"Can I talk to you Mrs. Atherton?" Eileen Dumas asked her employer. Eileen had been the Atherton's maid for years, but this was the first time she'd ever dared go to a member of the family about a personal problem. It was easier for her to do that now because the new Mrs. William P. Atherton, III, was from the same economic background Eileen was. Before her marriage to "Young Mr. William," as Eileen thought of him, Arlene had been a waitress.
"Of course you can, Eileen," Arlene replied, noting the obvious concern on the maid's face. "Why don't we get some coffee, then you can tell me what's wrong."
Eileen got two cups of coffee, then she and Arlene sat down at a small table in the kitchen.
"It's my daughter, Cynthia," Eileen said.
"What's she doing?" Arlene asked. She knew the maid had a daughter who'd been born late in life, and that her employee was having problems dealing with the child now that she'd become an adolescent.
Eileen shrugged. "It isn't so much what she's doing, it's, well..." She took a deep breath. "I guess I better start from the beginning. She was doing really well in school, she was popular, and she had a boyfriend. Then her boyfriend broke up with her and she was pretty depressed for a while. She told me she was talking with Mr. Sanders, in the guidance office at the high school, and she actually seemed to get a lot better. Her schoolwork had slipped, but it improved and she seemed a lot happier. I thought, maybe, she was over the hump, you know?"
"It sounds like this Mr. Sanders did a good job with her," Arlene said.
Eileen nodded. "I thought so, too," she said. "But I'm starting to wonder. The last week or two, Cynthia seems to be slipping back into depression again. She mopes around the house all the time and cries a lot. She never goes anywhere, she doesn't hang out with any of her old friends, and she isn't dating, either."
"That does sound like the depression's coming back. Have you tried talking to her?" Arlene asked.
The maid nodded. "Yes," she said, "but she says there's nothing I can do." She looked at Arlene. "I'm scared, ma'am, I'm really scared. I mean, Cynthia can be pretty wild sometimes, but she's a good girl, basically."
"My parents could have said exactly the same thing about me when I was a teenager," Arlene thought. "Have you called Mr. Sanders?" she asked.
The maid nodded. "I tried, ma'am," she replied, "but he wasn't in. I left a message with his secretary that I needed to talk to him, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet." She looked at Arlene, her eyes red. "Ma'am, I...I don't know what to do," she said. "I...I'm scared. I'm afraid, if Cynthia gets any more depressed..." She put her face in her hands and began to sob.
Arlene rubbed her friend's back and put her arms around her. "I'm not sure what good it will do, but I think I'll have a talk with William about this," she said softly. "He's on the supervisory board for the work-study program at the high school, and I believe he knows Mr. Sanders. Maybe he can do something to help."
"I...I'd like that," Eileen said. "I'm really sorry to be bothering you with this, ma'am."
"Don't be silly," Arlene said. "We're friends. If we can't help each other, who can?"
After Eileen went back to doing the laundry, Arlene called her husband's office and told his secretary to let William know she'd be stopping by for lunch because there was something important she needed to talk with him about.
After that she went upstairs and selected an outfit to wear for her lunch date with her husband. What she finally decided on was a calf-length black flower print dress that had long sleeves with ruffled cuffs. The dress clung to her upper body, and had a loose, flowing skirt. It had buttons up the front and a zipper in back.
Under the dress Arlene wore dark stockings with lacy tops that needed no garter belt, a lacy black bra, and matching thong bikini. As she finished dressing, she smiled. Her husband should like her outfit.
William's receptionist, Selena, smiled when Arlene arrived. She told Arlene her husband was expecting her. Arlene walked to the door to her husband's office, opened it, and entered her husband's office.
William greeted her at the door. He closed it, pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her, his tongue pushing between her lips. His hands cupped her buttocks and he pulled her against him.
When the kiss ended, Arlene leaned back and looked up at her husband. "William!" she gasped. "We...we shouldn't be acting like this in your office!"
"Why not?" he asked innocently.
"Somebody might come in!" Arlene said.
"Nobody gets by my palace guard," her husband said, referring to his very stern secretary. "If I tell Selena I don't want to be disturbed, she won't let anyone in, even the President of the United States..." He chuckled. "Or my father."
"Oh," Arlene said. She laid her head on her husband's chest and hugged him. Then she stepped out of his arms. "There's something I wanted to talk with you about," she said. She walked to his window and looked out over Jamestown. William had a fantastic view from his office.
Her husband walked up behind her, reached around her, cupped her breasts in his hands, pulled her against him. He began to kiss the skin exposed by the wide neckline of her dress.
Arlene felt desire surging through her and her legs began to tremble. "William," she said weakly, "not here. We...we shouldn't be doing this here."
