Got To Get You Into My Life

"Wow! You look great," Mark stated with obvious admiration. "This is a very good look for you."

"Thanks," Sandy replied with a blush. "I thought I'd try your suggestion about my appearance. This is an experiment. Don't think I'm going to follow your example and flirt like you do with women of all ages."

"Good thinking," Mark agreed. "You're much better off using your charms on the male sector of the population."

Later that day, while Mark and Sandy were having dinner in a chain restaurant Mark asked the question Sandy had been expecting.

"So, did you notice any difference in the way people reacted to you today?" Mark asked with an easy smile.

"You were there with me. You saw how some of the men kept looking at and me smiling like idiots. In fact, you're doing the same thing right now!"

"I admit it," Mark replied with a chuckle. "You managed to increase my usual sales by almost 5 percent today. That's quite a lot in the scheme of things."

"That's from showing a hint of cleavage and a skirt just above the knees. You'd think they never saw a woman before," Sandra stated.

"They don't often see woman who looks as good as you do," Mark replied. "You hit just the right style. Everyone took you seriously. The men couldn't stop smiling at you but they listened to you, too."

"You don't think I looked cheap or slutty, do you?" Sandy asked with concern.

"Really, Sandy, you're one of the classiest women I know. You look and act like a lady. I mean that in a good way. You're not all prissy and snobbish. We both know some women think that's the mark of class. You're attractive, but attentive to others. You've been engaging our clients more and more. You're getting more comfortable with them as well as explaining our product and the purchasing process better all the time."

"That was a really nice thing to say," Sandy replied with some emotion. "I know we didn't start out on the right foot, but I feel like we're doing much better now. You've been very fair with me considering I drove you to quit the first week."

"I explained my situation to you and your grandmother. I've been building my business since I graduated from High school. I had a seven year plan to work for Smith and Haynes. I was already making my plans to leave when you and I clashed. I was feeling relieved that I could concentrate on my next career," Mark explained.

"That does make me feel better, except that I wound up pulling you away from your business for a month. I hope it doesn't set you back too much."

"The truth is that I was a bit worried about how things would work out for my old customers when I left. Now I'm beginning to realize that they're going to be fine, probably better than I was working for you," Mark revealed.

Sandy found herself looking forward to her meals with Mark. He always had interesting stories, listened to her thoughts and even when he disagreed with her, he was polite, but quite convincing in support of his opinions.

For his part, Mark realized that he enjoyed spending time with Sandy. She had a surprising sense of humor and was refreshingly modest. A real plus was that he found her very attractive.

"My sister goes to college In Keensburg," Sandy told Mark early in the final week of their mentoring. "She's going to meet me on Friday, which will be the last day of our 'world tour'. On the last night, we'll be in a hotel just ten miles from her apartment. I[m going to ride home with her so we can catch up on our lives. I hope you don't mind."

"I have a brother and a sister, so I understand completely," responded Mark. "You'll have a great trip home."

The last business they planned on visiting was scheduled for late Thursday afternoon with a follow-up Friday morning to meet with the owner and convince him to sign a sales contract. By finishing up early in the day Friday, Mark hoped to have time to make the long drive home that afternoon.

Mark thought that the Thursday afternoon meeting went well except for one very real problem for him. The owner's thirty year-old son took a real shine to Sandy. Mark admitted to himself that the guy was good looking but his past experience with the man had colored Mark's opinion. He was pushy and entitled. Mark had observed him belittling employees on several occasions while he was making a sales call.

On the trip back to their hotel, Sandy acted almost giddy. She was chatting constantly but saying very little. Finally, she was unable to keep her secret.

"Bret asked me to dinner tonight, so don't look for me to be joining you. We're just having dinner at the hotel restaurant before we go to the lounge. They have a small band playing tonight so we'll probably be dancing.

"Bret's a nice guy, don't you think?" Sandy asked although she seemed to have no interest in an answer. "He's good looking and a great dresser. We might even get more business from his company, although that's not why I accepted his request. He seems like fun."

Mark wanted to voice his concerns to Sandy, but he chose to remain silent. She was going to be working without him after Friday morning She was in her mid twenties, had 2 college degrees and was destined to have control of a prestigious company. What could he tell that she shouldn't already know?

