The sun hit Todd Stevens' eyes around 5:45 AM that summer morning. He dragged himself out of bed and shut the blinds. He fell back to sleep, until he heard his mother knock on his bedroom door. "I'm heading to work, honey," she said in a voice loud enough to show that she thought it was high time he got out of bed.
"OK, Mom, have a good day," Todd mumbled, barely awake. He looked at his clock: 8:15. His parents were off to work, his little sister was spending the summer doing an internship in Chicago, staying with relatives. He would have the house to himself.
He roused himself out of bed, morning erection in tow. He threw on a robe and walked downstairs to the kitchen. As he made himself some bacon and eggs and toast for breakfast, sipping coffee as he cooked, Todd felt his brain coming alive. It was the July after his college graduation. After four years of navigating campus life, he had to carve out his own path. However much he loved his parents, he was eager to get out on his own.
Todd had applied for a number of jobs. He wasn't a bad prospect. He had graduated near the top of his class. He suspected his professors had given him shining recommendations. But now the waiting had begun. He had phone interviews for a couple of jobs -- when would he hear back from them? If ever?
His mind drifted. He thought about Wendy, his ex-girlfriend. She wasn't the first girl he had slept with, that would be Molly, whom he had dated in his sophomore year. "Molly and I were so young...." He thought, "we barely knew what we were doing." They broke up when Molly shifted her affections to one of his best friends. But out of his broken-heartedness, along came Wendy. She was much more experienced than he was, and open about her pursuit of pleasure. He learned so much about life from her. And so much about pleasing a woman. He could still smell and taste her. "Too bad you can't put that on eggs," he laughed to himself.
His Bible-thumping parents had warned him about girls -- no, women -- like Wendy. Jezebels! Pot-smoking, irreverent, a self-proclaimed atheist, Wendy had helped turn him from the shy, awkward Eagle Scout who had arrived on campus into a handsome, confident young man at home with the world's pleasures. She had even taught him how to dress. Under Wendy's guidance. Todd had come to understand himself better as a lover, one who thought that giving was as important -- maybe more important -- than getting.
Wendy had decided after graduation that the two of them should go their own ways. He had been crushed, but came to understand. They were young with a whole world of possibilities in front of them.
Todd shook himself out of his reverie. He finished his coffee and began thinking about the day. What lay ahead of him? Another day of drudgery, checking any number of websites for openings. Bleah. After he rinsed the dishes and put them into the dishwasher, he absentmindedly stroked his dick. Maybe he should jerk off this morning so he could better concentrate. "Yeah, that'll be the excuse," he teased himself.
He walked upstairs to his bedroom. It was still decorated with the remnants of his childhood -- school prizes, Scouting memorabilia, athletic trophies (participation trophies, really, he was no jock), Vacation Bible School awards. He grinned. Irony suffused this room. The same bed where he had once prayed to God every night was the place where he had repeatedly eaten out Wendy whenever she came to visit. "And I kneeled for both of them!" He took off his robe and admired himself in the mirror. He was turning into a nice-looking young man -- he could hardly believe it. He was only of average height, but his discovery of the gym had given him some definition. Short blond hair and blue-green eyes. Between his legs swung something that Wendy had reassured him was not just adequate, but outstanding. Todd picked up his laptop and prepared himself for a morning's wacking.
Suddenly his phone rang. It was 9 AM on the dot. It was an unfamiliar number -- but it could be a job offer!. He answered.
"Hello?"
"Is this Todd Stevens?"
"Yes, it is."
"Mr. Stevens. my name is Emily Barnett. I'm with LeGrand-Rice, Incorporated."
His heart began beating faster. He had a phone interview with LeGrand-Rice three weeks before. It had been so long since he heard anything, he assumed he had been passed over. His favorite professor, Dr. Cain, had once worked there and had written him a recommendation. LeGrand-Rice was one of the nation's top business consulting firms. It had a reputation for finding top-notch young talent and putting them on the career fast track. Its CEO, Catherine LeGrand, was regularly on the cover of the nation's leading business magazines.
"Did you hear me correctly, Mr. Stevens?"
"Um, yes."
"We've looked at your background and we are very impressed. We think that you might be a good fit to become one of Ms. LeGrand's personal assistants."
"Um, um. wow!"
"Can you fly to New York tomorrow afternoon? We'll make all the arrangements."
"Of course!"
Wow. New York City! He had been to Chicago a few times, but not New York.
"We'll be in touch. Bring enough clothes for a few days."
By 11 AM the next day, Todd was boarding a flight to O'Hare. Within a few hours, he was walking off his plane into La Guardia Airport. After picking up his baggage, he found the driver who was there to pick him up. At first the drive was uneventful, as they crawled along the Grand Central Parkway and the Long Island Expressway. But when they emerged from the Queens Midtown Tunnel, Todd lit up. He found himself staring at the skyscrapers and marveling at the huge numbers of people crowding the sidewalk.
"You hicks, you're all the same," laughed the driver, "It's OK, I was the same way when I arrived from Pakistan."
Todd checked into the hotel and headed to his room on the 17th floor. Just after he had settled in and just as he was about to head out for dinner, his phone rang. It was Emily. She asked about his flight and if his room was OK. Todd said everything was fine.
"Can you meet me at 10 AM tomorrow?"
Todd said he could.
"Meet me then at the registration desk in the lobby." He said that sounded fine to him.
Todd's plans for the night changed instantly. He ordered room service and spent the evening prepping for the interview. He reviewed advice he had gotten from his college career counselor. He tried to anticipate the questions he would face. By 11 PM, he was ready for bed. He got undressed, brushed his teeth, and hopped into bed. He caught a "Seinfeld" rerun and then turned off the light and fell asleep.
At 9:45 AM, Todd hopped on the elevator. He was trying to stay focused on the upcoming interview. Silently, he asked himself one question after another: "Why do you want to work at LeGrand-Rice?" "Where do you see yourself in five years?" "What is your biggest weakness?" He strode out of the elevator and walked over the registration desk, trying to look more confident than he really was. He found a seat and flipped through the New York Times, looking for any news items that possible come up in conversation, so that he wouldn't come across as an ignorant hick.
Just before 10 AM, Todd saw a woman entering the lobby. Soon she was walking directly towards him. "That must be Emily Barnett. Wow!," he thought. He was already self-conscious around the stylish men and women in the lobby. But Emily seemed in another category. "They don't have women like this back home." She was a tall, light-skinned black woman with a straightened bob haircut. She was wearing a white blazer and a red top with matching heels and black velvet slacks. Emily was well toned but full bosomed, with wide hips that promised some junk in the trunk.
