Nigel Summers Rebounds

CHAPTER 1

The big restaurant was empty when Nigel Summers took a seat. A waitress hurried over and said, "Where're not open."

"That's okay. I'll sit here till you are ready to serve."

She hesitated. He said to give him a break; he'd been on his feet all day job-hunting.

The blonde with two rings on her ring finger returned to the table. "Have you tried Johns and Samuels, home garden supplies and garden systems installers and home garden renovators?"

"No."

She gave him the address and said to try them. Her sister was head of HR.

"What the garden center is large enough to have a human resources department?"

"Yes and it's more than a garden center. J & S as they market themselves have almost 240 people on the payroll. My sister's name is Mrs Wilks. Tell her I referred you. My name is Jenny Hopkins."

"Okay and thanks."

"I can see you look weary. I'll be back in a minute with a complimentary beer."

Next morning Nigel sat in front of Mrs Wilks, having asked for her personally.

"You don't look like a gardener with that fair and unlined complexion and neither do you look like someone who installs watering systems. Am I correct?"

"Indeed but as your receptionist probably told you I'm new in the city, looking for a job."

"Did you quit your last job or were you fired?"

"I quit because my finance-to-be, the boss's daughter, dropped me on her father's say-so. He paid me my dues and then a bonus of five thousand bucks to get out of town. I was pretty hacked off at with him and especially his daughter. I decided to leave town."

"I see. Well who are you likely to marry here if I place you somewhere?"

"Probably not you as it would be bigamy although I suppose I could wait for the divorce to come through."

Mrs Wilks laughed and said he displayed confidence, a bit of style and had humor.

"I have these references and my CV here. Why don't I go to the staff café for coffee while you call Mr Able my former boss and find out about me."

"You mean the guy who forced you to quit?"

"Yes."

"God you are over-confident."

Nigel laughed as said she'd find Mr Able a straight shooter. "It's just he has a bitch for a wife who has someone else lined up for their daughter."

In the café Nigel took his coffee and bagel to where a woman was seated at a table with a white linen tablecloth. The other tables had no coverings.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all. Are you new?"

Nigel said probably, he was waiting for Mrs Wilks to check him out with his previous employer who'd paid him $5000 to leave.

"God, you must have been a real asshole," she laughed, so Nigel told her the story.

As he related he watched a change in the woman, undecided what it could be. It was more than sympathy but that was as far as his mind could go while he concentrating with his recital. The woman said she was sorry for him but Nigel said sometimes those sort of things were meant to happen.

The woman sipped coffee and studied him and then asked, "Would you like to trial as my PA?"

"What and have those breasts handing over my ear while you study my work... how could I concentrate?"

"How dare you!"

She'd practically spat that out so Nigel knew he was in a hole. Who the hell was she? He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed the cheek facing her. Just as he'd hoped, she turned, soft-blushed and said almost in horror that she was sorry some of her spittle had reached him.

"Don't be sorry. I inadvertently riled you. I like my little jokes you know."

"No I didn't know," she said, switching to mildly contemptuous.

He said hopefully, "It pays to be ready to laugh otherwise we look sour as if we are ready to cry."

The woman was back to being soft although with a tinge of despair. "I have been crying rather a lot lately."

Looking sympathetic Nigel said, "Was it your mother or perhaps your cat?"

"What?" said the woman, groping for comprehension, her forehead furrowed and her face now looked pinched.

"Um the thing that's making you unhappy."

She managed to smile. "God for a male you know how to talk to a woman but in this instance are a little adrift." She bent forward and whispered, "On top of everything else my fucking husband is divorcing me."

Nigel leaned forward, their heads less than a foot apart. "Was he fucking someone else?"

"Yes," she said, straightening up. "Oh God why am I telling you this?"

"Could it be you were sitting alone desperate to find release, any level of release?"

She was attractive. Actually her tits didn't look outstanding but she had long eyelashes and her eyes, now searching him, were violet and hers was the baby's bottom type of skin.

Nigel waited instinctively knowing not to speak and wondered what she had meant saying 'On top of everything else'.

"I guess we ought to become better acquainted."

