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“I should spank you because of your behavior.  But she deserved it, she is a bitch but she’s good at what she does.”

Do I say what I want to say, ask him what I want to ask him?

“And what exactly, or should I say who, does she do, Marco?”  There, it’s out, my jealousy, ugly as it is, put right there on the table.  I don’t care, he needs to know that I know he’s had a relationship with her and I have to know if he’s still fucking her.  No person, man or woman, has such intimate body movements or places themselves in such familiar proximity if there hasn’t been intimacy.

“She just works for the company, Elizabeth.  That’s all, baby.” 

He is dismissing, albeit it gently, but he won’t admit it, at least not yet.  I’ll let it go for now but this discussion hasn’t even begun yet.  But I wonder, do we have to formalize that our relationship is exclusive?  We’ve said words in heated moments of passion, like he said just now, ‘you are mine,’ but are they sincere?  Initially he picked me up in a bar, well on the street really, and it continued and evolved, but to what?  Maybe it’s time to make the parameters clear.

“Ok, Marco, we’ll discuss it some other time.”  I look into his eyes and he knows I’m not stupid.  But more importantly, I won’t be made a fool of.

“Now, Mr. Kastanopoulis, would you like to have lunch first or would you like to see what else I’ve brought you?”  I regain composure and put on my best professional voice after smoothing down my skirt.

“Let’s see what else you’ve brought me first, baby, can I taste it?”  This man is completely incorrigible, I think he can fuck constantly if it were possible.

“Only if you want to lick my computer screen.”  I turn my head searching the room looking for a door to a bathroom because I’m starting to feel oozing seeping from me.  “Where is your bathroom?  Your cum is going to start running down my legs any minute and I don’t have panties, thanks to you.”  My hands are on my hips and I’m trying to have the sternest expression on my face but I can’t help laugh at his expression, it’s too priceless. 

“Really, can I see, baby?”  He looks like a nine year old boy asking his best friend to see his cool new bike, and he looks adorable.

“No, you can’t see it, where’s the bathroom, it’s coming out!”

He walks over to me and grabs my hand leading me towards a door in his office.

“This way, but I’m coming in with you.”

“No you’re not, Marco, and you’re taking me to get some panties before we go to lunch!”  As sexy as that sounds, I am going to try to push all of this out of me alone because I know we’ll be in that bathroom for an hour if he comes in with me.

“Come on, baby!”

“No!”  I slam the door on his pathetically handsome pleading face and turn to check out the bathroom.  I am impressed, this is really nice, it’s spacious for an office bathroom and he’s had it decorated quite handsomely, it matches the theme throughout the rest of the offices. 

I come out of the bathroom when I think I can’t get anything else out of me then I cleaned myself as much as I could.  He’s on the phone with a very serious expression on his face that stops me in my tracks waiting until he’s done.

“Vinny, I’m not sure what the situation is at the moment.  But I do know what it’s not, which helps a great deal.”  His tone is authoritative but calm.

“I have an idea of what is being attempted and I’ve got some people checking to eliminate any other possibilities.  And to see if anything surfaces.”  He listens to whomever he’s speaking with.

“I’ll look forward to hearing from you, and I’ll let you know immediately as well when I find anything out.”

“Ok, sounds good…,” he listens for a moment and smiles genuinely.  Apparently whoever he’s talking to is a good friend, I can tell by his expression.

He looks over at me and his smile widens, “I can’t say that I miss Florida, I really like it here.  Sorry, Vin.”  He laughs at whatever Vinny said to him.

“Alright, it was good talking to you, talk soon.  Bye,” he hangs up and sits back in his chair a little more relaxed looking at me. 

I walk over and sit in the chair across from his big mahogany desk.

“Mr. Kastanopoulis, are you ready for me?”  I tease him, taking out my computer to show him what I’ve put together for him according to his prospectus and requirements.

“Yes, please, Ms. DiStefano, I’m all yours.”  I can’t help but wonder if that is true and to what extent.

I pull up the presentation and show Marco what he’ll need according to his timeline, the expenditures, any additional recommendations and what we can do in terms of marketing to his prospective buyers and what advantages there will be having us partner with KMD Enterprises during the buying/selling process. 

And all of a sudden it hits me like a blow to the head…She-devil is in charge of marketing…I’ve presented marketing strategies…holy FUCK!  I would have to work with that bitch!

I try to keep my countenance in check with this new realization.  I think to myself, ‘I’m a professional, I can keep things separate.’  Then my inner bitch kicks in, ‘As long as that slut stays the fuck away from Marco and behaves herself, I can.’  This has just turned into a very shitty situation.

“This is amazing Elizabeth.  You have presented aspects we hadn’t considered in this particular project.  And the long range prospective buyer targeting will definitely be advantageous with marketing.  I love it.  Although,” he looks at me with a disgusted look on his face, “we might need to change the timelines.”  That’s all he says, no reasons why, no maybe nots, nothing. 

“Oh?”  I ask him hoping he’ll expand on his statement.

“Yes.”  What a stubborn man, just the like the first time we met, he answered a question the exact same way and I reacted exactly the same, frustrated and dying for more.

I’m not going to push him for an explanation right now.  I’ll let him relax and maybe approach the topic in a more comfortable environment where he might not feel the stress of the situation so much.

“Let’s go to lunch, baby.  Any suggestions?”  He brightens up a little bit but I think it’s more of a mask.  This is the second time I’ve heard him mention a difficult situation and it sounds very serious.  Serious enough where Marco is concerned, I think mostly because he is uncertain of so many things about it.

