I. Introduction -- A Beautiful Day of Skiing
"You could do that? Would you?" she asked in panicked desperation. The ski lift chair rocked from her sudden movement as it carried us up the steep slope. Her nervous ultra-bright smile matched the sun-kissed snow below us. Tears streamed down her tan cheeks with anxious hope.
"I could," I said pausing. "But..."
"Please Cliff, oh please. Name it. Anything you want."
The potential meaning of Monique's desperate spontaneous offer hit us both as the words came out of her thick red lips. The bright outline of her mouth was contrasted by her radiant white smile, tanned skin, sky blue translucent eyes, and shoulder length blond hair. She is an adventurous proficient skier who spends most winter weekends perfecting her way down expert slopes across Colorado's Front Range. Her fit, slender 5'8" body with full breasts and tight ass fill her black ski body suit and white parka in ways that distract every man and create envy for every woman she skis past. Monique is gorgeous.
II. Hitting the Mogul
We met a year before through our business partnership. Monique's accomplishments as a skier were mirrored by her business success during the week. Seven years ago she left her job as a representative for a regional wine distributor to open her own business. Her competitive drive, winsome personality and go-for-broke attitude helped her become one of the regions top high-end distributors. It was a major accomplishment in a competitive cut-throat industry. My Colorado-based restaurants became one of her newest and biggest clients. We hit it off easily over the early contract negotiations. Our relationship had been entirely professional. Despite some sexual attraction we both felt, she made it clear she never goes there with clients.
A perfect morning of skiing and the security of her business' success were ruined by one telephone call from her assistant. "They're shutting us down Monique," her assistant said panicking over the phone.
"What do you mean?" Monique asked shocked at the news.
The details went from bad to worse. One of the competitors paid off her chief sales representative named Fitzgerald to sabotage the business through illegal sales and financial practices. His actions implicated every part of her company, before tipping off the State commerce department. Law enforcement, State revenue and other governmental agencies were moving in to seize records and shut down operations.
Monique was paralyzed at the news. "How can this happen?" she asked stunned through her tears. "How can he do this to me after all I have done? We have always operated with integrity. I have never ..." her voice trailed.
"The truth will come out," I tried to offer as comfort. "It will be OK."
"It's not fair. By the time the truth comes out, I will have lost my accounts, my reputation, my capital -- everything I have worked for."
"Maybe not. Let me see if I can do something Monique."
"It's too late," she said feeling defeated.
"I have some business and governmental contacts who might be able to help. With the right calls, I think we can not only put a stop to this, but maybe turn it around on those doing this to you."
III. Price of a Lift Ticket
"You could do that? Would you?" she asked in panicked desperation. The ski lift chair rocked from her sudden movement as it carried us up the steep slope. Her nervous ultra-bright smile matched the sun-kissed snow below us. Tears streamed down her tan cheeks with anxious hope.
"I could," I said pausing. "But..."
"Please Cliff, oh please. Name it. Anything you want."
The potential meaning of Monique's desperate spontaneous offer hit us both the moment the proposition came from her thick red lips.
The sexual tension immediately intensified as the chair ascended the mountain. The wide open space around us did nothing to dissipate the implications of her offer. The moment was filled with dangerous adventurous suspense like turning from the groomed high-traffic resort slopes to ski the virgin powder of a mountain's uncharted backcountry.
She broke the pregnant silence with clear thoughtful resolve. Her eyes locked onto mine as if making the biggest deal of her life. "Anything Cliff," she repeated purposefully. She moved her hand to my leg. "If you can make this go away, I will be forever and limitlessly indebted to you."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked caught off guard by her resolve and proposition. My initial offer to help had no conditions. However, I would not turn down any unsolicited generous offer of gratitude.
"You tell me," she answered without hesitation. "You make this go away and I will hand you a limitless box of blank undated checks for my time and services." The tone in her voice carried a mixture of serious desperation, hope and competitive resolve.
"Anything?" I asked for clarity.
"Anything," she answered. "It's like a lifetime season pass. If you make this go away, I will do anything. You have my word."
The chair lift approached the first opportunity to disembark.
"Keep going to the summit?"