Charitable Acts

Claire paused outside the opaque frosted entrance doors of Forrest Financial to take a steadying breath and ready herself. She was there to solicit a donation from the company's owner to the Green Trust, the charity she represented. Claire had met with well to do financial people to ask for donations before but she was yet to get used to the brusque condescending way that most of them spoke to people like her.

It took a certain kind of personality to be able to confidently ask a financially successful person to part with a large amount of money simply because it was for a good cause. Claire didn't have that kind of personality so she needed to think through what she was going to say so that she felt prepared and composed.

She looked over her clothes one final time but she didn't have any real concerns about her appearance. Claire was dressed in a slim fitting dark grey pant suit that displayed her figure well but wasn't attention seeking. She was wearing a pair of heels but they were quite low and sensible. With her shoulder length blonde hair done up in loose bun, Claire thought she looked professional and someone to be taken seriously.

Her job for the Green Trust was meant to be a stepping stone to getting some experience in management of non-government organisations. So far it hadn't been as enriching as she hoped. Claire had mostly only gotten experience in how to try and deal with demanding affluent people and not just the potential donors that she visited. There were quite a few people from well to do families who didn't really need to work but were looking for something to fill their time or add to their resume. The current director of the Green Trust was an exception, Elizabeth Chambers had been a highly successful business woman even if that business had originally been her father's.

Despite some frustrations with aspects of her job, Claire quite liked working at the Green Trust. It helped that she actually agreed with the work the charity did and had seen that the money received was mostly going toward its charitable work. The charity was very well run and Claire hoped that her mindset and hard work would get her noticed.

Claire was determined to show that she could succeed. She mentally went over her pitch about the importance of the Green Trust's conservation work and how a donation would greatly help.

Her thoughts flashed to one of her 'colleagues', Becky. She was beautiful but in a very obvious and deliberate way. Becky was one of the ones working for something to do though she didn't really care for the work at all, treating her job like a popularity game. They normally didn't talk to each other but when Becky heard that Claire would be going to Forrest Financial she made the effort to approach Claire. Becky stopped her in a hall at the office and right from the start had radiated disdain. Without any kind of greeting, Becky just came right out and asked if Claire would be going to Forrest Financial. When Claire said yes, Becky looked her up and down judgmentally. She then declared that since she had failed with Forrest Financial previously she doubted Claire would do any better. Without letting Claire respond, Becky walked away.

Remembering that encounter brought a flash of anger that banished any remaining nerves but wasn't particularly helpful for giving her a calm demeanour. Another steadying breath helped Claire release her irritation.

When she felt reasonably composed, Claire put on a confident expression and entered the office. At the front desk she saw a pretty young woman with a dusky complexion. The receptionist smiled in greeting when she noticed Claire. "Welcome to Forrest Financial, how can I help you?"

Claire returned her smile. "Hi. My name is Claire Dwyer, I'm here on behalf of the Green Trust, I believe I have an appointment to meet with Mr Forrest."

The receptionist's eyes went down to her computer screen and she studied it for a moment. "Yes, I see it here. I'll call him and let him know you're here." She picked up her phone and hit a button. "Hi Alex. I have Ms Claire Dwyer here for a meeting with you."

Claire heard an unintelligible response from the phone and the receptionist nodded slightly. "I'll let her know."

She hung up the phone and looked up at Claire. "Mr Forrest will be ready to see you shortly. Can I get you something to drink, coffee, water?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you though."

Claire went to sit down but someone emerged from the passageway to the office area and began to approach her. He looked to be maybe a few years older than her and was dressed in a two piece navy suit with a crisp white shirt but no tie. As he got closer Claire saw that he was a good bit taller than her even in her low heels.

His facial features showed some apparent east asian background but Claire certainly couldn't guess what that might be. It added a certain flair to his already handsome face. Seeing him head on, Claire noted that he had quite a well built body. She briefly had the absurd thought that Mr Forrest had sent this man out to greet her in order to distract her from the purpose of their meeting.

