The elevator opened with a chime and Abigail stepped in, spun around and pressed the button for the thirty-third floor. A silence descended in the cabin as the sun-filled lobby was blacked out by the closing doors. As her eyes adjusted to the diminished light, Abigail saw her reflection in the chrome metal surface before her.
She looked herself over one last time: in just a few short moments she would enter the lobby of Veni Corporation, one of the most prestigious technology companies in the city, and her first impression had to be perfect. She rubbed her palms against her thighs to straighten out her very stylish charcoal flowing skirt, before picking at a piece of lint that had landed on the matching blazer, which was neatly buttoned over a sky-blue blouse. For a moment she considered unbuttoning her blazer: it felt a bit too tight and was pushing her breasts snuggly together, while her skirt seemed to hug her ass almost to the point of constriction.
It's time for a wardrobe update
, she thought as she stared at her reflection.
Abigail had not had the funds to purchase new clothes since she left university almost eight months ago. Her time in school had been life-affirming, filled with the intellectual and sexual explorations that come with the freedom of adulthood without the financial responsibilities of true independence. But now that she had graduated, her financial responsibilities kept her up at night.
Ah, intellectual and sexual explorations
, she reminisced with a smile. These were the two things that had occupied all of her attention during the last four years. She had loved to find ways to merge them, such as the time she hosted a
Disrobe and Discourse
soirée, where she gave a talk on the sexual politics of Simone de Beauvoir to a roomful of rapt fellow students, while giving a slow handjob to a volunteer laying on the desk before them...
... a smile crept on her lips as she reminisced.
Abigail wondered when she would ever have the chance enjoy such delights again. Her time at school had shaped her from a self conscious freshman into a bold graduate unintimidated by the world... which would have been a fantastic life lesson, if only real life had not gotten in the way shortly thereafter.
Her graduation was followed by eight unceremonious months without paid work, and Abigail's felt like an awkward freshman again. She had never technically been unemployed, but her work opportunities had been nothing more than a series of internships that left her feeling hollow and penniless. She had to cut her gym membership to make ends meet, and began to notice that she was filling out her clothing slightly more than before, which only added to her feeling of uncertainty.
She had agonized over her appearance this morning. A nagging voice echoed in her head telling her that she should have straightened her hair, but Abigail loved her naturally curly red locks: they never failed to turn heads and get her noticed, particularly since natural red hair is so rare for people of her darker skin colour. Her chocolate skin and full lips were beautiful accents to her sunset curls and the tiny freckles on her nose and upper cheeks. Men and women would often double-take when they saw her, and she loved the lusty looks they would offer. On any other occasion, she would have no reason to doubt her appearance, but today was different.
Her attention snapped back to the present moment, and she glanced up at the numbers above the elevator doors. Number ten lit up, followed by eleven and then twelve. Her stomach was tied in knots and she felt an uncomfortable tingle all the way to her fingers; her throat was dry and the world seemed to be moving much too quickly.
One-third of the way there
, she thought.
She had heard all manner of rumours about Veni Corporation and its unique office culture: in addition to its good yearly salary, the company had a reputation for giving out exaggeratedly generous bonuses, and hosting some of the wildest holiday parties in the city. To be granted an interview here was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Number twenty-seven lit up.
Already? Where did the other fifteen floors go?
she wondered in a sudden bout of anxiety.
Twenty-eight.
Get it together, Abi...
She took a deep breath.
Twenty-nine
You've prepared for this interview for a week.
Thirty.
You know your stuff. You've got this.
Thirty-one
Now step in there like you own the place!
Thirty-two... thirty-three. The elevator chimed open directly into Veni Corporation's main lobby.
An ultra-modern union of steel and hardwood met Abigail's gaze. The room was bathed in morning sunlight from floor-to-ceiling windows over the right side of the office, and in the afternoon it would likely be just as sunny from the matching windows on the opposite wall. Abigail crossed the room to the large reception desk where a young woman with tanned skin and wavy dirty-blonde hair greeted her with an inviting smile.
