MONDAY MORNING
"Don't waste your time," Steve volunteered as he showed Carl around the office. They both glanced at the statuesque young woman across the room. Her striking beauty captured Carl's attention. "Krasa is a tease," he informed.
"Her name is Krasa?" Carl asked.
"Yeah, he said. "I think it's Russian. She is the biggest flirt I've ever seen. She makes everyone think they have a chance, but says 'no,' to anyone who dares to ask for a date."
"Sounds like you speak from personal experience."
"Yeah, me and a long line of other guys. She uses the excuse of never dating anyone she works with. Men are like a game to her."
"She's a sight," Carl said admiringly.
"Like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre," he said. "Those big eyes and that smirk invite people to look at her all day long, but no touching."
"By the end of the week," Carl whispered to himself under his breath.
"What?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," Carl said, not wanting to come off as arrogant to a new colleague on my first day of work.
"No, what?" he pushed. "What did you just say?"
"I said 'by the end of the week,'" Carl answered honestly.
"What, by the end of the week?" he asked.
"I'll at least have a date with her," Carl answered in a low-key way.
"Yeah, no," Steve said as he looked at Carl's mild-mannered average appearance. "Good luck with that."
"No worries," Carl said. He was glad to leave the conversation where it was.
"You're serious," he observed. "You really think..."
"Oh, I don't know," Carl said trying to deescalate the conversation. "I haven't even met her yet."
"Less than a week," Steve challenged, "and I'll buy your lunch for a month." He knew it would never happen. At least he knew it had never happened before.
"You're on," Carl answered with a laugh.
Steve showed Carl around the office and introduced him to those he'd be working closely with in their division. Employees were spread out across the large room in cubicles. Newest employees were in the middle of the room; those with the longest tenure had migrated from the center to prime locations near the windows. Krasa's location had moved toward the windows more quickly than most due to her persuasive influence over those who had the power to make those decisions. The best any of those with power got back were the wet dreams from their own imagination for how she might reciprocate their kindness.
"Carl, let me introduce you to ..." Steve started politely.
"My name is Krasa," the tall elegant vision interrupted taking control of the conversation. She worked to make her customary first impression. She took a quick look up and down Carl's body to size him up before focusing on his eyes to attempt to interpret his attraction. She could read a man like a comic book. She was used to experiencing them stammer for words when they first met her, mesmerized by her creamy skin, red hair, translucent blue eyes, large bright smile, magnificently displayed round breasts, small ass and long legs. She loved that moment when men became incapacitated by her lustful splendor. She felt beautiful. She felt powerful. She felt in control. She looked for it in Carl.
"Nice to meet you Chris," Carl answered intentionally as he put his hand out to shake hers. Krasa stood tall, almost six feet. She wore a low cut red silk blouse, black professional pencil skirt that fell almost to her knees and matching red three-inch heels. She was a vision.
"It's Krasa," she answered back disappointedly at his apparent limited attention to get her name right, let alone for her usually irresistible beauty.
"Krasa," he answered back confidently with his eyes glued to hers. She adjusted her stance to intensify the magnetic pull on Carl's eyes toward the curves of her body. He kept his eyes unmoved on hers. "That's an unusual name. It's like crass with an 'a?'" he asked.
Steve squirmed at the way the conversation was going. "There isn't a chance," he thought to himself as he took in Carl's second offense.
"Krasa," she corrected, attempting to put elegance into her own name by rolling the r slightly and placing an accent in her pronunciation at the end. Steve had never heard her pronounce it that way before. "It means beautiful in Russian."
"Interesting. I've never heard that name before." Carl answered. "Nice to meet you. Shall we keep going Steve?" Carl asked. "Excuse us," he said to her as he let go of her outstretched hand, leaving it in mid-air.
"Ah, sure," Steve said surprised. "Sure, right this way." They both took a few steps toward Carl's new desk. "What was that?" he whispered almost laughing at what just took place. "There's no way you're going to, you know."
"Yeah, probably not," Carl said coyly. His plan was underway.
Krasa stood stunned for a few seconds with her hand still in the air where Carl left it. "He's probably gay," she thought to herself quickly.
A brunette secretary carrying a heavy armful of files walked toward the two men. "Carl, this is Carrie," Steve introduced. She provides key support for our team."
"It's nice to meet you Carrie," Carl said. "I'd shake your hand, but we'd make a mess of those files."
