A Big Hello To My Friends!
Damn, I’m having difficulty typing this morning. I typed “A Bog Jello” instead of a Big Hello. Tired. Probably have too much sex on the brain. I was writing a HOT story yesterday involving much sensual spanking and chasing and amazingly great sex which led to me POUNCING on my husband nearly the moment he walked in the door. Goddamn, that was some good sex. My back and neck hurt. Gotta get in better shape. Clearly.
And today, I have to get back at it. The writing that is. Later, I plan on POUNCING on the hubby again. I warned Mr. Carlyle that he’d better be prepared for tonight because I intend to use his body for research. He was very enthusiastic. We’ll see how he is after a long day at work. Probably fine. He loves his new job. Absolutely loves it.
I think I had too much port last night too. Something about sex and port and chocolate all go together for a very scrumptious combination.
Oooooo, I love this job.
Speaking of which, here is part…um…something. I think Three of The Motivator. I hope you enjoy.
Hugs to you all, I hope you all have great sex this weekend. Hint: try some port afterwards and chocolate. (grin)
Michelle
Curt’s gaze darkened, his smile grew. But it was a predator’s smile. Welcome to my web said the spider to the fly. “How’s tonight?”
So what if he scared her? He was hot. “Perfect. Where? When?”
“How about Sam Sushi?”
“Oh, good one.”
“I’ll make reservations for seven, shall I?”
“Go for it.”
He sent her another amused smile.
“What? You think I’m gonna run scared from you?” Heather asked.
“Yes.”
“You don’t know me that well.”
“Well, maybe by the end of the evening, we’ll know each other just a little bit better.”
“Okay, son. You’re on.”
“You want me to pick you up? I know you live close to downtown.”
“Yeah, why don’t you? I’ll email you the directions.”
“Good. See you at seven.”
“Great. I think.”
He laughed. She took off for her office. She couldn’t believe she’d accepted his offer. Oh, hell it was just sushi. Nothing else.
Hmmmm. Damn, she hoped he kissed her.
What was she thinking? God, no work romances!
But of course, in his case, she may have to make an exception.
He picked her up at precisely seven, she waited for him at the curb.
He sent her a knowing look when she got into his two-seater sports car. It was clear he figured out she didn’t want him to see her house.
“Yeah,” she said, answering his silent question.
He laughed. “You mentioned it looked pretty bad.”
“It looks like I just moved in, boxes everywhere.”
“When did you move in?”
“A year ago.”
“And you haven’t unpacked yet?”
“I’ve been…”
“Insert excuse here,” he finished.
“No… well… yeah, probably.”
“It seems like you may need my help, after all.”
“Couldn’t hurt.”
He sent her a sharp look. That strange, predatory feral dark promise. She suddenly could see him in all black leather holding a whip. A little thrill went through her at the thought.
Was she nuts?
They sat down, ordered drinks and began munching on the edamame the waitress had brought them as appetizers.
She studied him. “So… how do you propose to help me?”
“You get right to the point, don’t you?”
“Curiosity is killing me.”
He grinned. “All right. Well, basically we draw up a plan for you. What you want to accomplish and when. And we decide if it’s doable—based upon holidays and other things you have going on—everyone has a tendency to plan more than they have time for. So we go over your current schedule, work in the things you want to accomplish and put you on a timetable.”
“Just like any other project.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay. So… we plan out these goals and then… what?”
“You check in with me weekly, or whatever time period we decide and I check to see if you’re accomplished your goals.”
“And then what happens?”
“Well, hopefully, you’ve accomplished what you promised you would.”
“Okay. What if I don’t?”
He smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Now that’s where it gets… interesting. There are many ways to handle that part. But I do have a method I have utilized in the past that has been quite effective. Very motivating. Once I’ve employed this… method, my… er, clients have gotten everything done and normally much faster than they planned.”
“And that is?” She took a long draw off her drink.
His gaze grew more intense. “If you don’t meet your goals, I turn you over my knee and spank the hell out of you.”
She spit her drink out all over her lap. Luckily, her napkin was there. She cleaned up her mess and regarded him. He seemed very amused that she was so flustered.
She laughed. “I was afraid you were gonna say that.”
“Afraid or titillated?” he asked, with a hidden grin, his eyes doing this x-ray vision thing on her.
A thrill went through her nether-regions. This man was dangerous all right. Very, very dangerous.
