Manhattan Miracle (9 page)

"
I agree."

~ * * ~

As Mr. Grimes arrived back at his office he stepped up to his secretary's desk. "Yes, Mr. Grimes?"

Grace, would you call Mr. Boyd in Human Resources and have him
send up a duplicate file of Ginger Allen? She's a brand new employee who started today."

She wrote the name on a scratch pad.
"Anything else, sir?"

"
Just that I would like it today, if possible."

"
As you wish, sir."

~ * * ~

After lunch, following a trip to the 33
rd
floor and forty-five minute search, I located the list of clients Brad requested. Pleased, I sashayed into Brad's office. "Here's the list of my clients you asked for this morning, Dear."

Brad smiled at me, waggled his eyebrows and grabbed the folder.
"Thank you." He opened it and perused the list. "Nope, none of these were clients."

"
I have someone in statistics working on a list of company clients."

Brad raised an eyebrow.
"How did you manage that?"

"
Just lucky, I guess."

Brad snickered.
"Is this statistician, a guy?"

I cast a
coy, demur smile.
It's so cool being a desirable woman.
"Why Bradley Fairchild, however did you guess?"

He laughed.
"Just a hunch."

I giggled and batted my lashes. "Why ask a woman when men are
so
eager to help?"

"True."

I started to leave and he said,
"Hold on." He reached in his desk and pulled out another file. "This is a list of clients of Joe Schnedley, the guy whose place I'm taking, which was sent via inter-company mail while we were at lunch."

"
Yes."

He opened the file and pointed to a name.
"I think Bryan Ross is a former regular of Amber's." He looked at me. "I'll bet there're even more in the company client list."

I shrugged and said,
"I wouldn't be surprised," as I left.

~ * * ~

At four o'clock, Mr. Grimes secretary, Grace strode up to his desk with a manila file in her hand. "Here you are Mr. Grimes. This is the employment file you had me request from Mr. Boyd."

He took the offered file and dismissed her.
"Thank you Grace. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

Grace smiled.
"Oh, thank you, sir. I'll see you later."

As soon as she left, he opened the file and scanned the information. Name: Ginger Megan Allen, Age: 26, Address:
56 E. 79th Street, Manhattan.
Only a mile from here, in the middle of the high rent district. How can she afford that?

Education: Graduated from Columbia
U, magna cum laude, with a degree in business administration three years ago.
Hmm. Beauty and brains. Still, that doesn't explain how she lives in the middle of the most expensive part of the most expensive city in the world.

Employment Experience: Academy Modeling & Acting Agency, on call for modeling and acting assignments.
On call?
He frowned and scratched his head.
That still doesn't explain how.
He picked up the handset of his phone and dialed the Bayside Chief of Security. "Lancaster."

"
Ray, this is Grimes."

"
Yes Boss. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to run a check on someone."

~ * * ~

I watched in full panic as some of my Bayside co-workers began to drift in. I pulled my arm from around Amber and glanced at my watch—five-thirty!
Had we spent all afternoon here?

Since I told Wally I was sick and going home, I didn
't want to be seen so I grabbed Amber's hand and pulled her out of the booth. "We need to go." Keeping my back to everyone, I told her, "People are coming in from work and I'm supposed to be sick."

Amber nodded. She slipped between me and my colleagues and with my face buried in her hair she led me out to the street.

"Whew! Thanks so much. That was close."

"
Think nothing of it. It wouldn't do for a possible boyfriend to be unemployed, would it?"

When the implications of
what Amber said, soaked in, I stopped and turned. Gazing into her mesmerizing eyes, I bellowed, "Boyfriend?"

Face to face
, she smiled. "Not so loud."

With scores of people
circling around us, I looped my arms around her and pulled her so close, her melon sized breasts squeezed against my chest. Amber's gardenia based scent wafted through my brain, closing out everything around us. "You smell like a flower garden after an April shower."

Her gaze shifted from side to side.
"Thanks. You know lots of people are watching us."

"
Do you care?"

She shrugged.
"Not if you don't."

My gaze locked on her
astounding, greenish-blue eyes.
Dare I try to kiss her?

Amber simplified my decision
. After closing her eyes she leaned in with parted lips. Her hands grasped my face and directed my lips to hers. When they touched, sparks flew and a sudden flush passed through my body, and terminated between my legs. Shivers flowed through me when my tongue passed through her lips and probed the soft, fleshy walls and hard, white barrier of her mouth. 

Breathless we separated.
"Do you want me to be your boyfriend?"

"
Maybe." She took my hand and we began to walk. "What shall we do now?"

I chuckled at my wicked thought.
"We could go to my apartment and get naked like boyfriends and girlfriends do."

