Parts:

one

two

three

four

: partS

Part Two

... Sam wasn't sure why she didn't like Amanda. She reminded Sam of at least a half dozen things she didn't like but Amanda wasn't any of these things. Sam always felt a little guilty when it came to Amanda, she knew that Amanda didn't deserve her enmity so she tried to overcome it.

... Amanda was an associate with Bindel's Inc. The central firm owned by Mike Bindel. Bindel's had four Associates and Mike Bindel. They did a variety of types of work in the area. Mr. Bindel was not particularly well known so his name did not draw that many clients. To counter balance this Mr. Bindel also owned, Enviro Systems Design. Enviro had a dozen employees but no associates. Enviro was the kind of name that a certain type of client would respond to just by finding it in the phone book, or more likely in the Chamber of Commerce membership list or other business listings.

... Enviro focused on complete systems that were in harmony with the environment and so it appealed to greens, liberals and tree huggers as Mike described them. The employees at Enviro were paid significantly less then the Associates at Bindel's (all housed in the same wooden building). But the Enviro employees were treated better then the associates. Mike Bindel was constantly yelling and cursing his Associates but he was almost unfailingly kind to his employees.

... Sam hadn't decided yet if Bindel was mean by nature and only kind to the Enviro employees to make up for the fact that he paid them so much less or if her was naturally kind and hated the Bindel associates (perhaps because he paid them fifty percent more). An associate was responsible for every part of a design.

... When people think of Architects they usually think of grand buildings or houses, or even a remodeled kitchen. But architects spend most of their time designing what goes where inside the walls, under the floor boards and above the ceiling. (Boring Stuff) You had to be very experienced and have a large company around you to avoid the boring stuff as an architect.

... Sam had started at Enviro almost a year ago and it was her first professional job as an architect since leaving college. So she should have expected to design plumbing, electrical conduits, telephone lines, TV cable coaxial and etc. for the next several years. But as she didn't need the job for the money she was in a position to act premadonnaish from the start. And she had. She worked three days a week and only half days at that. She basically did only what she liked but she took home considerably less per hour then the other employees. The only reason Mike Bindel had taken on such a young and unproven premadonna was because she was on the planning committee of the Curtis School which was planning some significant physical improvements. Sam's connection meant that Enviro had the job, Sam performed all of her design and sales work on the project free of charge which meant the school would be unlikely to find a better deal anywhere else. It also meant that the people associated with Curtis heard about Bindel which he hoped would lead to future work for Bindel and Associates. For all of that Mike Bindel was willing to put up with a primadonna that he paid less then half per hour then his other Enviro associates and to whom he paid virtually nothing as most of her work at the moment was centered on the Curtis projects.

... Amanda on the other hand was a full fledged Bindel associate. She had worked at Enviro for five years, specializing in light weight alloys, and had been a Bindel associate for just a years. Before Enviro she'd worked at two other firms. She was thirty one and well into a successful career as an architect. She was what Sam could have been. And maybe that was why Sam didn't like her.

 

... The Enviro/Bindel building was green, in color as well as design. Huge roof overhangs kept direct sunlight from heating up the offices and kept heat from escaping too. The building was tripled paned glass on all sides and open in the center for ventilation. A central garden also kept the air clean and at the proper level of humidity. There was no privacy anywhere in the building's main floor (you had to go down to the ground floor to find a bathroom). Everything inside was glass and wood dividers, beautiful to look at uncomfortable Sam felt to work in (some one could look over your shoulder from thirty and more feet away). The four Bindel associates were clustered on one side of Mike's office, where he could keep his eye on them Sam was sure. Perhaps the thing she hated most about the offices was the lack of visual barriers. She'd bought executive jackets to wear when at Curtis and meetings with potential donors. But they were too expensive and too warm to wear while she worked at her table. The presence of so many windows meant when she returned from a "show and tell" she usually went to her cubicle, took up a blouse, walked down stairs to the bathroom, switched from jacket to blouse, walked back upstairs to her cubicle where she hung up her jacket.

... She knew that everyone in the office could witness this procedure and she knew it made her look even more like a premadonna, not a caricature that she liked.