“Honestly? Both.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, flashing her a white-toothed grin. He was flirting with her, too.
“So… people have paid you to employ these… methods of yours.”
“Actually, no. I’ve only done this sort of a thing for friends before, really. I do something like this for corporations, without the spankings. CEOs don’t really go in for that sort of thing.”
She laughed. “No, wouldn’t suppose so. So, really, you’ve done this for… people.”
“Let me be more clear. They were a bit more than friends.”
“You spanked your girlfriends?”
He nodded. “To great effect and great benefit to them.”
“And you. You like that part, don’t you?”
His gaze darkened. “Let’s just say I really enjoy giving a deserving girl her just desserts.”
“You are a bit frightening, aren’t you?”
“Not once you get to know me.”
Their sushi arrived and Heather had to admit, it wasn’t easy eating. The man made her more nervous than she was on her first prom date.
“So… if we agree to do this… scheduling, won’t your girlfriend or wife—“
He laughed. “Very subtle, very, very subtle, Heather.”
“Oh, hell. Of course, I’m going to ask.”
He smiled warmly at her. The darkness was gone and just a very sweet man sat there, looking at her very fondly. An interesting and promising change.
He said, “I figured since you came out to dinner with me, you weren’t involved.”
“I was. I mean, no, not this month. Actually, David was several months now. Wow, how time flies. So, you’re not, either, huh?”
“No.”
“Did you scare the last one away?”
He gave her a half-smile. “Did you?”
“Yeah,” she replied without hesitation.
He burst out laughing. “I thought so. I knew you were trouble from the moment I met you.”
“Nah. Well… only… maybe.”
He chuckled, clearly enjoying her. It felt good to be around this guy. She liked him. He saw through her crap, but didn’t completely fault her for it. He liked her.
“And yes, I scared her away. I think my standards were a bit too high for her.”
“Uh, oh.”
“Yes, uh, oh. You agree to this arrangement, and honey, I will hold you to whatever promise you make to me. Just remember this: I will never fault you for knowing your limits and keeping to an easy schedule, but whatever agreement you make, whatever promise you make to me, you’d better be prepared to come through. The consequences can be quite…”
“Painful.”
He grinned. “Yes.”
“Oh, dear.”
©2009, Michelle Carlyle
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Motivator, Part Two
Hey Spanky Friends!
What a rainy week! Gallons poured down on us this week and it’s raining right now. Thankfully, this is just light rain, falling more or less vertically, but on Wednesday we had sideways rain and thunder and lightning. Very exciting. But thankfully, we didn’t lose power.
Hubby is thrilled with his job, I haven’t seen him happier. He’s excited to get up in the morning and go to work. A first! And now I’m finally left to do what I do best, write and drink tea.
But after 14 years of being within ten feet of him, it is weird to finally be alone a lot. But I’m actually loving it. Besides, I’m not very alone, I have my imaginary friends to keep me company.
But I am thinking of getting a cat again. Also, since my girlfriends found out I’m here all by my lonesome, I’ve had some extended phone conversations and visits.
Life has really turned around for us…speaking of thunder. Wow. Time to unplug the computers.
Take care, my dears,
Michelle
Heather went to her meeting and was walking by Curt’s temporary office, when he beckoned her inside.
“Yes?” she asked in a playful tone.
He grinned. “I meant what I said, I can get you the help if you need it. To pass that class.”
“So you know one of these coach-type people?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you know them well?”
He shrugged. “Fairly well.”
“Huh.”
“I think you do need the help. You sound as though you do.”
“Oh, I play stuff up for the group, but I’m doing okay—okay that was such a lie. I am a liar! Sorry. Yes, I do. I know I do, but…”
“What?”
“I just…”
“What?” he asked.
“I don’t know. It seems so desperate.”
“So you think you’re bosses are desperate and that’s why they hired me?”
“No. Well, kinda. They really needed you. I hear you’ve got magical wizardry type financial skills.”
“They needed extra help, expert help.”
“Point taken.”
“We can’t always accomplish our goals alone,” Curt said. “Look at any professional athlete, they have coaches.”
“Yeah, they do. You’re right.”
“I even do some of this coaching myself.”
This surprised her. “You do?”