Mark had come to enjoy Sandy a great deal he but felt it wouldn't have been ethical to suggest a date with her, at least not until their work relationship was in the past. Now he wondered whether he had made a mistake, or simply dodged a bullet. If Bret was the kind of man she was seeking, she wasn't the woman he thought she was.

Mark ordered his dinner from room service while he worked on emails concerning his classic automobile restoration business. He was proud of the success his business had managed. He had started it right out of high school. He now intended to devote all of his time and effort to his business. His time at Smith and Haynes was finally at an end.

Just after eleven PM, Mark called it a night and went to bed. He had just lapsed into a sound sleep when a loud pounding on his hotel room door pulled him from his slumbers.

Mark tried to shake the fog from his brain as he got out of bed and shuffled to the door. As soon as he turned the knob, Sandy pushed the door open and rushed inside, wheeling her suitcase behind her.

She slammed the door shut and turned to Marc with tears in her eyes. "That asshole thought I was an easy lay. He insisted that he walk me to my room after a dinner and a few dances. He took my room key to open the door and never gave it back. He started mauling me as soon as he closed the door. One of the drawbacks to a dress that shows cleavage is it's easier for a damned pervert to grab your breasts.

"I asked him to get some ice for the bottle of liquor he found in the minibar before we got started. As soon as he was out of sight looking for the ice machine, I grabbed my phone and suitcase and rushed across the hall. He has my key, so I'm staying with you tonight, if that's alright."

Sandy seemed to finally notice Marc was standing in front of her clad only in his boxers. Her mouth dropped as she slowly ran her eyes over his chest as well as parts south.

"I guess you sleep in your underwear. I probably should be thankful that you wear that much. I knew you were a healthy man, but you're in better shape than I imagined.

"I have to text my sister about tomorrow, so ignore me. Go back to sleep, or whatever you were doing when I knocked on your door."

Marc was now fully awake, but a glance at the clock by his bed told him it was after midnight. He had a long drive the next day and didn't think that there would be any advantage in confronting Bret. He was probably three sheets to the wind and somewhat irate about not getting laid.

"You can stay here, but I'm not giving up the bed," Mark replied. "I told you about dating any of our customers and what a bad idea it was. Bret's a total dick. You should have seen that before he managed to grab those big puppies of yours. I'm going back to bed so whatever you do, please do it quietly."

Mark was still irked at Sandy for having anything to do with an asshole like Bret. He was glad that she managed to get away from him, but was unhappy with her decision to go out with him in the first place. Mark realized that he needed to step back and honestly assess his feelings before saying too much to Sandy.

Surprisingly, he soon fell back to sleep. He woke in the middle of the night with Sandi sleeping next to him. Her head was on his arm and her left leg was draped over his legs. She was wearing one of his shirts, which she must have pulled from his suitcase. As he looked at her, Mark realized she could wear any shirt he owned, any time she wanted.

In what seemed to be a very short time later, Mark was once again awakened by loud knocking on his door. Cursing under his breath, he promised that if it was the asshole Bret, he'd personally kick his ass.

Once again, his door was pushed open when he turned the knob. To his surprise, a good looking young woman stepped into his room. She quickly looked him up and down and muttered to herself before she began checking out the room. At that moment Sandy rolled over and opened her eyes.

"Sarah, why are you here in the middle of the night? Is something wrong?"

"Sis! Did you sleep with this guy? Did he force himself on you? Should I call the police?" demanded the young woman Mark now knew to be Sandy's sister.

"Mark? He'd never hurt me. He's one of the good guys," responded Sandy. "Why are you here at this time of the night?"

"Sandy, it's almost eight AM. You texted me that we should go to breakfast before your appointment today. You didn't mention that you'd be sleeping with this hunk. Is he the guy you work with? Is a workplace romance a good idea?" asked Sarah.

"I am not sleeping with Mark," insisted Sandy. "Well, I guess that I did sleep with him, but that's all we did. We slept together. That's all."

"If you say so, but it's a little hard to believe when the guy looks as good as he does," Sarah reasoned. "What happened to the asshole that mauled you over last night?"