Nigel thought no way could she mean what he was thinking. Scoring the second night in the city without picking up a bar slut was too good to be true; she had to be meaning something less engaging.

"I'm Philippa Shields director of administration for the company."

"I'm Nigel, Nigel Summers. For a moment there I thought you meant you were going to let me sleep with you... er offer me hospitality, me being new to the city."

She appeared to x-ray him, looking only at his neck. "Beware Nigel I'm into fitness and lift weights and do believe I'm capable of knocking your head off for a trophy if you talk filthy to me like that again."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I wasn't to know you offend easily. It was meant as a slightly hopeful retort to help lighten your day."

"Could you sleep with me... er in my apartment without touching me?"

"No way. And I really mean that."

"Hmmmm. I must make a diary note of that in case I ever become hard up."

"I've made a right fool of myself Philippa. I'll be off as you'll probably block my attempt to find a position through HR."

"Stay for ten minutes Nigel and tell me about yourself and your business qualifications and experience."

He left the café feeling rather bewildered because he'd found some of her questions and her responses to some of his answers rather incomprehensible. His confusion could perhaps be summed up by her final comment, "I feel you have been sent to me by Providence?" What on earth did that mean? If it were sex she wanted from him a big girl like here would know she'd only have to ask or even give him that certain look. Perhaps she was a cog short?

* * *

Mrs Wilks looked at Nigel, shaking her head in disbelief. "My sister called to ask if you had been in and I said yes. She asked me to find you something because you appeared to be a forthright and personable young man. And now our cold-hearted boss called to instruct me to sign you on without a trial as her PA. Did you take her into the bathroom?"

"Mrs Wilks, that is an improper question," Nigel said mockingly.

"And I still await the answer."

"No I didn't place a finger on her or issue threats. I think she found me forthright, verbally entertaining and a guy in need of a break. My track record impressed her and when she offered me the position I said yes but no trial. She laughed and said easily agreed to because it was likely the other women would conspire to make my life a misery to drive me from the office. She said they would find it intolerable having a male PA in their midst and even worst one who did not appear to be gay."

"Ohmigod."

"Isn't the situation of women being against non-gay men as a PA a breach of employment law and what's so fucking great about gay men?"

"Nigel, please calm down. You've come this far negotiating a rather rocky road with apparent incredible ease. Don't blow it on the home stretch. Have you any idea what a PA does?"

"Yes, a PA acts as the personal assistant to his/her boss doing everything the boss chooses not to do and supporting emotionally the boss if the boss is female."

"Ohmigod, let me write that down. It outshines the standard description published by the National Business Bureau in its handbook for HR managers and support personnel."

"It just came into my head as an answer. I can't see it being rocket science."

"Well for your information I regard your job description precise, pared to the essentials in amazing accuracy and simplicity."

That was the end of that because Nigel had no further comment. "How much longer am I expected to call you Mrs Wilks?"

"You may stop right now you clever young man. My name is Sarah. Welcome to J & S. I'll perform the induction myself because I rather think you carry too much horsepower for my young staff."

"Oh flattery will get you anything Sarah. What is it you want?"

Sarah blushed and said well that proved her point.

When the paperwork was completed and Sarah showed Nigel his office she said Mrs Shields was visiting her attorney and had suggested Nigel start at 9:00 next morning if that was suitable.

"Yes, that's fine."

She said, "Before you go let's get this over with. I'll throw you to the accounts department personnel. Their manager is away today."

"You're making me nervous."

"Good. It will also save me having to introduce you to everyone else. News of your arrival and how you fronted these women will be spread to every corner of our establishment within minutes."

They walked into a big, noisy room; the women talked while they worked.

"Hi girls, may I interrupt you for a minute to make an important announcement. This dark-hair man with gorgeous green eyes has just joined the company. His name is Nigel Nixon Summers. He's twenty-seven, unattached and definitely not gay and begins work in the morning as Mrs Shields' PA.

Mouths hanging open, the dozen women appeared to be displaying their tonsil to Nigel.

"I'll leave you chatting to the girls Nigel. Be gentle with him girls."

