St. Claire

His name was Paul.

I knew he was trouble as soon as he walked through the front door of my office. I needed an assistant and against my better judgement I'd allowed my secretary, Rose, to post a job opening on one of the national websites. We'd gotten hits from all over the country over the following days and weeks. We chose those who were local to our area. I'd wanted a woman, but Rose knew me too well. I'd a long history of compromising my female assistants...sexually speaking. She says it's a miracle I haven't been sued countless times over by now. In truth, every one of those women had consented and Rose knew it. Most had even initiated the encounters...well affairs I should say. They weren't casual by any stretch of the imagination. At least three had become long-term relationships, and by long-term I mean in terms of months, if not years, and that was despite my wife's untoward hijinks in trying to make them as short as possible. Amy's idea of short is a week, occasionally two if she half-way likes them.

I smiled at the memory of how Amy had gotten all worked-up by the last woman I'd hired. Her name was Jocelyn. She was this cute brunette who'd been somewhere in her mid-twenties at the time. Amy had brought her to the office to meet me. They'd met at some club that Amy and her girlfriends frequented. She'd believed that Jocelyn would make the perfect assistant for me. She was always so willing to please. For the longest time, I'd wondered just how willing to please Amy had found her to be, and even to the nature of that pleasure. Amy never confessed and frankly...I never asked. I knew my wife's predilection when it came to women, especially young, impressionable ones. They were her weakness and always had been, even though she usually dated women her own age. Yes, I married a bisexual woman, and yes I knew what I was getting into when I asked her to marry me. She put up with my scandalous ways, as long as they were brief or involved one of her lovers, and I looked the other way as she carried on with one torrid affair after another with various women, always ranging from barely legal to well over her age. The last one had been a shockingly fifty-year-old woman that she worked with at the university. That's where she picked up her paramours. I knew what most people would think...that it's wrong of her to seduce students. The answer that Amy would give in her defense, if ever challenged, would be that they were never her students. She would never seduce any student she actually taught. Not like me, right? I seduced those who directly worked for me and relished their subservience, if only for a brief moment in time.

I stood before the window as Paul moved about the room, gathering various documents for the next meeting of the day. Outside, the city pulsed with daily life. Standing here on the top floor of St. Claire Corporate Tower One, I could see all of New Orleans, and even some of what laid beyond its boundaries. The Mississippi flowed just to the east of us. There were two towers in the complex and Tower Two was beside us, on the north side. To think, this wasn't the life I'd envisioned in my youth, certainly not during my college years. I'd never considered moving here to this city...hell even to this far south. It wasn't my preferred element. The mountains of East Tennessee were, but the family company resided here in this swamp, and so here I am. I'd certainly never wanted to take the reins of the corporation either, but life doesn't always ask us what we want. The CEO position fell into my lap by default after my Uncle Richard fell ill and had to resign. My cousin Charlie wasn't in the picture anymore. He had a life in Dallas now, as an attorney. In truth, I'd no plans after graduation. I'd managed to get my graduate degree, but that wasn't in business. I was a scientist, and yet I now ran a company that was based on science and technology. St. Claire Industries started out as a chemical company, but over time it had grown to agriculture, materials science, and eventually electronics. What St. Claire didn't innovate on its own, it bought companies that had what it needed or desired. Now it was a major trans-national multi-billion-dollar empire.

"We have to get going soon, Christian."

I looked at Paul and sighed. He wore a slim fitting suit today, one that kids his age are prone to wear now days. It was skintight and very enticingly revealed his youthful body. Ok, beside that brief encounter in college that Amy and Sarah had orchestrated and a few daring misadventures during our early years here in New Orleans, I've all but avoided venturing into man land, as the girls euphemistically liked to call it. In other words, I've faithfully kept to the irresistible pleasures of women. It's my safe space, my preferred lane. However, Paul was driving me crazy. I wondered if Rose had found out about my secret bisexual fantasies and had done this to me on purpose. She and Alex always hung out together. I'm sure Alex may have let something slip, either by mistake or by design. Unlike Amy and Sarah, Alex had never fully accepted my philandering ways. And yet, she'd remained and had endured my many affairs, again all very transitory in nature. As far as Sarah was concerned...well the relationship between she and Amy had cooled considerably over the recent years and she now ran with a new flame. Her name was Abrigale and they met at her place of work, a law firm here in the city. Yes, she'd moved to New Orleans with us and had adapted well enough, certainly enough to remain in the city after she moved out following our breakup. I should say it was her break up with Amy. She didn't necessarily breakup with me and we still saw each other regularly, although not always for sex.