He smiled and sent her a penetrating stare, then shook his head to himself. “I do. But I don’t think you’d… go for my… specialty. My methods are only for those who truly want to change and get their goals accomplished. I’m a bit… let’s just say my tough love techniques are a bit more tough than others,” he said with a wicked smile.
He intrigued her. “Well, I want to change and I need to pass that class. But… What do you mean a bit more tough than others?”
“I normally only discuss the particulars with serious clients.”
“Huh. So how much do you charge?”
“I have a sliding scale. For you… since we’re friends, I’d be willing to barter or work something out. But only if you were serious and you just don’t strike me as the serious kind of girl.”
“Oh, I’m serious. I have to pass this stupid class. I mean, five times? Come on. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t and I’m starting to get desperate.”
“I don’t think you’d like the methods I employ to motivate my clients. You don’t seem the type.”
“The type? What kind of type?”
“You just seem… well, very rebellious, I think. A bit on the bratty side. Brats can get into real trouble with me. Real. Trouble,” he said with a warning and a promise in his eye. Something about it sent a thrill through her. This guy was a real hard-ass and that was a real turn-on. She’d only been with wimps. This guy was a real man.
She grinned. “Well, to be honest with you, I am… yes, I’m very rebellious and I am a bit of a brat. At least, according to my exes. But then, they were jerks and I had to get even somehow. But that’s beside the point. This is business. I need to get this class done. I have to. That offer in R & D isn’t going to last long. But you are scaring me.”
He sent her a half smile, and looked thoughtful for a moment, his deep blue gaze evaluating her. “I would scare you, yes. I think I would.”
She laughed. “So what? Are you some kinda disciplinarian or something?”
He grinned and didn’t miss a beat. “You could say that.”
“Oh, dear,” she said, her knees feeling a bit shaky. The man was touching on some of her hidden fantasies. Was this the man she’d been looking for? The one who would open up that whole world of power games? No, she was imagining it. He just wanted a new client and like he said, she was a friend.
But she was getting some other hints that the man may just find her attractive. He was definitely baiting her, teasing her. And he was certainly turning her on.
“Tell you what?” he said. “You think about it. If you want, we can meet and discuss specifics. Say over dinner sometime this week? If you want.”
“Uh…”
“Think about it. Get back to me.”
“Uh, okay.”
She stared at him for a few seconds more, then turned and walked out. She almost walked into Jason, she was so dazed by the conversation. Did he just ask her to dinner? No. It was business.
But was it business?
She got all the way to her office when it struck her. Who the hell cared why the guy talked about having dinner with her, this was a perfect opportunity to get the guy alone! She was single, she had to get back on the horse and oh, wouldn’t she love to ride his pony. Yee-hah!
But wait, she was making that up. He didn’t care about her sexually, only professionally. Right?
Well, there was one way to find out. And last she checked, her dance card was empty.
What if he was married?
She was talking about dinner, not marriage!
She headed straight back to his office. He seemed surprised, yet very amused to see her return so soon.
“Yes?” he asked cordially.
“You’re on. When?”
His gaze darkened, his smile grew. But it was a predator’s smile. Welcome to my web said the spider to the fly. “How’s tonight?”
So what if he scared her? He was hot. “Perfect. Where? When?”
“How about Sam Sushi?”
“Oh, good one.”
“I’ll make reservations for seven, shall I?”
“Go for it.”
He sent her another amused smile.
“What? You think I’m gonna run scared from you?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You don’t know me that well.”
“Well, maybe by the end of the evening, we’ll know each other just a little bit better.”
©2009, Michelle Carlyle
What a rainy week! Gallons poured down on us this week and it’s raining right now. Thankfully, this is just light rain, falling more or less vertically, but on Wednesday we had sideways rain and thunder and lightning. Very exciting. But thankfully, we didn’t lose power.
Hubby is thrilled with his job, I haven’t seen him happier. He’s excited to get up in the morning and go to work. A first! And now I’m finally left to do what I do best, write and drink tea.
But after 14 years of being within ten feet of him, it is weird to finally be alone a lot. But I’m actually loving it. Besides, I’m not very alone, I have my imaginary friends to keep me company.
But I am thinking of getting a cat again. Also, since my girlfriends found out I’m here all by my lonesome, I’ve had some extended phone conversations and visits.
Life has really turned around for us…speaking of thunder. Wow. Time to unplug the computers.
Take care, my dears,
Michelle
Heather went to her meeting and was walking by Curt’s temporary office, when he beckoned her inside.
