Two Lonely People

Lucy cried and promised she only loved David. He still adored her and unwisely stayed. But their sex was never the same. Everytime they made love and Lucy said how much she loved his cock, David wondered if she had said the same to the other man. Lucy was racked by guilt, but also in her heart didn't find the sex nearly as exciting as on her illicit flings. Her time away from home resumed and so did David's affair with the bottle.

His business started to go downhill. Unwisely he borrowed more money at even more expensive rates. His monthly repayments were crippling and he told Lucy he couldn't afford more money on the house or to go overseas on holiday.

Lucy made a conscious decision. She stayed with David because he was a good father for their daughter. But she spent more time at work and having affairs. David was suspicious He tried phoning her at a conference she said she was going to. She hadn't even registered.

He packed his belongings and moved into a dingy room above his car audio business. He was heartbroken and lonely. His only friend was the bottle. He put on weight, took less care about his appearance and less care about his business. Any doctor would have diagnosed him as depressed.

But he didn't go to a doctor.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Gabrielle arrived on time for work each day. She wore different clothes but each with the same theme of concealing all her body from her throat to her wrists and to her ankles. As the days progressed she continued to avoid David's attempts to be friendly.

They spoke very little as Gabrielle spent most of her time with her back to him, studying her computer and files. She did ask David some questions and he noticed that when talked about business she became quite confident.

But when David attempted some social chat, asking her about college life, the nervousness returned, she couldn't look him in the eye and would turn away to her computer.

David became impressed with the intelligence of her questions and how quickly she had understood the technicalities of his business. After a week felt he should try to see how she was progressing.

"Can you you show me where you've got to so far please Gabrielle."

"The report will be ready next week." She frowned at him and turned her back as she returned to her computer.

David was starting to feel irritated by her lack of social graces. Did he need someone who was costing him this money and couldn't make an effort to be polite?

"This report had better be good or I'll sack the kid," he thought.

In the evening he pondered. For some reason he felt confident and optimistic for the first time in years. He went to the fridge and got a bottle of wine. Then he hesitated when he took the first sip and poured it down the sink. He walked to his mirror, took off his shirt and studied himself. His fat paunch and bloated face.

"10 kilos overweight. You fat slob."

He went for a two hour walk.

The next week Gabrielle handed him a thick folder. David sighed inwardly.

"Surely this kid doesn't expect me to wade through all this theoretical clap-trap."

He looked at the cover for a moment then turned to some other work.

"Thank you Gabrielle, I'll look at this when I can find the time."

Then he looked at her face and felt guilty. She was so nervous, seeming to be pleading for some recognition.

"You really have worked hard to produce all this." He was rewarded with her first open smile.

As soon as she was gone David picked up the folder. He read it, then read it again. It was good stuff. He noticed that a lot of her recommendations were from his old business plans. She had openly acknowledged this. Why hadn't he put them into action?

The next morning he asked Gabrielle to sit opposite him at the table away from her computer. He needed to talk and didn't want her to have her computer to escape to.

"Thanks Gabrielle. I discussed this with Mike. It's a tremendous effort."

Gabrielle looked painfully embarrassed.

"I've sent an email to your professor saying how pleased I am. Here's a copy."

Gabrielle read it and looked even more embarrassed.

"Now I need to go through some details. Where did you get this figure for website development costs?"

Initially Gabrielle was defensive, thinking that David was criticizing her. But she realized that all he wanted was information and explanations and soon talked freely. She didn't mind when he pointed out some minor errors.

"I can be so dumb," she said.

"I don't think that's true at all Gabrielle," said David. He was rewarded with the second smile he had seen from her.

David stood up.

"OK young lady. Let's do it." He held out his hand.

Gabrielle shook his hand. "Let's do it."

David noticed that although she hadn't minded shaking his hand initially she seemed to recoil after a second.

In her bedroom that night Gabrielle thought things over. Her first impressions of working for David was that the place was an untidy dump and that he was an overweight slob. When she saw his shaking hands and bloodshot eyes each morning she realized he had a drink problem. She had thought of leaving but there was no other assignment for her.

