I was interviewing Georgia over lunch. I'd been writing articles about women making their way in traditionally male-dominated fields, and she was a rising star in geoengineering. Her work was politically sensitive, as intervening to control the environment was controversial on both left and right. Though just barely in her 30s, Georgia was accustomed to presenting her views in front of all sorts of audiences, sometimes hostile ones.
And she was insistent on being quoted accurately, as she'd had some negative experiences with journalists in the past. "And what'll I do if you misquote me?" she said, giving me a pointed stare over her wine glass.
"You'll spank me," I answered. I hadn't meant to say that. It just came out, an eruption of a fantasy I'd tried to repress. My words hung in the air. As soon as I'd said them, I realized I couldn't take them back, and that my relations with her had changed dramatically in an instant.
I could feel my face flush red. I looked down at my plate, then stole a glance at her. She had a bemused smile on her lips. She stared at me for a long moment. I squirmed in my chair.
"That is a deal," Georgia said crisply. "And I'm going to take it as something that may need to be done in other circumstances as well."
I nodded, still blushing and mostly looking down at my plate. I was glad that the table was concealing just how excited this turn in the conversation had made me. Finally, I met her eyes for a moment, and in a small voice I said, "Yes, ma'am. Understood."
"Good," she said. "We can continue this interview at my apartment."
A cab ride later, we were in her 20
th
-floor one-bedroom, which had a sweeping view of the East River. Being an expert in an increasingly important engineering field paid well. Being a beautiful woman who could keep a crowd mesmerized surely didn't hurt her career prospects either. But the most important thing, she emphasized to me, was that she knew what she was talking about. That's what made her an authority figure, she explained.
She sat on her sofa, her legs crossed. She was wearing a pinstriped suit with an above-the-knee skirt that now rose to mid-thigh. I was sitting in an armchair, trying not to be too obvious about the bulge in my pants. She gave me a knowing smile. "You don't seem to be entirely paying attention, Ned," she said. "Are you distracted by something?"
"No, I'm listening," I mumbled, looking down at my pad and trying to take notes.
"I don't think you are," she replied. "I think you're mostly looking at my legs. And if someone asked you to recap anything I've said about geoengineering, I doubt you'd get it right. Shall I quiz you?"
I shook my head, and tried to move into another question.
"No, I don't think so," she interrupted me. "I think we need to look at where your head is at first." She smiled as she said the word "head," glancing at my crotch.
I sat quietly, not knowing what to say. She stared into my eyes, then patted the sofa next to her. "Sit over here, Ned," she said. "We'll make sure you're properly focused."
I got up, a little awkwardly given my bulging pants, and sat next to her.