“Yes?” she asked in a playful tone.
He grinned. “I meant what I said, I can get you the help if you need it. To pass that class.”
“So you know one of these coach-type people?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you know them well?”
He shrugged. “Fairly well.”
“Huh.”
“I think you do need the help. You sound as though you do.”
“Oh, I play stuff up for the group, but I’m doing okay—okay that was such a lie. I am a liar! Sorry. Yes, I do. I know I do, but…”
“What?”
“I just…”
“What?” he asked.
“I don’t know. It seems so desperate.”
“So you think you’re bosses are desperate and that’s why they hired me?”
“No. Well, kinda. They really needed you. I hear you’ve got magical wizardry type financial skills.”
“They needed extra help, expert help.”
“Point taken.”
“We can’t always accomplish our goals alone,” Curt said. “Look at any professional athlete, they have coaches.”
“Yeah, they do. You’re right.”
“I even do some of this coaching myself.”
This surprised her. “You do?”
He smiled and sent her a penetrating stare, then shook his head to himself. “I do. But I don’t think you’d… go for my… specialty. My methods are only for those who truly want to change and get their goals accomplished. I’m a bit… let’s just say my tough love techniques are a bit more tough than others,” he said with a wicked smile.
He intrigued her. “Well, I want to change and I need to pass that class. But… What do you mean a bit more tough than others?”
“I normally only discuss the particulars with serious clients.”
“Huh. So how much do you charge?”
“I have a sliding scale. For you… since we’re friends, I’d be willing to barter or work something out. But only if you were serious and you just don’t strike me as the serious kind of girl.”
“Oh, I’m serious. I have to pass this stupid class. I mean, five times? Come on. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t and I’m starting to get desperate.”
“I don’t think you’d like the methods I employ to motivate my clients. You don’t seem the type.”
“The type? What kind of type?”
“You just seem… well, very rebellious, I think. A bit on the bratty side. Brats can get into real trouble with me. Real. Trouble,” he said with a warning and a promise in his eye. Something about it sent a thrill through her. This guy was a real hard-ass and that was a real turn-on. She’d only been with wimps. This guy was a real man.
She grinned. “Well, to be honest with you, I am… yes, I’m very rebellious and I am a bit of a brat. At least, according to my exes. But then, they were jerks and I had to get even somehow. But that’s beside the point. This is business. I need to get this class done. I have to. That offer in R & D isn’t going to last long. But you are scaring me.”
He sent her a half smile, and looked thoughtful for a moment, his deep blue gaze evaluating her. “I would scare you, yes. I think I would.”
She laughed. “So what? Are you some kinda disciplinarian or something?”
He grinned and didn’t miss a beat. “You could say that.”
“Oh, dear,” she said, her knees feeling a bit shaky. The man was touching on some of her hidden fantasies. Was this the man she’d been looking for? The one who would open up that whole world of power games? No, she was imagining it. He just wanted a new client and like he said, she was a friend.
But she was getting some other hints that the man may just find her attractive. He was definitely baiting her, teasing her. And he was certainly turning her on.
“Tell you what?” he said. “You think about it. If you want, we can meet and discuss specifics. Say over dinner sometime this week? If you want.”
“Uh…”
“Think about it. Get back to me.”
“Uh, okay.”
She stared at him for a few seconds more, then turned and walked out. She almost walked into Jason, she was so dazed by the conversation. Did he just ask her to dinner? No. It was business.
But was it business?
She got all the way to her office when it struck her. Who the hell cared why the guy talked about having dinner with her, this was a perfect opportunity to get the guy alone! She was single, she had to get back on the horse and oh, wouldn’t she love to ride his pony. Yee-hah!
But wait, she was making that up. He didn’t care about her sexually, only professionally. Right?
Well, there was one way to find out. And last she checked, her dance card was empty.
What if he was married?
She was talking about dinner, not marriage!
She headed straight back to his office. He seemed surprised, yet very amused to see her return so soon.
“Yes?” he asked cordially.
“You’re on. When?”
His gaze darkened, his smile grew. But it was a predator’s smile. Welcome to my web said the spider to the fly. “How’s tonight?”
So what if he scared her? He was hot. “Perfect. Where? When?”
“How about Sam Sushi?”
“Oh, good one.”
“I’ll make reservations for seven, shall I?”
