Grace Under Pressure

Sam Michaels smiled as he left Grace's apartment. He knew that was wrong. He should have felt guilty. His affair with Grace was growing serious and he was a married man. He never would have believed himself capable of cheating on his wife, but there you have it. The affair had started just before Christmas and it was nearing the end of summer. He should have ended it and tried to make things right, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew that he only had himself to blame for everything that was going on.

He should have made some kind of polite excuse for his wife's not attending the Christmas party. He and Annabella had not been getting along for the past year and he should not have made the assumption that she would be willing to accompany him. In fact, just last week in no uncertain terms she insisted that would not be happening. Sam had bragged about his beautiful, exotic wife to his bosses, raved about her charm and her intellect so much that they were all looking forward to meeting her. He was a junior associate at the firm and now he was trapped. If he didn't bring Annabella to the party, questions would be asked that he didn't want to answer. What was he going to do?

His buddy Martin provided the out. Martin was a busy lawyer trying to climb on to the partnership track. Good looking, well off and adept at his job, Martin had often told Sam that he didn't have time for a relationship. "I only need someone a few times a month, helps take the edge off," Martin had explained to Sam over a few drinks of decent Bourbon.

"So, what, you have, like, a friend with benefits or something like that?" Sam had questioned.

"No, even that can get messy because they still want to waste a lot of time talking about your day, their day and all the dreary shit," Martin responded. "I just want to go to dinner, have a few drinks and get laid."

"So ...?"

"I use an escort service, Rainbeau Companions. Very above-board, the firm has even used them on a few occasions," Martin explained, shocking Sam a fair bit. Sam had been raised in a conservative household where such things weren't done, or, at the very least, talked about. "All of their girls are gorgeous, discreet and you can set the terms for whatever suits you. I have a few girls I see regular, so I still can get the feeling of having a girlfriend without all of the hassle."

Now that he was in a jam, Sam came up with what he thought at the time was a good plan. He went down the hall to Martin's office and asked if his buddy could provide the phone number of the service. Martin crooked one eyebrow and put his feet up on his large, oak desk. "You, Mr. Married and Don't Stray, need the number of an escort service. What's the matter buddy, getting the 7-year itch?" It was an amusing and almost apt comment, as Sam had been married for just a little over 7 years. He had met Annabella in law school, were she worked as a receptionist. The Brazilian beauty had him smitten and it had taken a great deal of wheedling on his part to get her to agree to a date. A year later, he had proposed - and she said no, at least, the first time. Six months later, she proposed to him and they set a date. It had all been marvelous - until last year. Annabella wasn't happy and he could see that. She wouldn't say why. She wouldn't go to marriage counseling. What was he supposed to do?

As his closest work friend, Martin knew a lot more about Sam than their superiors. Sam explained the situation. "I need to hire someone to pose as my wife, someone quick on the uptake, someone charming and funny and, yeah, she has to be gorgeous," Sam said to his buddy. "You told me that their girls can adapt to most any situation."

Martin leaned back and whistled. "Whoo, that's a tough one. You don't think they'll get wise that she's not Annabella?" Martin had met Sam's wife on many occasions over the past year. Annabella said she thought he was cute, if a bit shallow and work-obsessed. Sam couldn't disagree, but kept it to himself. He needed Martin's help - badly.

Sam shook his head. "I always refer to her as Princess, which is what I called her when we were dating. I know it's risky, but I think we can pull this off."

Martin relented and gave Sam the phone number. He had to admire his colleague, he had brass ones. If found out, he'd lose his job for sure. He should have trusted his friend. Sam could have been a con man because he was so facile with words. He won a lot of his cases by knowing just the right thing to say. If he committed to his plan, he was sure that he'd be able to pull it off. He looked down at the number and placed the phone call.

Sam spoke with a woman named Melisande who seemed both very professional and very thorough. She listened attentively and asked all the right questions. "I think that we can do business," the woman said to Sam. "We have a young woman named Grace who I think will fit all of your requirements. I'll arrange for the two of you to meet for coffee and if you think she will prove suitable, we can make the final arrangements."

