The Protégé Pt. 02

I took the seat next to her and the next several hours seemed to fly by. We talked about my role, my office and the process for getting set up with HR on Monday. The itinerary for the next four months looked nearly filled. My mind boggled at the sight of a trip to Paris in two weeks. I had hoped I would be part of it.

"Paris?" I asked almost subconsciously.

"Yes, there is a series of fashion shows and it gives the opportunity to meet with several of the CEO's and CFO's of the major players in the industry. We've been working with several major designers about managing their global pension and retirement accounts. Not to mention plenty of good food and wine. Have you been there before?" she asked.

I wanted to say yes to sound travelled and sophisticated, but that was a firm no. "Unfortunately, not," I said with a hopeful tone.

"You're gonna love it, although there won't be much sightseeing. It will be a busy week, but maybe we can head over a day early and have some down time."

I tried not to sound too excited, "That would be great, how much do you manage in investments from the fashion and apparel world?"

"We manage just over 10.2 billion dollars in that segment, not counting the retailers," she answered with remarkable speed.

I imagined all the business segments they were in, and it was impressive that she had that number in her head. We talked for hours on investment strategies, marketing efforts and client development. She never once for the remainder of the weekend mentioned anything about Friday night's events.

We completely forgot about eating until almost 10:30 PM. I pulled together a wine, cheese and fruit buffet from the three-door commercial refrigerator in her kitchen and we continued talking until around midnight. Other than the occasional distraction of a whiff of her perfume and the image of the pink diamond popping into my head, I was in complete control of myself.

The next day, during the morning run, the damage I did to myself with my chronic masturbation made its presence known. The pain kept my mind from drifting. It's hard to get aroused when your Hoo Hoo is on fire. I did manage to win the race again, but at much personal discomfort.

By the time we got to the weight room, I just wanted to soak in a warm tub and not move. She again showed me; I had a long way to go before I could hold my own in there.

We were back in New York by 3:00PM and she told me to be in by 7:00AM the next morning. I had texted Ghalib when we left The Hamptons, and again when we were landing. He was there to receive me at the helipad.

"Greetings Ms. Carmichael," he said, taking my bags at the chopper and carrying them to the car. He spoke loud enough for Cynthia to hear and I gave him a subtle nod of approval.

"Hello Ghalib, I'll be going home, but I will need you bright and early tomorrow, will that be doable?" I asked in my best professional tone.

"Certainly, I am at your service Ms. Carmichael." he said, opening the door.

I waved to Cynthia as she climbed in her limo, cell phone to her ear.

Ghalib climbed in and closed the door. "Did it go well?" he asked with a smile.

The look of concern on my face was obvious. "I think so. But I may have allowed the setting to get the better of me. She was very nice, believe it or not, and a gracious host. I'm afraid I may have come across as too comfortable around her."

"I'm sure you did fine Alecia. You are too smart and savvy, and I saw the way she looked at you when she said goodbye. She was happy and contented. She knows she made a good choice." he looked at me through the rearview mirror.

He flirted with me on the ride home. If Aunt Scarlet weren't in town and I hadn't abused myself, I would have seriously had my way with him. It surely would help drive the snapshot of her nude pleasure diamond from my head. Instead, I did not acknowledge his attempts and gave him a professional good night.

The fair was $22 but I gave him $130. "Thanks again for Friday. I completely forgot to pay you."

"This, is too..."

"5:30 tomorrow morning. Thanks again, you're a lifesaver." I smiled and closed the door.

He jumped out and pulled my bags out of the trunk.

"Let me h..."

"I got it thanks," I picked them up and entered the building without looking back.

I felt bad about giving him the cold shoulder, but my mind was elsewhere. Back in the new apartment, I called mom and dad, and planned out my attire for the next day. I gave them a brief review of events and cut them off when the questions continued.

"Oh my, that's amazing. Tell me what she's like. I want to hear every detail," said Mom excitedly.

"Sorry mom, I gotta go and get ready for my first day. I'll try to call tomorrow, love you," I said, hanging up.