“Go for it.”
He sent her another amused smile.
“What? You think I’m gonna run scared from you?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You don’t know me that well.”
“Well, maybe by the end of the evening, we’ll know each other just a little bit better.”
©2009, Michelle Carlyle
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Motivator, Part One
Peoples!
Howzit? Another Friday. They are so sneaky. I completely forget what day it is when I’m writing.
So this was Hubby’s first week at work and he is thrilled. He gets a FREE LUNCH. That’s right. A freakin’ free lunch at work. Three weeks paid vacation, thirteen holiday days off and all his coworkers are super nice. He’s feeling extremely lucky. And so am I. After fourteen years of being ten feet from the guy 24/7, I finally have alone time. It’s so weird. And so wonderful. I mean, I love my husband, but having some time to really get things done is awesome. And he comes home happy which is even better. I can’t believe it was only a few weeks ago that we were both miserable. Things sure can change fast.
So here’s a new story for you called The Motivator. And boy, is this guy motivating. You’ll never guess the tools he uses. HEEEEEE!!!!!
I hope you’re all doing well out there in Cyberland and I hope you have a great weekend. Ours is supposed to be rather soggy, so I’ll be doing lots of indoor activities. Hopefully involving sex. Lots of sex. Mostly sex.
Hugs to you all,
Michelle
“How’s class goin?” Lydia asked.
Heather groaned. “Oh, God, don’t ask.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t pass Physics again.”
“Physics Three, thank you very much.”
“Still? How many times have you taken that course?” Lydia demanded.
Heather laughed. “God… uh, I think this is the fourth.”
“How many times do they let you take the course?”
“As many times as I want to pay for it.”
Heather sipped on her latte and took a bite of her pastry. She and four co-workers were in the break room, having coffee and chatting. Along with Heather and Lydia, there was Sherrill, the overweight, nail-biting sales manager, Jason, the young executive intern and Curt, the mysterious and handsome financial consultant.
Curt was only supposed to have been there for a month, but they’d been so impressed with him, he had work lined up there for the next year. With his sparkling blue eyes, his tall, lean frame, a quick smile and killer facial bone structure, Curt was exactly her type. Heather got a crush on the guy at first sight. But he kept his cards close to the vest and didn’t seem to be interested in any office romances.
And why would he be interested in her? She was a freakin’ disaster area.
Jason nodded Heather’s way. “What are you guys talking about? You’re in school, Heather?”
“So the school thinks,” she cracked. “No, Jason, dear, you see I’m only twenty units shy of a master’s degree, and all I have to do is to pass a few classes and bingo, more money, a new degree and the potential to get into Research and Development here.”
Jason seemed surprised. “You want to do that? It doesn’t have the income potential that Sales does.”
“No. But it actually interests me. I’m gettin’ burnt on dealing with our customer base. I want to do what I thought I’d be doing, actually getting involved with some exploration instead of just selling product.”
Sherrill nodded her way. “You need a PhD for that.”
“Don’t I know it. But I got friends in there, if I get my Masters, they can sneak me in and then I’ll have three years to get my doctorate. And of course, the company will pay for it. Well, if I actually passed a class, it would help.”
“Have you tried a tutor?” Lydia asked.
“Why does everybody suggest that? I am smart, I just…”
Jason asked, “What?”
“I hate school. I hate it. I hate, hate, hate class. And this… I’m having trouble with the subject. It got all esoteric on me. I mean, the first two Physics classes were awesome, I got it, I understood it, but it was all pretty tangible. This next crap… is not. I don’t get it and I don’t want to get it… I don’t know, I just got this block.”
Lydia turned to her. “And you’re addicted to several reality show series.”
“And there’s that.”
“Sounds like you just need some motivation,” Curt said.
Heather looked up at him. He didn’t talk to her often, but for some reason, she’d just got his attention with her conversation. And now that she had it, she was a bit uncomfortable. She couldn’t tell what the guy thought. He was super cute, but something about him scared her. There was a look in his eye that made her so nervous. She didn’t know what it was, she couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was some darkness to the guy somewhere deep within him. Maybe not a darkness, but he gave off a certain aura of power. He was certainly self-assured.
“Yeah, motivation would help. Do you know where I can buy some?” Heather cracked.
