The Sales Star Ch. 03

An hour later, we were at the resort in Khandala. It was almost 8 PM by then. It was perfectly located with hills in its front and hills on the back with the expressway passing right under the back balconies. Uday and I both got rooms with balconies overlooking the expressway. Uday had already gotten several texts from Sharma reminding him that we were meeting him for dinner in the continental restaurant in the resort at 9:00 p.m. That ugly old lecher was the only fly in the ointment.

"Let's meet the fat bastard for 30-45 minutes." Uday said as I opened the door to my room. "Then I'll come up with an excuse to get rid of him and continue where we left off."

I smiled, and then looked around to make sure the lobby was empty. Then I pulled Uday towards me and planted a long wet kiss on his lips.

"And remember..." Uday said as I stepped into my room. "You don't have to wear the dress I got you. Whatever you feel comfortable in is okay. I'll see you down in the continental restaurant at 9."

I closed the door and plonked my valise and my laptop bag on the bed. It was a well decorated room. I started stripping off my work clothes. Getting fucked by Uday in that remote meadow had gotten me even sweatier. I needed a shower. I got naked and went to the bathroom.

A quick shower later, I came out. Completely naked except for the towel wrapped around my hair, I walked to my valise and opened it. In it were several dresses I had packed as options for this "date night" with Uday. I picked up the first one, a dark blue dress knee length with a plunging neckline and overlapping diagonal patterns below the waist. Tried it on and looked in the mirror. It was good, but not quite perfect. Then the second one, a red backless evening gown that ended a couple of inches above my knee. Manish loved this one. The third was a jade colored figure hugging satin dress with a halter neck. The fourth was a stylish tank top with embroidery and a wrap-around skirt.

I tried all of those on one by one, but wasn't quite satisfied. Then my eyes fell on plastic bag with the dress Uday had got me. I had forgotten all about it. I took out the box, opened it, and picked up the black sequined tube dress. I held it against my naked body and looked in the mirror. Wow, it really was short. Considering my ample bosom, it would show a generous amount of cleavage at the top. And it ended just a couple of inches below my crotch. It's not like I had never worn such skimpy clothes. It's just that I hadn't worn such skimpy clothes in over a decade. No way was I wearing this.

I folded it up to put it back in the bag, when I noticed the smaller box. Oh yes, I thought to myself. There was a second box. I had seen it earlier in Bombay but forgotten all about it. I slipped it out and opened it. It had another velvet covered box inside it. I opened it and saw a beautiful necklace studded with small diamonds.

"Holy shit!" I said and dropped the necklace in shock. I bent down to pick it up, and examined it carefully. They seemed like real diamonds. Uday had spent a fortune on me! He was going all out!

I felt guilty about leading him on. He had told me on not one but two occasions that he loved me. And he had given me this super expensive necklace. And what was I doing in return? Just treating him like a fuck buddy plus sperm donor. No, it wasn't fair. I had to give it back. I could not keep it.

Then I thought a bit more. No, not about keeping the necklace. I couldn't do that. But about wearing the necklace for the night, and returning it to him only when we got back to Bombay. He had put a lot of thought and effort into these gifts. The least I could do was wear them on our special night. So yes, I decided, I would wear the necklace. And I would wear the sequin dress. So what if Sharma stared? Who cared? It would make Uday happy.

Make-up took just five minutes. I am blessed with a complexion that does not require much make-up. Some eye-liner and lipstick and I was set. I straightened my hair with the handheld iron I had packed, and made sure it looked smooth and silky black. Next came the underwear.

The dress looked snug and I didn't want even a trace of panty lines showing. So I picked up the only thong I had and slipped it on. I was not usually a big fan of thongs, but on this occasion, I had no choice. The bra came next. Usually, such a tube dress had some light padding in the bust and could be worn without a bra. But only by women with normal sized breasts. My DD monsters, if kept unshackled, would bring the dress down on their own. But an off-shoulder tube dress meant I could not wear a bra with a strap.

I rummaged through the bras I had packed and found a black half cup with detachable shoulder straps. I removed the straps and hooked on the bra. The cups covered about a third of my boobs, just about hiding my nipples. Without the straps, my jugs pushed hard against the half cups, but stayed confined.

