The Fall and Rise of David Beckman

On our seventh date, Erica said that she wanted to ask me something important so we found a quiet place to sit and talk.

"These last two weeks have been wonderful and I find that I have very strong feelings for you but I can't go any farther with this relationship unless we can agree to make it exclusive," Erica said. "If you don't feel that you can make that kind of a commitment, I would rather know that now than to be hurt later."

"As far as I am concerned, I have been in an exclusive relationship since our first date," I said.

Apparently that was the right answer because Erica threw her arms around me and kissed me hard and long.

"Take me home please," Erica said as soon as she ended the kiss.

"Home? Why?" I asked. "I though we were having a good night."

"It is about to get much better," Erica said and then she kissed me again leaving no doubt that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

*****

We started on her sofa, exploring each other's mouths with our tongues as I unbuttoned her blouse and began to massage her breasts. When I opened her bra, Erica responded by guiding my mouth to her nipples. Erica had wonderfully firm breasts and I loved kissing and sucking on them. What I liked even more was Erica's reaction to the attention I was giving her. As I sucked on her nipples, Erica made little noises of enjoyment.

My next move was to put my hand on the inside of Erica's thigh and slowly move it up under her skirt until my hand was resting on the crotch of her panties. As I pressed my fingers against her mound, I could feel the heat of her sex through the thin cotton strip. Erica's reaction was to push her tongue as far down my throat as she could, all the while making small whimpering sounds. When I slipped my fingers inside Erica's panties and began to slide them up and down her slit, Erica pulled away from me and leaned her head back against the sofa and closed her eyes.

When I pushed my fingers up inside Erica's already wet pussy, she clamped her thighs together and pushed her hips forward, forcing my fingers deeper inside her. My excitement was such that I couldn't wait any longer. I had to taste her hot sex. I pulled my hand out of her panties and started to pull her panties off. Erica lifted her hips up to make it easier for me and, once I had her panties off, I moved Erica around so that she was lying down on the sofa and then I positioned myself between her legs. As I moved in closer to her, Erica lifted her legs and spread her knees giving me full access to her wonderful pussy.

I managed to give Erica a very big orgasm orally and when it was over she pulled me up so that she could kiss me and as she did she put her hand in my crotch and squeezed my cock. I opened my pants and Erica slid her hand inside my briefs and released my cock from its confinement. She gently stroked my cock with her hand while she kissed me. Then Erica lowered her head into my lap and began kissing the head of my cock and eventually took more than half of my cock into her mouth.

Erica's mouth and tongue felt wonderful as she bobbed her head up and down on my engorged shaft and it wasn't long before I had to fight to keep from climaxing. I finally had to tell her to stop so that I wouldn't cum in her mouth. It was at that point that Erica suggested that we go into the bedroom.

In the bedroom, I helped Erica remove the rest of her clothes and then she did the same for me. Naked, Erica climbed onto the bed. I stood looking at her and couldn't believe how fortunate I was to have such a beautiful woman love me.

I reached for the condom I had in my wallet but before I could tear it open, Erica stopped me.

"I am on the pill and I can promise you that I have no diseases that you need to worry about. As long as we are exclusive and you can make the same promise, you won't need to use a condom with me," she said.

I smiled at Erica and said, "I can guarantee you that I am disease free."

I climbed onto the bed and Erica pulled me on top of her and said, "I want to feel you inside me now."

Erica spread her legs and helped guide my cock into her steaming sex. When I entered her, it felt warm, wet and wonderful. Erica put her arms around my neck and, when I pushed myself all the way into her, she whispered in my ear, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

I moved slowly in and out of Erica enjoying the sensations of the best sex I had ever had. What made it even more wonderful was that Erica was enjoying it every bit as much as I was and it wasn't long before she had a rather large orgasm followed shortly by my own climax. Afterward we lay holding each other for a while. When my cock was completely flaccid, I rolled off Erica and lay on my back next to her. At that moment I knew that I was in love with her.

*****

For the next several months, our relationship flourished. We shared so many interests - music, art, literature, travel, etc. - that we had become inseparable. In addition to that our sex was incredible.