Barely audible, she mumbled,
"Or mine." She rested her head on my shoulder. "It's too soon. Besides I said possible boyfriend. It's really up to you?"

"
How so?"

"
We have to talk. You know what. I'm hungry, let's talk over dinner."

~ * * ~

To celebrate our first successful day together on the job, I decided to celebrate the occasion by taking my lovely new secretary/girlfriend/roommate to my favorite Italian Restaurant, Milano's Trattoria Venezia. I'd been dying to wear that epitome of classy masculinity—a tuxedo—and since this was a special occasion, I dressed in my—formerly Brad's—tux, sans the cummerbund and set it off with an unconventional red bow tie.

Ginger
, refusing to let me see her until she was finished, locked herself in the bathroom. After she'd been in there for what seemed like forever, I knocked on the door. "You better hurry, Sweets, our reservation is for seven-thirty and it's ten after."

"
Okay, I think I'm ready. Close your eyes, I'm coming out."

Humoring her, I shut my eyes.

"You can open them now."

The new Ginger was stunning. I say new, because she made a few subtle changes, which distinguished her from the original one—me.

Frozen in a model-like pose, she asked, "Is your mouth open because you like or hate?"

For starters, at least
on this occasion, her long blond hair, which I normally wore down, was up, curly and held in place with a rhinestone hairpiece. Her glimmering, chiffon cocktail dress looked darling on her, and the dress's two-tone, lavender and purple tones carried over into her choice of lipstick and eyeshadow. From her curly do, to her three inch heel silver sandals, Ginger was dazzling. "Love would be more fitting. I love the way you look." I smiled when my five day old penis stirred at the sight of her. "In fact I'm getting hard staring at you at the thought leisurely removing your attire and—"

~ * * ~

Giggling I picked my wrap. "Down boy, down. I'm really looking forward to our first real date, so we better go." She sidled up, took my arm and kissed my cheek. "I promise you can remove my attire when we get back. Then you can do whatever you want with me."

Brad
waggled his brow and said, "I'll keep that in mind," as we headed to the front door.

We got in the elevator and Brad pushed L
obby. "You know what I think would be really neat."

"
No telling."

"
Making love in here, with you."

For a second a tinge of excitement surged through me
as the old Aerosmith song,
Love in an Elevator
, played in my mind. But then I squashed it. "Why would you want to do it here, when we have a comfy king sized bed in the condo?"

"
It would be fun. Besides in the throes of passion, who thinks of comfort?"

He ha
s a point
. I glanced around. "There's no place to do it. How would we do it, on the dirty floor?"

He laughed.
"We wouldn't have to get on the floor. See this rail?"

"
Yes."

"
You could grab onto the rail bend over, spread your legs and—"

"
We could do it doggy style."

He smiled and nodded.
"You're catching on."

"
I know. Here's another way." I lifted my skirt, rested my foot on the rail. "You could snuggle up and stick it to me."

"You're not wearing panties."

"I know."

"Mmm, the better to
feel you."

I shivered as his hand slid across my slit.
"Yes, I really like—" Then the elevator slowed, stopped and the doors parted. I hurriedly lowered my leg, straightened my dress and took a deep breath. Taking my handsome date's arm, I asked, "Are you ready?"

"
I am, we'd best hurry." He led me to Hal, the evening concierge. "Did you get it?"

He smiled and lifted up
a clear plastic container with a lovely orchid corsage within.

My mouth dropped open.
"Oh Brad." I kissed him on the cheek. "It's beautiful."

"
It is, but not half as gorgeous as you." He took the corsage out of the container and pinned it near the top of my dress. "Perfect. Thanks Hal."

I whispered in his ear,
"Thank you. It's beautiful, but we'd better get going.

"
You're right." He took my hand and led me outside and headed straight to a long black limousine.

I was a bit astounded, but pleased.
"You got a limo?"

"
You didn't think we'd get all dressed up and go in a cab, did you?"

Chapter Eleven

We arrived ten minutes late, but the Maitre d' became downright obsequious when I handed him a hundred. "We would like nice romantic booth if you have one."

"
Certainly, Mr. Fairchild. Right this way."

Ginger said,
"Oh, isn't this beautiful!" when the Maitre d' seated us in a somewhat secluded booth with an antiqued column on one side and a replica of Michelangelo's David on the other side. Across from the booth was a large and colorful aquarium. After the waiter had taken our order for Mussels Marinara, Osso Buca for two and Penne Alfredo, I ordered a bottle of Tattingers to celebrate. It was the least I could do considering I wound up with his corner office and high paying job. Not to mention the thirty five hundred she/he'd paid for sex, five days ago before the bizarre switch.

The wine steward poured the bubbly wine into elongated flutes. After I sampled and nodded
, he nodded and left. "Mmm, this is good."

