Hands On My Body

That all changed, however, when we took an overnight trip to Richmond together.

JACK

To say that Gracie blended into the workplace would be an understatement. She killed it.

I have always done my due diligence in hiring an intern who was going to be working closely with me. But even with such scrutiny, I can still be somewhat disappointed with the results. In truth, all of the summer interns I have hired over the years have done quite well. But I have always been in search of the exceptional. A few -- and Gracie was at the top of the list -- have astounded.

Early on I gave Gracie some assignments that would have taken most a day or two to complete. She would report back to me before lunch. Harder assignments would have taken some of those chosen few a week or more to approach completion. Gracie was placing them on my desk after two days of concentrated effort. How could this be?

Now it's one thing to do assignments with speed. But this can often lead to unsatisfactory results and mistakes. Gracie, however, not only completed things in an astonishingly short period of time, but they were always done well and accurately. I came to rely on her more and more as the summer progressed.

One of Gracie's primary responsibilities was helping me with a large rehab project in Richmond. We were converting a large industrial mill complex, called Harlan Mills, into a vibrant mixed use complex including retail, commercial offices and residential space. It was an ambitious project and required approval from the mayor and city council before permitting was allowed. Gracie had been assisting me with creating the final presentation to the city.

As that final presentation approached we focused on creating an unforgettable experience. I began to rely heavily on Gracie to help put together a high-quality, multi-media presentation that would blow their socks off. It was to be a combination of images of plans, elevations, 3D images, and drone flyovers, as well as charts and graphs...all intermingled and at a pace that would inform, yet inspire. I didn't want a device in my hand changing slides. I wanted a partner with whom I had choreographed a seamless presentation; one who could bob and weave with my verbiage and movements -- and who could anticipate what was coming next.

I could tell Gracie was not only challenged by this opportunity, but also up to the task. I was, quite honestly, impressed beyond belief. A week before the council meeting, she came to my office.

"Gracie, I just have to tell you...you've been doing an amazing job."

"Thanks, Jack. It's been fun. You've been...inspirational. Seriously. Thank you for this opportunity."

My God, she was a gorgeous young woman. I had certainly been aware of this when hiring her. But her daily presence in the office was a constant reminder of how beautiful she truly was. I was moved to propose an idea that had been brewing ever since she had arrived -- and certainly as she had taken co-ownership of this presentation.

"Listen, Gracie. We have become a great team." I paused as she looked at me expectantly. "I want you to attend the city council with me." I saw her eyes widen and a subtle smile creep across her gorgeous face.

She would not be the first person in our firm to attend one of the many meetings that had been held with the city council and other boards in the city. I liked to project the image of StudioX as a team -- not just an individual. So, bringing her along, given all the work she had done and would do in the coming days, would not seem out of the ordinary.

"We are developing a nice synchronicity -- me presenting, you adjusting to my pace and to questions asked. I don't want a remote in my hand up there; I want a colleague who knows the presentation and can adjust on the fly. I really think we work great together, Gracie. I'd like you there."

I let the invitation hang out there over the desk. It was an innocent invitation -- colleague to colleague. Her presence would add immeasurably to the moment. I watched her face, trying to gauge her response.

"Well, Jack. That is such an enticing invitation. My goodness. I'd love to attend -- and to help out in any way I can. It's such a great presentation. It's hard for me to imagine anyone else assisting you."

"Exactly, Gracie. You're the natural one. We'd be a great team. We'd push this over the edge."

I did my best to not sound overly eager. But, the fact was, the thought of Gracie traveling with me stirred me in places it shouldn't. I decided to continue, feeling that she was on board, but might need a little coaxing.

"We'd leave Tuesday afternoon. The meeting is at 6 that night. Now, I normally come back from Richmond when a meeting is that early. But I have to meet the mayor for breakfast the next morning -- he expects a positive vote -- so we can strategize next steps. So, I...or we...would be staying overnight and coming back Wednesday after my breakfast. Would that work for you?"

I saw her mind whirling with all of this information. But I also saw her beautiful mouth curling into a smile.

"Well, sure...I could make that work," she replied caustiously, as if she was deciphering what all of this might mean.

