Scene 37

With each step Jacqueline could hear the sound of her heels announcing her presence as she rolled her hips, the tall heeled booties added to the sway she moved with. Not all women moved with a natural wiggle as they walked, their wider hips made it more common, but for Jacqueline it was a learned behavior. Something she started to do to blend in with the other administrative staff that she had admired for such a long time. It wasn’t something she had to really think about anymore and if someone asked she wouldn’t be able to say when the act to blend in became normal. Right now she walked into work with her head held high with her hand clasped with her lover. She gave a little wave to the pretty girl at reception, unable to stop for a chat after taking longer than she should have to get ready.

Taking the elevator up she thought about her morning was going to go, trying to make a mental checklist. ‘Get Mr. Dunn his coffee, give him a blow job and then… Well maybe Linc will see him first so I will go in after and then come out and take care of Linc in the supply closet like he wanted and…” The smile on her face faltered as she thought about the order of sexually pleasing some of the men in her life, all of it something she knew she had to do, but it felt incredibly wrong to want to do it. ‘Why am I making plans on who to blow?” Jackson thought, revolted at his own thoughts. Having a cock in his mouth wasn’t his idea of a good time, but part of him couldn’t escape the idea of feeling Dunn getting hard, his cock pressing into his gear as he sat on the larger man’s lap didn’t give him a little thrill at physical desire that was directed at him. With a shake of his head, Jackson tried to clear the thought away, unsure how to deal with the opposing thoughts.

“You okay?” Lincoln asked, seeing his fiancé’s bottle blonde hair spill about as she shook her head.

“Yeah… just trying to wake up. Need to get my fix, ya know? I mean...” A blush came to his cheeks from embarrassment, and quickly moved to clarify. “Coffee I mean.” The knowledge that Lincoln couldn’t see inside his mind about the intrusive thoughts of what the morning held not really coming into play.

Soon enough Jackson was standing beside his desk, storing his purse and was about to move off to start his morning duties with getting coffee when he stopped, turned around and gave Linc a quick peck on the lips. The act itself, not giving him a second thought or feeling after the two of them doing so much more together and the repetition of such actions. It was when he got into the break room that he found extra attention poured on him.

Walking into the small room that had a gaggle of other administrative assistants, he was going to wait his turn and get two mugs of coffee for once, remembering to get something for himself. Standing there waiting, listening to the other girl’s talk he didn’t even consider oh his mind used the term other, as he considered himself part of the group. The office gossip with the backdrop of the smell of coffee feeling like a slice of normalcy. That was when he work friend came into the room and drew every eye to the two of them.

Tabitha the five foot nothing girl that dressed more like she wanted a few men’s attention than to do any work tossed her hands into the air as she squealed in delight at seeing her friend back at the office. “There you are!” The natural blonde exclaimed. Her giving Jacqueline a light hug before pulling back, but still holding onto her friends arms as she took her in. “And there you are.” She said adding extra emphasis to the word there when she looked at her friend’s chest.

Jackson wanted to give the sexy woman a flat look, but he couldn’t help smiling as she took him in and like the smile he couldn’t help looking her over. Today she was wearing a houndstooth, black and white patterned mini pencil skirt, suntan nylons that had a light shine to them, a crisp white sleeveless blouse with faux pearl buttons and a pair of stiletto hidden platform heels that elevated her five foot self, up to a good five foot six or seven. Jackson wasn’t sure how she walked in them, let alone worked in them. If he could sleep with anyone at the office it would be this girl, he couldn’t help feeling aroused when she hugged him and tried not to think about a similar feeling that tickled the edges of his mind when thinking about how excited others were getting at his own presence.

Tab was someone he wanted to bed, but she didn’t see him as anything other than another girl that was a friend, a blow he had taken to his ego before. Jackson had made peace with that and even if he was somehow to get lucky with her when things went back to the way they were it wasn’t like he could have a relationship with the woman. She would be way too high maintenance for him, the pretty Lillian at the front desk that he had waved at he thought would be a better fit.

“Wait.” Tabitha said, looking at her friend some more. She had a critical eye and a bit of a judgmental eye and had picked up on another change. It was just a piece of jewelry, a ring, something she didn’t really see Jacqueline wearing. This ring also happened to be on her left hand’s ring finger. “OH MY GOD! You didn’t! HE DIDN’T!? OH MY GOD HE DID and you SAID YES!?”