Then I slipped on the dress Uday bought me. It was a snug fit, but not uncomfortably so. I pulled the dress up to cover the bra cups and left about an inch of cleavage on display - alluring and classy without seeming sluttish. The hemline was high for sure, but if I kept my movements elegantly restricted, I would be fine. I put on the necklace, its diamonds resting just above my cleavage. Finally, I slipped on black pencil heel shoes. I usually avoided wearing heels but this was a special occasion and a special dress.

I looked in the mirror and let out a low whistle at how hot I looked. Ketaki, you bombshell, I said to myself. Even at 32, you've still got it. My bust, encased in the strapless bra and the shimmering dress looked prominent and appealing. The necklace seemed to draw attention to the cleavage. I turned around to look at my butt. That looked great too, thanks to the heels! I hoped no random romeos tried to pinch it tonight. It was all for Uday. I stood there admiring myself for a couple of minutes more. Then reminding myself to dress up a lot more even when with Manish, I decided to get going. It was just five minutes to 9. I picked up a small black handpurse, put my cellphone and some other necessities in it, and walked out of the room.

As I walked to the elevator, I passed a busboy and two male guests, all of whom gave me lingering glances before politely looking away. Yes, I was turning heads! In the elevator, I rode with two elderly women, of whom one gave me a dirty look, and the other smiled at me and said I looked pretty.

Walking out of the elevator on the ground floor, I crossed the lobby and headed towards the restaurant. Every head, male and female, seemed to be turning to check me out. It was not an entirely unfamiliar experience. In my late teens and early college years, I had gone through a phase where I wore super short clothes. But once I got serious about my career, I started dressing professionally. I didn't want my looks to undermine my intellect and ability. I wanted to be a go-getter not a bimbo. So it had been almost a decade since I wore something this revealing.

The feeling was oddly empowering. I wasn't really insecure about my looks or my body. I was just.... I guess so secure that I had stopped thinking of it as an issue or something to flaunt. I dressed well and worked out to keep looking good. But the dressed-to-kill part of me had been devoted to Manish. This dress reminded me of how I still had what it takes.

I walked into the restaurant and saw Uday standing near the hostess with Sharma. He looked so hot with hair hair gelled, a thin gray shirt that hinted at his awesome chest, and black jeans. Uday, that is, not Sharma. Sharma was wearing nondescript shirt-and-trousers with what seemed like a new blazer. He looked as ugly as ever, but I noticed he has dyed the remnants of his hair.

The two men noticed me walk towards them. Uday's face lit up at the sight of me wearing the dress and the necklace. He smiled at me and nodded approvingly. I smiled back and stood next to him.

"Wow Ketaki! You look very beautiful!"

That praise was in Sharma's voice. I looked at him. Sure enough, he had elevated his lecherous look to stratospheric creepy heights. His mouth was open, his tongue hanging out a bit, and his wide eyes were focused firmly on my chest. Despite being used to his roving eye, I felt annoyed at how blatantly he was staring.

"Thanks." I politely said and turned my eyes back to Uday.

"Divine... absolutely divine!" Uday said, took a step forward and pecked me on the cheek. I smelled his heavenly cologne as his lips caressed my cheek, and involuntarily, I blushed. I wished Sharma wasn't there, so I could just take Uday back to my room and squeeze every living sperm out of him. Sharma had a meaningful, almost playful smile as he watched Uday and me. Suddenly, I wished Uday hadn't kissed me, even if it was on the cheek. I didn't want to get the rumor mills started.

"Your table is ready, Sir." a waiter approached us. "this way please."

"After you." Sharma extended his hand towards me. I followed the waiter, with Sharma and Uday behind me. I could almost sense Sharma's gaze burrowing into my ass as I walked. Instinctively, I made sure the hemline was down.

The waiter took us past some tables, a couple of fancy fish tanks, and a fountain. We then passed a jazz band playing in front of a small dancing floor. Past it, we walked into what seemed like the farthest corner of the restaurant. There, the waiter pointed us to a semi-circular booth. I got in, slid to the center, and immediately regretted doing it. It meant that although Uday would be on one side of me, Sharma would be on the other. If we had gotten a regular table, Uday and I could have sat on one side with the buffer of the table between me and Sharma. But now, he would be right next to me.

Uday sat to my left, and Sharma to my right. As soon as Uday sat, I slid as close to him as possible without being in his lap. For a moment, it seemed like Sharma would slide closer to me as well, but he didn't. He sat there, and addressing my cleavage, said

"So nice of you two to come."

