As always, I have to acknowledge the fabulous Randi, who converts my scribbling into something resembling a story. So thank you Randi. There's also an aside.... Never bet with Randi.
*********
"Jesus, I would love to tap that. God damn she's hot. Has anybody been there? I mean, surely I'm not the only one, she's fucking gorgeous."
"Whoa, slow down, pal, if she hears you saying shit like that your ass will be out the door so damn fast, your feet won't even touch the ground."
I heard Theo's suppressed snickering. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. Just because she's the boss, don't mean we can't dream. Damn she's fine, that's one hot piece of ass fella's."
"Jesus H Christ, are you trying to get fired. Listen my friend, here's a bit of free advice. Keep your damn opinions to yourself. If anybody else hears you refer to her as a 'piece of ass,' your days here will be over. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got it, Damn, chill dude. I was just saying."
I wasn't happy. It's nice to know I could still turn a young man's eye, but his language was far from pleasant. I work hard at keeping my forty-five-year-old body in good shape, and I do look after myself. Perhaps I needed to reconsider his role here as an intern.
The fact he came highly recommended didn't mean I had to keep him. His endorsements were excellent, and he did have some clever people going into bat for him. Perhaps I would just have to keep him under closer scrutiny. If I overheard his crass comment, then others could have easily heard, as well. This was not the sort of behavior I condoned, even if it did give me a little smile.
Theo was one of six new interns that we had taken on for the year. I loved to keep a flow of fresh new faces coming into the business each year. They were the life blood of industry, hard working and filled with fresh ideas. Some of my top execs had come into the business this way. In fact my head of staff had started in just this fashion. She was now my most trusted advisor.
Yes, I preferred to employ women, but a business can become tilted without a balanced approach and men bring different perspectives. I learned that the hard way, and promised myself never to make that mistake again.
These days, I tried to keep the split about sixty forty. I liked giving women a start. I remembered how hard it was when I came out of college, fresh faced and full of ideas. None of the companies I approached were interested. I had a masters degree, earned the hard way. They viewed me as just another young woman. All they cared about was what I looked like.
It's hard enough being a woman in a world full of men. Forget all that you hear about it being an egalitarian world. All of the misconceptions and preconceived notions of such a world are completely misplaced.
I worked damn hard to start my business, and it had taken me the best part of fifteen years to build it up to it's present position. Yes, now I had men falling over themselves to be part of my organization, part of my world.
I was cautious when it came to men. You don't pour your whole life into a business empire, and then lose it over a stiff cock and a smile. Yes, I liked sex, but for me, it had to be no strings attached. I wasn't looking for romance; all I wanted was the occasional roll in the hay: sex with none of the ties. I didn't want to be tied to one man. I didn't want to have to put up with their jealous bullshit as I flew around the world.
My business interests meant lots of travel, and it meant I had lots of interactions with other business people, mostly men. The last thing I wanted was some jealous lover tracking me down, following me around, stalking me.
It wasn't like I was a slut. I wasn't interested in married men, nothing about that was intriguing. Jealous wives are just as dangerous as jealous husbands and boyfriends. No, I chose my partners carefully. I wasn't looking for long-term commitments. Erica Jong once wrote something called the zipless fuck; that's what I sought out: sex, for the fun.
My life was to busy for any such entanglement. I focused all my attentions on profit and loss spreadsheets, growing my little empire into something of which I could be proud.
That desire had been cultivated by my father. I'm sure he wanted a son, but all he got was me. Yeah, I was a daddy's girl. He is the one who pushed me. Okay, I couldn't play football, so it was the world of business he pushed me into. He cultivated my interests, guided and mentored me. Mom was always there, as well. As a doctor, and a very successful one, she was well aware of the value of hard work and strong ethics. Those principles were well and truly driven home in me, from a very young age. Today, they stood me in very good stead.
Yes, she was a little sad when she realized I wasn't going to be supplying grandchildren, but she came to accept that I was a little different.
I caught up with Bill Smith, Theo's supervisor, later. "Bill, I want to talk about that young intern, Theo. How's he doing?"
"He is a bit brash, Sage, but he's full of ideas. I think you have a hot one there. Definitely worth hanging onto."
"Really? I have heard some rumors about comments he has been making."
"Yes, he has a fairly high opinion of himself, he is young and overconfident, but there's a lot of good stuff behind the facade."
"All right, I will take that on board, but I think perhaps you should keep a close eye on him. If I hear any more complaints, he'll be looking for a new job."