However the more she worked the more she appreciated him. He was always polite, had an engaging sense of humor and she has never felt threatened physically. As she went through his records she had seen that this had been a good business but had run down. She read David's plans and saw a bright business mind.

"What's caused all this change? Why didn't he do the things he had planned? Must be the booze."

She never considered him in a sexual way. He was 20 years older and fat. But she had enjoyed his praise for her report. After a lifetime of her mother finding fault she wasn't used to this.

That handshake? Was he trying something on? Of course not, it was just a business agreement.

The first stage of Gabrielle's plan was to auction David's old inventory on the internet. David saw the logic; this stuff had been hanging around, unsold, for years. But he doubted they would even get a bid.

The next stage was to target the youth market. The young men who had old cars and wasted a fortune doing them up. David had an audio room designed for up-market customers with a leather couch and polished wood furniture. They needed another for the boyracers.

David and Gabrielle drew up plans for an empty stock room to convert it to an audio room. He worked hard on it in the evenings without his drinking to distract him. He also found that without being hung over in the mornings he was able to clear up his admin work in a couple of hours. Not the six hours it usually took.

Their conversation when they were discussing business was relaxed and open. However David noticed that whenever he asked Gabrielle anything about her life away from work, that haunted expression returned and the conversation stopped.

"You're going to need another salesman once the advertising starts " said Gabrielle.

"You've said good staff are hard to find."

"You're looking at him. This may surprise you young lady, but I was a hot-shot salesman in my youth."

"But that was so long ago." Gabrielle giggled at her joke and then was horrified she had been rude. David looked at her, started to smile then roared with laughter.

That afternoon Gabrielle watched David selling through the two way mirror. David returned waving a credit card receipt.

"Maybe not too long ago. The old three card play, it never fails. Show him some gear in his price range. Then demonstrate one costing three times as much. Even someone stone deaf can tell the difference. While he's in sticker shock, offer a mid-priced compromise. Never fails."

He smiled at his own cleverness and Gabrielle enjoyed seeing his boyish enthusiasm. Then her frown returned.

"Your clothes let you down."

David looked at her in her usual shapeless neck to ankle clothes, but restrained himself from commenting about her clothes. But she was right. His old clothes were hanging loosely with all the weight he had lost.

"One more week when I've lost the rest of that weight," he said to himself.

Later in the afternoon Gabrielle bent over to pick a folder from a low shelf. David was surpised when the shape of a small, but nicely rounded backside showed through her all covering dress. Gabrielle hadn't seen his stare and by the time she stood up he was studying his computer screen.

As she drove home Gabrielle reflected. She squirmed with embarrassment when she remembered laughing about his age and talking about his clothes. But he hadn't minded, he had laughed. She also thought how he had changed. Lost a lot of weight, no more trembling hands, no bloodshot eyes or bags under the eyes. He looked a lot younger, especially when his face was enthusiastic.

"This is just my assignment. He's far too old. And no man will ever want a woman who is frigid."

A shiver ran up her spine as she remembered Brad and Jamie and her abortion

"She really is very beautiful when she smiles," thought David as he went for his evening walk. "I wonder what happened to her to make so scared most of the time. It really is so good to have her around and already the business is looking up.

"Hell, that was a nice ass," he recalled the shape. "Don't be stupid. You're far too old and fat."

The next two days brought back all Gabrielle's old reserves. She didn't laugh, she avoided David's eyes and was almost rude the way she quickly finished conversations. But on the third morning she turned on her computer as soon as she arrived. Their first auctions of the old inventory had closed the previous night. David had forgotten.

"David come and look here," her voice was excited.

David leaned over her shoulder peering at the screen. The prices were far better than he had expected.

"Gabrielle, you are so, so smart."

She turned to look at him. "No I'm not, anyone could have done it."

He frowned at her. "Listen here. I'm the boss and when I say you are smart, that means you are smart. Understand? Or do you want me to spell it out?" He gently tapped her on the shoulder.

