Kathy Smith sat at her desk going over the bleak numbers with her husband Todd. Their fitness club had been extremely successful, even leading them to expand the facility, but halfway into the expansion their bookkeeper had disappeared with $50,000, and suddenly everything they had worked for was in trouble.
"If we don't get this loan, I don't think we're going to make it," Kathy said. "We've already been turned down three times."
Todd nodded in agreement. "This guy is different, he's not a bank, he's more of a venture capitalist," he said. "He does more non-traditional loans."
"I hope so," Kathy replied. "If I can't convince him, we aren't just going to lose the business, we're going to lose our house."
"I know you can be very convincing," Todd smiled. He kissed her on the cheek and got up to leave. Kathy handled all the business matters of the club, so she would be meeting the "money-man" alone. Todd was going to job the five miles home, a habit he had picked up shortly after they had to sell his car.
After Todd left, Kathy sat alone in the partially renovated addition, which was currently a mixture of her office space and random workout equipment. The room was designed with windows high on the wall, which provided natural light but also privacy for users. The gym closed early on Friday, and the meeting was not until 6 pm. The only light on in the room was her desk light, and in the fading light of the afternoon, the glow from the light left much of the room in shadows. As usual, she was dressed in her workout leotard, and she briefly thought about spending some time on one of the cardio machines, but she couldn't muster the enthusiasm. Her lifelong dream had been to own a gym, and now it was on the brink of being taken away.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the knock on the door at first. The second knock got her attention, and she answered the door expecting to see some dowdy old man in a suit. She was surprised to find a fit, attractive young man at the door. He was dressed casually in jeans and a polo, but had a look of money about him.
"Hello, I'm Rex Stevens, I'm here to see Kathy Smith about a loan," he said.
Kathy couldn't hide her sense of surprise, but she welcomed him in and showed him to her desk.
"I think you may have been expecting an older gentlemen, that would be Rex Stevens Sr," he said. "I am his son and I handle some of his investments."
"Well I am pleased to meet you and look forward to doing business," smiled Kathy. She couldn't help but use a little of her sex appeal. A lifetime of working out had made her attractive body toned and fit, and a lot of the men at the club renewed their memberships just to see her long legs and gorgeous curves walking around in a leotard. She was happily married and wasn't selling, but she didn't mind showing off to help business.
"Before we get started, I'd like to get your opinion on something," Rex said. "I am looking at making an investment in a vineyard, and I've started opening all my afternoon meetings with a wine tasting to get opinions. Would you be willing to have a glass of wine?"
"Happy to help, I could use a glass of wine," Kathy said.
Rex pulled a bottle and two glasses out of his briefcase and poured them each a glass. He held his glass up in a toast.
"To doing business," Rex said. They clinked glasses and turned them up. Being nervous, Kathy welcomed the idea of a tension breaker, and she took down half the glass with the first sip. Rex quickly refilled the glass, and they began to sip and chat about the business.
It was about this time that Todd returned. He had gotten a mile from the club before remembering that he had left his house keys at the gym, so he was forced to return. He came in through the back door, into a utility room that was separated from Kathy's office by a door. He came in quietly, and when he heard voices, he figured the money man had arrived and he decided to eavesdrop for a while to see how it was going. He pulled up a chair and sat down where he could look through the partially open door.
Rex and Kathy were having an animated conversation about fitness clubs, and Kathy was getting rather intoxicated from the wine. She hadn't eaten much all day, she was drinking a lot out of nervousness, and the wine was a LOT stronger than what she was used to. She had noted that Rex's eyes would wander over her body when she gave him the chance by looking away, and in the interest of getting the loan, she was doing quite a bit of showing off. On occasion, she would have to stand up and walk over to the file cabinet behind her desk to retrieve some accounting information, and she made a special point to linger at the file cabinet with her back to him, even bending over to enhance the show. Her high cut workout leotard showed off her fabulous legs beautifully, and she was well aware of the effect that the curve of her ass had on men. If she had to show off some to save her house, she was more than willing. She was starting to feel like her loan chances were pretty good, and Rex seemed ... well, he seemed interested.
"Kathy, I'm impressed with the job you've done with the club," he said. "Your membership is growing, the expansion is terrific. Unfortunately, running the numbers on it just doesn't work out. Its just too risky."
Kathy felt her face go flush. She had been so hopeful, and now she was crushed. She couldn't find words, and a few silent moments passed. In the adjacent room, Todd also felt her pain.
"I do have one other option," Rex said, lifting his glass of wine for a hearty sip. Kathy lifted her eyes up to look at him. "I'll give you the entire $50,000 loan if you will do one thing for me."
Kathy stared at him dumbly. What one thing could she do that would make that kind of difference? Was he toying with her?
"I'll give you the loan if you will have sex with me," Rex said boldly.
Kathy's mind reeled with the force of the statement. In her tipsy state, she evaluated his request on several different levels. She was shocked and offended that he asked. She was flattered that an attractive man in his early 20s would be interested in a 35-year old woman. And she was stunned that she was in the position of selling herself to stave off financial ruin.
In the adjacent room, Todd was battling his own emotions. On the one hand, he wanted to burst through the door and confront this Rex character. But he also wanted to see how his wife would handle it.
After a long silence, he got his answer. "I don't cheat on my husband," Kathy said. "I just won't do it."
Todd breathed a long sigh of relief. That's my girl, he thought.
"Well, that is commendable, and I understand," Rex said. "I'll tell you what, I'll give you another option. Tell me a story, a very sexy story, about one of your most erotic encounters, and I'll give you a $25,000 loan."
If he had proposed that first she probably would've said no, but coming on the heels of the previous proposal the idea didn't seem that bad. A $25,000 loan would be enough to bail them out adequately enough. There really wasn't anything terrible about telling a sexy story. She idly wondered if Todd would approve.
From his vantage point, Todd was still contemplating bursting into the room and making a scene, but the idea of $25,000 was giving him pause. He could also tell that Kathy was considering it.
After a few moments of silence, Kathy responded. "You'll give me a $25,000 loan, and all I have to do is tell you one story?"
"One story, but it has to be very erotic, you have to make it sexy, and it has to be a real story, and I'll know if you aren't telling the truth," he said.
Kathy pondered for a few more moments. "Ok, I'll do it," she smiled. While she was debating it in her head she had already come up with an erotic story, an episode she had recently had with Todd in the very room where they now sat. She had resigned herself to telling the story, enjoying it, and getting it over with. "Just understand, I am NOT going to cheat on my husband."
"Absolutely, just telling a story is not cheating," said Rex with a smile.
Kathy hesitated, looking at him closely. Even in her intoxicated state, she had the impression that he was one step ahead of her.
"Ok, here's my... episode," she said, blushing and rolling her eyes. Thinking about it was a lot easy than telling it out loud.