It was a business trip that Jean Cameron's anatomy would never forget. Jean had spent nearly 21 years working as an accountant at her firm, Arlen Rutherford & MacKenzie, in Alberry Ridge. Over two decades of accounting had a heavy impact on Jean both mentally and physically. As if being a glorified human calculator-spreadsheet wasn't enough, Jean had been passed over last year for a partnership in the firm. David Rutherford evidently thought his self righteous blow hard of a son was more deserving of the partnership after only 9 years with the firm. Sure, she couldn't prove it, but Jean was convinced this aggravating bit of nepotism had more to do with the firm being run by a group of chauvinists and less to do with her work ethic.
Jean would never admit it, but deep down she regretted her decision to become an accountant. She worked long hours, men were intimidated away by her salary, and the worst part of it all, Jean knew full well the office janitor had a more exciting job than she did. Though she's an attractive woman, very well put together, she often felt lonely. An exciting Saturday night for Jean had a bottle of Chardonnay and a DVD.
A much desired beam of sunlight would finally cut through the dusty boredom of her life on a mid-October business trip to Ottawa. Jean travelled as a representative of her accounting firm to a conference the federal government was holding on tax laws in the country. Apparently, the hordes of useless bureaucrats at Canada Revenue Agency thought Jean's job was too easy, so they decided to convolute it by coming out with 112 new regulations in the tax code. And of course, it was an excuse for them to beat their own drum and pretend they serve a purpose in the world.
Jean arrived at the conference and lasted about three hours there. At the Chateau Laurier, Jean listened half-heartedly as a spherical shaped bureaucrat tried to answer a simple question regarding regulatory change number 4. She sighed as it sank in that she had spent three hours getting through only 4 regulatory changes out of 112. "This is bullshit," she accidentally said out loud. The half dozen accountants sitting around her table chuckled in agreement.
She figured she would give it ten more minutes, and then she was going on the hunt for a glass of wine.
Walking across the lobby, Jean saw what she was looking for, a nice quite bar just passed the water-fountain. She walked in with her eyes to the floor, nearly stumbling from exhaustion, as she sat herself down at the bar. She slowly looked up over the mahogany countertop and surprised herself as she came eye to eye with a handsome young bartender. In her exhaustion, Jean hadn't even noticed the young man in the navy-blue shirt behind the bar. Hey eyes popped and she jolted a bit in her face. The bartender, seeing this unguarded moment, laughed at Jean and said "Now I know I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!"
"No! Not at all!" Jean tried to explain. "I just didn't see you there." The bartender grew a smile that showed off his perfect teeth. Looking at the handsome young man, who had caught her in a bit of an embarrassing moment, Jean stuttered, losing her normal confidence and strict demeanor. "I mean, I just, I wasn't really looking...." Jean's face began to feel warm as she realized the young man was making her blush.
Being a gentleman, he came to her aid. "What can I get you?" He asked as he gave his nose a half upward snap.
Thankful for the reprieve, Jean ordered a glass of Chardonnay.
It took a moment but the bartender returned with an extra large, fully enticing, glass of chardonnay. It was just what Jean needed at this boring conference. The bartender placed her glass before her and with a smile he walked off to the other side of the counter.
Jean sat quietly as she sipped her wine. Occasionally looking over at the TV which was tuned to the History channel. She was moderately interested in the documentary about Nazi Germany building stealth aircraft that look like UFOs. But she was surprised at feeling a bit neglected by the bartender. Not that she needed any more wine, she was only half way through her glass, but she felt neglected because she wanted him to be more interested in her.
The bartender must have sensed her desire for a conversation, because at that moment he grabbed a cloth and headed back over to where Jean was sitting. He looked her in the eye and smiled. "Can I get you anything to go with that?" He asked her. Not wanting to let him get away so easily this time, Jean thought she would lock him into some kind of a conversation. "I'm alright for now. But I do have a question for you," Jean replied. "I'm here at an accounting conference..." "Oh, right. My manager told me about that," he interrupted. "Well, it isn't exactly.... entertaining." Jean said as she tilted her head slightly toward his face with a raised eyebrow. The bartender laughed and said "Yeah, it wouldn't really be my scene...."
"And what would be your scene?" Jean said, feeling her face start to blush again. As the bartender let out a friendly laugh at her forwardness, Jean had a rush of emotion come over her. She couldn't believe what she was doing. She had left a work function that she's clearly supposed to be attending, she was drinking in the early evening on the firm's expense account, and she was flirting with a handsome young man who must be at least 15 years younger than her. She was afraid, but she was thrilled at the same time. And driving it all, of course, was the reality that she was genuinely attracted to this young man.
"Well, ya know, there's all this!" the bartender said as he lifted his palms outward and motioned around the bar with a laugh.
"What comes after this?" Jean asked, still sitting on pins and needles.
"I'm off in an hour, then, the night is my ocean. I'll see where it takes me!" The bartender said.
The wine must have warmed her up, because Jean was really going for the young bartender's laid back style. "Perhaps you'd have a drink with me? You're the only one I know in this city," Jean said.
"Oh I don't know, I can't have a drink with a woman until I know her name," he said said with a smirk.
Jean flashed him a smile and said "Well, my new friend, I'm Jean Cameron."
The bartender extended his hand "Nice to meet you, Jean. I'm Steve."
As Steve shook Jean's hand, she felt his coarse skin up against hers. His well-worked hands and the firmness of his grip made her feel like a 20-year-old woman again. She wasn't entirely sure what it was about Steve, but somehow, he made her silk panties feel warm against her.