... Of course the simplest way around this was to change her style of dress, like wearing a blouse under her jacket, but that would be a concession she wasn't ready to make. She was still the trophy wife after all and she had a certain style that she was determined to hang onto. Perhaps it was vanity, perhaps it was fear, and perhaps it was competition. But it was there and while she could deal with it what really rankled was that Amanda some how avoided it, though she hadn't ever seen the woman wear a bra or anything less then Versace or an outfit worthy of an old style Cosmo cover. (If that wasn't a redundancy.)

... From Mr. Bindel's office Sam was looking right into Amanda's cubicle as she worked on internal bracing and struts for one of her projects. It was afternoon and she still looked like she had just stepped out of a salon. Sam had taken a shower not an hour ago and some how the drive over here from home had taken more out of her then half a day at work had from Amanda. "How did your walk through with Mr. Williams go yesterday?"

... Sam turned around now that Mike had finished his phone conversation and turned his attention to her. "Okay, I think. I'm not sure, though. I think he was uncomfortable around me. I know I was around him."

... Mike Bindel's eyebrows climbed his forehead, apparently searching for his hairline, they'd never find it. "Really, well the Principal over there seemed to think things went well." Mike Bindel had gone to public school, he'd never caught on to this "dean" business.

... "Well, I'm glad. He could fund the whole thing himself, though I'm not sure why he'd want to."

... The eyebrows were at it again. "Hmm?"

... "He doesn't have any kids. Most of the donors have kids either at the school, hoping to be accepted or who graduated sometime in the past from Curtis. But from what I've heard he's childless."

... "Hmm, that's what I've heard too. But it doesn't matter, if he's willing that's all I care about."

... "If I knew why he was interested, I think I could make him willing."

... Mike smiled at her. She was going to bring him a lot of business.

 

... When the response finally came from Williams, it was in a form that Sam hadn't expected. He didn't say anything about a commitment to the school, he invited Sam and John to a backyard barbecue and picnic, he and his wife, for next Saturday.

... Sam wanted to say, "How unprofessional" but she couldn't manage it with a straight face considering her own employment situation, and she was a volunteer parent on the school board and she knew that the very rich, which Williams certainly was, liked to conduct business their way. At least he hadn't invited her for golf (then she worried that he hadn't because she was a woman).

 

... "So, are you going to go?"

... Sam looked at Alicia. It was after dinner, homework time. The boys hadn't shown much interest but apparently Alicia didn't feel the same. "We're talking three million dollars, of course I'm going." She just wished she could take the boys (and Alicia) along with her. But not only did she know that the Williams had no children, her kids had plans for the weekend. Unfortunately John also had plans for Saturday. He was to work the overnight shift at the hospital so he wouldn't be able to make it to the Williams, until about three. Which meant Sam would be there alone with them for two hours.

... She was sounding like a teenager herself, 'what will I say to them?'

... Bill Williams greeted Sam at the door in orange board shorts and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. He looked like one of the Beach Boys, but Sam couldn't decide which one. Well at least Sam had been right when she'd guessed that Williams wanted to keep this informal. He lead her through the house to the backyard where he introduced his wife, Alice.

... Alice was big, big hair and big boobs. She leapt off a chase lounge and literally bounced across the grass to grab Sam's hand in both of hers. Well if Mr. Williams had trouble associating brains and boobs it obviously wasn't a problem that came up at home. Alice Williams acted as though she'd never even seen a brain cell. She was sweet, effervescent and words just tumbled out of her in a torrent.

... Before Sam realized what had happened Alice was leading her upstairs to get her a bikini so she could get comfortable with the rest of them around the pool.

... The master bedroom was huge and so was the bed. And some of the exercise equipment stowed to one side of the bed looked suspciously like it was designed for two people. Why would Alice take her into her bedroom to get "guest swimsuits?" Alice pulled open the top drawer to one of two blonde wood dressers. Half the drawer was stuffed full of bikinis, the other half with thong underwear.

... "Just put on anything you want."

... "Uh ..." There was no way Sam could put on any of this. She was here for a business meeting, sort of.

... "Don't worry dear." Alice actually patted Sam's back, she must have looked terribly distressed. "Bill won't bite, and he won't do anything else either, I took care of that not half an hour ago. But you see, Bill's got kind of a problem."

... What kind of problem? Sam didn't want to know about his problems.