Feeling all the eyes of the office girls on him a bit of a crimson blush shone through the makeup on Jackson’s face. The woman was overly excited and couldn’t help feeling it too, something about Tab was always contagious. The way she could pull him into a conversation about something he didn’t want to listen to, let alone participate in, was done with little effort. Now that meant he held up his left hand, his wrist flipped up to show off the rose gold ring with tiny diamonds and the aquamarine gem at its center. “I said yes…” He said in a half whisper that came off like he was a coy shy girl. The memory of saying exactly that ran through his mind, how his friend promised to always be there for him, to always be best friends. How that best friend had wrapped his arm around his thin corseted waist before they kissed and the joyous feeling of being wanted, accepted with the promise to stay.

Quickly the room was abuzz with chatter, everyone seemingly talking at once, Jacqueline hearing people congratulate her, asking if her man had a brother. The gaggle of young attractive women around her felt a little suffocating, but the smile her face held firm and even grew. Most if not all of these women wouldn’t have given her the time of day not long ago and here they were asking about help with their relationships. A lot was said that she missed, but one comment drew Jacqueline’s attention.

“She is marrying Abraham? Lucky…” Someone said before they were corrected by someone else that Jacqueline couldn’t get a good look at.

“No it is some other guy, an intern I think.”

“Why would she marry someone else when she already has her hooks in that hunk?” The first voice said.

“Well she has her hooks in a few men from what I understand.” Jacqueline was aghast at the hand motion the young woman was making that insinuated she was giving blow jobs. The fact that she was doing just that only made it worse, because people knew or at least suspected. The rumor that she was sleeping with Abe was the really bothering part to her though. ‘He is a good man, I hope these bitches are spreading these lies.’

“Excuse me.” Jacqueline said, feeling a bit overwhelmed at all the positive feedback and disgusted at the rumors that were being said about her. “I need to get Mr. Dunn his coffee.”

When she had left Lincoln turned his head to watch Jacqueline walk away. Lincoln had a wide smirk on his face after getting the quick kiss, a tiny sign of her affection for him. He couldn’t help thinking about how not long ago he was standing here, just outside Alexander Dunn’s office, pacing around and ready to fall on the sword for his friend after tricking them into believing there was a gender swap day with a large prize. How in this same spot he had found out that his friend had told their boss that they were dating. Getting a free lunch out of it was nice and it was no wonder Jackson had brushed off everything he had to say about them thinking he was trans when he wasn’t. How he had told his friend that it was discrimination, and how they had said they tried to get out of it, but they were stuck. It had all been an excuse, an excuse to explore who they really were, an excuse to rope him into it so that they could pretend to have the man they wanted. It felt good where things ended up, but it had been a chaotic and confusing trek.

Moving up to the door behind and to the side of Jacqueline’s desk Lincoln wrapped his knuckles on the hard wood door a few times, waiting for an answer before opening and entering a room that he mostly thought of as a lion’s den. The idea that this would soon be his office, after practically living in a double cubicle felt strange enough that this felt more like a dream. Though he could say the same for the last few weeks of his life.

“Ah! Good day Hatchet!” Alexander said when he saw the man that was to become one of his chess pieces. ‘From pawn to rook.’

“Yes…” While the tone of the bearded man was friendly, the fact that he got his name wrong made Lincoln feel like he didn’t really matter, at least not enough to be remembered. All the training and networking sessions he had been part of had made him forget about how Dunn had said at the beginning that nothing was set in stone. This made his stomach start to feel uneasy, like it might if he was on a rollercoaster or at least about to go on one if he was afraid of heights. In that scenario he had been promised a severance package, but still he couldn’t help adding up everything he spent recently. The engagement ring he had only put a deposit on, but he would have monthly payments and couldn’t imagine having a conversation with Jacqueline about returning the ring. She had said that he needed to stay away from Maddy because she would kill him or chew him up and spit him out, the exact phrasing changed and now it very well might happen if he took things back from her sister. Then there was the price of the date itself, the live band, the city permit to get them to even be allowed there at night. “Umm Its Hatch sir, my name I mean. Lincoln Hatch, remember?”

Alexander cocked his head ever so slightly to the side and held up his index finger. His blue eyes drilling into the man in front of him. “So it is, my apologies, not truly awake yet, my assistant hasn’t brought me my coffee yet.” The lie came from his lips as easy as any other. He had been awake for hours, had already gone to the gym, swam in the heated pool before showing and coming here. “Have a seat and let’s start the hard conversation.”

The man’s words caused Lincoln to swallow hard, sitting down on one of the two chairs on his side of the desk. Reaching up he pinched the bridge of his nose, letting his eyes stay closed after a blink for almost most two seconds. ‘Here it comes.’