Ginger took a sip and giggled.

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head.
"No, some bubbles just went up my nose. She held her glass up higher. This
is
good."

I raised my brow and nodded my agreement.
"Suddenly, everything is good. I'm living with a stunningly beautiful woman, I have the job I always wanted and best of all, I can pee standing up."

Ginger laughed uproariously.
"Honestly, that's the only thing I miss." She dabbed her eyes with her napkin. "Otherwise, I couldn't be happier. You know this is my first real date as a
woman
," She whispered the last word.

A
few people seemed to be trying to get a look at us. Too bad. I lifted my flute. "Toast."

Sporting an expectant smile,
Ginger raised her flute, too.

"
To happiness, love and fantastic, mind numbing sex," I put the emphasis on
mind numbing sex
and we clinked glasses.

"
To happiness, love and sex," Ginger paraphrased.

I
glanced around. As my gaze met a couple watchers, they glanced away.

Ginger grabbed my hand.
"Do you think we could?"

"
What?"

"
Fall in love."

As I was about to answer, our meal was delivered.
"This smells absolutely delicious."

"
It does."

When the waiter left, I answered
Ginger's question, "I may already be in love."

"
Really?"

I nodded.

"Me too."

Having both admitted we may be falling in love, we dug into our meal with gusto, but we never spoke as we ate. Instead, gazing at each other, we let our eyes, lips and tongues
lovingly and seductively do our talking as we ate our meal and sipped our celebratory champagne. It was a scene fit for the Golden Days of Hollywood.

When I could eat no more, I sighed and took a deep breath.
"That was a gastronomic masterpiece."

Ginger sighed
, too. "Yes, that was divine."

"
Are you ready for dessert?"

"
Yes, but not the kind they have here."

I
raised my eyebrows. "No?"

"
No!" Ginger raised my hand to her beautiful lips and kissed it. "I wish this was your penis! Let's go home and make fantastic, incredible love to each other."

~ * * ~

On the cab ride home, Brad and I made out including all the fun things that go with it.

Coming to
my senses, I glanced around. We were apparently stalled in traffic only half way home. I pushed Brad in the chest. He looked at me quizzically. "Lay back and enjoy." He reclined and grinned expectantly as I grasped his manhood and bent down. A glance at the rear view mirror told me the driver was quite interested at the unfolding scene. I raised my forefinger across my lips. "Sh-h-h-h!"

The driver
's mouth formed a wicked wall-to-wall grin.

Suddenly,
to my consternation, only minutes later the driver exclaimed, "We're here."

I sat up and
looked around. We'd just pulled up to curb at our building. After I returned my breast to the confines of my strapless dress and Brad tucked himself back in his tuxedo trousers, we exited the cab as if nothing unusual had happened.

Waiting
while Brad paid the driver, I heard joke him. "There isn't any of her juices on this bill, is there?"

"
If there is, consider it a tip."

The driver laughed.
"I might frame it. You and your sexy lady have a good night." He flashed a mock salute and drove off.  Brad ran his hand across my ass and left it there to guide me inside.

Though I bristl
ed with need, I behaved myself through the lobby and the short elevator ride. Stepping out of the elevator I grabbed his arm. "Yes, we absolutely
have
to make love in the elevator sometime."

"
I'm game whenever you're ready."

I
led him to 4314 and handed him my key. "Not right now. Now, I want my bed and you…and something kinky."

He leaned over and kissed me as he fiddled with the key.
"Hurry, please, I can't wait."

Just inside the door of
my condo, I was so worked-up, I turned and clawed at Brad's clothes. I'm afraid I got a little too exuberant as I scratched Brad's neck and sent a button flying. He grinned. "You want to play rough, do you?" Then he lifted my hundred and twenty pound frame, threw me over his shoulder, cave man style and headed for the bedroom.

"
What're you going to do?"

"
You'll see." Brad carried me into the bedroom and deposited me on my side of the bed. After taking off his coat and removing my silver Manolo, high-heeled sandals, he ordered, "Stand-up."

To my s
urprise, I liked following Brad's directions. It seemed like some kind of game—some kind of
kinky
sex game.

"
Take your dress off." I pulled the side zipper down then lifted the dress over my head and handed it to him. He carefully laid the expensive garment across the backless settee at the foot of the bed. Since I purposely forewent bra and panties, I was now blissfully naked, except for nylons and garter belt, and I grew randier by the second.

Fronting me,
I joined my hands behind Brad's head, resting my forearms on his broad shoulders. "What are you going to do to me, you big bad boy? Something incredibly wicked, I hope."

Brad
laughed then stared at me. His intense gaze scanned my body down and back. His gaze paused at my eyes and he smiled. "You are not only incredibly gorgeous, you are exquisitely sexy." One of Brad's hands snapped my garter belt. "Not to mention this garter belt is a titillating touch."