Alex...well she didn't live with us either. She lived in an apartment not far away and worked downstairs in Marketing. The company had it's own marketing division. Uncle Richard never wanted to deal with third-party companies for such needs and had created the division from the ground up. My cousin Amelia ran it for years till she got married and moved away. Various people had filled the lead position over the following years. When I assumed the office, I offered it to Alex and much to my surprise she accepted it...well on one condition. There could be no office shenanigans, as she'd phrased it. In other words, no sex or romance while on the job. It was easy enough because I had my assistants. Ok, that was bad. I knew that. I had needs though and my HR department just didn't seem to get the hint that I needed unattractive assistants. So, Rose had no choice but to take over matters concerning the staff in the executive suite. Anyway, assuming I was wrong about a conspiracy, I began to conclude that in her mind she was doing me a favor by selecting a man this time. Normally she would have been right. Most men were turn-offs for me. However, to me, Paul was what catnip was to a cat. A drug that filled a need. The only problem was that Paul was completely clueless. He had no idea just how hard he made me.

"I'd rather not." I managed to say, all the while trying to push my lustful thoughts to the background.

"Rather not?" He looked up confusedly.

"I'm just tired of meetings."

"You're the boss." He smiled. "It's nothing urgent really." He went on to say as he packed his laptop. "It's only to discuss the financials for the upcoming merger. You certainly don't need to be there, just the accounting team."

"Well, then...how about we call it a weekend and head home?"

"Sure." He said sounding a bit unsure.

He'd been my assistant for only three months now and I still didn't have the gist of him yet. By that, I mean personally. He was in his early twenties, which meant he was a kid to me. And yet, being thirty-five wasn't old. Was it in his eyes? Was I attractive to him? Or was he even into guys? Countless questions like these have flown through my mind since his first day. Anyway, he caught on rather quickly, of course. He's a go-getter, as Rose had promised he would be. Hell, he had the skills to do this job in his sleep. He could do mine too. Perhaps one day he'd run this company in my place? I sure as hell didn't want to do it forever. And yet...there was just something about him, about the way he sometimes looked at me that told me he wouldn't be adverse to getting naked with the boss, if propositioned correctly, that was.

In light of that, I'd begun assessing his boundaries, and especially his ability or inclination regarding discretion. My assistants haven't been the only women I'd seduced over the years. I've seduced secretaires, women from other departments, and even women who worked at other companies, some of which were our competitors. Okay, I've been a bit of a scoundrel. I knew this. I've always known this about myself. And yet, I just can't help myself, much like Amy can't help herself either.

I'd arrange my meetings with these various women during times and in places I believed Paul would walk in on us. I wanted him to see me at my worst and to see how he'd react. It also turned me on knowing that he'd see me in various stages of undress, or even flat-out naked. I wanted to see how he'd react to seeing me in such conditions, and if his body would reveal anything relevant or useful to me. In other words, I wanted to see if would be turned on. The problem was that I'd be with a woman and I wouldn't know if it was my companion that aroused him or me. So, I'd started to arrange for him to spend much time with me outside the office as possible. He was my assistant, after all. It was a reasonable request and he'd been more than up for it. So, he became my shadow, following me everywhere, even to our home. Amy, of course, suspected that I was up to something, but played along with my game. She liked Paul, probably more than I did. She babied him by providing him with endless food and drink, decorations for his room, introducing him to her available girlfriends...well the bisexual ones..., and she even provided him his own wi-fi too.

The only good thing was that he showed no interests in the girls, and these were girls who practically threw themselves at him. He'd rebuffed them all, although politely of course. I sure as hell hadn't. I'd fucked every one of them and continued to do so to this very day, and that included the lesbians too. However, that was a story for another occasion. I just didn't want to think about that right now. Paul was too much on my mind.