Adjusting how he was sitting, Dunn leaned forward, elbows on his desk and fingers bridged together. “So this is how things are going to play out. Trip Salizar, my boss, plans to retire at the end of next month. He has not made an announcement yet, leaving that up to my discretion as it is now official, paperwork signed and notarized that I will be taking up his position as the next President of Mega Corp’s Florida branch.”

“Congratulations sir.” Lincoln said, still trying to brace for the news that he would not be filling the man’s shoes when he exited his current position. ‘It only makes sense, I’m not qualified.’ He told himself.

“Yes.” Alexander nodded at his employee in acknowledgment. “That leaves you a bit in the lurch.” He waved his hand in Lincoln’s general direction, his eyes looking off to the side at one of his monitor screens when an email came in. He thought it was odd that Lincoln looked so apprehensive, like a child that was waiting to be scolded for stealing a cookie before dinner. It confused him at first, but he was quick on the uptake. Instead of dispelling the man’s fears he decided to play into them.

‘Fuck…’

“I know what you are thinking.” Dunn easily added a somber tone to his voice and did his best to look as if he was disappointed. “Not everything we want is something we can have. We all make plans and hope for the best, but it is always wise for us to plan for the worst. Much like we did with you.”

“Yes, sir.” Lincoln said having no idea what kind of severance package he would get. Believing it would only make sense for him to get it based on his old pay rate, never actually getting the position he was training for. It wouldn’t be a lot and in the state of Florida unemployment paid less than three hundred a week and that was after a waiting period.

“Yes indeed.” Alexander slapped his open palm down on his desk. “I am just happy we don’t have to put you through any of that. Son, how are you feeling about taking on the division president role? Are you confident?”

“Excuse me?” Lincoln asked, feeling like he just had emotional whiplash. “I’m getting the job?”

“Of course!” Alexander held his arms wide. “What else do you think we are talking about? You went through the training and from what I understand you did reasonably well. Not perfect, taking the time to go out for drinks with the movers and shakers when it is offered is part of the job. Your new job. Though, I have to ask. Did you follow through with what else we talked about? I went to bat for you with Trip.”

Taking in a partial breath Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose once more, though this time it lasted for just a heartbeat. “Of course.” He replied, using the same words as his superior. “I did actually, last night to be truthful.” He said with a wide grin while thinking about the lack of real time to do it properly. He had just come back on a flight from across the country, a three hour time difference. With adrenaline pumping and a five hour energy drink he had kept from yawning on the date and somehow didn’t pass out till after a night of fun, but then he had passed out hard. “What I did was, and it took a bit of work.” Lincoln felt proud that all his efforts paid off and hadn’t really had anyone to talk to about it other than Jacqueline’s sister. He was sure she would have loved to hear the details, knowing that because she had no problem texting him and asking for them, but the beautiful woman had been on his short list of who to put a ring on. She had been willing, but it would have been something transactional. Maddy promised it wouldn’t be a loveless affair, but she was just talking about physical things, or so now he really grasped. Jacqueline and him had a connection, something real and yet it felt like it would be wrong to tell Maddy about his plans after they had discussed tying the knot together.

“Yes, yes.” Alexander held out one hand, lifting it only slowly as he pumped it like he was pushing on a break. “I’m sure it was magical.” He gave the young man a small grin that came to his face as he wondered just how his secretary showed him just how happy she was.

“It was!” Lincoln smiled back at the man, his words felt a little biting, like he didn’t care but grin on his face made it seem more like he just didn’t have the time to discuss it at the moment.

“About you. Now the time gap between now and when Trip leaves us does leave you actually a bit in the lurch. For the time being you are going to need to take up residence back at your old desk. Don’t worry though, you are being kept at your eighty a year salary till the transition actually happens, that old pay of twenty something a year is in the past for you.” The man said, having no problem rattling off his employees current rate of pay and his old, the numbers easier for him to pluck from the depths of his brain than the man’s name. “I will pull you into meetings and…” Alexander stopped when a knock came to his office door just a moment before it opened.