"Thanks for having us over." Uday said and I nodded, wondering if the double entendre in Sharma's comment was intentional.

"I am sure the bosses will approve your pitch." Sharma said, still talking to my boobs. How shameless was this man? I was used to his gawking but this was getting too much. I threw Uday a quick disgusted glance.

I don't know exactly how Uday interpreted my look. He had noticed Sharma's leer too. So what he did next seemed like a "back off" sign. Uday put his right arm around my back and grabbed my right shoulder. I felt a tiny shiver as his fingers grabbed my bare skin.

"Both of us are very excited about the prospect."

Sharma noticed Uday's pull me closer and gave him a wide smile displaying his yellow teeth. The implication in the look was obvious. What Uday had just done wasn't something you do to a female colleague with whom you have a strictly professional relationship. Sharma's smile implied that he had concluded that Uday and I were having an affair. How dare he, I thought to myself. I mean yes, we were having an affair, but who was Sharma to chuckle at it?

If Uday's gesture was meant to assert some sort of territorial dominance, it didn't work. Even with Uday's arm around my shoulder, Sharma kept staring at me. He would have kept staring if the waiter hadn't interrupted. He introduced himself, handed us the menus, and rattled off the day's specials.

"Anything to drink, sir?"

I always find it annoying how waiters at even the fanciest restaurants in India treat the males in the party as the only decision makers. In my occasional travels to Europe and America, I hadn't seen this chauvinistic attitude among the wait staff. But in incredible India, it was always "Sir" who got asked such questions, not the "Mam".

"Champagne! We should have champagne!" Sharma almost leaped up.

"Great idea!" Uday said. "We should celebrate the beginning of a beautiful relationship."

As he said that, Uday gently pressed my shoulder. It did not escape Sharma's notice, who flashed that all-knowing smile again. He looked at the menu and ordered a bottle of some exotic sounding champagne. I checked the menu and saw it cost 11,000 rupees! Wow! This was going to take some justifying with the accountants in our company, no matter how big an account Zincorp was. As if reading my mind, Sharma said,

"Tonight's bill is on us at Zincorp."

"No way! You're the client!" Uday protested. "We'll take care of it."

The two of them had a short pleasant argument about who would foot the bill, which concluded with Sharma winning. He also ordered a couple of appetizers to go with the champagne and the waiter left.

"Sharmaji, why don't you tell us a bit about all the people we will be meeting tomorrow."

"Sure. Let's start with Mr. Winston, the Global VP for operations...."

As Sharma started talking, I felt Uday's right hand come off my shoulder. He put it under the table and soon I felt it on my left thigh. I almost jumped in surprise, because he grabbed my thigh hard. Sharma hadn't noticed it because the table hid it from his sight.

As Sharma droned on, Uday's fingers slowly moved up the inside of my thigh until they reached the hem of my dress. I struggled to keep a neutral impression as the fingers then reached under the dress, pushing the hemline up. In a few seconds, Uday's fingers were at my thong. He moved the fingers around the edges, and must have realized I had wearing a thong. He gently pressed his index finger against my clit, and then took his hand away.

Sharma was still talking, seemingly oblivious to what Uday had just done. He still threw the occasional glance at my face and my chest. I suppressed a coy smile as Uday ran the back of his fingers against my thigh again and took his hand away. Soon the waiter returned with the champagne and appetizers. The three of us clinked our champagne flutes and raised a toast to Zincorp. I took a couple of sips. It was very smooth and rich champagne, deserving of its price tag.

"The tequila shots." Uday said to the waiter and then turning to Sharma. "Tequila chasers are great with champagne."

I tasted one of the appetizers, a goat cheese bruschetta, and took another sip of the champagne. Sharma had already emptied his flute and the waiter rushed to refill it. As he continued to talk about the big bosses, I almost jumped out of my skin. Something really cold touched my thigh. I realized that Uday, without anyone noticing, had taken an ice cube out of the champagne bucket and was running it up and down my thigh. I squirmed a little, resisting the urge to giggle as the cold ice tickled my skin. And then Uday almost made me lose it as he put his fingers under my dress again and pressed the ice against the crotch of my thong.