“Why don’t we go to that little place Fork & Cork, they’re supposed to be all about local and organic products.”  I have decided to do my little part in taking his mind off the situation.  “And, Mr. Bond,” I come over to his side of the desk and sit on his lap, which is one thing I have not done to a man in a very long time, “maybe I can drop my car off at my place first, drive with you over to the restaurant then you can drop me off at my apartment so I can pick up a pair of panties before I go back to work.”  I snake my arms around his neck and lean into him.

“I think that is a great idea, Miss DiStefano.  You are perfectly dressed to dine with me.” 

He does not miss my intentions at all and by the look on his face he likes it…a lot.

When we leave the office the receptionist is at her desk but She-devil is nowhere to be seen.

“Christine, this is my girlfriend, Elizabeth DiStefano.  Elizabeth this is Christine, she puts up with my bullshit and helps to keep me together.”

“Don’t worry, Christine, his bite is not bad.  He’s really a big softy.”  I laugh, looking up at Marco.”

“Shush, Elizabeth, then everyone will think I’m a push over,” he laughs with a playful sparkle in his beautiful dark eyes.  God, this man should be illegal, his natural charm is so alluring and disarming, it’s like the poppy fields in the Wizard of Oz, there is no way anyone is immune to it.

“Nice to meet you Elizabeth, enjoy your lunch you two,” she smiles and I instantly know she’s a really nice person and that she doesn’t take shit.  Perfect for Mr. Tough Guy Marco.  And the She-devil.

Fork & Cork is a small nouveau hippie diner, if that makes any sense, and is usually always packed.  Today is no different.  We have to wait for a while for a table but the weather is great and I’m definitely not in any hurry to get back to the office. 

About half way through our lunch while Marco periodically strokes my leg, placing his hand on my lap, touching me in some way so that I’m constantly aware of the state of my undress, I ask how the project is going.  And I wait almost holding my breath for an answer.

He sighs heavily, probably deciding on how much he’s going to say, before answering.

“The building department has tied up my permits,” he answers flatly.

I’m not well versed on the construction industry but I know a little about it, an ex-boyfriend had a painting company and I couldn’t help learn some things about the building industry listening to him.

“That doesn’t sound good.” I give him a little more line hoping he’ll bite. 

“No, it sucks big time actually.  After a certain point, everyday will cost thousands of dollars on a project this size.  And the biggest headache is they won’t give me a reason, I don’t know why.”  Marco sounds totally disgusted and he has every right to be.

“And what do you think, Marco?”  I’m going in for the kill, he needs to get it out.

He looks me in the eye and leans in close, “You know Elizabeth, I think someone is trying to bankrupt me to make me pull out of the project.  I can’t figure out who and why, especially here.”  He shakes his head completely confused and frustrated.  “Someone wants to destroy me.”

The reality of the possibility suddenly takes on a massive life of its own, dark and foreboding and immense.  The power of it fills the room with a feeling of dread and finality falling on us with its heavy weight, as real as he and I. 

“Wow, Marco.  That’s incredible.  Not impossible, unfortunately, but really incredible.  I wish I could say that couldn’t happen because we both know that it can.”  I did not expect this.  This is huge and unless he’s got some big connections he’s totally screwed if this is what’s going on.  My heart breaks for him.  I want to hold him, give him some comforting words but Marco is a very proud man and he would abhor pity.  I wouldn’t want him to mistake my comfort for that.

“Don’t worry, baby, this isn’t my first day on the playground with the bullies, I might be the new kid in town but I’m also the baddest,” that sexy powerful man is back winking at me telling me he’s going to take this guy down. Go get him, babe!

Back at the office, after I go home and put on a pair of panties, there’s a ton of emails to be answered, quotes to be done and phone calls to be returned.  I sit back in my chair looking at everything wondering where to start, there is no way I can say my job is boring.

About 4:00 Carol, my partner in crime at the office, comes strolling in, if it wasn’t for her I don’t know how I would feel about working here.  She makes me like it. 

“So, how was the appointment with Marco?”  She smirks at me, there is no way she could possibly know we had sex in his office!

“It was great, he was impressed with what I showed him, loved everything and all the ideas for long range buyer marketing, remind me to talk to you about their marketing bitch, but there might be a situation.” 

She moves to the edge of her seat, that casual mood is gone.

“What’s wrong?”  The look on my face tells her it’s serious.  She becomes worried, Carol probably thinks he’s gotten other quotes from a different company and he’s shopping around.

“It’s nothing like that, Carol.  But I need you to not say anything to anyone,” I move closer to her, “his permits have gotten held up in the building department and they’ve given him no reason for it.  He thinks this could be really bad, if they get held up for an indefinite period of time it would bankrupt him.  After a certain point it will cost the company thousands of dollars every day.  This could be really, really bad Carol.”  I don’t hide the deep concern I have about this situation.

“Oh, my God, Elizabeth, I see what you’re saying.”  She sits back in the chair and takes the information in before she continues.  “In normal situations that would sound absurd but with the type of project that Marco’s company is doing, and the magnitude of it, it is completely plausible.”  She looks up at me after internally sorting through all of the tangibles.  “That could be a very real possibility.”

“I know and so does he.  Please don’t say anything to anyone Carol.  He’s investigating the situation.  The only reason he told me was because we might need to change the timelines on what we’re doing for him.”  I’m torn now as to whether it was ok for me to tell Carol but I know if there is anyone I can trust, it’s her.

“Don’t worry, honey, I won’t.  And don’t worry about Marco, he didn’t get to where he is at his young age by being naïve and inexperienced.  I’m sure he’s got some secret weapons in his back pocket.”  She stands to leave winking at me with her little comment.  She is absolutely right, I definitely feel better.

Chapter 10