By this time, Mark was fully awake... again. The two sisters continued chatting in his bedroom. He closed the bathroom door and started the shower.

"Sandy, why were you on a date with a mauler when you have a hunk like Mark at your disposal?" Sarah questioned once they were alone. "I don't understand what you're thinking sometimes."

"Neither do I to be honest," Sandy replied. "I was sort of hoping Mark would tell me to forget Bret and ask me to go out with him. You're right that he's good looking, but I can't seem to get him to think of me as a desirable female. I hate my big nose. Maybe I need to get it fixed."

"You always said that you're proud of how you look and any man interested in you would love you as you are. Has he said something about your nose, or how you look?"

"Actually, he always tells me I'm attractive. He just doesn't act like he believes it. He's great with work stuff but he seems to have very little interest in me on a personal level," Sandy complained.

"Sis, he had some serious morning wood when he answered the door. I can't say if that was to your credit, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. He might be shy, or maybe he doesn't want to date a woman at work. Is that a bruise?" Sarah suddenly asked as she stared at her sister's cleavage.

"Where? Oh shit!" Sandy declared when she looked inside the shirt she was wearing. I told you that asshole mauled me but I didn't tell you how much he hurt me. I didn't want you to worry.

"When he walked into my room last night, uninvited I might add, he just stuffed his hand into my top and grabbed my breast and squeezed me real hard. He was drunk and saying stupid stuff about how he likes it rough and how I'd learn to like it, too. I had to use all of my sales techniques to get him to leave to get some ice. Like I told you in my text, he kept my room key, so I grabbed my suitcase and phone and hurried here to Mark's room. The guy hurt me and I was afraid he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer."

"Bret squeezed your breast hard enough to bruise it?" Mark demanded.

Both Sarah and Sandy were surprised to find Mark standing behind them, wearing only a towel wrapped around his midsection. The look on his face was like nothing Sandy had ever seen from him before. He was livid.

Seeing how upset he was, Sandy answered his demand immediately. "Yes, he left marks on my left breast. I didn't encourage him or give him permission of any kind to touch me, Mark. He just stuck his hand down my top and squeezed real hard."

Mark seemed to consider her words before making a request. "I don't want to embarrass you, Sandy, but could I see the bruises?"

If Sandy was surprised at the request, her sister was stunned when Sandy nodded and pulled the top of her shirt down far enough that her left breast was exposed. It had never occurred to Sandy to refuse Mark.

She watched the intensity of his emotions as they played on his face. It was obvious that he was very upset. She couldn't help but feel some excitement, mixed with concern when he studied her breast so intently.

She wondered if he was actually going to touch her when he held his hand inches above the bruises and nodded to himself as he visualized exactly how Bret had squeezed her.

"Sarah, please take some photos of those bruises with Sandy's phone," Mark managed as he finally pulled his eyes from Sandy's torso. "I don't know how this is going to play out, but they may be needed. Be sure to get some clear shots. It's obvious that they were made by a large hand. He'll be sorry as hell that he did this to your sister. I guarantee that."

Mark was still upset as he pulled open his suitcase and yanked out a clean pair of boxers. He was muttering to himself as he dropped his towel and stepped into his underwear. Sarah's gasp brought his mind back to his surroundings.

"I forgot where I was for a minute. More precisely, I knew where I was but forgot there were ladies present," Mark clarified. "I'm thinking about that miserable dick and how the father allows his son free rein at work. Looking back on some things I've seen and heard over the years, I realize now that I should have done something. At the very least, I should have discontinued our business association.

"Sandy, you're not going back to work today. Have a nice breakfast with your sister and a safe, comfortable ride home. I'll take care of things here. Just relax and enjoy your time with Sarah."

"What're you going to do? If we aren't careful, we'll lose their business entirely. They buy a lot of our product," Sandy stated nervously.

"Sandy, they should be worried about losing our business. Smith and Haynes doesn't need to deal scum like this. I'm going to fire them as our customer. I'll call your grandmother and explain everything to her. I'm certain she'll approve. We won't do business with any company that treats people the way Bret treated you."

