Adrift and Lonely

Finally he'd come home early and caught her with a guy. They were kissing in the porch, the guy straightening his tie, ready to leave, Samantha in her open dressing gown, the guy touching her pussy. She'd said brazenly, "Oh hi darling, this is Duncan. He's just leaving."

"Who the hell are you Duncan?" Harrison had roared.

"I work on stage with Samantha."

Harrison let him pass and then Duncan said, "You want to give your wife more attention and then she wouldn't need guys like me."

Letting off a huge roar Harrison chased Duncan to his car. Duncan looked terrified and just got the door closed in time. Harrison kicked the door fiercely, denting it and hobbled off back inside and slapped Samantha a couple of times across her ears. She yelled, crying, that her pussy wasn't for his exclusive use so he shut her outside and she sat on the porch weeping for half an hour until their nanny had dinner ready and he let Samantha back in. He'd interrogated the nanny and she finally admitted that Mrs Daniels brought home a different guy once a week, sometimes twice a week and they had sex. She knew that because of the noise and she'd have to take in refreshments for them.

Thinking wisely, Harrison decided not to divorce Samantha. Obviously she'd tired of him. It would be to his advantage in negotiations if she sought the divorce.

He'd only had to wait not quite a month before Samantha left taking the children and muttering words that meant divorce. Christ what a bitch.

* * *

After Harrison was signed in Mrs Helen Mayfair, HR manager, took Harrison around the offices introducing him to senior personnel and they ended up in sales and marketing where he met the so-called predator, Sharon Webb, his superior. Sharon licked her lips.

"Hi welcome. Thanks Helen. This is your desk in front of mine. I've had it pulled over so we can liaise better while you settle in. We do need a push to activate sleeping clients and to bring in new big spenders otherwise people will be laid off. How long have you worked in advertising agency?"

"Never."

"Excuse me?"

"I've never worked in advertising."

"What? Then what have you been doing?"

"Selling new vehicles and more recently running the sales outfit."

Sharon's face fell. "Then what am I supposed to do with you?"

"Er the main thrust will be what can I do for you Sharon once you show me the ropes."

"Ropes."

"Show me how your systems work and explain your business philosophy."

"Um we've not needed one. Until now we are just been involved in client liaison, you know survey for client satisfaction and that sort of stuff and signing on new clients."

"That sort of stuff?"

"Now look, I call the shots around here."

"Yes of course. I've been in to assist you Sharon, not to replace you. But if we click as a working duo I might be able to assist with the application of sale science. New business is out there. We just have to apply methods to find such clients systematically rather than running around like headless fowls."

"Er I see. I guess you were told I came across into this position from bookings?"

"No, when Mr King hired me last night..."

"Mr King hired you? Oh god I'm done for."

"Relax Sharon. I was just over at his place with Karen having dinner and..."

"Ah Karen has put him up to do this. She and I don't gel well."

"Well let's stoke up the furnace Sharon and..."

"You mean sexually?" Sharon asked.

"No, to get this department humming. I know some things but you know the business. We cannot work in isolation. We must work as a team hoping the strengths of one of us cancels out some of the weaknesses of the other person and vice versa. And forget about sex. Touch me and Karen will tear out your ovaries. She's trying me out as her new guy."

"But Karen has never had a steady guy in her life as far as I know. She just goes in for lucky dip."

"I think her parents want that to change Sharon and that's why I'm on the scene."

Sharon's attitude appeared to have changed. "Thanks for telling me this Harrison. It helps a great deal."

"Right, we have to be pals and no sex, right?"

"Right. Come over to the coffee machine and I'll begin telling you how we operate."

Karen called out to Harrison "Lunch?" and he accepted but before lunchtime she had to cancel because the setting for an ad shoot she wanted had been demolished at the weekend and the hunt was on for a new location.

"What setting did you want?"

"Eerie. The wall had bricks missing and was coated with cobwebs and moss."

"Try one of the disused wharfs down at the docks. When the tide is out the rotting piles with barnacles and rusting bolts and slime can be very eerie. I remember it from going under there in a rowboat."

"God Harrison, what a great suggestion. Bye."

Sharon said. "Does Karen eye you as if she likes you?"

"Yeah, you get that from a babe until they really get to know you."

He grinned and Sharon cackled. She was beginning to like the new guy and perhaps thinking he might not be a spy after all.