The receptionist stood up and leaned forward to extend her hand across the desk. Her very low cut, see-through white silk blouse that revealed a lacy black bra over her very ample bust. The rest of her neckline was adorned with a long silver chain necklace that sat contentedly between her breasts. Abigail lowered her gaze to the woman's neckline for what she thought was a quick glance, but was actually a long, deep stare.
It did not go unnoticed.
"Hi, are you Abigail?" asked the receptionist, her sweet voice luring Abigail's out of her trance. Abigail quickly composed herself and gave a smile, turning her attention to the receptionist's eyes. The woman before her was absolutely captivating, with a round nose and dreamy, smoky dark eye shadow.
Abigail felt her cheeks warm suddenly.
"Yes... I'm here for to interview with Roy," she replied, half-an-octave higher than she had expected. Her hand extended as well, but it grasped nothing but air.
"Nice to meet you Abigail, my name is Emilia." She took Abigail's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"You have really soft hands," blurted Abigail, immediately cringing at having said something so odd. She stood transfixed, as if hoping that remaining motionless would somehow make her unsay it.
Emilia greeted the remark with a smile and a quick lick of her lips.
Abigail loosened her grip slightly, but noticed that Emilia was not letting go. The receptionist prolonged the handshake for a moment further, blinked slowly and let her gaze rest on newcomer's features.
What the...?
she wondered as the moment stretched on in silence.
In the stillness between them, Emilia's soft honeyed fragrance began to warm Abigail's senses; the woman before her smelled of comfort and excitement, of dreaminess and urgency...
For an instant Abigail was transported back to her
Disrobe and Discourse
soirees, to the mess of party-goers who giggled and danced, who writhed in ecstasy, who wore nothing but jewellery and... the exact perfume Emilia was wearing.
Abigail felt a shiver down her spine, and began to feel slightly wet.
"Take a seat over there. Roy will be ready in just a few minutes," Emilia gestured to a leather couch against the wall of the lobby.
Abigail released her hand, walked to the couch and sat down. She was beginning to notice that the room was very warm... or was it maybe the combination of pre-interview jitters and unfortunately-timed sexual arousal? These were hardly ideal in such a circumstance...
Abigail placed her bag on her lap, opened it, and pulled out the profile she had prepared on Veni Corporation. She looked through the document, trying to remember key information about the company, reviewing news articles about their products, and the bios of the C-level staff... Anything to get her mind back on the task at hand.
"Here," came Emilia's voice cutting through Abigail's concentration, "you look like you could use it". She looked up to see the receptionist holding out a bottle of water, which Abigail took gratefully.
Another moment ticked by, and Emilia turned to leave when Abigail spoke up.
"That's a wonderful fragrance you're wearing," she said sincerely as she opened the bottle and took a sip.
"Thanks," Emilia turned around and idly toyed with her necklace. "A lot of people compliment me on it." She smiled at what Abigail was reading. "So, you did your research on Veni Corp? Do you feel ready?"
"Ready enough," began Abigail. She paused for an instant, weighing whether she should be cautious with what she said next... and then decided to test the waters, to see if Emilia was feeling anything similar to what she was. "I see job interviews like sex with someone new: it's all nerves at first, and it's never what you really expect. But it's exciting!"
Emilia gave a wicked smile and her eyes seemed to widen. "You have no idea!" She hopped on the couch and relaxed next to Abigail, folded her legs and rested her arm on the couch's headrest. "Working for this company is a real adventure, I promise you. Hardly anyone ever wants to leave once they start here... Just so long as you keep an open mind."
Abigail smiled and repositioned herself to face the woman before her. "So, what makes working here so special?" she inquired.
Emilia pursed her lips, as if considering her words. "Its the culture here. It's... unique. We have a very stimulating approach to motivation and professional competition." She absently twisted her necklace through her fingers.
"Meaning, what? I've already heard about the generous bonuses."