The good looking man stopped at about an arms length from her and nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Ms Dwyer?"

She nodded in return "Yes."

"I'm Alex Forrest. Would you like to follow me to my office and we can go over what you're here to discuss."

Claire did her best to hide her surprise that the man in front of her was apparently the owner of this company. She nodded her agreement and smiled. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

As Alex led Claire through a small office area with a few people scattered around, she thought over the details her boss Ms Chambers had given her for this assignment. Nothing she could remember from that conversation indicated that Mr Forrest was somewhat young. She conceded that it wasn't really important to know but she would have liked some kind of warning. Her approach to asking for the donation wouldn't change but she wondered whether Mr Forrest being younger would make him more or less receptive to making a donation.

They reached a room that was walled on the interior with frosted windows. Mr Forrest opened the door for Claire and she hoped the courtesy he had shown to her so far was a good sign. She smiled and thanked him before entering the room.

The office was nothing special, it was like a lot of other offices Claire had seen. There was a desk with dual computer screens, a keyboard and various bits of stationery scattered across it. On the wall there were two framed degrees and in the corner facing the desk was a large television.

Mr Forrest gestured toward the chair sitting in front of the desk. "Please take a seat Ms Dwyer."

"Please call me Claire."

He smiled as he moved around behind the desk and his seat. "And you can call me Alex."

There was a small pause as they each sized up the person opposite. Claire collected her thoughts and started her spiel about the good work her charity did. While she was speaking Alex appeared to be listening with interest. His eyes were focused on her and Claire was quite aware of his attention. He wasn't leering at her so it didn't make her uncomfortable. Claire finished her pitch and asked if Alex would be interested in providing substantial support to the charity. He sat back and thought for a second, a consolatory smile appeared on his face and Claire knew that he was going to say no.

It was a big ask and not everyone could spare large amounts of money for philanthropy. Even with that understanding Claire still felt a sting of disappointment and she couldn't help letting out a small sigh.

Alex paused just as he was about to speak and gave her a somewhat apologetic shrug. "I'm not inclined to give away money just because someone with a pretty smile asks for it."

Claire wasn't offended by that comment, she was well aware of the angles charities used to try to get potential donors to open their wallets and the role she played in that game. Plus his tone had been sincere and she wasn't immune to the charm of a good looking person herself.

Before she could respond Alex cocked his head to the side briefly in consideration before speaking again. "How about we make a wager? If you win I'll make a donation of $100,000 to your charity."

Claire's eyes widened at the number he had thrown out and she was curious about what he had in mind. "And if you win?"

He grinned. "I'll still make the donation but you'll have to be my escort for a night out."

Claire frowned and a feeling of dread began to form in her stomach. "What do you mean by 'escort'?"

Alex's grin became slightly amused. "There's a big dinner being held for some other charity that I got roped into buying a couple of tickets for. If I win, you will accompany me as my date."

A brief moment of hope interrupted the dread Claire was feeling but was dashed when Alex's grin grew wider.

"And then afterward you'll spend the night with me."

There was no need for Claire to ask what he meant by 'spend the night'. "That's absurd. I'm not a sex worker."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not saying you are. You having to sleep with me will only happen if you agree to the wager and then lose. If you're offended you can walk away right now."

The offer was offensive in that he was effectively propositioning her but at least he hadn't just outright suggested she have sex with him for money. Claire's sense of propriety was telling her to leave but she was intrigued by the situation. Alex wasn't coming across as particularly arrogant or sleazy so him making a proposition like this was odd. To her surprise Claire found herself actually considering it.

The idea of possibly sleeping with Alex was still shocking but the amount of the donation he would make was tempting. She thought that depending on what the wager involved there could be a very little possibility that she would have to sleep with him. If the wager was something she didn't have a chance of winning she could just walk away.