Sam said that he thought that would be fine and left it up to Melisande to tend to things on her end. He let his trusted executive secretary in on his plan, as he knew Tracey Vaccaro could be trusted to be discreet. She had worked for him last year as a summer intern and had proven so proficient in all of her tasks that he made her an offer of employment right after she graduated. Tracey was going to night classes a few times a week while earning more than a sufficient income to pay for her education. She was also a ray of blonde sunshine that helped him cope with his relationship problems with his wife. Several times they had gone to lunch and Tracey had offered sound advice despite her not quite being twenty years of age.

On the day he was scheduled to meet Grace, Sam actually found himself in a perplexed state. It was the first time in some years he was going out with another woman, one not his wife. Of course, Tracey didn't count. "Make a nice impression," Tracey suggested as she straightened his tie. She went into her desk and got out a lint brush and ran it across his jacket. "Treat her like a date you're trying to impress." Sam nodded as he thought that made very good sense. The coffee shop at which they were to meet was close, so Sam didn't have to concern himself with being late. He knew very little about Grace, save for what Melisande had told him - Grace was Asian and 28 years of age. Aside from that, she was a blank canvas.

But

what

a canvas on which to paint a picture. He caught sight of Grace the moment he entered the cafe as she fit Melisande's description perfectly - although Melisande had greatly

undersold

her employee.

Grace was simply

stunning

and there were several other words for it, such as

gorgeous

and

sexy

. She wasn't dressed provocatively at all, but she could have worn a gunny sack and made it look like a designer fashion. She was attired in a pin-striped, tailored suit that did little to hide her magnificent figure. Her hair was jet-black, long and down to her waist and she had perfect, exotic features. Sam was already smitten a bit and wondered if anyone at his firm would possibly believe he was married to such a creature. She was the first woman he had taken notice of since marrying Annabella years earlier. Gathering his wits about him, he slid into the booth across from Grace, introducing himself as he did so. Her smile was as captivating as the rest of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Grace said, extending her hand. Her skin was as smooth as silk and Sam actually felt his senses go swimming.

"You do know why you're here?" Sam asked. Grace nodded and smiled again. Sam began filling her in on the more minute details and like Melisande before her, Grace only stopped him to ask pertinent, relevant questions. It seemed as if she was going to be as thorough and professional as had her employer before her. After a while, both of them seemed to relax and just started making small talk. That felt even better to Sam, more natural and he found himself warming to Grace. Were he not a married man, albeit far from a happily married one, he might well have asked her out on a

real

date. He found himself wondering if Grace had a boyfriend and realized if she did, he'd likely be jealous of the man. The Korean-born Grace Lee was a real prize.

Over the next few days, he met Grace for coffee on two more occasions. They were able to come up with a back-story that would likely stand up to scrutiny. Sam found himself wishing some of it were true. In their relationship, it was Sam and not Annabella who was the true romantic. The story he and Grace concocted was much more suitable to his liking and also fit the tidbits he had shared with his superiors. One thing was certain, if they bought into the story, he was home-free. Grace could easily charm the birds from the trees. In fact, Sam was actually enjoying their third "date" a bit too much and got back to work a bit later than normal. Tracey actually took notice of the fact that her boss was whistling as he entered the office. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Sam so happy and he would have been hard-pressed to recall such a time as well.

The day of the party arrived and if Annabella was at all interested in why Sam hadn't invited her, she didn't seem to show it. He was wearing his best suit and in a very good mood, yet she didn't seem to pay him any heed. At work, Tracey noticed that he was a bit jittery and managed to calm him down with well-placed words and a tumbler of his best Scotch. "Play it cool, boss-man," she instructed him. "If any of the big shots ask why you seem so nervous, just tell them that you're anxious for your wife to make a good impression. They ought to buy that." As ever in situations such as these, Sam was reminded again of how smart if had been not to let the ever-efficient Tracey get away.