... "You see, his mom was really something, she died about two years ago. Anyway, when he was growing up she was hell-on-wheels. She ruled her house, her boys and everything else with an iron fist and well ... it kind of messed Bill up. Didn't do much for his brother's either."

... What was this woman talking about?

... "And you see, smart women scare him. The smarter a woman is, the more scared he gets and I guess you must be pretty smart because he's been talking about you all week." Alice gave Sam such an open faced look that Sam couldn't find an ulterior motive in it. "And well, you see, Bill has trouble talking about serious stuff with a woman until after he's fucked her. NOW, don't worry, like I said, I pulled his charge already. But he's still got to see you as a body before he can relax enough to get down to business with you. So that's why if you want his money, you better put on one of the bikinis." Alice looked at Sam for a while. She was done. She then turned and walked out of the room. (Sam noticed that her cheeks were almost as large as her breasts.)

... Sam looked back at the drawer. The colorful bikinis had to be for Alice. There were thongs and bra style tops, all too big for Sam. The others, the ones for "guests," were all tie-ons. Which Sam guessed made sense because you couldn't be sure what size a guest would be and tie-ons were adjustable.

... Sam heard a squeal from outside. She walked over to the window and saw Bill Williams swinging Alice around in his arms, one arm across her back and one on her ass. He didn't look like a man who was looking elsewhere for his excitement.

... Could she do this? It was like jumping back three years. The Williams would fit in perfectly with the women Sam had first met around Curtis and with her mother's set.

... Sam didn't want to put on a bikini. She didn't want her ass hanging out on both sides and have a bare midriff, back and legs. She wanted to go back out there in her slacks and too thin top. In fact she wanted to go out there with jeans and a sweatshirt. But she'd already said yes, when asked if she'd like a swimsuit, and now if she went out there with ...

... She'd never get the money.

... Was this really worth three million?

... She looked out side again. Williams was preparing the huge barbecue grill for cooking their dinner. Alice was bouncing around him trying to be helpful. Sam realized that Alice hadn't bounced when she was out of sight of her husband. And Alice had assured her that she wouldn't have to fuck Williams.

... Would she fuck Williams for three million dollars?

... Not even if she got to keep it.

... That was nice to know about herself.

... All of the bikini's were rediculously revealing, thongs and triangle tops. Not exactly Wicked Weasels but close. Sam reflected she could have brought her own bikini from home and fit right in. But she wasn't at home and she didn't want to go out there in a bikini.

... Sam rested her hands on top of the dresser and took some deep breaths.

... When Sam emerged from the house she was wearing a black G string she hoped went well with her tan and nothing else (in for a penny, in for three million). Alice squealed and Williams started talking before he turned around. "Oh there you-" He froze. Sam was afraid that was a bad sign. Alice though came running over and took Sam's arm.

... "You look great. Can I get you something to drink?"

... "Just a soda." Sam didn't trust herself under the circumstances.

... Alice bounced off to the bar. Apparently Alice wasn't threatened, and Sam reflected she had no reason to be. She had twice as many curves and twice the energy of Alicia, compared to her, Sam was flat as a board and about as lively.

... Sam had to decide, should she walk over to the chase lounge by the pool and sit down or go over to Williams and look at what he was doing with the barbecue? She wanted to go to the pool so she went over to Williams instead. "What are you going to make for us?"

... "Uh, well nothing yet. But later, once I get this thing going, we'll have shrimp and lamb kebobs."

... "Uhm, sounds good."

... Williams had stepped back when Sam approached. Now Alice came out of the house again with two glasses. "Let's sit by the pool."

... Williams and Sam walked over to the pool. Sam tried hard not to think of Williams looking at her ass. Alice was a natural at "ice breaking." Some how she managed to skim over a wide range of topics before settling on a few that both Williams and Sam were interested in. (Sam could see how a woman like Alice could be an asset to Williams, if he just didn't insist she act like such an airhead.)

... The sun came around and the shade vanished. Sam asked if they minded if she went swimming. They didn't. Sam dove in, only afterwards did she remember she should have been nervouse about her form. Alice excused herself to go powder her nose and Williams went back to tend to his grill. A while later, Alice wasn't back and Sam noticed Williams had dissappeared. Now if Williams was like John, he'd followed Alice to where ever she was waiting for him. Waiting to releive more of his "tension."