He smiled, but there was a sharpness to the look behind his eyes. He made her feet feel funny and her stomach fluttery, but it wasn’t all sexual attraction. She felt almost afraid of him. Weird.
“I might,” he said.
“What? Starbucks?” she asked.
He smiled again. But his gaze seemed to almost look through her. He was evaluating her, gauging her, it was disconcerting to say the least. But Heather never allowed people to know if they were getting to her, she put up a good, nonchalant front for the man. Not to mention the group.
“No,” Curt replied. “I’m talking about personal coaches. People who help you stay on track. Maintain schedules. Complete goals.”
Heather regarded him. “You mean, like a cheerleader?”
He smiled. “Something like that. Sometimes they try a bit of tough love if you slack off. But yes, they’ll also cheer you on, to help you accomplish your goals.”
“Tough love. Like bootcamp tough love?” Heather asked.
“So I’ve heard,” Curt said. “I have a few contacts, people who do this sort of thing.”
“Hmmm. Well, I’m not that desperate yet. But I’ll think about it. I have been a bad, bad girl lately.”
The look in his eye changed. If she wasn’t mistaken it went sort of feral, intense, predatory. What did she say? The “bad girl” line. Huh. Very interesting.
She smiled at him and realized that it was a flirty smile. She quickly let it fade. No playing with fire. Curt looked like an inferno and she was in no mood to get burned.
“So are you gonna take the class again?” Lydia asked.
Heather laughed. “I already signed up. I start next week and I’m already thinking of ways to cut class.”
The group broke up laughing.
“So number five is the charm?” Lydia said.
Heather waved a hand. “Oh, God, I don’t know. All I know is that I need to grow up. I swear, the whole thing is that I’m some big child. I’m so spoiled. I work, I go home, I do a bit of a workout, then it’s tube time. I hardly clean the house anymore; I hardly do anything on the weekends. I’ve turned into a total slug since what’s-his-face moved out.”
“He was a neat freak jerk,” Lydia said, pointing at her with a biscotti.
Heather checked her watch. “Maybe that has something to do with it—oh, Christ, I have a meeting in five minutes. See you, guys,” she said, getting up.
As she left, she caught Curt’s gaze. Intense. She’d peaked his interested for some reason. Which was both exciting and scary at the same time. She wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but she’d got his attention. Which, on second thought, couldn’t be a bad thing. He was hot!
©2009, Michelle Carlyle
Howzit? Another Friday. They are so sneaky. I completely forget what day it is when I’m writing.
So this was Hubby’s first week at work and he is thrilled. He gets a FREE LUNCH. That’s right. A freakin’ free lunch at work. Three weeks paid vacation, thirteen holiday days off and all his coworkers are super nice. He’s feeling extremely lucky. And so am I. After fourteen years of being ten feet from the guy 24/7, I finally have alone time. It’s so weird. And so wonderful. I mean, I love my husband, but having some time to really get things done is awesome. And he comes home happy which is even better. I can’t believe it was only a few weeks ago that we were both miserable. Things sure can change fast.
So here’s a new story for you called The Motivator. And boy, is this guy motivating. You’ll never guess the tools he uses. HEEEEEE!!!!!
I hope you’re all doing well out there in Cyberland and I hope you have a great weekend. Ours is supposed to be rather soggy, so I’ll be doing lots of indoor activities. Hopefully involving sex. Lots of sex. Mostly sex.
Hugs to you all,
Michelle
“How’s class goin?” Lydia asked.
Heather groaned. “Oh, God, don’t ask.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t pass Physics again.”
“Physics Three, thank you very much.”
“Still? How many times have you taken that course?” Lydia demanded.
Heather laughed. “God… uh, I think this is the fourth.”
“How many times do they let you take the course?”
“As many times as I want to pay for it.”
Heather sipped on her latte and took a bite of her pastry. She and four co-workers were in the break room, having coffee and chatting. Along with Heather and Lydia, there was Sherrill, the overweight, nail-biting sales manager, Jason, the young executive intern and Curt, the mysterious and handsome financial consultant.
Curt was only supposed to have been there for a month, but they’d been so impressed with him, he had work lined up there for the next year. With his sparkling blue eyes, his tall, lean frame, a quick smile and killer facial bone structure, Curt was exactly her type. Heather got a crush on the guy at first sight. But he kept his cards close to the vest and didn’t seem to be interested in any office romances.
And why would he be interested in her? She was a freakin’ disaster area.