"Say that I was interested in taking your wager, what would the wager involve?"

A small frown creased Alex's forehead as he thought for a moment. He then opened a drawer in his desk and took out a remote control. He pointed it at the television that was in the corner behind Claire. When the screen lit up and the sound came on, the television showed a game of basketball. The scores were well advanced so it didn't look like it would be something to bet on. Alex seemed to have the same opinion as he changed the channel a few times until he stopped on a golf tournament.

"How about we bet on something here?"

Claire gave Alex a skeptical look. "I don't know anything about golf."

"Neither do I, that should make it fair."

"So what exactly would we bet on?"

Alex's gaze went back to the television and after a moment his eyes widened. "How about we bet on whether this guy is able to sink his ball?"

Claire turned to look toward the television. On screen was a guy a good distance away from the hole, kneeling down by a golf ball and looking toward the hole. The commentators were talking about how this was going to be a difficult attempt for an eagle and it was more likely to be a birdie.

When Claire turned back to Alex he looked at her expectantly. In her mind she furiously thought about whether she could do this. The thought of the $100,000 donation had her nodding her head and moving her mouth. "Sure. Okay."

Her eyes widened slightly in semi disbelief at her response. Her brain caught up with her actions and as anxiety started to build, tried to make the best of the situation. "I say he won't make the putt."

Alex gave her a considered look and nodded. "Probably the better choice."

Claire was comforted by that and felt her building anxiety stall. Alex was studying her face closely. "So you accept the terms?"

Here was a clear chance for her to back out. The cautious part of her mind screamed at her to take the out Alex had offered. However, an image of Becky's condescending expression spurred Claire's resolve to show her up. "I accept those terms."

"Great. It's a bet."

Claire and Alex watched in silence as the golfer got his stance settled and then hit the golf ball. To Clare's dismay the ball appeared to be racing straight toward the hole. As it got closer though it became clear that it was off target, it curved around the hole and came to a stop a short distance past it. Relief and joy flooded Claire's nervous system as she turned around to face Alex. He gave her a half smile and shrugged. "To be expected I guess."

He opened a desk drawer and took out a cheque book. Quite quickly he filled out the slip and signed it. As he was sliding it across to Claire his eyes went to the television and he froze. Unsure of what had caught his attention Claire turned around to look at the television and saw the golfer celebrating enthusiastically. The commentators were loudly exclaiming about a rare occurrence and the spectators were cheering as well. A feeling of uncertain dread filled her stomach. "What happened?"

Alex didn't respond. As if the television itself was answering her, a replay of the golfer's putt started. The ball stopped in its spot and the footage changed to the golfer walking toward his ball. Still some way away he suddenly stopped and stood staring. The replay video went back to the ball which without anything touching it started to shift. With eyes wide in horror Claire watched as the ball started to roll toward the hole and then actually fall in.

She turned back around to Alex who seemed surprised as well. He slid the cheque back toward himself. "That was certainly unexpected, I'll take the win though."

Claire felt hollow, to have the donation almost in hand only to have it be snatched away due to some freak event was worse than if she had lost from the start. Alex could see that the turn of events had hit her hard and he gave her a moment to process what happened before speaking again. "Do you still want the donation?"

A surge of relief sped through Claire. Alex was giving her the opportunity to just walk away if she didn't have the courage to live up to her end of the wager. The relief she felt was soon accompanied by shame. He had been about to make good on his end of the bet, did she really want to back out of what she had agreed to?

The question was did she want the donation? She had made the bet and lost. She could still get a donation at least. What she would have to do for it was troubling but it wasn't that bad. If she wasn't willing to pay up she shouldn't have agreed to the bet.

A small part of her held on to the hope that Alex was joking about having her act as his escort for a night. She met Alex's eyes and nodded. He had a brief flash of surprise that was replaced by a smile of respect. "Excellent. The charity dinner is being held about a month from now. If you can give me your contact information. I can send you the details of the dinner and get you registered as an attendee." He thought for a moment. "Do you have a dress suitable for a black tie dinner?"

