Michael Booth looked up from the reports as his door tentatively opened. "Ah, Miss O. There you are. Please, come in."
Amy made her way into the office, her hands nervously clutching her latest article. She watched as her employer looked her over with his deep blue eyes.
"You, uh, wanted to see me, sir?" Amy asked.
"Yes, I was just looking over your work here and I must say I'm very impressed." He gestured to a folder on his desk. "You're quite a talented writer."
She blushed, but smiled proudly.
"Thank you, Mr. Booth. You don't know how much it means to me to be here."
Amy O had been working at
Swerve
magazine for two amazing weeks now.
Swerve
, being a leading publication for modern culture, was just the place to have her columns on human sexuality viewed by millions of open-minded individuals. She felt so many kindred spirits here in the offices and everyone had been so great at making her feel at home. The most welcoming of them all, of course, was Mr. Booth, the owner and chief editor of the magazine. He treated all the employees fairly and was always available for advice or support.
Amy's thoughts snapped back to the present as he continued.
"I'm quite happy with what I've seen so far, Miss O, but I'm a little worried."
Amy swallowed and stammered, "Uh...sir?"
Mr. Booth put down the report he was reading. "You have some amazing insights and your writing is stellar. However, it doesn't sound like you're immersed in the subject."
"I don't quite know what you mean, sir..."
"What I mean, Miss O, is that while you talk of sexuality, your words don't seem to convey that you've truly been a part of it. You speak of everything so coldly, so clinically. It's as if you're an observer, even when you're the subject of the story. Your sexuality is rooted in your brain, which is admirable, but it seems to lack connection with your body."
Amy's brain reeled slightly at the words. She'd always prided herself on her openness. To hear such criticisms from someone she admired so much shook her to her core. But there was something about his tone that seemed to spark deep inside her. He wasn't harsh or judging; it was as if he was stating a common fact.
"I, I'm sorry, sir, but I don't know what to say..."
Mr. Booth looked over his newest hire with an appraising eye. Her hair was a chestnut brown, cut short and sensibly. Her bright blue eyes held a perpetual glimmer of brilliance behind her glasses, and her glossy full lips always smiled faintly. Amy's white blouse did its best to conservatively conceal her lush curves without being prudish, and he could see the swell of her firm breasts through the unfastened top buttons. Her black skirt was cut just above her knee and hinted at the secrets within. Black stockings encased her smooth legs, leading down to a sensible pair of black heels.
"What I'm saying, Miss O, is that you don't seem to have much