Just on dark Harrison was home wondering what soup to have for dinner. He'd make that into a meal by doing some frozen peas in the microwave and cooking some potato wedges in the fry pan. Then Karen called.

"Hi, we're just wrapping up. That was inspired thinking by you. The producer said it was fairly rare for people to see things conceptually. He asked were you an architect."

"Oh yeah. That promotes me up the social scale a bit."

"Don't joke."

"Well I was conceptualizing last night about your pussy and that's not joking."

"Oh yeah?" Karen said, sounding a little breathless. "Mom and dad are eating out tonight so want to eat out with me? I'll call for you if you give me the address."

"Okay, just a casual place and you won't need to go home and change. I feel like steak."

"Me too if we are to have sex."

Harrison groaned and asked Karen not to be angry with him. "My lawyer called this morning advising she's received notification that Samantha has initiated divorce proceedings. Um I'd rather not have sex until we've completed the filing process. That way if the negotiations with lawyers get dirty I will be able to state I've never committed adultery, unlike my wife. You have to understand it will be all about tactics."

"Oh of course, I understand your position. Are you okay for kissing and a wee bit of nipple sucking?"

Harrison sounded like a dog panting and she giggled and cut the call. She called back seconds later for his address and she said fifteen to twenty minutes.

Almost thirty minutes later Harrison got into the ebony base-model Ford Focus coupe that was Karen's company car. "Sorry I dashed home to do my hair properly and perfume up."

They kissed.

"More," she said, pulling him by his polo shirtfront.

They ate at a low-cost family restaurant where Karen was well known. To Harrison's surprise she started with a beer before switching to red wine.

"It was thirsty work down at the docks and we had no support vehicle and nothing but Coke which I detest. So I drank water all afternoon. Yuk."

Harrison asked her to explain how conceptualizing applied in advertising and Karen could see he was most interested.

She explained that Creative was under pressure to come up with a never-ending demand for new ideas through to new approaches from clients who wanted everything to be brand-focused, thereby narrowing the area in which Creative could work.

"We have a Think Tank operating where we toss around concepts and basic ideas and in tossing things around something begins to form and we have lift-off until someone sighs and says that's not new. Usually, rather than discard it we begin looking for variations with a big edge of difference. As you know the original wheel was a round solid piece of wood but look what we have by way of design in wheels around us today."

"Ah, I get it. The collaborative approach, sometimes called brain-picking."

"Yes, exactly. Look we're having a Think Tank in the morning at 7:30 when we assume everyone is fresh with ideas. Do you want to join us? The same producer I worked with today will be there and will support you, along with me."

"Well what's the product?"

"A new line of cone ice cream."

"What?"

"I know, it's been done so many times before that there can't be a new angle. But if you are a Creative person sweetheart, you have to believe there is. It's out there somewhere, in someone's head or they notice something in nature that is where many great ideas have been borrowed from."

"You just called me sweetheart."

Karen sighed and said so?

"Are you beginning to regard me and someone who thinks beyond just nailing you?"

Karen colored and said, "What red wine should we order?"

Later they kissed in the car outside the home in which legally Harrison had a half-share Karen had called it 'surprisingly impressive'.

Harrison didn't pull out a breast and Karen didn't offer. It seemed they both had de-accelerated and were content to continue along on a kiss-kiss relationship that they both probably knew was quite remarkable for lusty people like they were.

The four guys in the Think Tank group wore open neck shirts so Harrison pulled his tie loose, undid his top two shirt buttons and placed his suit jacket over the back of his chairs. He looked up to see the guys and the five women were grinning at him, including Karen. She introduced him and Mike one of the film unit producers said, "It's possible Harrison has a head full of ideas. Yesterday he gave off the top of his head a place to shoot that required an eerie background. He suggested under a disused wharf down at the docks at low tide and oh boy, did we get Eerie with a capital E as the sun was going down."

Some of the group began looking at Harrison with perhaps a little respect that assisted him to feel part of the team. But he contributed nothing as the robust discussion went from person to person, broken by laughter and ideas so preposterous they were stupid but just as Karen had said he could see progress was being made. But it finally floundered. They all sat looking at the marbled faked mold of Icy Man's ice cream in a real cone sitting in a cone holder.

