Natalie, a Coed Story Ch. 07

He laughed "I get it! I get it! But... uh, come in. Uh, have a seat."

"So in the car, I was wondering how it might work. I... I feel like we've clicked, you know, not just the sex, but just hanging out. But... I, how would that work?"

"Never had a boyfriend, don't know."

"Never had a real girlfriend, I don't know either."

"Well, that's something we have in common then." I grinned.

"Right, neither of us knows what we're doing."

"Yeah, but I meant I've never had a girlfriend either." I giggled, until we were both laughing.

Things go quiet again until he asked. "Would you keep working?"

"Well, supposedly my dumbass parents have filed to get my college expenses turned back on. Once that happens I won't have to."

"Why are they turned off?"

"Oh. Well, I really haven't told anyone this, but I guess we are beyond secrets, I mean, I, well I find you easy to talk to, that's part of it isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think the biggest part truthfully."

"Well they are having an ugly divorce and playing a big game of fuck your spouse, anyway, the judge froze both of their accounts. That's why I had to get a job. I mean, I like earning my own way, I'm not a slacker depending on the 'rents, but, well, it kind of yanked the rug from me."

"And now they think you are working as a waitress."

"Yeah, and mom is just aghast. She is terrified the country club set will find out." I laughed.

"I see, well that gives me an idea. You still have to pay Dave, right?" He said as he pulled the envelope and some other stuff from his jacket pocket on the bed.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I'll take care of that! I don't want your money! Understand?" I exclaimed.

"I know, I'm not giving you my money. Programming consultants at Digital Hermetics start at about sixty a year if we hire them without a degree. We have medical, dental and a month's paid vacation. Oh and vision. I'll give you five k as a signing bonus. That is what we pay in moving expenses and sign on anyway. You work for me now. How do you feel about beta testing games and debugging code for a few hours a day? And keeping me posted on the teams that are doing it, like as an assistant to me?" He said as he wrote out a check and handed it to me.

"I... uh... Len," I said as I stared at the check, which wasn't made out to anyone.

"Uh, its actually Steve, if you read the box on the upper left."

"Steve? Hi, I'm Natalie!" I said, surprised by the fake name.

"Really? I figured... well I left it blank so you could fill in your name. I just imagined.."

"No, but an alias would have been a good idea wouldn't it?

"Too late for that now." He giggled.

"Uh, Steve, uh, it's very generous of you but, well, I don't want you to pay for me."

"I'm not. I'm paying for your work. I'm really paying..."

"For sex with me."

"No. I understand you don't want that, and truthfully, I don't either, I guess I'm ready to try a relationship again, and, well, we seem to click. I'm fascinated by you. I know that's fast, but... I... I guess I'm paying so you won't be with other guys, I don't want to share my girlfriend. And I pay lots of people to run code. Usually, they don't start out in beta, but you have school to finish. Oh, that was the other thing! After a year we pay for school, but I will wave the year in your case."

"No, I wouldn't want special treatment. I mean... can you date an employee?"

"It's my company, I can do whatever I want. But, uh, our dating, let's make that separate from work. We decide to not see each other socially, you still have a job. You fuck up on the job, cost our investors millions and get fired, I still have a girlfriend."

"You would fire your girlfriend?" I asked, thinking he wanted to keep me around so I wouldn't go back to working for Dave.

"No, probably not. But I won't put her on work she might fuck up either. That's why you start in Beta. Run the game segments, look for glitches and bugs, and then break down the code, find them if you can and try to come up with solutions. If you can't, that's okay, just report the bug. Pretty easy work really. I can't believe we have to pay so much to do it. Oh, and you will read reports from field beta testers. Those are always fun. That's the college-aged pot smoking gamers we pay a few hundred to give feedback.Usually, they involve calling me a horse's ass for not making them stream compatible."

"And fuck the boss."

"Not unless you want to."

"What if I want to all the time?" I smirked.

"Work that out with your boyfriend."

"Can I sleep on it, I mean, I love the idea, but in the morning you might not ever want to see me again."

"Here, give me that," he asked and took the check and the envelope from me. "I will set it right here. If it's still here after you leave, you said no. If it's gone, leave me a note with your number on it so we can do lunch or dinner and work out the details. Fair enough?"

"Uh, yes. Fair enough. One thing though Mr. Boss, Mr. Potential Boss."

"What's that, tentative employee?"

"Can I use your shower? I want to get nasty with my boyfriend."

"Right this way Miss Natalie. Right this way..."