"Excellent," I added, hoping to seal this deal. "We'll make all the necessary arrangements and continue to work on our presentation early next week. Thanks, Gracie...you are doing a remarkable job. Your contributions are appreciated and duly noted."

She stood up as if she had a sixth sense that it was time to go.

"Let's spend the rest of this week fine-tuning our presentation. Then we'll have Monday to do a final run-through and we'll head down to Richmond on Tuesday afternoon before the council meeting at 6 that night." I loved the way that sounded, and from Gracie's broad smile before leaving the office, so did she.

We spent the rest of the week focusing on work -- the timing and content of our city council presentation. We had scheduled our last meeting of the week for Friday at 4 and we both felt that we'd gotten things running about as smooth as they could be. I knew Gracie probably wanted to head down to our weekly Friday afternoon happy hour, but I wasn't ready to let her go quite yet.

"Gracie, I know you love joining everyone down in the lounge on Friday afternoons, but let's have a glass of wine and raise a toast to a great week's work. I'm feeling really good about Tuesday."

I got up and went to my small office bar without waiting for her response. I had already opened a nice Chianti Riserva and I poured two glasses. I handed one to Gracie and took my glass and the bottle and nodded us toward the seating area where I had first interviewed her.

"Remember sitting here not all that long ago?" I put the bottle on the table between us and we toasted before sitting down.

"Thank you," she said demurely, "And yes, I do." She took a sip and looked at me with her big brown eyes over the rim of her glass. She'd worn a pair of the tight jeans and a snug white top that left the smallest slice of skin between it's bottom and the waist of her jeans. Her skin looked so impossibly smooth and her luxurious locks hung in waves over her slender shoulders.

"So, any questions about the trip? I figured that it might makes sense for you to drive, so we can either take your car or you can drive mine."

"Hmm, driving yours might be more fun," she replied.

"Done."

"Jack, I was wondering about, well, dress code for this presentation. I want to make sure I dress appropriately. Can you give me some guidance?"

"Well, going to and from Richmond is just whatever you'd wear to the office. Just work/travel clothes. For the city council meeting? Hmmm -- well, I guess the word I would use is 'professional', Gracie. Professional, but not provocative."

She smiled at the distinction. "Okay," she replied meekly. "But...could you elaborate, please?"

I'm not sure why talking about what Gracie might wear had aroused me somewhat, but the fact was, it had.

"Well, I guess what I'd suggest is a skirt, but nothing too short. Maybe a blouse with some kind of jacket or covering. Flats, probably. But if you wear heels, nothing too high."

Gracie nodded expectantly, and I felt a need to elaborate.

"I mean, I'll be blunt with you, Gracie. You have an incredible body that is hard to hide. But, in this instance, I want you to downplay your curves, not flaunt them. There is a time for that, of course, but a city council meeting is not one of them."

"No, that's fine, Jack. I can do that. I just wanted to know," she replied with a knowing smile. She was silent for a moment, as if there was another question brewing. I gave her the space.

"And, well, what about after? If the meeting is over at 7..." Her voice trailed off.

"Well, good question. I'm assuming this is going to pass -- and that I, err, well rather we are going to be in the mood to celebrate. We could head back to the hotel and freshen up, change clothes and get a little more comfortable. And then order a bottle of very expensive champagne," I said, raising my glass to hers. "We are going to celebrate. I like going into a presentation like this with a very positive frame of mind."

I noticed Gracie's glass was already close to empty, so I gave her a healthy pour and we enjoyed the late afternoon summer sun slanting through the huge western windows.

"I see. So...assuming we get the vote needed, perhaps attire that's a little more celebratory would be in order?" I liked the way one glass of wine had turned our conversation in a more personal direction.

"Absolutely. We can leave being professional in our wake," I stated. Her eyes twinkled as she took another sip.

"So provocative rather than professional once we are in celebratory mode?" The way she asked the question was innocent enough, but the words were not.

"Most definitely."

"And flaunting? That would also be on the table once the council makes your year?" she asked. I saw her smile as her eyes dropped briefly onto my lap.

"I would say so," I replied. "We will have worked hard for that moment."

