Chapter 27: Applying Myself
All week long, I tried to apply myself at work, but I struggled to maintain focus. I wanted to do a really good job at all the tasks I was assigned in order to impress Phil prior to our meeting at the end of the week, but he hardly paid any attention to me at all. The few times he did say something to me, I was polite and professional, but I also tried to be warm and friendly. He, however, didn't convey any personal connection at all. I yearned for some human interaction with him, but perhaps his aloofness was a blessing in disguise, because, truth be told, I wasn't able to be as driven and successful as I usually was. Despite my best efforts, my mind was elsewhere. I was daydreaming about my escapade with Ted and Alexis at Amuse, strategizing how to make the meeting go well with Phil on Friday afternoon, or trying to decipher seemingly random cryptic texts from Lance.
"Have you picked out your wardrobe for tomorrow?" I tried not to check my phone too often at work, but my distractibility got the better of me. It was Lance.
"Yes," I wrote back.
"And? How will you present yourself to him?"
"Alexis helped me pick out a cute outfit from Amuse."
"You have a coat for him to remove?"
"Yes, I borrowed a coat."
"What will removal reveal underneath?"
"I thought I'd wear a nice white blouse and a navy pencil skirt."
"No."
"What?"
"You will wear neither."
"What should I wear then?"
"Wear your sexiest bra and panties."
"And what else?"
"And heels. Nothing else. Promise."
"Yes, sir. I promise."
"Good girl." Even via text message, Lance's dominance elicited a flutter in my heart. It wasn't love, though I did like him a lot as a friend and as a lover. Rather, it was his assertive way of preparing me for sexy experiences. It was his commanding expectation that I would enjoy pleasing him and others. It was his confidence that he knew what I wanted. And, honestly, it was also his cockiness and certainty that I would comply and enjoy doing so. I was reluctant to admit this out loud to anyone beside Alexis for fear of being judged, but this is what attracted me to Lance, and maybe to other men with similar tendencies, like Phil.
On Friday morning, I put on my new bra and panty set and covered it with the coat that Alexis let me borrow from Amuse. On my way out the door, Alexis stopped me.
"Wait! Let me look at you first." Her eyes roamed up and down my body. "Do a little spin, for me. Very nice. You look elegant, yet..." She got really close and pulled the V of the jacket out and peered inside. "...sexy. Perfect. Elegant yet sexy should elicit the best response from your boss, as long as he can focus on your future instead of what you're wearing in the present. Now go!" She spun me around, swatted my butt, causing me to yelp, and pushed me out the door.
I was nervous all day long. A few colleagues asked me if I was hot or if I was going to remove my coat and make myself comfortable. I deflected as best I could, but I felt like everyone could tell that I was up to something surreptitious. I felt exposed and vulnerable. Could they tell I was practically naked underneath my coat? Did they know what I was up to? It turned me on a little to act so risky in public. My heart was racing by the time five o'clock finally arrived and people started to pack up and head home. A few people asked me if I was leaving too, but I told them I just had a few things to finish up before the weekend started.
When I was fairly certain that everyone had gone except for Phil and I, I went to the bathroom to check myself in the mirror. Besides looking a little nervous, I thought I appeared pretty appealingโpresentable, but also attractive. Then, I made a quick sweep of the office to make sure everyone was gone. When the coast seemed clear, I walked to the conference room. I stood before the heavy wooden door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Tucker? It's me, sir. Layla."
The door swung open. The lights were dimmed. Phil stood in the doorway. "Layla, please come in." He stepped to the side, and I entered the room, my eyes slowly adjusting to the low lighting. I turned to face him.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, sir. I'm not sure if Lance informed you, but I wanted to talk to you about my future. I was hoping that you could advise me on some big decisions I'm considering."
"Of course. Happy to counsel you. That's what counselors are for, after all."
"Thank you, sir. I am thinking of applying to law school, and would appreciate some assistance."
"I think we can help you with that. Let's consider the options. Here, let me help you with your coat." I inhaled deeply, wondering if we should talk first or if I was totally misreading the situation. I froze. "Turn around and allow me to remove that for you." He spun me around so that my back was to him and the door. I unfastened the three buttons in the front, and allowed him to slide the coat off my shoulders. As he held my coat in his hands, I stood in nothing but my fancy new lingerie with my eyes closed waiting nervously for his reaction. There was an uncomfortably long pause.
Finally, he spoke. "Quite lovely. Don't you agree?"
"I certainly do." It was the voice of another man.
I gasped and my eyes opened wide. There, in a high-backed chair at the other end of a long, oval conference table, sat a man I had never seen before, wearing a pin-striped suit and a pleased smirk on his face.
I shrieked and tried to cover up. "Oh my god, oh my god!" I turned to get my coat, but Phil grabbed my shoulders and held me tightly in place. "Oh my god! I didn't know there was anyone else here. I thought everyone had gone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. That was so inappropriate. Let me get my coat and go." I was babbling frantically.
"Layla. Layla!" Phil raised his voice at me to snap me out of my panic and get me to heed him. "Listen to me. I want you to stand up straight and present yourself to our guest."
"Please let me put on my coat. I didn't know you were meeting with a client. I'll just leave. I'm so sorry."
"Layla, you'll do no such thing. You'll stay right here with us, wearing exactly what you are wearing. Lance told you what to wear and you will wear it. He also told me what you wanted to discuss. And we are prepared to discuss it with you. That is why we are here. Now, be polite and turn around so I can introduce you to a friend of mine." He spun me around so that I faced the man at the other end of the room. "Layla, I'd like you to meet Dean Wilson. Randy, I'd like you to get to know my assistant, Layla."
He rose from the chair and walked around the table to stand in front of me. He looked me up and down, smiled, and held out his hand. I tentatively shook his large hand. "Nice to meet you, sir," I murmured.
"The pleasure, I assure you, is all mine." He smiled. "But I detect consternation. What is it?"
"Um, sorry, Mr. Wilson, but is your first name Dean or Randy? Mr. Tucker used both names when he introduced you."
"Ah. Randall is my first name. Dean is my title."