Mrs. Rush reviewed the TWR Final Request Voucher. It looked to be in order: the Pledge Contributor's Requested Scenario, TWA Security's Clearances for Scenario Participants, Electronic Funds Transfer Authorization and the Confirmed Venue Schedule.
All Total Woman Academy Pledge Contributors (PC's) had discretionary use of the Total Woman Academy Graduate Network. TWA graduates donated their time and talents to events that contributed their earnings to the TWA Alumni Fund. The graduates volunteered for assignments at exclusive TWA Health Clinics and Resorts. Total Woman Requests offered the graduates additional volunteer assignments in unusual places and settings. All assignments offered abundant opportunities for graduates to refine their unique talents.
This Pledge Contributor had requested a fantasy for his unsuspecting executive employee, the Chief Human Resources Officer of his wholly-owned corporate conglomerate. The man served him well but his recent divorce had him off his game emotionally. The PC wanted to get his valuable executive 'back in the saddle'. He requested a staged corporate HR audit of some prospective subsidiaries. The request included several exotic venues and numerous exotic women.
Mrs. Rush scrawled her approval on the Voucher form and handed it to her secretary. The fantasy was underway.....
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Gavin arrived at work already stressed. The long commute from his ex-burb house wearied him. His wife and children were gone and the house was too big but he was too busy to find different accommodations right now. Someday he might find a small efficiency apartment nearer to the downtown office tower.
Gavin took the elevator to his office high above the lobby. He made his way past his subordinates' orderly desks to his own corner office. Someday, they needed to repaint this area. It felt dingy and dark, the lighting marginal at best. His mature secretary was suitably polite and professional, wishing him a 'good morning' before returning to her busy-work. Her busy work seemed to consist of cycling ongoing detailed reports between Gavin and his staff.
Gavin found his desktop piled with paper and his in-box already cluttered. Gavin was very capable as the Chief Human Resources Officer for this international conglomerate. Each division's culture was unique and required different approaches to their administrations. His record of tailoring the solution to the subsidiary but maintaining standardization of the overall conglomerate's policies was masterful. He knew, and his boss readily acknowledged, that Gavin was the best in the business.
Gavin's staff had learned of his penchant for perfection and preferred to get his pre-review and markup before the finalized documents were prepared. Those pre-reviews took up a lot of Gavin's time, most of each morning. But that time was not available today. He was scheduled to be in his boss's office at 10 AM for an unanticipated urgent meeting.
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Gavin sat before the man who had been his boss for the past thirty years. As company owner, he had near unbridled power to make things move and shake. He was always direct with his praise and criticism. He launched right into the subject at hand.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice".
Gavin thought '...as if I had a choice...'
"We are in the final stages of acquiring three more subsidiaries. The deals are almost done but I want you to get an intimate view of their operations before we close the deals. If we buy them, you will be in a better position to meld their personnel policies with ours. You leave in a few days and will be gone three weeks."
"Three weeks! I can't leave the office for three weeks! My desk is crammed with reports to review and there are the quarterly summaries to prepare. Not to mention that chauffeur's sexual harassment suit that we will have to settle out of court. I just can't leave so soon for so long."
Gavin's boss leaned back in his chair. Then he leaned in, poked a finger down on his blotter and delivered one of his trademark direct responses.
"Gavin, in a few days, either you're going to be on the plane to the assignment or your resignation is going to be right here in the middle of my desk. I am making this assignment mandatory and a condition for your continued employment. You have taught me well what I can and can't do personnel-wise . I can and will do this."
Gavin's boss kept is face stoic but his heart raced. There! He had 'gone for broke'! It was a 'tough-love' moment for the sake of this true friend and a truly valuable employee. Gavin had been even more valuable before his ex-wife fucked her tennis coach and their marriage and then estranged their grown children from him. For the past year, Gavin's boss had watched Gavin's spirit flame out and a 'shock to the system' was needed to set it ablaze again.
Gavin understood that his boss had the power to follow through with the threat. Gavin's life was already in turmoil and he dreaded any more disruptive changes. The few weeks would pass and then he could return to the unchanging routine that had become the remaining security in his life.
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Gavin's flight landed in Milan, Italy on a Thursday. Milan's fashion industry hosted some sort of promotional show every weekend. This weekend was no exception. An international lingerie company was introducing its newest and most daring products. Most were only sold online because mainstream shopping malls considered the products and their displays indecent. The designer label was the acquisition target for Gavin's company.
Gavin exited the VIP section of Immigration and Customs. He found Antonio, the sale promotion manager waiting. Antonio sported a fine Italian suit with two bits of sensational ebony eye-candy draped on his sleeves. The models were lithe, graceful and barely dressed in short skirts, heels and sleeveless tops. Their African heritage was evident in their dark skin tones and dreadlock hair-dos.
"Welcome to Milan, Mr Gavin. How was your flight? Long, I'll bet." Antonio clicked his fingers toward a uniformed porter and pointed to Gavin's luggage. One of the affectionate eye-candies transferred her clutch from Antonio's arm to Gavin's and the party made their way to the waiting limousine.
Champagne was distributed and Antonio started Gavin's orientation. Gavin's arm candy turned out to be Attyka, his translator/hostess/guide for the weekend. Antonio would be busy with the fashion show but Attyka would be at his disposal 24/7.
Attyka smiled and stretched her long dark-chocolate toned legs into the center well space. Her abbreviated skirt rode up past her hose tops and flashed her panties. She smiled over the rim of her champagne flute and beneath her lustrous dreadlocks.
"Please ask me for help with anything anytime. Anything."
Gavin was trapped by her gaze but was freed by Antonio's voice.
"Attyka, and this other lovely creature Amarya, and a few others, are competing to be the spokes-models for our hottest emerging market. Sub-Saharan Africa's vast petroleum, minerals, gems, rare earths and virgin forests are generating enormous profits and creating pockets of affluence adjoining the resource exploitations. We want to join the new 'Rush for Africa' and distribute our luxury products to those exclusive clients, at very attractive prices.
"We have almost completed the designs for our products and their sales promotions. They must be perfect. We would greatly appreciate your help with our final inspections. Another set of eyes often finds things we overlook."
The other three compartment's occupants held their collective breath as they watched Gavin's reaction and hoped for his approval of the request.