The Business Trip

(or How Grace Released Her Inner Slut)

By rutger5 An Original Story (Copyright 2013)

______________________

The knock on the door was followed by the sound of a loud, booming voice calling from beyond it.

"Grace, are you ready?"

"Be right there Bob," the woman replied as her manicured fingertip hovered over her Blackberry's keypad.

Indecision gripped her, for though Grace hit delete when it asked for a confirmation she pressed cancel instead and then hit send. 'Well it's too late to chicken out now', she thought to herself, but she also knew it was only a first step. Even if her plan worked to perfection she'd still have plenty of chances to back down, that is if it would become necessary to in the first place. Grace doubted it would ever come down to it as she slipped the phone into her bag and walked to the door of the hotel room.

Bob Kruger did a double-take when the door opened and she emerged from her room for he'd never seen her looking so attractive. He'd always felt that she was pretty, but back home she dressed in a much more casual style. There she favored loose, comfortable mom slacks generally paired with a colorful, print blouse and she usually wore her dyed blond hair in a simple ponytail. Surprisingly this look helped her, for many of her clients were families or retirees and they related to her soccer mom appearance.

Now she was styling a black, tailored pinstripe suit consisting of a single breasted pleated jacket with a matching pencil skirt that ended just above her knee. She also had on a plain white blouse but uncharacteristically for Grace she had left the top few buttons undone showing a glimpse of her creamy, white skin. Due to the modest size of her bosom there wasn't anything revealed but for the suburban mom it was still quite daring. Rounding out her outfit were a pair of three inch black heels which made the petite woman who barely topped five feet appear a bit taller while also showing off her toned, runner's calves to great effect under her black, silk stockings.

However the biggest changes to her appearance this day was that she was wearing makeup instead of only lipstick like usual and her hair wasn't held in a ponytail by a scrunchy but was styled into a sophisticated and flattering chignon that showed her slender neck to its best advantage.

"All set?" he asked when she turned to him after first checking to make sure her room door was locked.

"Uh huh," she replied, "but what are we doing about breakfast? Do we have time to stop on the way?"

"The hotel provides a continental breakfast and we have just enough time to grab something before catching a taxi to take us to company HQ for the big meeting."

Leave it to Bob to have it all worked out in regards to food Grace thought as they waited for the elevator and her eyes took in his large, doughy body. True to form he loaded his plate up with numerous sweet pastries while she was content with a low fat blueberry muffin and a strong cup of black coffee. After breakfast they headed out onto Allen Street where he managed to hail them a yellow cab in record time.

"After you," he told her as he held the door open while she climbed inside.

Bob couldn't help himself from ogling her as she got in, especially when her skirt slid further up her thigh. Once settled in the backseat she turned his way and couldn't help noticing his eyes fixated on her shapely leg. Feeling her face flush she turned and looked out the window at the busy city street while adjusting her rectangular frame glasses but she was secretly tickled pink. She'd known Bob for years, ever since joining the investment company they both worked for and she'd never noticed him checking her out before. If he was now, why that must mean she was looking good and this confirmation filled her with a measure of satisfaction knowing her efforts had been successful and gave Grace hope that her plan might succeed.

During the short cab ride the two colleagues discussed the upcoming conference and Grace anxiously questioned him on what to expect for this was the first time she had attended the annual company meeting while he had been coming every year for quite some time.

"Don't worry about it Grace, just be yourself and everything will be fine. If you weren't one of the company's rising stars then you wouldn't be here," he told her with a chuckle.

"That's easy for you to say. It isn't the first time you've been summoned from the boondocks to come to New York City for this. Plus in a sense I'm taking Carl Lundquist's spot and those are mighty big shoes to fill. He was the closest thing to a legend in this company, at least in Indiana if not the whole Midwest region, and I don't see how I can replace him."

"Grace, Grace, you're looking at it all wrong. Now you know I'd never say a bad word about Carl, he was a mentor to me and a lot of others in the company. But he's gone now and besides that for the last few years he was coasting on his past reputation. Don't get me wrong," Bob said holding up a hand to forestall Grace from rebutting him, "he still did a good job and made the company and his client's money. But after his wife died his heart wasn't in it anymore. The only reason it was him going and not you was because of past achievements. The truth is your chosen investments outperformed his the last three years running. Now it's true he had larger clients with more invested at the time but that's beside the point. You've earned this."

"Gee thanks Bob. Coming from you that means a lot to me," she replied with a little smile.

"Just telling it like it is. So how do you like New York?" he asked in order to change the subject from work, for after seeing her in this new light his mind was on other matters, namely seeing if there was any way to get into her panties and 'talking shop' didn't seem to be the best way to accomplish this.

"Well golly Bob, I haven't been here long enough to actually know if I like the place but it sure is impressive. It's just like in all the movies I've seen, what with the crowds of people hurrying everywhere and so many tall skyscrapers. After this Indianapolis doesn't seem quite so big. Last night after we arrived I took some pictures from the hotel window with my phone and sent them back home to the girls. Emily still can't believe that her mom is really in New York City."

"Speaking of the hotel, how do you like your room?" he asked to try and get her to stop speaking of her family for the thought of her young daughters and husband made him feel a tad guilty about the lustful things he was thinking about her.