One evening after a particularly hot coupling as I was lying in bed I began to wonder how many times Erica had been in love before. I didn't care about how many previous lovers she may have had; it was just that I wondered if she had ever been serious about or really in love with anyone before.

"Can I ask you something personal?" I said.

"Yes. If it's too personal, I just won't answer," she said.

"I don't need any details, but I would like to know if you have ever been in love with anyone before me," I said.

"Just one time. I dated him about two and a half years during college but that ended during my senior year."

"What happened?" I asked. "Why did you break up?"

"I don't really know," Erica said. "He finished school in December and left to try and find a job in New Your City and after a couple of months I didn't hear from him again."

"Were you in love with him?"

"Yes, I was, at least at first but in the end I don't know," she said. "I felt bad when he left but I wasn't broken hearted. I don't feel like I miss him at all. Does it bother you that I had a serious relationship before we met?"

"It doesn't bother me that you had a relationship," I said, "but I just want to be sure that our relationship isn't just a case of my catching you on the rebound."

"You don't need to worry," Erica said. "I am completely over him... All right, your turn. Tell me about the loves in your life."

"I have only had two long term girlfriends," I said. "The first lasted for nearly a year beginning during my freshman year and ended during my sophomore year. The second didn't last quite as long. It started the beginning of my junior year and ended before the end of the second semester. After that, I was too busy trying to get through school to have much time for dating. I don't think that I was in love with either of them."

I was trying to think of something else to say when Erica rolled over and kissed me while at the same time she began to stroke my cock. I realized then that there was nothing more we needed to discuss that night.

*****

We had been dating for a year and a half when I decided it was time to ask Erica to marry me. It is not as if this was going to be a surprise. Erica and I had talked about marriage for several months. We discussed what we thought marriage meant and what we would expect of each other if and when we got married. We had even gone so far as to shop for an engagement ring. Erica showed me several she liked but in the end it was up to me to pick one out and actually propose to her.

I bought the ring one afternoon while Erica was at work. That night I took her out to dinner. After we ate, I suggested that we take a walk along the river. While we were walking I suddenly dropped down on my knee in front of Erica. Up until that point I don't think Erica had any idea what was coming but when I got down on my knee she knew and she began to laugh.

"Oh, my God," she said.

I started to speak but she stopped me.

"Wait. Give me a second to get my composure," she said, "I can't stop laughing and I know this is serious. I'm sorry. Give me a minute."

It took her five minutes and by the time she was ready there were already tears running down her cheeks.

I pulled the ring out of my pocket and started my proposal.

"Erica, I think that by now you know how much I love you and, unless I am way out in left field, I think you feel the same way about me," I said as Erica nodded her head. "That being the case, I think it is time for us to take the next step in our relationship. Erica, would you do me the great honor of marrying me?"

Erica pulled me up and kissed me so hard I couldn't breath.

"Yes, yes, yes,' she said. Yes, I will marry you. Of course I will. I love you."

We got married the following summer. That was nine years ago. Erica and I were very fortunate. We both had good jobs that we enjoyed doing and we had a wonderful marriage.

*****

Everything was great until about ten months ago. It was Wednesday afternoon and I was in the office making some phone calls and cleaning up some paper work when Jeff stopped by my desk.

"You got time to stop for a drink before you go home tonight?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I need to talk to you about something and I don't want to discuss it here," Jeff said.

*****

We were at our favorite watering hole and had just taken delivery of our first cold beers when Jeff asked, "Did you hear that Mike hired another sales rep?"

"Really? Marty hasn't brought in anyone new in a long time," I said.

"You aren't listening. Mike hired this guy, not Marty," Jeff said. "I got Marci to give me the 411. She said the guy used to work for IBM in New York City. Why do you think Mike would hire someone away from IBM. Certainly not to fill an entry level sales position."

I thought about that for a minute then said, "Oh shit! You don't think Mike would do that, do you?"

"I don't know but I can't think of any other reason for Mike to hire an experienced sales rep away from a company like IBM," Jeff said.