After much thought, I decided to wear a smart grey skirt suit with a powder blue blouse and navy high heels. I unpacked a few things, then reviewed the calendar and notes I recorded. Then I organized my apartment and readjusted the contents of cabinets and drawers to modify what the movers had done. I was generally impressed with how they had things arranged but needed to get a few items in the order I was used too. I did see some areas where I preferred the way they arranged things.

"I guess I'm not too set in my ways," I said to no one.

I sat in my kitchen looking out the window. It suddenly hit home; I'm living in my own Manhattan apartment working for Cynthia Freakin' Liebert! When I went to bed, I feared excitement might prevent me from falling asleep, but the calm of my own place with no one else around did the trick. It probably didn't hurt that I came six times this weekend. I fell fast asleep quickly and the alarm woke me from a deep sleep.

I didn't exercise Monday morning since it was my first day and I wanted to be ready for anything. In the cab ride to work, it occurred to me that Cynthia probably worked out this morning. She wouldn't let the first day on a new job stop her...I promised myself, tomorrow for sure. The image of her ass in those yoga pants came to mind. The sweat soaking through...

Unfortunately that brought the picture of the beautiful diamond to the forefront of my brain, like an HD picture. The hairless diamond of warm moist silky sexiness refused to leave my brain. My inner voice screamed, snapping me out of it, "You can't do this anymore Alecia!"

Ghalib told me he needed down time this evening, but offered another cabby he knew. I told him, "No Ghalib, If you're not available, I'll just get any old cabby to get me home."

"Promise no Uber or Lyft?" he said, only half kidding.

"I promise, you're talking to queen old school here. No Uber."

I arrived about 30 minutes early and security was expecting me. They connected me with the HR Director, Stephanie Wilson. She was an attractive motherly type in her 40's with a grey business jacket and skirt. Her brown hair was in a bun. She escorted me to the 42nd floor to fill out paperwork. I was absolutely amazed at the amount there was to do, including a personality test, background checks and applications for the job, insurance and medical background. By lunch time it was still not done, so Stephanie took me to the cafeteria and we ate together.

It was nearly 2:00PM when I was walked to Cynthia's office. She was on the speaker phone and motioned me in. She pointed to the chair in front of her desk. I took a seat and listened to her on a conference call with her team of analysts discussing investment strategies and stock valuations. It was fascinating to observe and listen to the team interact. I wanted so much to jump into the conversation, but held back, not wanting to step on any toes on day one.

Cynthia seemed to notice my excitement and gave me a smile. I got to observe her interaction with the team and got the sense she really was a nice person. It was such a pleasant surprise that someone of her success and stature was not an iron fisted leader but had an ability to truly connect with those that worked for her. When the call ended, she looked at me and smiled.

"So, you made it through the HR gauntlet. That's a good sign. What did you think of the call?" she asked sincerely.

"Sounds like a great team. I loved the team atmosphere and the energy was great. I just can't tell you how happy I am for this opportunity. I promise you won't regret taking a chance on me."

"I think I have a winner, if you were in with Bill Richards. Bring your chair around and we'll dive into the calendar," she said, tapping the desk next to her. "Bring the laptop."

I rolled the chair around next to hers, opened my laptop and sat next to her. The scent of her perfume sent a tingle through me that was hard to describe. The honeysuckle spice scent invoked the image of her naked ass and the magic diamond.

"Please don't!" my inner voice screamed, but my mind had now linked the scent of her perfume to the image that haunted me.

I imagined sliding between her legs as her naked ass beckoned me, face homing in on the beautiful pink diamond, tongue wiggling into that faint gap between her labia. I could almost feel the tip of my nose tickle her tight little sphincter as my tongue worked deeper...

"Are you still with me Ms. Carmichael?" she asked, her head tilted, looking me in the eyes. "Everything OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine..." I said, snapping out of it. "It just dawned on me where I am and who I'm with." I said, smiling and trying to act like I was not losing my mind.

My dream had come true, but now, all I could think about was shoving my nose in her ass!

She smiled and gazed into my eyes with her head still tilted. "You are...refreshing Ms. Carmichael. I like your enthusiasm."

She looked back at her computer and I noticed her hair was combed straight in a ponytail, revealing her subtle neck. As I thought about gently kissing it, I stopped and forced myself to concentrate.