... Sam reflected that she'd like to call John and warn him about what was going on before he showed up and found her naked with strangers, not that he hadn't found her naked before. But Sam had left her purse and clothes in the masterbedroom which she surmised was occupied right now.

... The Williams returned as Sam climbed out of the pool. Williams was much more relaxed, Alice was actually towing him along behind her. Sam took a guess that Williams was the roll-over-and-fall-asleep type. Sam was glad John wasn't. John was more of the you're-not-tired-yet-are-you type. Sam excused herself to use the restroom.

... As she had expected the sheets on the master bed were dishelveld. Sam took her stack of clothes and placed them near the front door. John was just leaving the hospital. She explained the situation and as usual he was wunderful. No problem, he'd be there in a few minutes.

... When Sam came outside again Alice held her finger to her lips, Williams was asleep. The two women talked inside, out of the Sun. Sam was surprised to find herself likeing Alice Williams. She would have thought Mrs Williams was everything she'd hated about the Curtis mothers. They greeted John at the door. He didn't even blink. And when Alice Williams invited him to go upstairs and find a pair of Bill's shorts to wear John had simply pulled off his slacks to reveal his thong swimsuit. Alice was delighted, as Sam thought she should be but when Williams woke up it looked to Sam like he was going to have a heart attack. (A little homophobia anyone?)

 

... Things went completely pleasantly for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Sam and John left about nine and made it home by ninethirty. The kids were home but Sam and John just said goodnight. They were both pleasantly tired from a day of sun and swimming. The truth of how stressfull the day had been didn't come out until they were in bed.

... Sam woke up at something like two AM starving. John on the other hand was sawing logs like a lumber jack. (Fortunately he only snored when he was especially tired.) Sam found Alicia prowling around the kitchen too.

... "So, what happened?"

... "You won't believe it." They were sitting on the couch with their legs up and sharing a blanket and a bowl of fresh popcorn. Alicia didn't appear to have trouble believing it though.

... "Would you have?"

... "What?"

... "You know, had sex with him if that's what it took to get the money?"

... "No."

... Alicia nodded. "I didn't think so."

... "Why not?"

... "Well, obvious reasons. You love your husband and you wouldn't get to keep the money."

... Sam nodded. "You know, I asked myself the same question."

... "And?"

... "Same answer but for different reasons."

... "Oh?"

... "Yeah, I mean there was no question of fucking him for the money for the school but then I wondered if I got to keep the money, and if I wasn't married, and if he wasn't married, although it looked like that wasn't going to be a problem, and if he wasn't a business client. What if he was just this really rich, good looking guy who really wanted to have sex with me and was offering me three million dollars to have sex with him? Would I do it?"

... "And?"

... "No." Alicia looked at her expectantly. And Sam guessed she could understand why, every woman Alicia had known had agreed to years of sex for less then three million dollars. "I might of had sex with him just because he was good looking and stuff but if he'd offered me money ... no way. Not for money. For fun, for love, yes. But never for money."

... Alicia didn't say anything but it was clear she was thinking now.

... Sam didn't know how long the pause lasted before she asked, "Alicia, its none of my business and you don't have to answer, but, are you a virgin?"

... Alicia was nodding almost imediately. Apparently it wasn't hard for her to answer. "How do you feel about that?"

... Alicia shrugged. "I don't know. Weird I guess. Brad and I are like the only virgins in the senior class."

... Wow, Sam hadn't planned to ask about Brad. She hadn't planned to ask about Alicia.

... "Why?"

... Alicia looked like she didn't know what to say.

... "I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being a virgin. And I'm not saying you shouldn't be one or that I want you and Brad to 'fix it.' I just wondered why. I mean, I'm guessing you've had offers."

... Alicia nodded. "I don't know. I guess because I thought you wouldn't approve."

... "Me!?"

... "Yeah, if you hadn't said anything when Brad and I were going together we would have done it but afterwards ... Well I wasn't going to do it with Brad, because you were right. He wasn't seeing me. He was just seeing a cunt for his dick. And it isn't like he's any different then any of the other guys I know either. I mean when they were younger they were real nice but its like you get boobs and they loose their minds and just become animals and raging hormones."