He went upstairs in the elevator, his stomach doing cartwheels. Grace was going to meet him at the party, although he had no idea of what she was planning to wear. All he had suggested was "dress to impress", although she could have worn a sack cloth and done so. He wasn't at all worried about Grace holding her own, as she already had a degree in Art History and was working towards another in English Literature. Her parents were very proud of their daughter, who sent money home every month.

Only once had he questioned her about her work. "You're beautiful and brilliant, so why do you ...?"

"... work as an escort?" She finished his sentence. "I like expensive things and this pays good money which affords me the opportunity to

buy

nice trinkets," she told him. "You know the rules ..." He nodded as Melisande had made them clear "... I don't sell sex, just my company.

If

I have sex with a client - and yeah, I have done that because I really, really

love

sex - it's of

my

choosing ... and I'm very choosy," she smiled again as if Sam had asked her a question about a movie she had seen. It was the fact that Grace seemed so unflappable that made him believe this would work. Not at any time had she displayed a lack of self-confidence.

The reason for Grace's confidence was on full display the minute she walked through the door. Sam would have sworn he heard heads snap when she entered the room. At first glance, it wasn't hard to see why.

"Wow," Sam said under his breath as Grace walked towards him.

Grace had gone

far

beyond "dress to impress" and, instead, it appeared as if she had opted for "dress to

stun

". She was wearing a tight, red silk

cheongsam

with a slit up one side that showed off her gorgeous, long legs. In matching red stiletto heels, the 5'8" Korean beauty was almost a six-footer. Sam was sure that he heard someone whistle loudly as Grace came up to him and kissed him on the mouth. "Wow," Sam uttered once again.

"You said that already," Grace smiled. "I take it you like the dress?"

Sam nodded. "And so does every other red-blooded male in the room and likely, one or two of the female attorneys as well," he commented.

"I aim to please," Grace said, linking her arm through his. "Now, shall we mingle and get this show on the road?" Sam nodded and made his way to the bar. With her alluring appearance still fresh in his mind, he had momentarily forgotten the actual reasons for her being there with him. It had been a long time, too long, since someone had dressed this way around the handsome attorney. He hadn't realized it until this very evening just how much he missed such things. If nothing else, Grace was good at putting a smile on his face. Now if she could make the higher-ups smile with approval, all would be well.

They made their way around the room and to her -

their

- credit, Grace charmed everyone she met. She walked with such elegance and yes, such grace, that it seemed as if she belonged in this world. She was light on her feet and also managed to take in every little thing that went on around them. She remembered names, laughed in all the right places and got every iota of their cover story right. She even managed to convey affection to Sam whenever he would have deemed it necessary. Not a soul at the party doubted her authenticity, save for Martin who already knew the truth. He flashed his buddy a big "thumb's up" at one point and Sam didn't know if it was because things were going so well or because Martin was floored by the beauty of Sam's companion. Martin was wearing a busty blonde on his arm who could not hold a candle to Sam's Grace and wit.

It was coming up on 11 when the party wound to a close. Sam and Grace had made the rounds and Grace had charmed practically everyone they met, save for a few jealous wives. Invitations had been extended to the both of them, for Sam, a chance to "discuss his future prospects". Grace and he had received several lunch invitations from some of the elder statesmen in the firm. Sam wondered how they'd swing that, but decided that Grace would likely be amenable to earning a few extra dollars for a simple luncheon. After all, she seemed to get along well with everyone and she seemed to like

him

most of all. It didn't seem like an act at all, Grace paid close attention to every word he spoke and chimed in only when appropriate. For this evening, she truly had been the perfect wife. She had been a diamond shining in a pile of coal.

When they reached the lobby of the building, Sam was almost giddy. It had been an evening that reminded him of his first date with Annabella, almost flawless and what's more, they had pulled it off without a single glitch. He smiled at Grace who smiled back. She then handed him what he assumed was a bill for the evening.

It wasn't.

It was the key card to the hotel across the street. He looked at Grace who smiled at him and then offered him words of explanation.