"Are you sure you aren't gay?"

"If you're not gay are you demented and bent to be leaving a very capable woman jobless?"

"Are you good for a quickie during drinks on Friday evening?"

"Have you any idea what this company does?"

"What are your qualifications?"

"Have you been a PA previously?"

At last the flood of questions ceased and Nigel said he'd do his best to answer them in order.

He answered with whit and charm and for those few minutes at least he knew he had empathy with them. But they were women and he knew women were more territorial than men. It was unlikely he'd earn acceptance with just a few smart words delivered with an engaging smile over a period of just three minutes.

Returning to the city center by cab, Nigel inspected the main shopping area and had a look at what was showing at the two large cinema duplexes. He then went to his hotel knowing he should be talking to a letting agent about apartments but felt like having a quick shower and then settling down for some drinks before dinner to think how fortunate it had been to have landed such a well-paying job so quickly. Okay, the working hours would be long and involved travel but at present he had no hobbies or girlfriends or pals to share his time with socially. Therefore grinding away at work would be okay.

He was frivolously thinking about grinding Mrs Shields when the receptionist he'd checked for messages, he expecting none, handed him one.

'I'm in the house bar. Pil.'

He raced to the bar hoping she wouldn't talk to him for hours about her ex as if he were deceased and about their life together including fucking in the woodshed. Yuk.

"Hi, I have a job and am ready to celebrate." He'd said that excitedly and went to kiss her cheek but she turned her head and they lip-kissed quiet firmly.

"Wow."

She smiled and said welcome to the team.

He said he was racing upstairs to shower and to change into something less formal than a suit. "Will you dine with me?"

She arched an eyebrow and said yes. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she smelt and he wanted to sleep with her but sense prevailed. Off he strode not looking back because she was sophisticated enough to expect he wouldn't do that.

He showered thinking she appeared rather lean so her tits would be smallish but then small tits usually meant a small pussy didn't it? Oh yummy. Er wasn't he getting a little ahead of himself. Yeah. She probably required to be dated for twelve months before he was allowed to get a finger near it.

He cleared his filthy mind, brushed his teeth, dressed and raced to the elevators, returning to close and lock his door and then unlocking it went in to collect his used shirt and underwear from the floor and shove them into his travel bag.

Nigel sauntered up to Philippa who was sitting on a bar stool facing him. He allowed her to notice his unhurried look at her long leg crossed over a knee. His gaze traveled up the leg and he sighted a patch of white flesh above the black stocking top so hurriedly looked away. Walking right up to her he asked, "Would another kiss be in order?"

"Very much in order. Your kisses make mommy feel much better."

Mommy? Nigel had thought earlier in the day she was thirty-five but now wasn't so sure. She was talking as if she were forty-five. Did she have kids? God all this was so strange, a little like two people running on empty. The one thing they both had in common was they'd been dumped. He sighed, accepted he had it all wrong. She wasn't here for the sex; she was here to grab a sympathetic ear. Anyway what was the company rule about fucking your PA? She could be fired and he certainly would.

Nigel frowned. He'd come to this city to get back some order to his life and to find a quiet, obedient girl his age who would enjoy being fucked two or three times a day and would not give him any trouble and encourage him to carve out a career to support her and X number of kids.

Instead he'd landed a women's job that would make him the laughing stock of people at work and socially who asked him what was his job in admin. And he'd introduce them to the woman he was fucking who was old enough to be his mother and was too old to have kids and all she wanted to do, day and night, was to talk about how unfair her ex-husband had been.

"You have gone quiet," Philippa said. "Tired?"

"Well it has been an usual day, a little draining." He licked his lips.

"What?"

"I was wondering how old are you. I really know nothing about you."

"Are you lining me up to have sex with you?"

Horrified, Nigel knew he could survive this by saying something she thought was funny.

"I'm quite sure you're over eighteen. That means..."

"Yes, quite," and she smiled and said, "You can be quite funny as long as one doesn't attempt to interpret your attempt wit too intelligently."

Nigel wasn't sure if that was an impolite backhander so just smiled.