Their faces were only six inches apart. Gabrielle was looking up at him, her face glowing with excitement from the sale and David's praise.

She saluted. "Yes Boss."

They both burst out laughing, then stopped and looked at each other for a moment. David saw her haunted look and went back to his desk.

David cursed himself. "For fuck's sake don't touch her. Remember what her prof told you."

Again their conversation became limited and purely business and David made sure they were always a meter apart at least.

A week later David was happy with the weight he had lost and went shopping.

Gabrielle took a moment to recognise him. The well fitting and fashionable clothes showed his slim figure and his new, shorter, tufted hairstyle made him look younger again.

"That looks better," she frowned, but inwardly she smiled.

When David got to his desk he sorted through the paper work. He found a high priced sales invoice.

"This looks strange. That isn't Mal's signature on this. Did one of the workshop staff make a sale?"

"No," said Gabrielle.

David looked closely and worked out the first three letters of the salesperson's signatute. "Gab . ."

"Did you sell this?"

"Yes. Mal was busy. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Of course not. That's the best sale we've had all week. How did you do it?"

Gabrielle couldn't retrain her smile of pleasure.

"Well, I listened to what my instructor told me. He says he used to be a hotshot salesman. In his youth."

David laughed. "I must have a guardian angel who brought you here, Gabby."

The "Gabby" just slipped out. She didn't react, but inwardly she liked the sign of affection.

That brought down one of the barriers. Never again did Gabrielle retreat into her haunted look. They never touched, but often laughed when they spoke. The "Gabby" stayed and each she heard it Gabrielle felt a glow.

The next week Gabrielle had to go back to college for a full time course and for her professor to review her work. He was extremely impressed.

"You've done well, Gabrielle."

"I've learned so much from David."

He professor looked at her. She had changed so much, seemed far more confident and often had a radiant smile.

That evening he visited David. He was surprised at the transformation in him also.

"I just came to say thanks David. Gabrielle's work is Honors grade and she's the most confident I've ever seen her."

"She's worked wonders for me already."

The professor looked at him closely. There was a clause in the agreement with the college which prohibited relations between employers and students. He thought about reminding David of the clause.

"Why? They won't admit it if they are. And if they are, it isn't hurting her."

During the week Gabrielle was away David closed his business. He and his staff worked hard renovating the showroom and finishing the new audio room.

During her week away Gabrielle spent many lonely and anguished hours in her bedroom. She missed the vibrant atmosphere at work, she missed the challenge and stimulation of her marketing plans. And she missed David. Sometimes at work she had strong urges for him to hug her. She felt them even more now.

But each time her memories of her mother's words, of Brad and Jamie and being frigid overwhelmed her and brought her to tears.

David and his staff worked long hours. They had to keep to a timetable as Gabrielle had placed advertisements for the grand reopening. He often thought of her, her smile and laughter, the conversations they had. And frequently his mind dwelt on the shape of her backside when she had bent over.

"For fuck's sake! She's out of bounds. Absolutely," he lectured himself.

Gabrielle was excited when she returned. She wanted to see how the renovations looked, how the new audio room worked. And David.

Both deliberately didn't smile when they first saw each other, but soon Gabrielle was "Ooohing" and "Aaahing" in appreciation. The show room was painted all in black with chrome fittings big posters of pop stars and classical composers picked out by spotlights. Display cabinets were also spotlighted. David had upgraded the sound system and music wafted through.

Gabrielle stood in the middle, transfixed by the atmosphere. "David, it's a wonderland. Far better than I imagined. You have done so well."

"We just followed your plans," David replied.

Gabrielle glowed.

They went into the boyracer audio room. Two black leather high sided bucket seats, a large screen showing a Mon Def concert with the sound system blasting out. Gabrielle's eyes glowed with excitement.

"Let's sit here," she pointed to the bucket seats. Without thinking she took David's hand. They separated when they each reclined in their seats. Gabrielle lay back and immersed herself in the atmosphere. David glanced across at her profile and thought how beautiful she was.