"IT has our calendars synched. You are now my right-hand Ms. Carmichael so it's important you have this memorized for at least the week and keep me on track. Meetings in Paris start Monday. Your first trip, so we need to go early for some sightseeing. Can you leave Friday?" she looked at me with piercing blue eyes.

"Yes!" I said emphatically.

After an uncomfortable pause, I realized I was staring into her eyes. I turned my head back to the computer screen while I gained control of my breathing.

"Great, call Jet The World and set up flights. We'll leave Friday at 7PM New York time and return the following Thursday 7PM Paris time. Then book us a two-bedroom suite at The Hôtel De Sers Champs Elysées Paris. Watch Shelia at Jet The World, she'll try to overcharge. Remind her how much business we do. Let me introduce you around first and then I'll show you to your office so you can make the arrangements." she said, standing up and walking toward the door.

I shoved my laptop into my shoulder bag and followed.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Ms. Alecia Carmichael. She is my new Executive Assistant. You should have received an e-mail announcement about her. We are very fortunate to have her with us, so please welcome her as full member of the team. She will assume Suzan's office so please feel free to introduce yourselves to her at your leisure. Now let's get to work for our clients," She smiled and lead me to my new office.

It was an impressive office with a window, right next to hers. There was a large desk with file cabinets and work cubby behind it. There was also a large round table with six chairs and small couch and coffee table. There was a docking station for the laptop and triple monitor system with external keyboard and mouse. It was quite impressive.

"This is it Ms. Carmichael, I hope it meets your needs. Let me know if you need anything. I have a call with..."

"Gavin Johnson from GM," I chimed in, "and then a meeting with the marketing team at 4:00PM. Will you need me for that?"

She gave an approving grin, "Yes, it will give you the opportunity to meet them and get up to speed."

"Great and I will make the reservations and review your schedule in more detail." I said enthusiastically. "How many will be on the flight; will I need reservations for anyone else?"

"Just you and I Ms. Carmichael. We will need the G280 Exec. It will accommodate a few more if we want to add someone later." she said on her way out the door. "Thanks, and welcome aboard!"

Having no idea what a charter jet actually should cost, I got on line and found a couple websites that gave estimated costs between $100,000 and $140,000.

Then, I called Sheila at Jet The World and she initially quoted $113,000 for the round trip. I gasped audibly, before rebounding and engaging her.

"Sheila, please don't make me go through the process of shifting our business to Net Jet. We use you because of your customer service and attention to detail. I spoke to Net Jet before I called and I can save $20,000 going with them on this trip alone. What do you think I could save on a package for all our business. Think about the volume of business we bring you and call me back with your best price, thank you." I hung up before she could respond.

I proceeded to the travel agent to get the hotel booked. As I hung up, I thought we were fortunate to have a room available with such short notice. I decided I had better look at upcoming trips and book hotels sooner so I could be sure we did not run into issues of hotels being overbooked.

As I reviewed the calendar, I received a call from Sheila. "Hello, Alecia Carmichael speaking."

"Hi Alecia, this is Sheila for Jet The World. I have some good news. We were able to shift some bookings and more efficiently fill the schedule for the G280 Exec. Based on your business level with us, we are able to offer the round trip for $89,500."

"Thank you Sheila, much better." I said confidently. "I would like to meet with you soon to talk about a longer term exclusive agreement for all our business."

"That sounds great. Do you want to put something on the calendar?" She asked politely.

"I'll call you soon to set it up. Thanks again Sheila.

After hanging up, I sent a note to Cynthia with the initial and the final price. She responded with a quick note saying, "Great Job!".

And thus began my new career, with a week of early mornings and late evenings. I did not communicate with any family or friends, and as I boarded the Jet at Teterboro Friday, I realized no one knew where I was going. Unsure what to pack, I had overpacked and had 2 large suitcases.

An attendant came out to greet me. "I can take your luggage," said the young man with a tight vest and long-sleeved shirt. He took them and loaded them into the luggage compartment.

The jet was incredible. It had about 10 seats as you would expect, similar to the standard commercial airline ,with single file seats on either side with an isle down the middle. Behind them was a round meeting table with 4 chairs anchored to the floor, and a doorway that led to a rest room and bunk bed sleeping chambers with curtains and beds for four people.