"Hmm, well then, I may have to go shopping this weekend," she said, sitting with her legs crossed and swirling the wine in her glass. "You seemed to have good suggestions for the professional part of the evening. What would be provocative in your book, Jack?" Her eyes were smiling as she took another sip.

I took a deep breath and pondered the question. "Well, I guess something along the lines of a little black dress never goes out of style. I bet your wardrobe is well stocked with LBDs."

"Oh yes, I do have a few. But they vary in their...flauntiness." She giggled. "Is that a word?"

"I don't think so, but it should be. Gracie, I'll let you decide."

"Maybe I'll bring a couple and decide what my mood is that night." My God, this girl could flirt and bat her eyes like no one I'd ever met.

"Excellent idea. I mean, they can't take up that much room in an overnight bag." She laughed in response.

"No, they don't. Size zero is pretty compact." She paused for a moment. "What about heels, Jack? You seemed to have pretty strong opinions there." Oh, yes, Gracie, I thought to myself. I do, indeed.

"Hmm." I pondered the weighty question, more on how I should phrase my answer than what I was about to say. I took a sip of wine, noticing we were both almost finished our second glass, and responded. "Black. At least 3 inches. Open-toed. I I love ankle straps."

"Mmm, I like a man who has strong opinions about what I should wear, Jack." I let that comment float out in the late Friday afternoon air without responding. "It's good I'm getting a pedicure tomorrow, then." She set her glass down on the table and I emptied the bottle between us.

"Let's finish this baby off and then you should get down to see your colleagues, Gracie." We had set the stage for a great trip, but I didn't want to push this much further. We let the flirting and innuendo subside and finished our wine. She finally stood and I followed suit. My God, she looked good enough to eat right then, right there. Her breasts looked so full and had such perfect shape and proportion on her petite body. I was dying to touch the small sliver of tummy she had on display. I know she caught my gaze and I saw her smile. I didn't care. We'd tiptoed across a line -- and we both knew it.

She shook my hand. "Thanks for the wine, Jack."

"Have a great weekend, Gracie." I watched her bottom twitch in those impossibly tight jeans as she headed toward the door.

"And happy shopping this weekend," I called out. She turned and smiled, but kept walking, her mahogany tresses flashing in the later afternoon summer sun.

GRACE

I don't think Jack had any idea how turned on I was from our conversation. Or maybe he did. In either case, the combination of wine and words had stirred me deeply and I needed release. I was tempted to go to the office happy hour and blow off some steam. But as I left Jack's office I began to think it might make more sense for me to deny myself much social interaction -- even to see if I could abstain from cumming all weekend so that I'd be at a boiling point by the time Tuesday rolled around.

Without analyzing too much I went by my workstation, grabbed my bag and headed for the door and home. This was going to be torture trying to avoid orgasm all weekend, but if I concentrated on our trip to Richmond, I was pretty sure I could do it.

I spent the weekend shopping, getting a mani/pedi, and figuring out what I would be taking with me to Richmond. It was only an overnight trip, but I wanted to make sure I had some wardrobe flexibility depending on how things went -- and how the city council voted.

On Sunday I got a Brazilian wax, but opted to go bare on my mound. I have always found a Brazilian makes me so sexually sensitive for a few days, in a good way. I wasn't totally sure where things were going with Jack, but I sure as hell was going to be prepared if it went as I hoped.

By Monday things felt normal again and Friday afternoon's conversation already felt like a distant memory. We spent Monday finalizing our presentation and getting ready for the next night's meeting. Our chat on Friday over wine never came up and it began to feel like it had never happened. But, I knew it had and I figured Jack was laying low for the time being.

I dressed casually on Tuesday, like it was any other day. I wore jeans, boots and a modest top. I left my overnight bag in the car, not wanting to drag it into the office for scrutiny. Jack seemed aloof and preoccupied and I could tell the approaching meeting was weighing on him. After lunch he texted and told me to meet him out in front of the office at 3pm sharp.

Penny wished me luck with a sweet smile as I got up to leave just before 3. I retrieved my bag from my car and saw a sleek black Audi approaching the entrance as I stepped onto the curb. Jack popped out wearing a button-down white shirt, blue jeans and sunglasses. He smiled as he held the driver's door open for me.