Jason nodded Heather’s way. “What are you guys talking about? You’re in school, Heather?”
“So the school thinks,” she cracked. “No, Jason, dear, you see I’m only twenty units shy of a master’s degree, and all I have to do is to pass a few classes and bingo, more money, a new degree and the potential to get into Research and Development here.”
Jason seemed surprised. “You want to do that? It doesn’t have the income potential that Sales does.”
“No. But it actually interests me. I’m gettin’ burnt on dealing with our customer base. I want to do what I thought I’d be doing, actually getting involved with some exploration instead of just selling product.”
Sherrill nodded her way. “You need a PhD for that.”
“Don’t I know it. But I got friends in there, if I get my Masters, they can sneak me in and then I’ll have three years to get my doctorate. And of course, the company will pay for it. Well, if I actually passed a class, it would help.”
“Have you tried a tutor?” Lydia asked.
“Why does everybody suggest that? I am smart, I just…”
Jason asked, “What?”
“I hate school. I hate it. I hate, hate, hate class. And this… I’m having trouble with the subject. It got all esoteric on me. I mean, the first two Physics classes were awesome, I got it, I understood it, but it was all pretty tangible. This next crap… is not. I don’t get it and I don’t want to get it… I don’t know, I just got this block.”
Lydia turned to her. “And you’re addicted to several reality show series.”
“And there’s that.”
“Sounds like you just need some motivation,” Curt said.
Heather looked up at him. He didn’t talk to her often, but for some reason, she’d just got his attention with her conversation. And now that she had it, she was a bit uncomfortable. She couldn’t tell what the guy thought. He was super cute, but something about him scared her. There was a look in his eye that made her so nervous. She didn’t know what it was, she couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was some darkness to the guy somewhere deep within him. Maybe not a darkness, but he gave off a certain aura of power. He was certainly self-assured.
“Yeah, motivation would help. Do you know where I can buy some?” Heather cracked.
He smiled, but there was a sharpness to the look behind his eyes. He made her feet feel funny and her stomach fluttery, but it wasn’t all sexual attraction. She felt almost afraid of him. Weird.
“I might,” he said.
“What? Starbucks?” she asked.
He smiled again. But his gaze seemed to almost look through her. He was evaluating her, gauging her, it was disconcerting to say the least. But Heather never allowed people to know if they were getting to her, she put up a good, nonchalant front for the man. Not to mention the group.
“No,” Curt replied. “I’m talking about personal coaches. People who help you stay on track. Maintain schedules. Complete goals.”
Heather regarded him. “You mean, like a cheerleader?”
He smiled. “Something like that. Sometimes they try a bit of tough love if you slack off. But yes, they’ll also cheer you on, to help you accomplish your goals.”
“Tough love. Like bootcamp tough love?” Heather asked.
“So I’ve heard,” Curt said. “I have a few contacts, people who do this sort of thing.”
“Hmmm. Well, I’m not that desperate yet. But I’ll think about it. I have been a bad, bad girl lately.”
The look in his eye changed. If she wasn’t mistaken it went sort of feral, intense, predatory. What did she say? The “bad girl” line. Huh. Very interesting.
She smiled at him and realized that it was a flirty smile. She quickly let it fade. No playing with fire. Curt looked like an inferno and she was in no mood to get burned.
“So are you gonna take the class again?” Lydia asked.
Heather laughed. “I already signed up. I start next week and I’m already thinking of ways to cut class.”
The group broke up laughing.
“So number five is the charm?” Lydia said.
Heather waved a hand. “Oh, God, I don’t know. All I know is that I need to grow up. I swear, the whole thing is that I’m some big child. I’m so spoiled. I work, I go home, I do a bit of a workout, then it’s tube time. I hardly clean the house anymore; I hardly do anything on the weekends. I’ve turned into a total slug since what’s-his-face moved out.”
“He was a neat freak jerk,” Lydia said, pointing at her with a biscotti.
Heather checked her watch. “Maybe that has something to do with it—oh, Christ, I have a meeting in five minutes. See you, guys,” she said, getting up.
As she left, she caught Curt’s gaze. Intense. She’d peaked his interested for some reason. Which was both exciting and scary at the same time. She wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but she’d got his attention. Which, on second thought, couldn’t be a bad thing. He was hot!
©2009, Michelle Carlyle
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