"It's nice; it has a very impressive view of some bridge from the bathroom window. The room is a little small, I guess."

"Well you shouldn't complain about that, seeing as how you lucked out in not having to share your room with anyone else. My 'roommate' really knows how to snore, I can tell you. It's a wonder I slept at all."

Stifling a giggle Grace turned toward him before replying.

"Sorry about that Bob, but it's not my doing that there was an uneven number of female employees attending this year's event. And I guess it was just plain luck that our flight was delayed and we arrived late so I got the last room to myself by default, in fact I have my choice of which bed to sleep in."

"Luck I guess, but when that's your name I suppose it comes with the territory," he replied to her with a lopsided grin, for in fact her married surname was Luck.

"Oh please Bob, stop being silly. It doesn't affect whether my luck is good or bad."

At that point the conversation came to a halt for the cab had reached its destination in midtown. Bob paid the fare after which they both got out and he led her into the building. After signing in at the lobby front desk they were directed to a bank of elevators where they boarded one to the 33rd floor. When they entered the company suite they saw a number of people milling about as they waited for the meeting to commence. Recognizing someone Bob guided her forward where he introduced them.

"Grace, I'd like you to meet Craig Sutherland from our Illinois office. He's the fellow I'm sharing the hotel room with. Craig, this is Grace Luck. I work with her in the Indianapolis office."

They said hello to each other after which Bob and Craig began to enthusiastically discuss the baseball game they had watched the previous night in their hotel room. After standing there quietly for a few minutes Grace spoke to Bob when there was a brief lull in the conversation.

"I'm not sure if its nerves or what but all of a sudden I need to use the ladies room. Do you think I have time?" she whispered to him.

"Sure, even after everyone is here it takes some time to herd us all into the conference room. The restrooms are right around that corner," he answered as he pointed her in the right direction.

"Thanks; see you in a bit," she told him before heading that way.

As she walked away Grace felt both the men's eyes on her and as she turned around the bend she managed to sneak a quick peek back and sure enough they were watching her intently as they talked. While she found neither man particularly attractive, just the fact that she was turning heads further emboldened her on the path she'd set.

In spite of that Grace found her hands shaking when she removed her phone from her purse once she was safely locked in the bathroom stall. She was lucky not to drop it onto the tiled floor after she saw how many replies she had received to the ad she'd placed earlier that morning. Swallowing nervously she scanned through the replies looking for some that stood out, whether positively or negatively, to narrow down her search.

Those that appeared to be written by an illiterate she discarded without a further thought and she also deleted those that contained profanity or crude language though she wondered if she was being a hypocrite. After all here she was, a supposed respectable, married woman, soliciting a total stranger for an anonymous sexual encounter over an internet site while on a business trip and she was worried about such niceties. Still she needed some way to winnow down her surprisingly abundant choices and she'd never cared for coarse language so those that used it she quickly removed.

That still left her with over five possibilities and as she sat there contemplating, another reply arrived in her inbox. Not being able to explain it but having a premonition she clicked on the newest arrival first and after reading it she was glad she had. It read as follows:

___________________________________________________________________________________

'Bella - I was intrigued by your ad and I believe I might be what you are seeking. I'm a discerning and sophisticated older gentleman who is experienced and dare I say it, well endowed. If you are interested I can provide pictures at your request.

Ciao'________________________________________________________________________________

The message was followed by an e-mail account name and a phone number and there was something about the concise missive that made her believe she'd found the one. Of course that caused Grace to again question what she was doing and why, but by this time it had become an obsession with her and she felt helpless to resist. She quickly typed out a reply, informing the unseen respondent that she was busy until the coming evening but if it was okay she would be glad to meet him then to see if they were attracted to one another in person.

After sending the reply she hurried back and arrived just in time as everyone was now filing into the spacious conference room. The next couple of hours were a blur of introductions, speeches, networking and the like as the various employees conducted the annual company business. It wasn't until noon when the catered lunch arrived at the conference room that Grace even had a chance to think about her own 'personal' business. Feeling too nervous to eat at the moment she slipped back to the ladies room and into a stall.

Without realizing it Grace held her breath as she brought up the screen on her blackberry and sure enough her mystery suitor had replied. She noticed right away that there were two attachments but she first read the message before opening them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

'Bella - the time is not an issue. I would gladly wait longer for a chance to make your acquaintance. I will be in the city until at least 6:00 P.M. on business anyway so it should work out fine. I believe you are staying on the Lower East Side and I know of a diner near there where we can meet. Just let me know when is a good time for you and I'll be eagerly waiting your arrival.

Ciao - Sal

PS - I sent you some pictures with the message if you are interested in seeing me, for your photos inspired me greatly. That and your description of yourself as a naturally submissive woman who needs a take charge man to help you let yourself go.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Grace wasted no time in opening the first attachment and found herself looking at the image of a stocky man who appeared to be in his mid-forties with an olive complexion and a proud aquiline nose. His dark hair was slicked back and was graying around the temples while his mouth was narrow with a hint of cruelty about it. She let out an audible gasp after opening the second attachment for it was a selfie picture of his flaccid member taken from above and though it wasn't erect it still appeared to be quite impressive in its dimensions.