"Your chauffeur has arrived," I joked, climbing into the comfortable driver's seat. "Just in time," he replied, as he shut the door behind me. I adjusted the seat and mirrors as he walked around the car and settled into the passenger seat. He pointed out a few things on the dashboard and we were off.

"Get us out to I-64 and head east. I'll give you directions when we get closer. It's just over an hour." We got onto the interstate and headed toward Richmond. It was a sparkling summer afternoon and the car drove like a dream. Jack opened his laptop and was reviewing numbers and preparing for questions. It was a quiet ride, but the anticipation was building. As we approached downtown he steered me onto I-95 and had me take the 3rd Street exit. A few turns later we pulled up in front of the Jefferson Hotel.

It was an impressive edifice and we valet parked under the porte cochere where a few staff members opened our doors. I popped the trunk and they carried our bags inside. It felt surreal to be arriving in such style and everyone seemed to know Jack. I stood to the side as he checked in at the front desk. A few minutes later he returned with my key card and we headed toward the elevators.

"We're on the same floor, Gracie -- the sixth. I suggest we meet in the lobby a little after five and we'll walk over to City Hall. I've got all our gear. You just need to bring yourself." We entered the first open elevator and he hit 6.

"Are you ready?" he asked, smiling at me with a look that could have meant any number of things.

"I'm ready," I replied. The elevator rung, the door opened and we walked down the hall. My room came up first -- he was further down toward the end of the hall.

"Try to kick back and relax a little bit. I'll see you shortly."

"Looking professional," I called out to him as he strode down the hall. He waved over his shoulder without turning, but I knew he was smiling.

My room was gorgeous and well appointed. I had a huge king bed that would swallow up my petite body. I pinched myself and smiled as I walked around and checked out the bathroom and the view. I took a shower, then relaxed in a plush white cotton robe for a little bit before finally getting dressed.

I put on a modest white blouse over a sensible white bra, then slid into a long tight pencil skirt that might have been a little tighter than Jack wanted, but...oh well. No one would know I was wearing a lacy white thong below either. I finally slipped on a pair of black flats and put my hair up. I looked...professional. And I was ready to do my job and help Jack be a success.

I grabbed my own briefcase and headed downstairs a bit early. The ornate lobby had a posh air of power and tranquility, like anything was possible. Jack arrived shortly thereafter looking natty and polished in gray slacks, a white shirt, a fashionable sport coat and a dashing cobalt blue knit tie. We smiled at one another like we had done this a million times before.

"Ready?" he asked, knowing the answer. I nodded and we headed out the door. "Perfect attire, Gracie. You look wonderful." I smiled in reply.

A short walk later we were in City Hall. Jack obviously knew where he was going as I just followed silently up to the second floor and into the council chambers. We were early for the meeting, but Jack was greeted by several city staff as we set up at a table before the council dais and got our laptop up and running. We plugged into their video network, tested our connections and then waited for the council to file in one by one and assemble. The mayor was the last to arrive and the meeting came to order shortly thereafter.

The next hour was a blur for me. Once the meeting started, Jack stood up and kicked off the presentation. He introduced himself, and me as well, and then we were off to the races. We had thoroughly practiced timing and I followed his lead -- changing slides at a pre-arranged time or altering the presentation if he made a certain hand gesture. The highlight of the show was a color 3D fly-through of a completed Harlan Mills project which elicited the desired response from the council.

When it was finished he entertained questions, which might require bringing up a previous chart or graph. Jack masterfully responded to each question and when I did have a moment to concentrate on him, I was impressed by his poise and effortless showmanship. He was a natural and I noticed a few of the women on the council hanging on his every word.

It was clear to me that much groundwork had been done previous to this meeting, and when a motion finally was made and seconded and it was brought to a vote, the council voted unanimously in favor of the project. The smile on Jack's face was electric.

As I packed up, Jack was congratulated by a string of people, including the mayor. I noticed the mayor look my way a couple of times, but I busied myself packing up our equipment. I was used to being the object of male attention. Soon we were headed back downstairs and onto the street. It was not until then that Jack turned to me with a hand up and we high-fived.