Christina Jane Bond, the Hotelâs Sales and Marketing Director, is my wife.
Something out of the ordinary, that wouldnât cost her a penny. I had been limited to not forgetting the date. This we had agreed after I had completely forgotten our first anniversary. She had given me the most incredibly expensive sunglasses. She hadnât known that I donât wear sunglasses because I consider them a passive form of arrogance.
Birthdays and Anniversaries, I know all the dates off by heart. Associating the day with its annual expiry date, which is what I have trouble doing, is a virtue I envy in others.
Bubbles, the secretary I share with the General Manager, GĂŒnter Pichler, aka The Kaiser, had reminded me that today was the day. She is a vivacious and lively person that likes to take everything seriously, and dresses extremely well. Bubbles, as in French Champagne, was going to buy my present for Chrissie, on this our second anniversary.
My name is James, better known as Jim. I know what you are thinking. No, nothing like him at all. Dark, a damned sight taller, and Iâve none of his appeal, sex included. Deputy General Manager of the Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro. At your service.
No, nothing to do with spooks either, just sit back and listen.
The first I heard about the problem was from a passing waiter. Dona Christina was looking for me; there was a blackout in the Convention Hall.
Why Chrissie had sent for me didnât bother me too much. Chrissie with her neat manner and Brazilians with problems do not mix well in a crisis.
I called Bubbles and told her to have Moura meet me in the Convention Hall and made my way there myself.
Tall men move fast enough at a stride and as DGM, never run, and never ever panic. The International Fashion Show was a hell of a big deal for the budding Brazilian fashion industry, and nothing could go wrong. It was due to start in less than three hours.
Bubbles and Moura were at the Convention Hall doorway. âThe Kaiser wanted me to tell you personally that heâll have your balls on a platter if this photographer thing gets out of handâ, she said. Bubbles was flustered. She always is when doing The Kaiserâs bidding.
âItâll be OK,â I said. The photographer had blown the fuses with his lighting gear. At least, that was what we hoped had happened.
âDid you sort out my present?â
Bubbles was incensed, and with a dismissive ââcourse I have!â went on her way.
Moura, the Uruguayan Head of Maintenance, was carrying a torch.
âYou disconnect all the equipment he set up, Iâll see to the breakers,â I said, pushing open the doors to the convention hall.
âAfirmativo,â he answered. He loves his radio-speak.
The hall was in semi darkness. The emergency lighting was sufficient to see where the photographer was and to see the entrance to the back area. All the action for the catwalk, general fussing and clothes changes, for which being naked was an essential convenience, happened there. One does notice these things. The breakers were in a cabinet on the back wall.
It was darker in the back area. I made a beeline for the breakers, hands outstretched. I was feeling for possible tubular wheeled wardrobes, the only things that would litter this area. The dressing rooms were further back.
I walked straight into a naked girl. She appeared out of nowhere and embraced me, whispering âshh!â in my ear. Naked because my hands quickly scanned her back looking for somewhere decent to hold her and stop myself. I didnât, she was naked. I did stop, one leg in between hers and my weight on the other leg, about a yard behind her, one hand cupping a deliciously soft warm buttock and the other holding her against me as I managed to straighten and regain my balance. Her long hair tangled in my fingers.
Then she kissed me. Soft warm lips inviting me to kiss back, which I did, my legs still held apart by her insistence in pressing her body up against mine, making herself comfortable and purring like a kitten, a very sexy sound coming from the back of her throat. I relaxed and gently nibbled at her lips, so soft, warm and yielding, like her body under my hands. She ground her mound passionately against my rising cock, easing the throb as it made space to swell in growing desire. I was breaking out in a sweat, incredibly aroused and literally breath taken.
Then she was gone, just disappeared.
âJefe!â, Moura called out. The man was getting impatient.
âOK!â I answered, âum minutinho sĂł!â Time I needed to recover from the surprise and get the breakers back on.
The Hall lit up again. Moura, a bull of a man, intimidating when angry, was already explaining to the incomprehending photographer how to use several extention cords for his lighting and not just the one. Brazilians have a special respect for bull like Uruguayans. More than seventy years of FIFA World Cup soccer had seen to that. Which saved me the bother.
I did look for the girl on my way back out, but she had gone. I sat for a minute to recover from the unbelievable âincidentâ.
She was a very tall girl, had to be to reach and whisper that shushing noise that had set me tingling, and to grind up against me at that height, even though I had my feet set apart. Had to be one of the models, they are all tall, some very tall, with long hair, down to the waist. I was missing something about the perfume. What a kiss!
Moura was beginning to carry on a bit, so I dragged him off and sent him back on his regular duties. Bubbles was relieved that the problem wasnât going to result in my castration. The Kaiser was flamboyant with his language, and Bubbles insisted in taking him seriously. Somebody had to, because I certainly couldnât.
Bubbles told me that Chrissie wanted to talk to me in the Conference Hall. No problem, she assured me.
Now Chrissie enjoys watching me squirm, in the friendliest of ways. I think she does it to wean me out of my shyness. The more I squirm the less likely I am to squirm, some such theory anyway. Her favourite was to introduce me to people for no good reason other than that I am the DGM of the hotel. The Kaiser was good at that sort of thing, but you have to be insufferable at something, I disliked being insufferable at anything. Chrissieâs right of course, as a budding GM I have to pick up some social graces somewhere.
âDona Cristina?â I asked at the hall. Somebody pointed at the back area of the hall and I strode up, hoping that there was no brewing problem a couple of hours before the fashion show. The place was empty, as it had been earlier, so I walked into the dressing room area.
Quick glance around and I knew what she was up to. A crowd scene welcomed me. People busy with an assortment of what looked like unfinished dresses, fussing in hurried flurries about partially naked models; sexy, provocative, nubile mannequins, suffering the fitting and pinning of messy high fashion.