"
Oooh!" I murmured as he slid his fingers between my legs, curling my toes and sending an army of imaginary creatures scurrying up and down my spine.

My poor
legs grew wobbly and I began to loose my balance, but thankfully my arms resting on his shoulders stabilized me. "Whoa!" he said as he embraced and steadied me.

Even through his slacks, h
is pronounced hardness pushed against my abdomen. "Are you going to get undressed?" I wondered out loud.

"
In a minute." He pushed me gently against the bed. "Lie on the bed." After doing what he asked, he went into our walk-in closet and came out seconds later holding several ties and a bag.

My eyes narrowed. "What's in the bag?"

He whispered. "It's a secret."

I
tilted my head. "What about the ties?"

Instead of answering he
used one to tie my left hand to the corresponding bedpost. After fastening my right hand to the other post, he undressed.

Chapter Twelve

Like the previous day I woke at sunrise, which seemed to occur a lot earlier on the 43
rd
floor of a Manhattan condo than in my Brooklyn townhouse. Careful not to wake Ginger, I eased out of bed. I heard Amber tinkering around in the kitchen. Then I remembered how she and Lew seemed to hit it off so well. Curious how things went after Ginger and I left, I slipped into a robe and headed to the kitchen. Once again, Amber sat at the breakfast table, with a cup of coffee and the New York Times in front of her, but she neither read nor drank her coffee. She was so deep thought, she didn't even notice me.

"
Top o' the morning to you, sweetheart."

She looked up and forced a smile,
"Hi Brad, how did you know I was Irish?" She hitched her head back and added, "That's right I told Ginger that in college. I just made coffee. It's French Roast, is that all right?"

"
Yes, that's fine. Thanks."

I poured my coffee and took a seat across from her. She yawned.

"Tired?"

"
A little. I got in late, then woke up at six and couldn't go back sleep."

"
You seem down, this morning and buried in thought. Is it about Lew?"

She looked at me and opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, but closed it and placed her hand over mine.
"Are you still my best friend?"

"
Of course, you are and will always be my best friend."

"
Even though you're a man?"

"
Sweetheart, nothing has changed, I still love you."

"
As a friend."

I nodded.
"As I did when I was Ginger. Now tell your best friend what's bothering you."

She pulled her hand away.
"Everything was going so well with Lew and then I him told about me."

"
And?"

A tear formed in the well of her eye.
"I shouldn't have done it. I told him it was up to him if he wanted to be my boyfriend and he said of course he wanted to be my boyfriend."

"
Yes, go on."

Her hands clenched into fists
. "Oh, Ginger, I should never have done it. I mean Brad, sorry."

I wrapped an arm around her
and pulled her closer. She collapsed on my chest and began to weep. When she'd calmed enough to talk, I said, "So you told him what you do and he couldn't accept it."

Between sniffles she mumbled,
"Sort of. He said he would be in touch and left."
Sniff, sniff.
"I'm usually so in control."
Sniff.

I handed her a napkin and she blew her nose in it.
"I thought I was too mechanical—too dead inside to feel anything for a man."
Sniff, sniff
. "Ginger, I mean, Brad, I'm so disappointed in myself. I don't know what's come over me. I'm obsessing over a man I've known for a day—less than a day. And I know the money's great, but suddenly I can't picture myself…you know, being a plaything for men, anymore."

"
And you don't have to be. We'll figure something out."

"
What's going on?"

We looked up and there
stood Ginger, arms akimbo.

"
Amber is having a change of heart."

Immediately sympathetic, Ginger pulled up a chair, sat next to Amber and consoled her.
"What's the matter, baby?"

"
I don't know this has all just come upon me. I like Lew a lot and want to be his girlfriend, so I told him I entertain men for money. At first he didn't know what I meant. He said, 'You mean you're stripper'."

I added,
"And she doesn't want to be a courtesan anymore."

Ginger turned back to Amber.
"Is that true?"

Amber nodded.
"Ah-huh. Maybe, I'm jealous of what you have with Brad. Besides, when Brad was you, we were a team. Going out and looking for dates was much easier when you were with me. Maybe I'll change my mind, but right now I don't want to be a whore anymore." 

I ran my fingers through Amber
's long auburn hair. "Then don't be. Think of it as an adventure. We had a great run, had lot of fun and made a ton of money. Now, it's time for life to move on. Love, maybe marriage. Who knows you might even want a baby."

"
Brad's right. You should quit." Ginger sat up straight and gazed at me. "Oh shit, I forgot!"

"
Forgot what?"

She placed my iPhone on the table.
"Your phone woke me. I brought it to you in case it was important."