Chapter 1
"Kevin, Mrs. Giuliani is here to see you," Leah, the pretty blonde secretary, said, shielding her headset microphone with her hand. Kevin stood up, brushing out the wrinkles in his suit, and took a deep breath. "Good luck," the petite woman said as he passed, pushing her black-rimmed glasses up on her nose. He grew even more nervous.
Things had been changing quickly at DWW. The advertising firm had undergone a massive restructuring campaign. Most of the changes occurred on the management level, but the powers-that-be used the opportunity to smooth out any wrinkles they may have been facing, including most of Kevin's friends. Last year, they had pushed for more benefits and fairer wages and threatened strike if they didn't get what they wanted. Now, they were all out of jobs. All but Kevin, that was.
His department had been given a new boss. His old boss, Bob Monroe, had been transferred to Indianapolis – they called it a "promotion" – and all of his supervisors had faced the ax. Mrs. Adrianna Giuliani had been transferred from the New York offices to lead and everyone was fighting for a spot in the vacuum of middle management.
Today would be Kevin's first meeting with the new boss, and he was scared. She'd already let a couple of the people go, and transferred a few others to less than savory departments in the organization. She had power and she wasn't afraid to use it.
Kevin cracked open the double doors to her office. It was a spacious corner room. During the time of Bob Monroe, all the furniture had been dark oak and forest green. Now, everything had been replaced with a more feminine feel: lighter pines and creamy upholstery on the furniture. The periwinkle blue curtains had been tied open, giving a sumptuous view of downtown DC.
The carpet was plush, squishing comfortably under his feet. And sitting behind the desk was his new boss: Mrs. Giuliani.
She was younger than Kevin had expected: mid-thirties, perhaps. Very young to have achieved her position. Her dark hair was tied back in a severe bun and shined in the light of the morning sun as it slanted in through the window. She wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and was scribbling furiously at a pad of paper on her desk.
"Have a seat, Mr. Carter," his boss said. She spoke with an accent. Italian, he reasoned, given her name. He sat down in one of the two chairs facing her expansive desk. It was covered in papers, all organized in neat piles. An expensive looking silver laptop sat on one corner of the desk, closed, and Kevin could hear a desktop humming below.
A few awkward minutes passed as Kevin waited. The room was filled with nothing but that quiet hum and the sound of Mrs. Giuliani's pen scratch across the pad of paper. Kevin studied his new boss in more detail. The first thing that struck him about her was her beauty. He had seen beautiful women before – he was married to one, after all – but her high cheekbones and full lips, not to mention her dark, olive complexion and the deep line of cleavage that peaked above the scoop of her neck – marked her out as special. Her dark eyes, intent on whatever she was writing, were beautiful, surrounded by lush lashes and a perfect set of eye brows. Kevin was reminded of Monica Bellucci, or any number of beautiful Italian models. He was not reminded of any boss he had ever had in the past.
At last, she put down her pen, took her glasses off, and looked up. "I am sorry to be so rude, but I have been terribly busy." Her accent made him think of women in flowing white linen dresses and cute little villages surrounded by olive groves.
"No, I understand," Kevin said, trying to sound casual.
As she reached across her desk to retrieve a file, she bent forward and Kevin couldn't help it as his eyes slid down the top of her blouse. Her breasts were phenomenal, large and full, the same olive color as the rest of her skin.
When he was able to pull his eyes from her plentiful bosom, she was staring at him, an amused look flashing through her dark eyes. Kevin felt his cheeks grow hot and averted his gaze.
"I've been looking over your file, Kevin—do you mind if I call you Kevin?"
"Not at all," he said, still a little on edge from being caught staring lustfully at his new boss.
"Good. Now, I'm pretty impressed by what I see here, but..." She paused, closing the file and staring at him. Her lips were full, painted a dusty rose. Her tongue appeared in the corner of her mouth as though she were thinking. Kevin shivered. He felt a stirring in his pants and once again had to look away. He shouldn't be having such thoughts of his boss. "But I'm concerned with a couple of your actions in the past." The strike. "You could go far in this organization, Kevin. Your degree and your resume, not to mention the successful projects you've worked on, all point to a promotion. But you seem a little... how do I say this? Politically naïve?"
The way she described him – the tone in her accented voice – she may as well have been speaking with a child.
"I do not regret my actions in the past," he said, but his voice wavered.
She nodded, then stood up from behind her desk. In heels, she was just a little shorter than Kevin was. She walked around the desk to a cabinet along the side of the room, causing Kevin to have to shift uncomfortably to keep from facing away from her. His eyes flashed quickly down her buxom body. Her cream blouse was tucked into a tight – yet still professional – tan skirt that hugged her hips and legs down to about her mid-thigh. Her legs were long and shapely, the flawless olive skin gleaming smooth like satin. Her delicate, tan sandals added even more definition.
She poured herself a glass of water and turned, offering Kevin one. Again, she caught him staring at her full ass. He was quicker to recover, however, shaking his head and offering a polite, "No thank you," even though his throat was parched and dry.
"Suit yourself," she said and returned to the desk.
Rather than seating herself behind it, though, she leaned up against it, crossing her legs casually at the ankles and sipping at her glass.
She squinted at him, sizing him up. Kevin felt like an animal at market. "I haven't decided what to do with you, Kevin." She sighed. "But I have a pretty good idea..." Again, she tongued the corner of her mouth in thought.
"W-what?" he asked, cursing himself as his voice broke.
She just shook her head, a coy smile forming on her sexy lips. Her eyes flashed dangerously, then she masked them once again. Taking a deep breath, she was the composed business woman that had been scribbling as he entered. "I'm making my decision for assistant directors in the next few days. Leah will be sending the announcements via e-mail."
She returned to her seat. "You may go, Mr. Carter. Have a nice day."
She didn't even wait for him to leave before she turned to her laptop and began clicking away at the keys.
Chapter 2
"What does your schedule look like around lunch time?" Adrianna Giuliani asked before Kevin had a chance to say more than, "Hello." Her voice and her accent still had the power to quicken his pulse, even over the phone.
"Nothing," he said dumbly.
"Then I'd like you to join me for lunch. I have made us reservations at Sea Breeze. Meet me outside, quarter to one."