Grace found herself squirming on the seat and she could feel herself becoming wet from the thought that if she wanted to, she could have it inside her that very night. Letting out a little moan that she was unable to contain Grace replied to his message and let him know that as soon as she had a definite time she'd call to inform him but she anticipated early evening. After a final look at his likeness she left the stall and returned to the conference room once she'd cooled down by applying some cold water to her flushed face.

The rest of the afternoon was like a slow moving blur to her and more than once she had to literally pinch herself to keep her concentration on the matter at hand, for her mind kept drifting back to the images of his narrow lips and wide manhood. On top of that the air conditioning in the room was cranking which made her thankful she was wearing a jacket. For between the climate controlled air and the wandering of her lusty imagination her sensitive nipples were as hard as pebbles while her damp panties also felt chilled from the room's cold temperature. In spite of this, none seemed to notice how distracted she was and all the company higher ups seemed to be duly impressed by her knowledge and demeanor. Still the end of the workday couldn't come soon enough for the attractive, married mother of two.

When the meeting finally ended just past five many of the participants remained in the room talking in pairs or small groups. She waited near the door for she expected that she and Bob would take a taxi ride back to their hotel together. All the while she was trying to formulate a plan to avoid having dinner with him that wouldn't make him suspicious. She got along well enough with him but this night was about letting her inhibitions go and the last thing she wanted was to be around someone from back home who knew her and might sense the change in her. Fortunately chance favored Grace for in a couple of minutes he disentangled himself from the knot of people he'd been talking to and came up to her.

"Hey Grace, some of us have been talking and we've decided it would be a waste to be in New York City for the night and not take advantage," he began. "So a bunch of us are going to a fancy steakhouse for dinner and after that, who knows?" he told her with a wink.

Quickly taking stock of the situation Grace Luck realized her good fortune had come through yet again.

"Gee Bob, that sounds great and I'd love to. But I don't know if it's because I've been so wound up or my allergies or what but I have a horrible headache right now. The best thing for me is to go back to the hotel and take a nap to see if I can lose it. Maybe if it goes away and it's not too late I can meet up with you guys later."

"Oh, that's too bad but I understand where you're coming from," he told her, clearly disappointed. "Under the circumstances that makes sense. It is probably nerves but who knows, maybe after sleeping a half hour you'll feel better."

"Yeah, I hope so. I still need to buy the girls souvenirs and I'm not sure if I'll have the chance tomorrow. Well you have a good time and don't stay out too late," she told him with a smile, "because we still have work tomorrow before we catch our flight."

"Don't I know it Grace. All right, feel better."

"Thanks Bob," she replied as she departed the room.

Luckily for her she managed to hail a cab quickly and as she rode back downtown she pulled her phone from her bag. After first taking a deep breath she then punched in the number he'd sent to her and listened as it rang a few times.

"Hello," came a gravelly sounding voice over the speaker.

"Um, yes, hello," she stammered nervously, "is this Sal??"

"Yes it is and you are?"

"This is Grace, we've been in contact about," she replied before her voice trailed off from embarrassment.

"Ah yes. And a beautiful name to go along with a beautiful body. How are you Grace?"

"I'm good, thanks. Well I'm finished with my meeting now and on my way back to the hotel."

"Very good. Do you have a time when we can meet?"

"I guess six thirty would be fine. That'll give me a chance to freshen up before heading out, if that's okay?"

"Of course, take your time. Can I give you the address?"

"Hold on," she said as she dug through her purse for a pen. "Okay, I'm ready. The Bowery Diner, uh huh; and it's located at 241 Bowery Street. I have it. What's that? Just ask for Sal when I get there, okay dokey. See you in a little while."

Once she arrived at the hotel the only thing she did was change her damp panties when she saw how badly her womanly juices had stained the gusset where they'd leaked from her arousal. Then after applying a little perfume to her throat and wrists she headed back out. The man at the front desk gave her the directions and it wasn't far away so she could walk, which was for the best anyway. At that moment her stomach was full of butterflies and she hoped the physical activity would help to calm her. While she walked she took a somewhat circuitous route for she had a little time to kill until six thirty and it gave her a chance to explore the neighborhood, if only for a little while.

As she walked along a street both parallel to and between the hotel and the diner she was heading to, her brown eyes fell upon a bar that stood out due to its name on the awning. Overall from the outside it looked non-descript at best but since it was called bOb it made her laugh as she thought of her portly co-worker. Also knowing how nervous she was Grace decided that perhaps an adult beverage might relax her a little and make her inhibitions recede. She wasn't much of a drinker, on occasion she would have a glass of wine or a couple of beers with dinner but that evening she was looking for something stronger.

Steeling herself, she walked in the door and once reaching the interior she almost turned around and left but didn't. The first thing she'd noticed was it smelled of stale sweat and beer and it also appeared a bit run down. However she wasn't there for the ambience, she told herself, but just to have a drink. At the moment there was only the bartender and another worker besides herself there, for the establishment had just opened and it wasn't until late night that the place really came to life.