New Corporate Courtesan Ch. 03

"If he has even a marginally competent lawyer, I'll get my sex life publicly examined in depth. And maybe the interesting job position I hold will get some publicity too. And he'll get at worst ten hours of community service with his record expunged afterwards.... At least, is his career at Tolland over?"

"Probably," Mobley replied. "I hope so. I'll do some informal checking with HR, and I'll talk to John Schneider in Sales, the VP. I'm pretty sure something can be done. Do you know Schneider?"

"We've known each other briefly but closely, you might say."

"So much the better. He'll be all the more inclined to cooperate. Diane, please promise me one thing. Whatever you decide about the legal machinery, promise you'll call the rape and sexual assault line. I'll get their phone numbers to you. They'll give you emotional support and good guidance on your options."

"All right. I promise."

Gwen returned to the table, looking a little pale and a little confused. The party prepared to depart. They stood. Neither Mobley nor Krantz was sure of the best thing to do with Diane at this point. Diane took Krantz's hand and whispered in his ear.

"Of course," he said, quietly, squeezing her hand.

Mobley retrieved his car from the valet. Flannery took the front passenger seat, Diane and Krantz the rear.

"Where can I take you, Diane? Home? A friend's house? Police station?"

"Hampton Inn," she said.

************

In bed, naked in Krantz's arms, Diane cried a little and trembled a little, kissed him more than a little. Mostly she held him tight and absorbed the caress of his hand on her head and shoulders and back. The thump of his heart against her chest was soothing too, as was the slight tickle of the curly, graying hair on his chest and the feel of the taut muscles of his arms and thighs.

Their contact in bed was very far from the wild romp Krantz had been looking forward to, but there was some satisfaction for him in this, too. Lying together in the darkness, comforting this sweet and beautiful young woman who had turned to him for help. Acting in part like a father, in part like a lover of this sweet girl who indeed was young enough to be his daughter. He could make her feel that, for the moment at least, she was safe and protected.

This afternoon, in the little conference room, Diane had done most of the giving and he the taking. There was a certain pleasure in giving her something she needed now in return. He stroked her hair. She made some soft, inarticulate sounds that might have meant, "Thank you."

He marvelled: how could anyone call this wonderful young woman a "whore" or any other demeaning term? How can you fail to see the humanity... and the loveliness... and the fragility? Lovely and fragile, like an orchid.

Minutes later, he discerned that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Now he would try to sleep too. Good luck with that.

At 5:30 Diane woke then spent 15 seconds figuring out where she was and who was with her. Then, naked, she made her way to the bathroom. She peed, splashed some soap and water between her legs, brushed her teeth--fortunately, Mobley had remembered her overnight bag in his trunk--and sprayed a little deodorant under her arms. The product was from Tolland's Tease line, soon to be Erato's.

She slipped back into bed, climbed on top of Krantz to wake him, and ordered him to piss and brush his teeth and be quick about it.

There followed an hour and a quarter of lovemaking so affectionate, so comprehensive, so enthusiastic and inventive and skilled that Krantz would remember it for years afterwards.

Later that morning, on Erato's small jet, heading westwards towards Cincinnati, Flannery tried and failed to examine some company business with Krantz. But Krantz's mind was elsewhere, somewhere down below, in the clouds.