"I'm thirty-four and was married for two years and twenty-three days and there were no children. I think the creep is impotent. But he did worse that leaving me and leaving me childless."

Nigel was left wondering what could be worse for a women being left childless when for the second time the bartender said, "Yes sir?" Nigel ordered his Martini and looked at Philippa who drained her glass and said she'd have gin as her base not vodka as was his preference.

As the barman walked off Nigel said, "Does that difference between gin and vodka signify we're incompatible?"

Philippa inspected her nails on one hand and said, "No, over time one of us will change because that's how couples operate effectively as couples. Let's move to a corner table. It's time to talk."

Now for talking about the deconstruction of her marriage, poised over the ashes like buzzards, Nigel thought, following her and looking at her slightly swaying ass and experiencing a great desire to pat it possessively.

Well after two more Martini's Philippa's narration ended and they went arm in arm to dinner, Nigel's head reeling. They dined making good choices and the conversation was soft and cheerful. After dinner Phillips kissed him and said goodnight.

"But I thought... Nigel said, looking up above his head, indicating the bedrooms.

"Nigel, please understand this," she said sweetly, hand touching his arm lightly. "You'll get go sex from me until I decide it's time to reward you or alternatively I lose self-control."

He thought the shock of that had dried up his dick anyway, so he said, "Understood" and escorted her to a waiting cab. They kissed on the lips, lightly.

* * *

In the bath, sipping brandy, Nigel thought about what Philippa had told him, how her father and husband had conspired to wrestle control of the company from her.

It was basically a story of greed and revenge.

Philippa's late mother Veronica Shields, who'd never married, inherited from her maternal grandmother, a Samuels, half of the stock in the Johns and Samuels enterprise. At that stage and since then the Johns' share of the business was held in a family trust. Philippa's illegitimate father Royce Johns had been terribly upset at Philippa's inheritance, believing he had a right to share in it because he'd lived with her mother as husband and wife for eighteen years. That relationship had shattered on the night of Philippa's high school graduation when the drunk Royce attempted to have sex with her. All the time Royce had been the only person believing he'd been entitled to a share in Philippa's grandmother's estate. Not even his attorneys agreed he had a case and were proven correct when the claim was thrown out of court.

For years the matter rested. Philippa gained a degree in marketing and then a Masters in Business Administration and eventually by consent of the board she replaced her father as president of the company, he being made vice-president and director of the administration.

And then Raymond Samuels, a grandson of the co-founder of the company, entered the company. He had a degree in marketing and he persuaded Philippa to take his scheme to the board calling for the creation of a garden center franchising division, aimed at giving small families with entrepreneur aspirations to set up garden centers in small towns with the technical, financial and product supply support of the very long established empire of Johns and Samuels.

Philippa was unaware that her father and Raymond were in cahoots to wrest control of the company, She also chaired the board and Raymond made better progress with her than expected and romance developed. Six months before the wedding the board accepted the establishment of a new division and the insurance company providing the substantial finance to have the new division up and fully running in very quick time demanded two seats on the board and a 15% holding in the company with the new stock issued to it at independent valuation.

Once the two insurance company representatives were on the board Royce launched a proposal for the reorganization of senior management, claiming that under Philippa's leadership the company's profitability was declining and morale of personnel was at an all-time low. Royce also proposed a new national division to market products throughout the country and to establish a national technical advisory service.

It was a straight fight between Philippa and Royce, with Raymond keeping right out of it as he explained it was politically expedient for him to display neutrality. The balance of power on the board had shifted following the appointment of the two outside directors should the directors sympathetic to the Samuels trust interests be joined by those directors.

Philippa and Royce were asked to leave the meeting while the board discussed the matter further. They were called back in and the deputy chairman announced Royce had been elected as the new executive chairman and appointed the new president of the company. Philippa had been appointed to Royce's former position as director of administration. She accepted darkly and that left her with a seat on the board with her holding now diluted to 42.5% with the insurance company taking up its holding. She had taken a big hit, blamed herself and went ahead with the wedding. She didn't learn about Raymond's deception until he sneered it to her when announcing he would be seeking a divorce because he'd found a young widow with money.