I shivered visibly, and Sharma interrupted his monologue and asked,

"Are you okay, Ketaki?"

Uday immediately took the nice cube away from me and I felt relieved.

"Yes. Just felt a cold draft." I said. "Please continue. You were talking about the CFO."

Sharma stared at me, then at Uday whose face wore a coy smile. Sharma smiled meaningfully and then continued talking. The waiter returned with a tequila bottle, three shot glasses, ice and lemon. We each took a shot, and the tequila burned down my throat. It had been ages since I did tequila shots. These days I stuck to mixed drinks or wines.

"Refill!" Uday said, and the waiter complied. I took the shot again, and didn't suck on the lemon wedge this time.

In a couple of minutes, I felt the tequila's effects. I hadn't anything since lunch other than a couple of bites of the appetizers. And I always get buzzed very easily on an empty stomach. Sharma was still droning on, but with some alcohol inside me, I didn't find his voice as grating as I usually did. I just sat back and listened, looking forward to the time he would leave us alone.

"Oh I love this song." Uday said and slipped out of the booth. "Dance with me."

I took his hand and followed him to the dance floor, glad to be able to spend some time with him without Sharma hovering around. Uday put his arms around my back and I put my hands on his shoulders as we danced to the intoxicating sax number.

"Every pair of eyes is on you." Uday whispered in my ear. I looked around, noticed that indeed was the case, and blushed.

"You almost made me lose it with that ice cube." I said in mock anger.

"Haha, sorry about that." Uday said as he swiveled me around. "You have no idea how difficult it is to keep my hands off you tonight."

"I appreciate the sentiment. But could you try to keep them off while Sharma is around?"

"Oh, who cares about Sharma or anyone else? You need to stop caring so much about what other people think."

And then as if to make his point, Uday drew me close and planted a long wet hard kiss on my lips. The kiss melted my protests away. I hugged Uday and felt his muscular back with my fingers. A handful of people dancing around us noticed us amorousness and started staring. But Uday was right. Why should I care about them? I looked into the eyes of a frowning woman and kissed Uday even harder. Uday responded by putting one hand on my butt and cupping it gently. I realized I was actually feeling a bit turned on, making out in public like this.

Finally the song ended and Uday broke the kiss. We walked back to the table where Sharma was wearing an even leerier grin. He had obviously seen what Uday and I had been up to. It was now confirmed that we were more than just colleagues.

I slipped back into my seat to find a glass full of fuzzy liquid in front of me.

"I ordered us all some vodka and sprite." Sharma explained.

Not a bad choice. I wasn't a big fan of hard liquor, but vodka and sprite always agreed with him. I took a sip and was surprised at how strong it was. Must have been a double drink or as they call it here in India, Patiala peg. I had already had one champagne and two shots of tequila. This strong drink would get me beyond just buzzed and teetering on drunk territory. Which, I decided, was not such a bad thing. I always enjoyed sex a l more when drunk. Manish often commented how much more aggressive and responsive I was in bed when drunk. Maybe it helped lower the inhibitions soldered onto the mind of any attractive Indian woman raised by protective parents.

I had already gulped down half the drink when the waiter appeared for our main course ordered. I ordered poached salmon, and both the men ordered lamb chops. Uday also told the waiter to bring us three vodka martinis, his favorite drink, when our current drinks finished.

The conversation turned to the state of the industry and the economy. It was mainly Sharma and Uday doing the talking. I was sitting there, feeling the vodka strengthen its grip over me, fantasizing about riding Uday very soon. Uday must have guessed from my face that I was daydreaming about him. even as he kept talking about some upcoming IPO or other, he put his hand on my thigh. His fingers traced the familiar path under my dress and to the top of my thigh.

But this time, it went further. I felt him slide his fingers inside the side of my thong front and gently flick my clit. I let out a sharp sigh, and Sharma glanced at me. From where he was sitting, he couldn't see Uday's hand, but he clearly suspected something. Fortunately, he just threw me a curious look and resumed the mundane conversation with Uday.

Uday started gently rubbing my clit in a circular motion, and I was overcome with a feeling of arousal and panic. I tried to push his hand away but it stubbornly resisted and continued to do what it was doing. Uday's mouth seemed to have no inkling of what his hand was doing because it continued to talk to Sharma about boring stuff. I made a couple more attempts to push Uday's hand away but failed.