... Sam nodded. She was proud of Alicia, she was a lot smarter then Sam had given her credit for.

... "And I decided that I didn't have to do it just to do it. I wanted to wait for someone who was worth giving it to."

... "Ooh!"

... "What?"

... "It's just, that's a lot of responsibility you're putting on some guy." Alicia shrugged. "And, its not that big a deal." Alicia didn't quite shrug again but it was clearly in her mind to. "Okay, that's not exactly what I mean."

... Oh boy! What did she mean? "Uhm, yes, your virginity is a big deal to give up and most young people have very bad memories about how they lost it. So on that score you're ahead of the game, but ... what you're talking about is an awful lot of heavy baggage to dump on a relationship, in what is probably the early stages and one that's ... not likely to last."

... Now Alicia was frowning. Sam rushed on,"Look, I know of people who have gotten married while they were both still virgins and they stayed married, but its pretty unusual now and they had a huge support system. They came from a community that supported their decision. You don't come from that type of community. Now you could go looking for one, to join so you could follow that model in a few years, five to ten but I don't think that's realistic.

... "For better or worse, you come from a community where sex is something everybody does and is talking about all the time. Now you don't have to be like them but being like some completely different group is going to be really difficult."

... Alicia just stared at Sam for awhile. "So what? You think Brad and I should screw?"

... Sam had a quick negative for that but she stopped herself. She was pushing Alicia into a corner with no exits. Sam reflected again that she really hated having a teenage daughter (not that this conversation with Brad was going to be much easier). "No, I don't have anything in mind that I think you should, or must do. Except ... trying not to put all of your eggs in one basket."

... "Okay, you got me that time. I have no clue what that meant."

... "You know how if you build up a birthday, or Christmas too much, when it finally comes, it's a let down?"

... Alicia nodded.

... "Well ... "

... "Oh, great! How am I supposed to do this with out expectations? In my sleep?"

... "Actually that sounds like a good idea." Alicia gave her a look. "I'm joking. We'll think of some thing, and if we don't ... things will probably work out in spite of us."

 

... Sam waited until Monday morning after the kids had left for school before she brought up the question with her husband. "John, how old were you when you had your first sexual experience?"

... John sat up. He looked at Sam for a few moments to judge just what this conversation was about. "I was thirty one."

... "What?!!"

... John shrugs, "It was with Helen."

... "Helen? You never had sex with a woman before then?" John shakes his head. "But, what about the headaches and ..."

... "I took a lot of aspirin."

... Sam was shocked now. She and John had been sexually active before their marriage and John was by no means Sam's first lover but now it was possible that she was only his second. AND that he had been older then she was now when he first had sex.

... "If you mean to include self stimulation ... I can't remember the first time. It was back in Iran and I was a teenager. I'd had a wet dream some months before and my brothers told me what to do to prevent them."

... "And?"

... "It worked."

... "But John, not until Helen?"

... John shakes his head.

... "I know it's none of my business, but ..."

... "No it isn't." That was sharp and final.

... "What made you ask?"

... "Uhm, because I think that Brad is still a virgin and I wasn't sure ... Well I wanted to know what you thought about that."

... "I think it is only natural. What did you want, for him to have taken up with some tramp?"

... "John, you know better then that."

... "Yes, I do. I'm sorry. I ... You made me mad. It wasn't your fault but ... I shouldn't let my anger cloud my reason."

... "I'm sorry John I didn't mean to-"

... "I know my dear." John reached around Sam's neck with both his hands and pulled her down to the bed with him. He kissed her and massaged her body but she knew where this sequence was going to end.

... Sam gently brushed her hand through John's hair as he sucked on her right nipple. She used to like it when he did that but recently she had come to resent it. Which didn't make the least bit of sense to her so she hadn't said anything about it. Maybe when she could figure out a good reason for it to bother her she'd mention it. For right now it was where John ended up afterwards.

... "I think I understand your concern about Brad."

... "Oh?"

... "Yes, and I don't think it is good that he should go to college without ... without this skill."

... Well that was certainly a different way of looking at it then Sam had. John was worried that Brad would be laughed at because he didn't know what to do.

