This story is in nine parts and will be published in fortnightly instalments.
Both Opium and opiumaddict welcome feedback.
Part one
'Coffee?' Bob Charles asked.
Opium nodded her assent. He got up from behind his desk and gestured toward the smart glass coffee table surrounded by four comfy armchairs in the corner of the room and stood back to allow her to go first. She smiled to herself reading his motive. Sure enough, once she was seated he sat opposite her so that he would have a view of her legs.
'Men are so easy to read and manipulate,' she thought to herself.
He poured for both of them. Opium liked her coffee strong and black.
'The papers should be ready for signature in a few minutes,' he smiled at her as he adjusted his position slightly to get an even better view of her legs.
Opium had known Bob Charles for four or five years, ever since he had taken over as manager of the Australian subsidiary of the bank. She knew he liked women, especially those who dressed smartly and showed a bit of leg. She had come to the meeting prepared, wearing a dark red business suit. The skirt was just a little too short for convention, a couple of inches above the knee and it revealed a good expanse of thigh, clad in sheer black pantyhose. She wore a crisp white blouse the top button of which she had left undone and her outfit was finished with a pair of black shoes with a three inch stiletto heel.
Charles was almost drooling as he made small talk. She smiled inwardly, knowing she was having the effect she intended. She had just struck a fabulous deal with him, a loan of the full amount she had requested on terms even better that she had thought she could achieve.
Charles prattled on. Something about his golf club for Heaven's sake. As if she was in the slightest bit interested. She took a cigarette from her handbag and despite the 'Please do not smoke' sign on the wall, lit it with a gold lighter. Charles frowned for a split second and then walked across to his desk and brought an ashtray from his desk drawer. Opium rewarded him with a smile and then crossed her legs. Charles started to drone on once more and she was relieved when the secretary came back with the papers.
Five minutes later it was all done. The loan was subject to approval by head office, which was in London, but Charles assured her it would be approved without question and that the formal letter would be sent to her London address within a week. The funds would be available a week later.
'What time is your flight?' Charles asked her. She told him three hours and that she had plenty of time. He called her a taxi, saw her into it personally and took one last lecherous look at her legs as he told the driver to take her to the airport.
An hour later Opium was sitting in the business class lounge. She was furious. She invariably travelled first class but had been told at check in that there was no room in first. She did not like to throw money away so normally booked business class and upgraded. She had found that 75% of the time she could get a free upgrade, especially if she could find a male check in clerk who she could charm. Not only had she not been able to get a free upgrade but even when she offered to pay she had been refused. First class was fully booked and that was that.