greater. But he knew she had a soft spot for Tina, so he would have to tread careful, besides he didn't know what she really knew. She might just be testing him to see if a rumour that had made it her way had any substance.

"Doing to her? Why nothing, Sophia." Keach stated as he made his way to his side of the desk ... ahh, there was that scowl he knew and loved.

"Don't lie to me Daniel, I know you to well." Sophia said looking at him daggers over the top of her crystal whiskey tumbler. "Whatever it is I do not want you hurting the girl."

"Please remember, Sophia, that although you are a treasured client, you are just a client, you have no sway over what I choose to do and not do with my own staff." Keach smiled back meeting her look for look. "Besides, hurting her is the farthest thing from my mind right now, I am simply trying to ... expand her mind a little. Offer her new experiences. She needs to loosen up a little, don't you agree?"

Sophia snorted at his veiled threat and his words.

"Well, yes, she dresses like she was brought up in a convent. Such a shame when she has such a lovely body." Sophia almost sighed in regret making Keach smile to himself. "Very well then, I agree she could use some, as you say, loosening up, but don't over do it, Daniel. I know your kinks and lusts remember and I may just be a client, but I am sure you do not wish me to take my money and give it instead to that young whippersnapper Coombs across the road, hmm?"

Keach's smile turned shark like. Derek Coombs was only in his early thirtes but already he was climbing the ladder of the financial sector a little to swiftly for Daniel's liking.

"Well, now we have both threatened the other and got that off our chests, should we get down to business?" He smiled.

 

[Angeleyz]

When Tina found herself yawning for the third time in 10 minutes, she decided that she had better do something about it. Mr. Keach and Ms. Sophia would likely be another 30 minutes and would never know if she stepped out to get herself another coffee. She normally didn't drink it everyday, but after her night... Well, sometimes you needed a little caffeine to stay sharp. She asked Mrs. Brown in the Accounting Office to cover any incoming calls, and left a little note explaining that she'd be right back before she exited the suite and headed to the elevator. As she passed Tim, the current security guard on duty, she requested that he keep anyone seeking access to Mr. Keach's suite out until her return.

She was grateful that there was a Starbucks just across the street from her building and quickly made her way there. Sighing a little when she spied the line in front of her, she got in line and hoped it wouldn't take too long. At least she knew the more seasoned baristas were on duty, so as long as people didn't take forever making up their minds, it should be okay.

As the line slowly creeped forward, Tina and the rest of her line-mates were forced to surge and separate to allow those with coffees in hand to get through and out of the store. Tina hoped they'd be able to expand the footprint one of the days as their current floor plan left a lot to be desired. It was on one of these passes that Tina became aware of the stares from the man behind her. 'What IS it with people today?' she thought to herself as she gave the man a cool smile.

Tall, blond and probably in his early 30's, Tina thought he reminded her a lot of a younger Mr. Keach. As his eyes moved up and down her figure, Tina's eyes narrowed as she decided that Mr. Keach at least had more style and was more discreet in how he looked at women. She decided it wasn't worth her time to say anything to the man, when he surprised her by leaning in towards her and saying, "Derek Coombs..and you are?".

"Not interested," Tina said sweetly, turning her back on him. There was something in his tone that rubbed her the wrong way, like he knew everything about her already. She hated it when people took attitudes like that.

"I should have known Keach's secretary would be a bitch," he said just low enough that only she heard.

Ignoring him, Natasha took a step forward, thankful that she was next. Her brain clicked away trying to recall a Mr. Coombs, but didn't think she had ever seen him in the office with Mr. Keach.

"What's the matter, bitch? Does the old man not allow you to speak to anyone outside the office," he hissed in her ear.

Teeth clenched, determined to ignore his odd ramblings, Tina stepped up to the counter and smiled pleasantly.

"Skinny vanilla latte, please... Venti."

Carmen, her favorite barista, looked at her in mock surprise, "Two in one day? Girlfriend, I want to know what you've been up to...".

Winking good naturedly at her, Tina said, "Twins, hon... I have twins" before sliding down to the other end of the counter. She did her best to keep people between her and the odd man, but it felt like he was trying to press his way in. Looking around, she spotted Steve Davis, the company's legal advisor and maneuvered her way to his side.

"Steve, fancy meeting you here," she smiled before saying to him in a much lower voice, " would you mind it terrible if I stood with you while I wait for my coffee? That man over there is acting peculiar."

Steve, father of five girls, didn't need to hear anything else. Taking a hold of her elbow, he positioned himself better than any lead blocker on a football field and talked her ear off while she waited for her coffee. Once it was in hand, he even insisted on taking her back to the office. Tina didn't notice the dark looks being cast at them by Mr. Coombs, but Steve did and filed it away to share with Mr. Keach later.

~~~~~~~~~​

Tina had just settled into her chair when Mr. Keach's door opened and he and Ms. Sophia walked out.

 

[Gabe619]

"Well, that all looks just fine, Sophia. I'll make sure those purchases you want are passed onto my wallstreet broker immediately." Keach cast a quick look over at Tina, wondering where she had been.

"Very well. I will see you soon no doubt, Daniel." Sophia moved over to Tina and took the younger womans hand in hers, squeezing slightly. "You take care of yourself young lady, and please, try a short hem line maybe? Just for an old woman?" Sophia didn't smile, but her eyes twinkled as she let Tina go and left the office.

Daniel leaned on the doorframe of his office and shook his head slightly, a smile on his lips as he looked at Tina.

"She's always an experience isn't she?" He gave a short laugh. "But you should take her advice, my dear. With legs like yours you should hide them so much." He gave her a warm smile. "So where did you go?"

Just then his cell phone rang. Holding up a finger to say 'give me a second' he pulled the phone from his pocket.

"Daniel Keach." He answered, then listened. His eyes stayed fixed out the window behind Tina's desk.

//Daniel? Its John Webster .. I just got a resume for a Michael Johnson? Do you know if he is any relation to Tina?//

"Yes, I do believe he is." Daniel answered. It would look a little suspect for him to retreat into his office right now so he chose his words carefully.

//She's there, huh? Ok, so I'll guess husband by his age. I have a position open, should I give it to him?//

"Yes, your guess is accurate, but I think you should be careful about that decision. My advise would be to treat it like that Garret Anderson affair? You remember? Four years ago?" Keach glanced at Tina and smiled.

//Oh, yeah, I remember. So basically butter the guy up, ask him in for an interview, give him the tour, but then let him down easy in a day or two?//

"Exactly, that way you are covered in glory for being a generous man and it might put you in the good graces of our mutual friend."

//You mean Tina? Yes, I can see how that might work. I did everything possible to help but due to unforseen circumstances, etc, etc ...//

"Yes, you've got the idea. Look I need to go, but keep me informed, ok?" Keach said.

//No problem. I'll handle this.//

The phone went dead with a click and Daniel slipped it back in his pocket and turned back to Tina.

"Sorry, an old client asking for advise." He smiled an apology. "Anyway, i should get back to it."

He disappeared back into his office and closed the door just as his office phone phone rang. Looked like being a busy day.

"Keach." He sighed as he picked it up.

//Sir, this is Steve Davis from Legal. I have some information I think you might be interested in ....//