They went to the office where there was an email from Mal's wife. He had been in an accident and was in hospital being operated on for a broken arm.

"Bloody hell," exclaimed David. "I need him for the grand opening. I'd better get a casual in. Though they are always hopeless."

"There is an alternative," said Gabrielle.

David caught her meaning.

"Are you sure Gabby? All day selling is tough."

"I've got a good tutor. He says he was a hot-shot salesman in his youth. Many years ago."

"Why not," thought David. "She'll be better than a casual and I can train her over the next two days."

He pulled out some high value banknotes. "Here's your clothing allowance and commission on that sale."

He paused and frowned. "Your clothes let you down Gabby."

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. How would she react?

Gabrielle initially recoiled, then giggled, poked out her tongue. "Yes boss."

She spent that evening studying fashion magazines and the next two evenings shopping.

She was a willing and fast learning student. She quickly picked up a grasp of the audio techicalities and even more quickly picked up David's sales techniques. She still came to work in her baggy, all covering clothes.

David arrived early on the day of the opening, checking that all the gear was working and doing last minute tidying up. The music was loud and he didn't hear the door opening and didn't hear Gabrielle coming up behind him.

"Boo!"

David turned and his mouth dropped open in amazement.

Gabrielle's hair was at last released from the tight bun and flowed in orange-gold curls to her shoulders. For the first time she had some lipstick and a little make-up highlighting her cheek bones.

She was wearing along sleeved green satin blouse, but in contrast to her baggy tops this was figure hugging. Her waist was tiny, her breasts weren't large; "A-B" David guessed but they stood out proudly and firmly from her slim body.

Her dark blue skirt came to two inches above her knee showing slim and shapely calves. The skirt was a fine material which seemed to cling to her thighs showing them to be a perfect match for her thighs.

David had known many beautiful women when he was younger, but none like Gabrielle. It was if she had been transformed into a Vogue model. An innocent beauty with an undertone of eroticism.

Gabrielle started to worry at his silence. "The blouse isn't too tight is it?"

"The blouse is absolutely perfect, just like all of you. Gabby, forget marketing and selling. You could be a fashion model. You are exquisitely beautiful," he whispered hoarsely.

She smiled with pleasure, then became embarrassed so she frowned and looked around the immaculate showroom

"Why haven't you tidied up? This room is like pig sty." She repolished a chrome fitting which David had already polished to perfection. With her back turned she smiled as she remembered his words.

Her advertising worked well. A steady stream of boyracers arrived and all looked around in astonishment when they saw the showroom. A pattern quickly developed. David served the boyracers who had brought their girlfriends. The others were more than happy to be looked after by Gabrielle.

She was able to quickly work out who had any money and then they seemed to have no escape. Gabrielle's sales were far more than David's. During a quiet time he took a coffee break and watched through the two way mirror as she worked her magic in the audio room.

She asked her customer what music they liked and agreed enthusiastically with the choice as she put it on. Then she lay back in a bucket seat which was fully reclined. The boy couldn't take his eyes of her as she laid back, eyes closed, seemingly carried away by the music.

When it was finished she enquired, "Which one will your girlfriend like?"

"I dunno," stumbled the youth.

With her eyes wide open in innocence Gabrielle whispered, "I think any girl will go for a guy with this system in his wheels." Pointing to the most expensive. Sale.

They didn't have the opportunity to talk much during the day. Finally David closed the doors as the last customer left. Gabrielle studied the computer to see the day's sales results.

"Look David, we did almost twice as much as we targeted."

"And I know why, you were brilliant Gabrielle. I watched you once and almost felt sorry for your customer."

They laughed together.

"Can I have some wine please?"

David poured her a glass and a lime and soda for himself. She noticed but said nothing as they went into the executive audio room. David put on some relaxing music and sat on the sofa beside her, but not touching. They sipped their drinks and listened and relaxed in silence. Both were tired after the big day.

David glanced across at Gabrielle. He was still as in awe of her appearance as when she had first walked in that morning. He thought about why she had always used to dress in a way which covered her completely. "Why?" he wondered.