What Jeff was worried about and what I was beginning to be concerned about was the fact that Marty O'Brien was going to be retiring in a couple of months, which would leave the sales manager's position open and Jeff and I were the leading candidates to fill Marty's job when he left. That is until Mike went out and hired an experienced salesman from IBM. Jeff figured that Mike was planning on making this new guy the sales manager instead of giving the job to one of us.

"I tell you if that is what Mike intends to do I am out of here!" Jeff said. "I have worked too long and too hard for this company to have Mike pull this kind of shit on me."

"You're going to quit if Mike puts the new guy in Marty's job?" I asked.

"You bet your ass I'll quit. I will leave the day it's announced."

"Would you have quit if I got Marty's job instead of you?" I asked.

"Yes, but not right away. You deserve that job almost as much as I do," Jeff said as he laughed. "If you got the job, I would stick around to support you for a while but the sales manager position is the only chance for advancement for me in this company so if someone else gets that job I'll have to leave. If you got the job David, I would be disappointed but not angry. Giving the job to an outsider will really piss me off."

"If you quit, what would you do?"

"I have a buddy in Augusta that has a small services business. He and I have talked about going into business together. We would just try to expand his business to make enough money to keep us both comfortable," Jeff replied.

"What about Nancy? How would she feel about you quitting BDS and trying to start your own business?" I asked.

"Nancy is right behind me on this. She knows how much I have hated working for Mike over the years and has always told me that I should do what makes me happy and she will support me in that decision," Jeff said. "What will you do?"

"I don't know. I never thought that anyone other than you or I would get Marty's job," I said. "I suppose I'll stay and see what happens."

"You can always come work for me but you'd have to start at the bottom and I am not sure you are good enough to fit into my company," Jeff said while laughing.

"Okay, Mike."

"Did you ever wonder what those big letters on the front of our building stand for?" Jeff asked.

"You mean BDS?"

"Yeah. BDS. I bet you thought it stood for Boswell Data Services, didn't you? Well it really means 'Big Dumb Shit,' because that is what Mike is. A big dumb shit."

*****

Two weeks later, Mike held a meeting to make the announcement that he had brought in Bill Nelson, formerly of IBM, to take over as sales manager upon the retirement of Marty O'Brien at the end of the month. Bill Nelson was about my age, tall, over six feet and athletic. One outstanding feature that I noticed right away was that he had a salesman's smile. That just means that he smiled easily. It didn't look forced but it wasn't quite sincere either.

I was pissed at what Mike had done to us but I went over and introduced myself to Bill and welcomed him to the company anyway. I have to say that my first impression was positive. I asked Bill where he had worked before coming to BDS.

"I was an IBM sales rep in New York Midtown," he replied.

"Last year I was in a Cisco Systems sales class out in San Jose," I said, "and I met a couple of IBMers from the midtown office. Do you know Barry Schwartz and Alan Binder?"

"Yeah, I worked with them a lot over the last five years," Bill said. "Alan and I started at IBM together. It was actually kind of funny because we went to the same college but never met until we started our sales training."

While we were talking I looked around the office for Jeff but he was nowhere in sight.

"Marty tells me that you and Jeff Henning are the top two sales reps at BDS. I guess my coming in and taking Marty's job must have ruffled your feathers a bit," Bill said.

"That's an issue we have with Mike, not you," I said.

We talked for a few more minutes and then I went looking for Jeff. I found him in Jim Green's office submitting his resignation papers.

"So you are really doing it," I said.

"Mike has screwed me over for the last time," Jeff said. "Tomorrow my buddy Don and I have a meeting with a Bank of America loan manager to apply for a small business loan."

"I hope that works out for you."

"So do I," Jeff said. "I would really like to grow big enough to put BDS out of business but don't worry, if I do that I will have a job for you," Jeff said and punched me in the shoulder. "Well, I got to go."

"Stay in touch," I said as Jeff turned to leave.

When I got home that night I told Erica about Bill Nelson being hired to take Marty's job and that Jeff quit because of it.

