At twenty five I, Jubal Prentice, started my second job after college working in digital marketing. I had a combined BSc and BA degree in business and computer science from a five year program at the university I attended and this job seemed perfect for me, much better than the first job I got out of college. I had been a competitive fencer in college but always put my studies first, so I never won any individual championships although my team once finished third in the NCAA national fencing competition.
My new job was at Winsome Scientific, Inc., a medium sized corporation that not only manufactured and sold a number of pieces of equipment for the scientific community but also marketed laboratory equipment for a number of foreign corporations in the United States. Winsome had its own six-story building in a suburban office park of a large city and occupied the top five floors. The first floor had retail shops including a large fitness facility that was a franchise of a national corporation. A large warehouse was in an adjacent complex less than a kilometer away.
My department had ten employees when I started, and was on the same floor as a much larger department of Winsome, the sales department. One thing that I liked about Winsome is that everyone seemed to get along -- the only exception (at least from the scuttlebutt of the male employees on our floor) of the department head of sales (she was also a vice president) Melanie Brooks.
I had few interactions with Melanie since she was in a different department and much higher up on the corporate ladder than I was, but I was introduced to her my first day at work and said "Hi" to her whenever I saw her, and exchanged innocuous chit-chat if we, for example, rode up the elevator together to the sixth floor where our offices were.
After working a few months at Winsome I came to the conclusion that the male employees were often critical of Melanie and called her The Ice Queen because she was no nonsense in making everyone do their job, and because she wasn't even the slight bit flirtatious. I think that this was particularly bothersome to a number of male employees because Melanie was likely the hottest woman I had ever seen. In the case of the female employees who had critical things to say about her I think that it was jealousy.
Melanie is five feet eleven inches tall (180 cm) with shoulder length lustrous brunette hair with auburn highlights, a large chest, a beautiful even if normally stoic face, a slim waist, sculptured legs long even for a tall woman, and a tight bubble butt to die for. Although there was no completely reliable information about her age, given when she got her undergraduate and MBA degrees I surmised that she is probably twelve years older than I am -- making her 37 when I started at Winsome very young for someone in her position of authority. It was clear to everyone, however, even her detractors, that she got her position because she is highly intelligent -- maybe the smartest person I personally met.
Despite how tall she is Melanie seems to always wear three inch heels to the office, making her only an inch shorter than my six foot three inch height.
I had a first real interaction with Melanie when I had been at Winsome about six months when we had a holiday party for all employees on the sixth floor at a local country club, spouses and significant others invited. At the time I was dating Amy, a good-looking woman my age but who I later dumped because she basically had a nasty personality and because of her good looks thought that her shit didn't stink.
At the party Melanie seemed to seek me out to engage in conversation. It turns out that she was in a fencing club as a teenager and actually fenced for one year in college and had lots to talk to me about regarding fencing competition in college. I was a little surprised that she even knew that I was a fencer. We must have talked one-on-one for thirty minutes, not just about fencing but other things like art and movies, before she had to make some announcements and hand out holiday presents and bonuses to the sales staff.
After the announcements and gift giving for both Melanie's department and mine Melanie introduced me to her husband Jack, who it was clear she was deeply in love with. I immediately recognized him from the large photo of him and their two young daughters that hung on the back wall of Melanie's office and which I was told was updated every New Year.
It turned out that the holiday party was my last date with Amy. Afterwards she complained bitterly that I spent too much time talking to "that old slut" (no hetero male would ever call Melanie "old") and otherwise exposed her nasty personality; so I dumped her. I was glad that I found out about her true colors then before investing any more time or energy in the relationship.
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My next interaction with Melanie came only a few weeks after the holiday party. I had just had a phone conversation with one of the salesmen with him on speaker, and apparently he hadn't properly disconnected the call. Before I hung up I heard his door open and other voices so I stayed on the line. I then overheard three male employees of the sales department talking about doing some shady things with their sales reports, and possibly finding out a way to manipulate the sales department computer system to introduce false information that would make them look good. I understood the computer stuff -- it wouldn't work the way they were going to try their scheme unless they got a black hat hacker involved -- although I didn't understand the sales talk. I quietly hung up the phone after I had heard enough.
I only thought about it overnight before I knew what I had to do. I was waiting at Melanie's office when she got in (she was always early) the next morning. She had asked at the party for me to call her "Melanie" instead of "Mrs. Brooks" so I inquired "Melanie, could I talk to you about something business related?"
"Sure Jubal," she replied, somewhat surprised because we didn't really have any business interactions.
We went into her office, I closed the door, and handed her a memo that I had drafted the previous night on my home computer which provided all of the information I had overheard, and also my analysis of the computer aspects of the salesmen's plot. "I think that this memo is self-explanatory, but if you have any questions I'm happy to answer them," I said as I sat in a chair across from her desk.
I really wish that her desk had a privacy panel in front of it because I had a really good view up her skirt from my position -- I tried not to look because I could feel myself starting to sweat and getting hard.
It was clear than Melanie read the memo twice before she looked up at me. "Thank you very much, Jubal. This is self-explanatory and provides as much detail as I could expect. I will be taking action on this after a further investigation -- you've really helped me, and Winsome, out."
"Glad to help," I replied, standing up and hoping that I hadn't tented my pants as a result of the view up her skirt.
"One thing, though, Jubal; I ask that you keep this confidential -- tell no one not even your boss -- and I won't be able to report to you what ultimately happens."
"No problem -- after handing you the memo I will not even think about this again, let alone talk with anyone about it, and tonight I'll scrub it from my home computer," I responded with a smile.
Melanie insisted on shaking my hand. I wish she hadn't. An electric charge passed through my body from the contact. I hope that she didn't notice my slight shudder.
Melanie didn't have to tell me what happened. Ten days later the three salesmen who I had overheard were clearing out their desks while security watched over them.
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I guess that Melanie and my paths were destined to intersect because I had another interaction with her only about three weeks after the three salesmen were fired.
I was going to dinner at a nearby restaurant on a Friday night after working late when as I approached the establishment I saw a large obviously drunk guy holding Melanie's arm. I heard her say "Let go of me you bastard," and heard him slur "Just a little sugar, baby!"
Most people don't realize that fencing is very similar to martial arts -- it requires the same type of quickness, posture, balance, and technique that many martial arts do. I approached the guy from the side and hit him with my left elbow as hard as I could in the area of his right rotator cuff. He immediately released Melanie's arm and called out in pain. I then -- careful to protect myself and be ready in case he swung at me with his left -- got in his face. I whispered "Leave now or tomorrow morning you'll wake up to find your face a pile of goo."
He looked at the intensity in my eyes while still whimpering because of the excruciating pain in his shoulder, mumbled a few swear words, and then slinked off.
I turned to see Melanie staring at me. "Are you OK?" I asked.
"Yes; thanks, Jubal; what are you doing here?"
"I came to sit at the bar and have dinner."
"Are you meeting Amy?"
"No," I chuckled, "I dumped her the day after the holiday party. Are you meeting Jack?"
"No, he and my girls are at his parent's house tonight since I had to work late and I was just going to get a bite to eat. Can I treat you to dinner to reward you for your chivalry?"