Stepping into his office was his administrative assistant. He saw her wearing a black dress with a thin red belt, dark hose on her legs and stiletto ankle boots. The older man couldn’t help his eyes roaming her body, then stopping briefly on her chest that while was the same size as the breast forms she wore before, somehow looked larger now that they were real. He watched as they shifted up and down with each of her steps, it wasn’t a big movement but it was enough for him to catch. He couldn’t help giving her a bright smile as she walked over to put the mug of coffee on his desk. Dunn didn’t really notice the flushed look on her face, or how she paused when she saw the man sitting across from him. If he thought he could get away with it he would have her right now, in front of the man, but he wasn’t about to make a cuckold of the person he was going to have to rely on. At least he wasn’t going to do it to his face. “Good morning Jacqueline, you are a sight for sore eyes. Sorry Hatch, but she is much prettier than you.”

“Umm, none taken sir.” Lincoln looked from the pretty blonde standing at the corner of Dunn’s desk and then back to the man himself. Wondering why she looked so nervous, having no idea of the thoughts raging through their head.

“Have a seat Miss Hart, I suppose all of this involves you as well.” Dunn motioned to the other free chair. He would have liked to have the girl sit on the couch to the side of his desk, or on the desk itself, but he needed to keep his priorities in order. He had already made that promise to Downings that he had been smart enough to wiggle his way out of, it would be idiotic to blow the promotion of his pawn to rook because he couldn’t keep it in his pants for a few minutes.

Jaqueline smoothed the skirt of her dress out under her as she sat, crossing one leg over the other, while reaching over to take her man’s hand in her own. She had been prepared to come in to the office, put down Dunn’s coffee on his desk and then get down on her knees in front of him. Seeing Lincoln sitting in the office had put those thoughts to a crashing halt, causing a spike of fear to run through her. ‘Does, does… he want me to suck him off while Linc watches? This… this was supposed to be just be between the two of us. I’m just doing this for him and…’ A brief thought crossed her mind, just flashing for the barest of instants, her on top of the desk, on hands and knees with Linc standing behind her and Mr. Dunn in front, her pleasing them both at the same time.

The medication she was on helped not just keep her calm, but happy, adding rose tinted glasses to situations she would normally think were horrible. It wasn’t as if the medication changed how she thought, just tinted the world, altering how she interpreted the data that ran through her foggy mind. Part of her feared that it was her that was changing, her wanting the sexual activity and considering the warmth welling up inside of her at the brief thought she couldn’t fully deny it. In the elevator she had admonished herself for making plans to suck both of these men off and she just wasn’t sure why any feelings of revulsion came to her. ‘I really need to talk to Kimmy.’ She thought about the therapist and how she had helped in the past.

“And of course you wouldn’t be sitting here now without Jacqueline acting as your cheerleader here in the office while you were gone.” Jacqueline’s attention snapped back to the conversation happening in front of her, not sure what she had missed.

“I’m sorry?” She asked, hoping that they weren’t talking about putting her in a cheerleading costume, at least not till Halloween.

Lincoln gave his girl’s hand a light squeeze, noticing the signs that she had checked out. He could remember his friend doing that more than once during meetings in the past, but never so blatantly. “He… Mr. Dunn was just saying that Mega Corp is willing to offer me a starting salary of two hundred a year to start, but not till I actually take on the role that he has pushed so hard for me to get.” Lincoln knew Jackie could be persuasive at times, but didn’t really expect her to use her ability to tip the scales in his favor for this very odd promotion to go through. “Thank you for all you do for me.” He said leaning over to give the girl a light kiss on her cheek.

Reaching up she placed her hand over her cheek where she had been kissed. It was a nothing kiss, but it made her feel acknowledged, like he was not just thanking her, but saying it was okay for her to be proud of what she had accomplished. ‘Girls have done more for less.’ She thought, feeling like it was okay to accept what she had to do, what she wanted to do and how they came together. She had needed to be a bimbo secretary and that was exactly what she became and because of that she had gone from making less than thirty thousand a year to sixty and her best friend was going to make two hundred. A bubbly giggle escaped her lips as a wide toothy smile took hold.

“Mr. Hatch.” Alexander said as she stood up and held out his hand for the younger man to shake. He was happy to get this all done and glad he would be starting his new job saving over two hundred thousand on salary thanks to the difference between what he got paid now and what his replacement would be making. He was one of the highest paid people at the level he was, but that was also thanks to the people under him and they wouldn’t be changing or at least nothing was going to change so long as the man replacing him did as he was told. “If you will excuse us, the lovely Miss Hart and I have a few things to go over that we have to catch up on after she was out of the office for so long.”

Lincoln gave the beautiful girl’s hand another light squeeze before getting up and leaving the room, remembering when she had said to him. “You are dating me, we are in love and make each other very happy. Remember?” She had said it through clenched teeth, it was a happy memory now, even if it made him feel awkward before.