"Don't worry, if anything comes up they'll let us know." I assured him.

Before long, we were on Highway 90 heading east. I worked in New Orleans but I sure didn't live there. I lived in Long Beach, Mississippi, in an old antebellum-style house that sat across the highway from the beach.

"I love living here." Paul said as we drove through Bay St. Louise. We were nearing the bridge over the bay and I glanced his way and noticed his faraway gaze.

"I do to." I wondered what was going through his mind. "It's ninety. How about a walk on the beach."

"Amy still going to be away for the weekend?"

I couldn't fathom the look he gave me, but I instantly felt the tightness in my crotch. "She's got that seminar in Little Rock. It's a school thing. Her department arranged for her to attend."

"Good." He said silently.

"Good, huh?" I smiled.

"I like her." He said quickly, as if I'd be offended. "It's just that she's a bit..."

"Motherly." I posed.

"Well...not really." His face took on a sheepish blush.

"She comes on to you, doesn't she?"

"Sometimes." He gives and quickly looks away.

"She's a sexual being." I said, hoping my smile would belay his fears and put him at ease. "Always been that way."

"She's bold."

"She's normally chasing after women." I said. "She's probably just evaluating your sexuality."

"Why?"

"Because I've given her enough reasons to." I retorted softly with a deep sigh at the end. "She doesn't trust me, and that goes for men too I might add."

"You like men?"

"There've been some encounters in the past." I noted the shock upon his face. Since he'd seen me with countless women over his three years of employment, I guessed he'd assumed that I was strictly heterosexual. My bad. Now he seemed interested and by that I mean he perked up for the first time since leaving the office. "However, I'm very particular about the men I associate with." I gave him my classic sly smile, the one I gave people anytime I wanted to drop a bombshell of a surprise on them.

"How selective?"

He was on the hook now. I could tell by the way his beautiful blue eyes fell upon me.

I had trouble just keeping the car in my lane. I looked forward. I looked upon the glistening water below us, and the boats that were out for the evening. In the distance, massive columns of cumulous clouds arose over the Sound. Yes, this place was a paradise I reminded myself. And yet, without fail, my eyes moved back to Paul, and then to his lap. There was a subtle hint of something, a slight strain on the fabric. That was what I told myself it was. It could have been a trick of the light or my imagination. Perhaps I'd wanted to see a bulge and that was what my mind fabricated for me, a mere illusion.

We fell into silence for some moments longer. I felt the tension. It was palpable, and confusing. As long as we'd been together, there'd never been tension like this. I wondered if I'd had something to do with it. Had I been too forward, to brash even? By that, I meant with my tests. Had I stirred up something within him that was only now coming to a head?

"What about Sarah?"

"What about her?"

"She's usually coming over." He pointed out.

"She's in Florida for the weekend." I told her.

"Ashley?"

"She's got a girlfriend and they're staying in Ashville, North Carolina...at Biltmore Estates." I reminded him with a confused look. I'd thought I told him that awhile ago. Yes, Ashley. She was still in our lives...well in a roundabout way I should say. She shared my bed, but our relationship too had cooled, and that meant with the both of us. Currently, she was with Tallia, a girl she'd met while in Mobile a few months back. They'd been hot and heavy ever since then, not that Amy cared, nor Sarah. Yea, Alex was right. The whole threesome thing just didn't work out. It lasted a good while, but inevitable it petered out, as she'd predicted. The foursome thing had only created instability and had sped up the process. I didn't blame Alex. I loved her. Amy loved her. Sarah loved her, but not as much as we did. Oh well.

However, Alex had been wrong on one account though. Amy and I didn't divorce after six months, as she'd predicted that day at the overlook years ago. "I think marriage might be in the offing." I added in an offhanded way.

"That doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it?" I glanced at him for a meaning.

His face didn't give one. "Just that I thought you two had something." He said.

That was what amazed me about Paul sometimes, and worried me too. He'd no qualms about our rather unique lifestyle. We'd expected that he'd call us all fools and walk away in disgust. Apparently, his generation was far more tolerable in nature, especially of ones that broke all the mores of society.