"I wouldn't give it a lick," Ian sighed. "Pussy would be preferable."

No one batted and eyelid.

Sandra said it looked like pig's shit after the pig had been eating confectionary.

Everyone laughed and sighed into silence.

Harrison stood and leaned over and inverted the ice cream so the end of the cone was on top.

Angelo the team leader waited a few seconds before asking quietly, "What are you thinking Harrison?"

"Something along the lines of Icy Man's Ice Cream Tastes Good Anyway Up'.

Ideas flew and finally Sandra's "Right Way Up Always Tastes Better' drew applause and Angelo said they had a wrap.

Harrison looked across at Karen almost shyly and she puckered into a silent kiss, seen by half the group but no one said anything. Already word was out that the big boss had personally employed Harrison so he had to be someone special and suddenly the answer was right in front of them; Harrison was fucking Arnold's cold-ass daughter.

Although all other personnel began arriving after the Think Tank had disbanded, the first thing Sharon said to Harrison after they exchanged greetings was, "I hear you were invited to this morning's Think Tank. I've never been invited."

"Yes well it's Karen, you know."

"But even she wouldn't throw you into the Think Tank if she thought you were an idiot."

"Aw give it a rest Sharon."

"What do you mean?"

"You know Sharon."

"No I don't. Christ why do I think talking to a guy is like talking to the back of a bus?"

"Um we need to develop a strategic plan. Lets work on a draft and then bring in the rest of the team."

"Why, those three combined only make one brain."

"But involving them makes the plan inclusive Sharon. They are left knowing they've bought into it."

"Ah yes. And I can see why you are Think Tank material. Your mind works like a women's but perhaps with a better edge to logic."

"Thank you Sharon. Your tits look great today. New bra?"

Sharon turned sunset pink. "Christ Harrison, keep your voice down. Anyone can complain to HR hearing you talk personally like that."

"Fine. Is it?"

"Is it what?" she whispered.

"A new bra."

She nodded, the sunset deepening.

* * *

Karen met Harrison as a bar not far from where she lived. "Mom is expecting you for dinner tonight. I told her how you were holding off from me until divorce proceedings are fully activated and she thought that made you such a gentleman."

"Oh thanks for telling me that. It's lovely that your mom has had a good thought about me."

Karen was about to take a sip of wine and the gentleman said, "I spend half my day thinking of you with your feet over my shoulder and me driving into you."

Wine shot over the table between them.

"Oh god, sorry. You can't talk to me like that without warming."

"Oh, what did I do wrong?"

Karen sighed. "Oh mom asked me who your wife is and I didn't know."

"Samantha Fulton-Hayes."

"What about Samantha Fulton-Hayes?"

"I'm her husband."

Karen was too shocked to speak for a few seconds. And then, "But she's collecting rave reviews on this second comeback."

"Yes but she's a proper bitch. Are you saying I shouldn't be married to someone like Samantha?"

"Er no, not at all. It was just such a surprise. She's a somebody."

Harrison gave a half-chuckle and looked away.

"Oh god, darling. "I'm sorry. It wasn't mean to come out that way."

"I know. It's okay. And it's happening to me again with you, isn't it?"

"Oh no, I only receive media attention because of my mother's charity work, a little bit of notoriety from me and father being remembered for his nudes of notable women in this city in his early days as a graphic artist and painter... er before he married mom. They are now regarded as collector items. You should ask mom to show you her painting."

"What of her in the nude?"

"Yes, one breast lower than the other and a trimmed bush that was regarded as being oh so French in those days. She's very proud of the painting and of her figure as it was in those days before a child and age took its toll."

They went to dinner and received a warm welcome from the parents. When having soup Karen waited wickedly until Harrison was just about to swallow and said, "Tell mom who're you divorcing darling."

The soup flew across the table, most of it reaching Karen's chest and the napkin on her lap. She giggled and her parents looked horrified. Harrison apologized profusely but Irma hushed him and said, "Karen that was appalling timing. I'm sure you did that on purpose."

"N-no Irma. She's innocent. I just didn't expect that question. I had told Karen the answer to that question just an hour ago."

"But why would Karen think I'd be interested?"

"The woman divorcing me is Samantha Fulton-Hayes."

Irma said, "What? Oh this is unbelievable."