"I guess that you're probably right," Sandy admitted. "Be careful what you say to Bret if you see him. He's pretty big and he was bragging about what a tough football player he was in high school."

"I bet he was," replied Mark with a mirthless chuckle. "Unless you have feelings for him, I'm going to create a few fresh bruises on his face. I'll see how he likes it."

"I don't give a fuck about him, Mark. I just don't want you hurt or in trouble because I was stupid enough to spend some time with the idiot," Sandy declared.

"Sarah, be sure photograph the bruises. After you do, take your sister to breakfast. I'll handle everything here."

"This is the last day of the month you promised my grandmother. I learned a lot from traveling with you, Mark," Sandy said as she stepped over to Mark and hugged him. "If you ever want to come back to Smith and Haynes, there'll be a job for you. I guarantee it. Good luck with your burgeoning business."

"Sis, you could have waited for him to get more clothes on before you hugged him. However, when I think about it, that was very well played," Sarah stated with a grin as she gave Mark's exposed torso the once-over.

By the middle of the following month, Sandy had established herself as a competent sales manager and was becoming more comfortable in her role in marketing. She had not been in contact with Mark since the day he told her to ride home with Sarah. That fact disappointed Sandy. She thought they had gotten along quite well. She even held some hope that Mark would develop a romantic interest in her, especially after the story her grandmother had told her the following Monday.

"Sandy, I spoke to Mark at length about your month under his mentoring. The first thing he mentioned was how and why he severed our relations with Gaston and Son. He told me about young Gaston's extremely inappropriate behavior and how that was the last straw as far as Mark was concerned.

"He told Ben Gaston in no uncertain terms that his son Bret was a worthless little turd and that we would no longer do business with people of his ilk."

"Mark told me he was going to do that. He felt that you'd understand his decision," Sandy replied. "Is this going to be a problem now?"

"Not as far as I'm concerned. Ben Gaston placed an angry call to me the same day Mark ended our business relationship with them."

"You mean they wanted our product that badly?" Sandy asked in surprise.

"Hardly. He wanted me to fire Mark. It seems that Mark said some unpleasant things to Bret, as well as Ben. Mark was almost to his car when Bret caught up with him in the company parking lot.

"The police have a video from the security cameras. Bret punched Mark in the face."

"Oh, no! I warned Mark that Bret was a big guy and pretty tough. Was he hurt?" Sandy asked.

"Yes, he spent the night in the hospital, but he's expected to make a full recovery. After police asked some questions and watched the surveillance video, Mark wasn't charged. It was clearly self defense," Sandy's grandmother slyly responded as Sandy gasped in surprise.

"Grandma, are you saying that..."

"Mark kicked his ass," Mrs. Haynes replied with a big grin. "You made a very good impression on Mark. He admitted that he wasn't disappointed when Bret attacked him. He was extremely angry that the idiot treated you like he did. Is there, by any chance, something going on between you and Mark?"

"I haven't spoken to him since Friday, but to be honest, I wouldn't mind getting to know him better," Sandy revealed to her grandmother. "He doesn't work for us anymore, so that shouldn't be an issue, should it?"

"Honey, if he's the man for you, don't worry about incidentals. You're right that since he doesn't work for us it's all good. To be quite frank, I'd never pass up an opportunity with a man like Mark for any reason other than how we felt about each other."

Sandy toyed with the idea of contacting Mark but couldn't think of a good reason to do so. If he had any interest, he'd be calling her or stopping in at work.

Three weeks later, Sandy and her family attended a wedding for one of her cousins. Sandy's grandmother had been one of four sisters. Her three sisters each had several kids and now the sisters' grandchildren were becoming adults and finding spouses.

Sandy had twelve female second cousins and they were all attractive. Sandy had spent a lot of time with them as they were growing up. They had gotten along like sisters. Once the girls hit high school and college, Sandy began to feel left out of their conversations, which mostly centered on boys.

Sandy saw herself as the least attractive cousin. While the others told stories of dates and romances, Sandy contributed very little. Her cousins noticed it. Sandy had been focused on academics in school and had done very well scholastically, but never managed anything approaching a serious relationship.