"Oh, we did." I replied with a sad nostalgia. "At one point we were inseparable. We couldn't get enough of each other."

"And now?"

"She still gets me hard." I laughed.

He just grinned and looked away. Something clouded his bright eyes. I was determined to discover what that was. "It's all about sex with you, isn't it?"

His tone caught me off guard. It wasn't anger, but it wasn't humorous either. It was more sad than anything.

"I like sex." I said. "It fulfils a rather insatiable need."

"We're in Long Beach." He told me as we came upon the Walmart that sat on the boarder of Pass Christian and Long Beach.

"Yes, home indeed." I affirmed and slapped his leg.

I didn't know why I did that. I've never been this reckless with him before, and yet I allowed my hand to linger. I just couldn't withdraw it. The warmth of him was too alluring, too comforting. He made no effort to force my hand back either. That alone set my loins ablaze, and it didn't help that I'd chosen his upper leg too. My fingers were inches from his thigh and subsequently his crotch.

After a few blocks, we turned and drove down our street. The house was back aways, hidden amongst some live oaks. We could still see the beach and the water. Once I pulled to a stop in front of the garage, I killed the engine and listened to the silence between us. My hand still gripped his leg and he still hadn't made to break our connection.

We couldn't stay this way forever we knew and I finally forced myself to pull my hand away. "I think I'm going to change and head for the beach." He announced.

"Mind if I join you?" I looked at him, as if pleading for him to say yes.

"That's fine." He smiled.

"I'll get some steaks out of the freeze and let them thaw." I told him.

It was our night. Hell, we had the weekend. The whole house was ours alone. And yet, that both thrilled and scared me. How would we fill the hours? How hard should I push for something to happen? How would he respond if I came on to him? My goal for this weekend was to get Paul naked and in my bed. Why? Because as I'd indicated earlier...he was driving me crazy with lustful thoughts. I wanted this young man in the most debased way imaginable. And yet, I had to force myself to acknowledge that it may not happen, not the way I wanted. He may not be into guys at all I reminded myself. And yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was at least open to the concept of being with a man, and particularly being with me. That thought alone kept hope alive as we got out and headed inside.

The steaks were thawing. I'd changed and yet Paul wasn't on the beach with me. He'd gotten a phone call and had told me to go on and that he'd join me when he was finished. So, here I was, sitting in the sand, watching the ripples come ashore in the hot, southerly wind. It was a southeast wind, but who really cared? It was wind and it kept me from burning up. I'd changed into shorts and a t-shirt. As if to press my luck with Paul, I'd skipped the underwear. Who really needed long boxer briefs in this heat anyway? They were hot. I should have gotten the microfiber ones I reprimanded myself for the thousandth time.

"It's hot."

I looked up as Paul plopped himself into the sand beside me. "You knew it would be." I laughed.

"No chairs, huh?"

"They're old and rickety." I said. "Got to get new ones."

"We can get them from Sam's Club tomorrow." He retorted.

"I guess we could" I smiled, knowing that he'd be wanting to do this all weekend. He stayed out here on beach all the time, even in winter sometimes. I should have known this. I was completely off my game today. "I suppose you want your steak medium, huh?"

"Of course." He shook his head and laid back into the sand. "Didn't bring a towel either."

"You never need one." I retorted.

"I supposed sand is better." He grinned.

All the while, I couldn't help but stare at his washboard stomach and noted that he had no hair at all, anywhere on his body...well except for his armpits and head, of course. He always wore t-shirts, which is why I'd never seen him shirtless. Even out on Ship Island, he kept something on. As much as he loved the beach, he went out of his way of avoiding the sun. Well, that was till now it seemed.

Even his legs were cleanly shaved and glistened in the waning evening light. Sweat coated his skin and I had to force myself to not reach out and touch him again. "I booked us passaged to Ship Island for tomorrow morning."

"You did, huh?" I forced my gaze from his body to his face.

"Yep." He replied with a smile. "There's nothing on the itinerary as far as work and the weather is supposed to be perfect."