Carrie laughed. "True. I look forward to working with you Carl. Welcome."
"Thanks and likewise," Carl said politely. She started to walk away. "Excuse me, Carrie."
Carrie stopped. "Yes?"
"I hope you don't take this wrong," Carl started. "And you probably get this all the time, but you are beautiful."
Carrie blushed at the complement. "What's to take wrong, Carl?" She looked up to see Krasa still standing at her desk only a few feet behind the conversation. She knew Krasa could hear every word. Carrie usually felt unnoticed being in the same room as Krasa. Carrie never felt unattractive, but neither had anyone wondered if she should have been a model. She relished the complement, especially in earshot of Krasa.
"Thank you," she said, "and married" trying to retain a hold on the files while showing her ring finger.
"Happily, I'm sure," Carl answered. "Only making an observation," he reassured.
"Thank you," she said again. "You probably say that to all the girls. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you get situated," she said as she continued her way toward her desk with the files.
"Not gay," Krasa thought to herself, more confused. "And he doesn't say that to all the girls. Game on," she thought.
MONDAY AFTERNOON
Four hours passed quickly for Carl in his first day being oriented to clients, company practices and meeting people. The time ticked torturously slow for Krasa. She didn't want to appear overly reactive by approaching Carl too quickly.
She thought he was an enigma. Normally a man's reaction was fast and obvious. She prided herself on her ability to control men from a distance, simply by her appearance and prowess. It didn't matter where. Her ability to captivate men happened in the most benign places, in grocery stores, in banks, in malls. Men would whip their heads around and stare. Some thought their gawking was inconspicuous, but were only fooling themselves. There would also be an extra bonus if they were with their wife or girlfriend, and to see them get punished by a slap or look.
Sometimes, if Krasa wanted a little shot of encouragement, she would entertain herself by walking in public places where the men easily outnumbered the women. It might be past a construction site or a sporting event. She especially enjoyed restaurants in the financial district at noon. She would get the reactions she wanted without trying. Sometimes she got lunch. She enjoyed the benefits without commitments.
Normally it was all just as fast and satisfying in the office. The first meeting with a man was always as predictable as ice cream melting in the summer sun. She would flash her smile, and the newbee would smile back, before dropping his gaze to her large breasts, tastefully exposed to capture attention. The gaze would often drop down her body before embarrassment would return their attention to her eyes. It would all happen in split seconds, but it would indeed always happen. Extra points were tallied in her own mind if she saw evidence of movement in the pants. She would smile at their return glance as if to say, "Enjoy it all you want with your eyes, because your imagination is the only thing you have that will ever touch me." At that moment, she considered herself done with them.
Carl annoyed her. "Who does he think he is?" she thought ironically. He didn't react like other men. "It's his first day. Where does he get off handling himself that way?" she kept asking herself. "Maybe that's it," she thought. "Maybe its because its his first day. Maybe he is overwhelmed taking everything in." There had to be a reason, and she had to find out.
Krasa stopped by Carl's desk after lunch. She leaned over as if she were having an important conversation, allowing him an ample view of her impressive cleavage and large round milky breasts. "Any questions Carl?" she asked flashing her smile. "Anything I can answer as you get situated?"
Carl glanced quickly at her unavoidable breasts before locking onto her pool-deep eyes. "Hi Krasa. Thanks for asking."
"It's the least I can do," she answered without moving from her exposed position. She was grateful he remembered her name. It was a start. "I remember when I started three years ago, how much there was to learn. Have any questions?"
"I do," he responded. "What brings you most fulfillment in your life?" Carl asked.
"What?" Krasa asked surprised. She was taken back by the personal nature and depth of his question. She anticipated a question about procedures, or clients or maybe taking a risk to ask her out for drinks after work.
"Fulfillment," Carl said again. "What brings you most fulfillment in your life?"
Krasa didn't know how to answer his question. She stammered to find words. "Ah, I don't know. Um, that's deep."
"Oh, that's OK," Carl said, simultaneously relieving and embarrassing Krasa from the moment. "Never mind. It's not like you had a chance anyway."
"What?" she asked shocked. "Chance for what?"
"It doesn't matter," Carl said politely. "I appreciate you offering your help. If I have any more questions, mind if I ask?"
Krasa felt confused. "What? Oh, yeah. Feel free," she said. She felt dazed.