... "It was easy for me not to. In my circle, good boys and girls didn't do this thing. And when I came to the US I was older and I had my studies and work. But it is not the same for Brad. He will not be so old when he goes to college and he will not be a forigner. There will be expectations ..." Sam looked down at John's head. He was talking to her breast as he often did. "I don't know how to accomplish this thing here. In Tehran, I could find him the right kind of woman and I would pay her to take care of this but here ... They must have such women but I do not know how to find them, or anyone I would trust to direct Brad to a trustworthy one."

... Was John suggesting that they hire a hooker to take Brad's cherry?

... Well, it would be simpler then pushing him at some girl he knew, even Alicia.

... "Do you want to talk to Brad about this?"

... "I ... "

... "You don't have to. At least not now, as we don't have a suggestion for him."

... She felt him nod against her breast. Sam rolled John onto his back and slid down his body. It never took much to get him stiff enough to slide into her. Once she had him placed she wrapped her arms and legs around him, his were already wrapped around her, and she burried her face in his shoulder and just held him.

... The alarm for John to get up and get ready for work found them still like that.

... It wasn't a good day. Rather then go into Enviro Sam called and updated Bindel about the barbecue, still nothing in writing. Then she went out. She did some shopping but nothing seemed right. She'd stared at the bread aisle for twenty minutes unable to find the right brand of bagels until someone else took them from right in front of her.

... She managed to get home just before the kids, only to realize that Alicia had gone to school in a sheer blouse that showed everything she had. (Sam was surprised the school hadn't called, had they given the school Alicia's new home phone number?) Sam took Alicia by the hand and lead her into the garage, Alicia's room, the largest room in the house.

... "What's going on?"

... "What do you mean?"

... "You can't wear that top to school."

... Alicia turned to the mirror as though she were just realizing she had it on. "Why? You-"

... "Please, don't do that."

... "What?"

... "I am not a seventeen year old high school virgin. Okay. And even when I was a seventeen year old high school student, I didn't go to school in sheer tops. I wouldn't have dared and my mother wouldn't have let me."

... "You weren-"

... "I didn't think I had to police you Alicia. I had stuff to talk to John about." Alicia was doing a good impression of a sulky teenager. Then Sam got an awful idea. "You haven't done this before have you?"

... "What?"

... "Gone to school in a see through blouse!"

... "No!" She managed to get out the word with a truck load of recrimination, as though she would ever go to school in a see through top.

... "Don't ... " Sam just shook her head and laid down on Alicia's bed, a bunch of air matresses stacked together.

... "What's wrong Sam. I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

... "No, that's not it. I've just had a really rotten day.

... "We've never talked about your style. I never planned for a daughter so I just left it to your mother."

... "My mother?"

... "Yeah, I know. Stupid idea. What I really did was just duck the issue." Sam sat up and looked at Alicia. "Where did you get that blouse?"

... "Uh, from the garbage, about a year ago, it has a stain on the back."

... "The back? Who's going to look at the back?" That got Alicia laughing. "Look, you've got way too much breast to go anywhere in sheer clothes, ever. Do you understand me?"

... Sam waited for Alicia to nod. "Now maybe you're lover will like you to go around the bedroom in see through night gowns but don't try it any where else. Not even around your own house."

... Alicia was frowning, "Why?"

... "Because, unless you keep those in some kind of bra most of the time, you're going to have major problems with them. I don't like the idea of plastic surgery, especially not on girls, but you should consider it in the future. And ... If you decide you want it, I'll pay for it."

... Alicia looked at Sam for a few moments and then rushed to hug her, Sam could hear Alicia sniffling in her ear.

... Sam pushed Alicia away. "Okay, now take that off." Alicia pulled the blouse over her head. Sam watched her and took the blouse from her afterwards. "Now where's this stain?" Then Sam wadded up the blouse and threw it in the trash. "No, never mind. I wouldn't even wear that blouse." Sam looked at Alicia. "Never give it away. I know I sound like an old lady but it's much better to hint, then make them work to find the truth. No body respects what's given away. Even if you're giving away gold and diamonds."

... "What?"

... "Yeah, try it some time. People will think you're putting them on. They can't be real because people don't give away things of value. You get where I'm going?"

... Alicia doesn't quite shrug but it's pretty clear that she doesn't know where Sam is going.

 

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