She was already on board when I arrived at 6:50PM. She was seated at the table with her laptop open.

"Good evening, Ms. Carm... I suppose I can call you Alecia since we are not in the office and it's just the two of us," she said, smiling and closing the laptop.

The attendant came out from the back of the plane. " Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll have what she's having." I pointed at the wine glass sitting next to Cynthia.

"Chardonnay coming right up," he stepped into the back again.

"I will not overindulge this time, I promise," I said, sitting at the table.

She smiled and held up her glass, "I'll drink to that. But seriously, thanks for arranging dinner on the flight. I plan to eat as soon as we are up and, then get a few hours' sleep. We should get in about 2:30 or 3:00. our time or 8:30 AM Paris Time, we can check in and get another 1-2 hours sleep before sightseeing. Then if we stay up late, it will help get us acclimated to Paris time."

"Sounds great, I can't believe we're going to Paris!" I said as my wine arrived. "Cheers, to new adventures!"

"The first of many, I hope. I was thinking we could start with the Louvre, and the tower, and then I know a great little place for dinner. True French home cooking. Duck confit to die for, Bouillabaisse, Steak Frites, It amazing." she said with anticipation.

I barely had the chance to sip my wine when it was time to taxi. No security, no waiting. We were off by 7:05 after downing my wine. We talked about the meeting for next week and within 20 minutes were sitting at the table for grilled Mahi Mahi and a vegetable dish that was amazing.It was topped of with a small strawberry tart for dessert and some after dinner cognac.

She asked me about my life and childhood, sounding truly interested. We shared stories of boyfriends, though mine were few and never really serious. She talked about her high school sweetheart and how it ended abruptly when they went to opposite coasts for college.

Her eye held perfect contact to mine. The week had been so busy I had not had much time to reflect on last weekend's events. She had never mentioned anything about Friday night, so I wrote it off as a drunken mistake that she either didn't recall or was too embarrassed to acknowledge. The overwhelming amount of information I had taken in this week managed to push those thoughts aside for the most part, but looking in her piercing blue eyes sent a tingle through my body that startled me. I took a deep breath and her perfume hit me, then the image of the pink diamond between her legs...

"I have to admit with all my success, I sometimes wonder if letting him get away was the biggest mistake of my life," she said, not breaking eye contact.

"His loss, I would say." I said and looked away.

I wanted to take her in my arms and comfort her.

"You are right! He could have come with me. Time flies, we should try to get some rest," she said, looking at her watch. "Johnny can you get the bottom bunks ready and give us some privacy?"

My heart raced for a brief moment. Privacy. Could she be implying some secret intent... I pushed those thoughts aside. After a moment Johnny came up front.

"Beds are ready ladies, pleasant dreams." He walked past us and cleared the way to the back.

We closed the door behind us. Cynthia grabbed a small overnight bag and went toward the bathroom. "I didn't think to tell you to bring sleeping clothes. Yours are down below... Let me see." She reached in the bag and rummaged, before pulling out some gym shorts and a T-shirt. "You can borrow these if you like."

"Thank you that would be great," I replied, thankfully.

"Here you go, you can have the restroom if you like." She handed me the clothes.

I put them on, folding my clothes as neatly as I could. I checked myself in the mirror before I exited the tiny bathroom.

She stood with her back to me in a lacey black string tank top with matching shorts. The strings formed an x on her upper back between her shoulder blades that were completely exposed above the top of the tank top. The material was slight translucent with the exception of the lower two inches that was a more decorative and wider mesh, revealing her tan skin.

The bottoms followed the same pattern, translucent enough to highlight the crack of her ass with the bottom two inches revealing the skin of her upper thigh through the frilly lace. I tried not to stare but I wanted so much to touch that ass while I planted kisses between her shoulder blades and moved up toward her neck.

When she turned, the top revealed her belly button through the lace. I wanted to kiss around it and feel her soft underbelly against my lips. My mouth was agape as I saw the skin of her thighs peeking through the bottom band of lace. What was happening to me? I wondered. A week ago, I never had these thoughts and now they haunt me.