"Did you say the sales manager's name is Bill Nelson?" Erica asked.

"Yes, why?"

"No reason. I just wanted to make sure I heard you correctly. Jeff said he would quit if Mike pulled a stunt like this, didn't he? So you shouldn't be surprised that he quit," Erica said.

"I am not surprised but I am going to miss working with him," I said.

"Will he and Nancy move to Augusta?"

"Probably," I said.

"I will really miss them," Erica said.

*****

I did miss working with Jeff but, over the next couple of months, I had established a working friendship with Bill Nelson. After Marty retired and Bill took over, nothing changed for me, at least not right away. For the first four months, Bill let me run my territory without interference and spent his time working, I supposed, on improving our sales in other territories.

I had discussed the idea of inviting Bill and his wife over for dinner and Erica thought that would be a good idea. My only concern was the impression that might leave with the other sales reps if they knew I had invited our manager over for dinner. I was having a difficult time with the distinction between boss and friend. This became a non-issue after a chance encounter in the mall.

It was a Saturday afternoon and Erica and I were shopping in the mall when we ran into Bill and his wife. When I spotted them, I led Erica over to where Bill and his wife were looking in a store window.

"What are you doing here, Bill? Aren't you supposed to be in the office cutting my commission checks?" I said.

Bill turned to look at me with his big salesman's smile and said. "Hey, David." Then he looked at Erica and said, "Oh ... ah ... is this your wife?"

"Yes, I'd like you to meet Erica ... Erica this is Bill Nelson, my new sales manager," I said.

After a momentary hesitation, Bill said, "Nice to meet you, Erica... This is my wife Diane. Diane, this is David and Erica Beckman."

"So this is the Bill Nelson you are always talking about," Erica said.

"I just hope he doesn't use too many four letter words when he is talking about me," Bill said.

We stood and talked awkwardly for a few minutes and then went on about our business.

As we walked away, I said to Erica, "While we were talking to them, we should have invited them over for dinner."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Erica said.

"When I mentioned it before, you thought it was a good idea," I said.

"Didn't you notice how uncomfortable we all were? I got the feeling that Bill wants to keep your relationship professional and I got a feeling from Diane that she didn't want to be there talking to us. I didn't get any warm feelings from her," Erica said.

"Well, all right. We'll forget about inviting them over for dinner then."

*****

About two weeks after running into Bill and Diane in the mall, I got called into Mike's office.

"David, it has been brought to my attention that a couple of your customer have complained about the level of service you have been giving them lately," Mike said.

"What? I have never had a customer complaint before. Are you sure?"

"Yes. I had Bill follow up with the customers. In both cases the customers said that you have left out items that were supposed to be in the contracts that you sent to them for their signature."

"Mike, you know that I have never screwed up on a contract before. This has to be a mistake. Who were the customers? I'll talk to them and straighten this out my self," I said.

"Bill has already taken care of it. For now, I want you to have Bill check over your contracts before you send them out."

I wanted to argue that with Mike but I knew there was no point. His mind was made up. When I left Mike's office, I was as angry as I had ever been. I could not believe that any of my customers had complained. I had always prided myself on the rapport I had with my customers. If there was a problem, they could have called me to straighten it out rather than filing a complaint. On top of that, Mike wouldn't tell me which customer complained because he was afraid that it might affect the way I dealt with them in the future. The worst thing of all was that now I would have to suffer the humiliation of having Bill looking over my shoulder. I went straight from Mike's office to Bill Nelson's office.

"What this crap about complaints from my customers?" I asked.

"I'm as surprised about this as you are," Bill said. "I told Mike that you could take care of this problem yourself but he insisted that I talk to the customers and fix the problem. Don't worry, I have no intention of interfering with the good relationship you have with your customers."

"I don't understand what could have happened and why would they call in a complaint instead of calling me," I said.

"Actually, David, they did call in to talk to you but you were out of the office. In both cases, they left a message for you but somehow Mike heard the messages and decided that we had to handle the calls as complaints. Sorry, I couldn't stop him. You know how Mike is."