"I understand, Sage," he murmured contritely. As Theo's mentor, he knew I expected more. He knew damned well my feelings about inappropriate comments and rude behavior. I prided myself on the fact we had never had a sexual harassment case. I considered that it was our prudent selection policy, and that my closest associates understood the importance of selecting the right candidates and were intuitive, understood how to read people and how to get the best out of them.
My problem was the business had been expanding so quickly it was hard to keep it filled with good people. Yes, there were plenty of job seekers, but that's all they were. There were usually good reasons they were unemployed. That being, they were hopeless.
********
I loved books; they were my passion. It was something I got from my mother, my love for the written word. While other kids were running around, I preferred to find a good book, curl up in my favorite reading nook and do nothing but read.
That was the reason I started my own publishing house. It was, however, my fathers enforced work ethic that drove it to become one of the most successful in the US, and I was about to open new branches in several European centers.
As always, it was late when I walked out of my office and locked the door. Walking towards the elevator, I was intercepted by Theo.
"Hey, boss lady," he greeted me as we waited for the elevator.
"Theo, my title is Ms. Amanthas," I replied sternly. "If you stay long enough, you might get to call me Sage. At the moment, that's not looking very likely. Bill has had some nice things to say about you, but that is interspersed with a lot of negativity. I have received several complaints about remarks you have made. Please keep that in mind."
His face dropped, his brash in your face attitude was gone. "Ahh, sorry Boss... I mean, Ms. Amanthas."
His embarrassment was cut short by the arrival of the elevator. As the doors closed, I asked, "How have you found your first month here?"
His brashness reappeared quickly. "Yeah, it's been awesome. I have learned a lot."
"Good, how is Bill to work with?"
"He's okay, a bit stuck in his ways, but I reckon I'll bring him around."
"I beg your pardon?" I scowled.
He realized he had inadvertently stepped over the line. "Oops, sorry. He's great, actually. What I meant was, the world is changing, and there are new ways to do business, new avenues to explore. I was hoping that I could convince him to listen."
"Theo, Bill has been in this business a long time and he is a trusted employee. Tread very carefully before you start making disparaging remarks."
His face showed concern, but not contrition. I expected him to be embarrassed, not condescending.
"I'm sorry if you saw my remarks as some sort of insult, Ms Amanthas. I was merely trying to point out that a lot has changed; there are new methods and avenues for promotion. I think if Bill were to listen to what I am trying to say, we could do better than we are currently doing."
"Don't be ridiculous, Theo, of course it's an insult. There's a reason Bill is where he is today. He listens to people; perhaps you should try it yourself." The elevator hit the basement parking garage and I marched off before I snapped. What a presumptuous dick. I would definitely need to keep an eye on him.
I watched as he climbed into his little red Toyota. Tidy, but at least 10 years old, obviously not that well off.
I pulled out onto the road, and headed for home. Such a warm evening, I retracted the top on my Audi R8 Spyder, and moved effortlessly through the traffic. She was my toy, and I loved how she drove. Powerful, yet not ostentatious, a whispering seductress.
Unfortunately, I couldn't clear my mind. That damn Theo had managed to infiltrate my shields. He was a handsome thing, young, fit, and although it annoyed me, his bravado also aroused in me something I didn't like.
The drive had been nice; it allowed me to unwind, but somehow, I felt jittery. I paced around, feeling the anxiety.
It did make me appreciate the apartment. This was my haven, my palace. I loved it. Initially, I had to rent in the City to be close to work. When the business finally picked up enough, I brought this place. I guess it was a statement. I was telling the world this is me, I'm doing all right.
Waterline Square, on the upper west side, was one of the most prestigious locations in New York City. I loved that it looked out over the Hudson, but it was also close to work, was in the heart of the city and it didn't hurt that it had every conceivable amenity known to human kind.
It was glamorous, with floor to ceiling windows and beautiful teak hardwood floors. The high ceilings gave off a sense of room and space. The kitchen glistened with its quartz and granite benches, the gorgeous stainless steel appliances, the huge walk in glass wine chiller.
The bathroom was opulent to the max, dual sinks, with marble tops, the floors a beautiful hand-picked travertine tile. The enormous power shower, which I picked out myself, was like standing in a waterfall.
My bedroom overlooked the river and gave the most exquisite views of the city. I loved sleeping at night, with the city-scape, the lights, and the stars. God, even the mornings were spectacular. It made waking early such a pleasure.
Damn it, he infuriated me, provoking emotions I was so unfamiliar with. I had to admit, there was something about him, something I couldn't put my finger on. He had a certain charisma. So hard to define why he made me feel this way.
Over the next few days, I kept a close eye on him, and Bill gave me daily updates. By the third week, Bill was uncomfortable. In the midst of our review, he squirmed a little. "Out with it, Bill. Something's bugging you."
