The boss leaned back in his seat. "Claire, what can I say? Hiring you was one of the best decisions of my career. And I've been in this business for a very long time."
She blushed, "Thank you. That's very sweet of you to say."
"I mean it. You've been a valuable asset."
The charm offensive during their private meeting was in full swing. A promotion, perhaps? She wished.
"Well, this company has done so many great things," Claire replied. "It's a pleasure to be involved with these endeavors. That's what motivates me."
He gave a slow nod. "I'm glad you feel that way. The reason I've asked you to come to my office is because we're having a small corporate retreat this weekend. It's right by a phenomenal lake. Beautiful. Are you available?"
"I'm always available for my job" she replied, containing her excitement.
"That's the spirit. I apologize for the late notice, but I've done some thinking, and I've concluded that you'd fit in nicely. There will be shareholders, execs, that sort of thing. It's a real step up the ladder for you. And since I'm retiring soon, I want you to... well, nevermind... we're not exactly there yet."
The boss's retirement? Was she being groomed as a replacement? Her ears perked and all the years of hard work was paying off.
Claire sat up straighter and smiled. "Thank you, sir."
"I want to see how you'll do. There will be other leaders in the tech industry there. Not just from our company, but from all around Silicon Valley. It's your chance to rub shoulders with the best."
"That sounds like an amazing opportunity," she said.
"I'm confident you can handle larger responsibilities when the time comes."
The joy was bubbling inside of her and adrenaline flowed through her veins. She wanted to scream with joy. But she couldn't. She had to maintain her dignified and lady-like appearance. There would be plenty of time for celebration later.
"That certainly sounds wonderful," she said in a measured tone. "I'll be there this weekend."
"One more thing," he added.
"Yes?"
"It's a family retreat. There will be plenty of boats, water activities, campfires, you name it. But the emphasis is that it's a family event. So you'll need to bring someone with you. Is your son still away at college?"
"He attends a nearby University. He still lives at home with me."
They both knew that Claire had divorced several years ago, and that she had a string of unsuccessful relationships ever since. It was the sacrifice of having such a grueling work schedule.
And they both knew that Claire was the mother of an 18-year old college freshman, who was a fairly outgoing young man.
"Lucky guy," the boss said. "I promise he'll have a great time there."
She nodded. "I'll make sure he does."
***
It was 5:13 by the time Claire arrived home. The most comforting part of her day was removing her shoes and being able to walk barefoot around the house. As always, the first thing she did was head to the refrigerator for a cup of juice.
Heading up the stairs, she heard music coming from her son's room. Even though his door was closed, she still heard her son playing a Nick Cave album on the stereo.
She knocked a few times and gently opened the door. Jeff turned the music off and paused his video game.
"Sorry about that," he said, putting the controller down because he knew mom needed something.
They made some small talk before Claire sat on the bed next to him to ask for a favor.
"There's going to be a lot of important people there," she explained. "And if everything goes well, I'll be the happiest woman in the world."
"That's so cool. It's just Saturday morning and afternoon, right? Then we'll come back before evening?"
"Well, no. It's an overnight thing. We'll be there the whole weekend."
Jeff's jaw nearly dropped. "Can you go without me? I have that fraternity party, remember?"
"Yes, I do remember. This is much more important than some college party."
"Mom, it's not just any college party. It's a big thing between the fraternity and sorority."
"I'm sure there will be others," she replied dismissively. "Parties come and go."
"You don't understand."
"Jeff, you're talking about a party. This is my career."
He sighed. "You don't need me at the retreat. I'd rather go to the party."
"What's so important about this party?" she asked inquisitively. "You were never interested in parties before."
"I know, but..."
"But what?" she questioned.
"There's this girl. Her name is Rebecca. She's a freshman in the sorority, and well, I really like her."
"Does she like you too? Is it a date?"
"It's complicated," he said with his head held down for a moment. "She's really pretty and a lot of other guys are interested in her too. I've talked to her a little bit and I think I have a chance. We really get along."
"And you think that if you miss this party, she'll end up dating someone else?"
He nodded. "Basically."
This was something Claire understood. Although her son was handsome and talented, he was always a bit shy and awkward around girls. Now that he was a young man, he was blossoming out of that phase, and this appeared to be his first attempt of having success with young women.
But at the same time, a potentially big promotion meant everything to her. Nabbing a top spot at a tech company is tough, especially as a woman. She had to be at this event, and she had to be there with her son.
It was time for desperate measures.
She knew, based on accidentally seeing her son's internet history, that he liked older women. He also had a thing for racy lingerie, it seemed. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage. A year ago, when she was in the gym sauna, she had overheard another single mother discussing the use of a certain tactic. It was lewd and totally inappropriate, but apparently it worked.
More importantly, this strategy may work on her own son. She knew that Jeff liked to peek at her sometimes as discreetly as he could. She thought it was weird, but normal. Men are curious at this age.
If this idea was the only way to get Jeff to come to the retreat, with a big smile on his face and upbeat attitude, then it would be worth a try.
"What do you like about her?" Claire asked. "What was her name? Rebecca?"
"Yeah, that's her name. I mean, she's great. She's smart and she's really funny."
"So it has nothing to do with her appearance?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.
Jeff blushed. "She has a great body. She runs track."
"I ran cross-country in college and I used to swim too. I still love going to the gym when I can, and I run on the weekends."
"Of course I know that. Why are you telling me?"
Claire took a deep breath. "I'll make you a deal. I want you to forget about the silly college party and instead come to the corporate retreat. I'll expect you to be on your very best behavior. I mean it."
"In exchange for what?"