Claire was a little off balance by how quickly Alex had accepted her agreement and was moving the discussion onward. His question about a dress registered but she couldn't think of what she had in her wardrobe. Alex took her lack of response as a no. "That isn't a problem. I can arrange for you to acquire a suitable dress."

Claire really didn't know what to say now. She didn't have spare money to blow on a fancy dress and everything else she would need to go with it. If Alex was going to pay for those things, what more would he want in return?

"Uh, I don't think that it's necessary for you to help me with getting a dress."

Alex looked at her for a moment before replying. "Don't worry, it's a straightforward offer. I'm just trying to make sure that our arrangement goes smoothly."

"Does the dress come with any conditions?"

Alex shook his head. "The only conditions are what we agreed, if you can do this I'll make a donation of $100,000 to your charity."

The prospect of the $100k donation made Claire accept Alex's assistance albeit with some reluctance. She gave a small nod in acquiescence. "Some help with getting a suitable dress would be good, thanks."

His expression was satisfied but thankfully not smug. "It's no problem. Would you give me contact details?"

Claire gave Alex her personal phone number and email address and he told her that he would be in contact regarding a dress and to send her the details of the charity dinner.

Alex was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary, he wasn't gloating about winning their bet or making any mention of the fact that Claire was going to have sex with him. His considerate treatment was at odds with the kind of person that would make a bet involving sexual favours. Claire was well acquainted with people being outwardly nice but otherwise shitty, there wasn't any need for Alex to be polite with her at this point. She thought it was probably him trying to keep her from backing out on sleeping with him for the donation.

That thought made Claire realise that she was effectively going to be a prostitute, an extremely expensive prostitute. The only comfort was that she wasn't doing this for personal profit. Though even that raised questions, she asked herself if it was really better to sleep with someone for money if you weren't going to get any of that money for yourself?

Her attention was snapped back to the meeting by her phone buzzing but then stopping. She noticed that Alex was holding his phone and pulled out her phone to see a missed call from an unfamiliar number. "If there are any questions you want to ask or you have issues you want to raise, please use that number. If it's during the day it might be best to send a message."

She nodded. "Sure, okay." In a slight daze Claire got up to leave. Alex led her out to the reception area in silence. Claire was glad that he didn't make any small talk, she was too preoccupied with thinking about the situation she had got herself into while outwardly trying to act normal.

They reached the reception area and Alex stopped to give her a handshake which Claire accepted numbly. "It was nice to meet you Claire, I'll be in contact."

Claire automatically responded. "It was nice meeting you as well." She shot a look toward the receptionist but she was looking at her computer monitors. Alex let go of the handshake. "I hope the rest of your day goes well."

"Thanks, I hope you have a good afternoon as well."

Claire didn't have anything pressing to do for the rest of the day so after leaving Forrest Financial she went home and was left to go over in her mind what she would have to do. From an objective perspective it wasn't so bad, she would attend a fancy charity dinner and then have sex with an attractive and successful man. There weren't any personal obstacles to worry about, Claire was single and hadn't been on a date in ages, let alone had sex. The only thing that was troubling about paying off the bet was how it went against her sense of what was proper and her self image.

Claire tried to find out a bit more about Alex but other than the website for Forrest Financial and some mentions of his company in finance industry articles she couldn't find anything about him.

When she checked her email she found that Alex had already sent her the details of the charity dinner. The dinner was an event organised by Brighter Futures, a charity involved in education. Claire had overheard some discussions about Brighter Futures from the people she worked with at the Green Trust. Those discussions had involved stories Claire's colleagues had heard about the fancy fundraising functions Brighter Futures held. Claire's colleagues would be envious if they heard that she was attending one of the more premier events. That wasn't going to happen if Claire could help it because that would just lead to questions she didn't want to answer.