"I got a room across the street in case I did a bit too much drinking, I didn't want to be driving home drunk," Grace spoke. "Imagine if I'd been arrested for impaired driving just after meeting your bosses. Now it can serve another purpose. I enjoyed spending tonight with you and I don't want it to end - not yet, anyway. I want you to walk me across the street to my charming hotel room where I want us to make love. No strings, all you have to do is to say yes."

Sam knew he was at a crossroads. He had never cheated on his wife and technically, he still hadn't. He loved Annabella so it should have been so easy to say "no". Why then, did he look down at the key card, back up at Grace and answer "yes"?

The answer came with a smile and an extended hand. Despite his marital status -

whatever

the hell it was - Sam was well and truly smitten with Grace. Almost as if in a trance, he followed her across the street to the upscale hotel. He couldn't have been in a trance entirely, because his gaze never left Grace as she almost glided across the pavement. She was possessed of a smooth sensuality and couldn't have turned it off had she tried. In the elevator on their way to Grace's room, neither party said a word as if afraid to break the spell.

Grace's room was surprisingly large and well-appointed, not that either of them cared a whit about decorations. The pair of soon-to-be lovers had only one thing on their respective minds - consummation. Again, Sam noted that this was the most excited he had been since his first time with Annabella. He looked over as Grace practically

slithered

out of her tight dress. As he had expected, she wasn't wearing underwear. She turned to face him now only wearing her high red heels - and an alluring smile. She held out her arms to welcome Sam.

He knew logically that he should take the chance and change his mind, go before he committed to anything. So why were his feet taking him in the opposite direction? Was she like the sirens of old and had she cast a spell to make him do her bidding? Against her naked body, he felt at home. She went to kick off her heels and Sam finally managed to summon up the strength to say "leave them on." Grace nodded and smiled in agreement. She looked so good in heels and knew how to walk in them. So few women these days did. Grace began fumbling with Sam's buttons, in a hurry to get him undressed. They were of one mind at that instant.

"I'll take good care of you," Grace promised and of that, Sam had no doubt. Now it seemed as if they were both ready, willing and able. His clothes almost gone, she coiled herself around Sam and sent them both toppling to the bed. Grace was on top of him as the two new lovers began kissing fervently. Grace was so good that she could likely have opened a Kissing Booth and made money from that alone. Her tongue darted in and out of his mouth and Sam found it hard to breathe, although he wasn't going to object to her passion. She made her way down his body and upon reaching his cock, took the entirety of it into her mouth. Even Annabella with her years of practice rarely managed to do that. To his great delight, Grace then swung around so that her paramour could do her as well. Sam loved sixty-nine and rarely got the opportunity to show just how much he liked it. He got down to business and made sure to give as good as he was getting.

Grace and Sam were a perfect match, sexually. She seemed to like giving head and damned if she wasn't amazing at that as well. Was there

anything

this gorgeous young dynamo wasn't good at? If Grace had told him she was an accomplished spear-fisher, Sam likely would have taken her at her word. His guilt at betraying his marriage was vanishing because she was simply too good in bed to pass up. She sucked well and licked with skill, yet she was able to stop Sam from cumming with simple sexual tricks. When they both came up for air, Grace muttered something in Korean that Sam obviously did not understand. "I basically said

Holy Fuck

, what a stud!" Grace laughed by way of explanation. With an almost-girlish yelp of glee, the sexy young woman pushed Sam on his back and stroked his still-hard cock. "I hope you like cowgirl lover, because that's the way I role," Grace said to Sam.

Sam would have done his best to maximize any pleasure Grace needed, as it so happened, she had picked his favorite position. She got herself situated on top and began to move while allowing him the chance to fondle and play with her body. With a body like Grace possessed and with her attitude, a man would have to be insane not to be an active participant. As her snug, hot young pussy engulfed Sam's rod, he did his level best to explore her sleek, golden frame. Once she got a nice rhythm going, her jet-black hair whipped about as she rode Sam's cock. Sam found the

slapslapslap

sound their bodies made while having sex to be a sexy soundtrack and while Grace wasn't "talking dirty" as yet, her whimpers, sighs and moans were like a lyric to the instrumental their joined torsos were making.