Arnold laughed and said, "Wait to the media hears about this and begins baying for you my boy. Just at present I'd think Samantha Fulton-Hayes is bulletproof but not you young man."

Harrison said stiffly, "The agreement between us as recommended by lawyers on both sides is Samantha chose to divorce me because I'd lost my job and was working long hours so was no longer fun to be with."

Again Arnold laughed. "You don't expect the media to believe that hogwash do you? It has lawyer fabrication written all over it."

"Well I have no wish to harm her career so I'm saying nothing."

Arnold continued to push. "If you had caught her playing around disclosure would boost Samantha's career."

"I repeat, I have nothing to say," Harrison said, looking across to Karen who nodded and then formed her lips into a kiss, a gesture not lost on her parents.

"I'll resign as soon as you ask for my resignation Arnold. I have no wish to harm your business."

"No you'll be exposed as the gentleman who won't confirm rumors of his wife's infidelity. Your wife will see that as assisting her career and the fact that you work for our agency now in middle management should be of some benefit to us."

"W-what about the affect on Karen's good reputation if she is linked with me?"

"Karen being linked to a gentleman will do her no harm at all," Irma said. "I now understand why you are holding back on my hot-hot daughter."

"Mom!"

"Sorry darling. I now understand why you are holding back on my daughter."

As it turned out, a Sunday newspaper had a big photograph of Samantha Fulton-Hayes announcing she was divorcing her second husband, an unknown car salesman Harrison Daniels. A TV channel made brief mention of it that evening and Monday morning's newspaper carried a three-line story but on Thursday's art section carried a full page on the rising star of stage Samantha Fulton-Hayes and one of the photos was of her wedding photo to 'out of work car salesman Harrison Daniels' and then media attention died.

At the office Harrison became a five-minute celebrity, being divorced by the famous tramp and actress Samantha Fulton-Hayes and was rumored to be waiting for the divorce to come through before marrying the big boss's daughter, Karen King.

Karen thought that was hilarious. They began receiving invitations to dinners and parties.

By then Harrison was a regular member of the Think Tank. Sharon had signed up a new client who had warehouses filled with half a million men's underpants imported from China but he's failed to move them. The 30-second TV campaign was a 'raging success' with the demand from on-sellers clearing out the warehouses within three days. The campaign was based on a line suggested by Harrison: 'Cheap enough to wear once and then throw away'. Women bought them by the dozens for their husbands and sons.

* * *

The day arrived when Harrison was advised the petition had been filed in the court. The marriage would be dissolved in a year's time subject to the court's satisfaction that all requirements had been met. He called Karen who was out of the office.

"I'm free to do it tonight if that's what you'd like. The application is before the court."

"Ooh yes. I'll be free by 3:00 I'll book into a hotel and call for you to come and meet me as I approach the office."

"I'm so excited," Karen said as they drove off. "When the marriage is dissolved are you likely to want to marry me?"

"It's a year away. Let's not rush it. If we are still together who knows?"

"You are very wise. Mother believes you are, as she calls it, eminently suitable for me and me for you."

"She could be correct. But let's see."

"Oh darling."

Harrison disengaged from the long kiss and tipped Karen back on to the bed. He began removing her panties.

"Darling I hope you can cope. I'm soooo wet."

"That's what we need, natural lube."

"Oh darling you're so kind to me."

Fifteen minutes later Karen had her heels over Harrison's shoulders and he began thrusting.

"Ohmigod, ohmigod... I've been dreaming about this," she said and then yelled, "Ohmigod, I'm c-u-m-m-i-n-g!"

"Stay with me," Harrison urged, I'll bring you through this." He began pounding and Karen, highly flushed, caught the rhythm and they both had releases and endured until they finally climaxed in near exhaustion.

* * *

Three weeks later Harrison and his wife's former home sold. He and Karen took the opportunity to lease an apartment.

* * *

The marriage settlement left Harrison with a net financial gain of $1.78 million.

* * *

Five months after first joining the Think Tank Harrison was accredited during the annual national advertising awards for the most unbelievably successful concept leading to Icy Man Ice Creams becoming the nation's third-top cone seller with its upside down ice cream cone campaign. At the same awards evening he was accredited for the campaign concept that moved half a million men's underpants out of warehouses to achieve a total sell-off by resellers within twenty-six days, making the undies the nation's hottest selling apparel item.