THE CORPORATE SUMMER PARTY
This short story chronicles the end of the marriage of Lisa and Darren Best.
Lisa was 35, five feet four inches tall, she weighed eight and a half stones (119 lbs), had a good figure, 35-28-36, and was very pretty with brown eyes and dark brown hair with chestnut tones.
Lisa had become used to getting most things she wanted from a young age. She'd always been impressed by good looking, flashy, cocksure men who zoomed their way to the top. Why she ever took up with her eventual husband and married him was a mystery to those who knew her. He was the antithesis of her apparent ideal, but he won her over and won her hand in marriage to everyone's surprise, even his own if the truth be known.
Darren was 37, five feet nine inches tall and weighed twelve and a half stones (175 lbs). He had an athletic build, was generally mild mannered but was no pushover. Darren had grown up in a large, happy but not wealthy family, living in an unfashionable part of town. He'd learned to look out for himself at an early age, and as a teenager had acquired a reputation as a canny street fighter and not to be messed with.
Darren and Lisa had been married for 7 years. No kids yet, which was sometimes an issue between them. Darren wanted to start a family, but Lisa said she wasn't ready. She was well aware of her attractiveness to men and was not above flirting for fun now and then, but Darren never had any reason to think that this was a real problem.
Lisa worked for a large financial services company. She'd joined them five years ago as an administrator and had recently been promoted to section supervisor, working under one of the company's senior managers who had been recruited a few months ago from a rival company. Lisa looked as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but could be spiteful when things didn't go her way.
Darren was a radiographer working in the MRI scanning department of the local hospital. He worked shifts and sometimes worked long hours, but he liked his job and liked to feel that he was giving something to the community. He loved Lisa to bits and had got used to her occasional spats, which were usually over just as quickly as they arose.
During the past couple of months Lisa had been uncharacteristically moody and unresponsive to Darren's concerns about it. Despite everything Darren had done to try to cheer her up he'd only ever been partially successful, before she'd slipped back into a sour mood again after a short while. The only time she'd been chirpy recently was when she'd left the house to go to work.
Four weeks ago, Lisa told Darren that the annual summer party for employees and their partners would be taking place on the coming Saturday night. In the past she'd not really been interested in socialising with her co-workers, and the couple had only ever attended two of the previous parties. In view of this Darren had been a bit surprised to find that Lisa was very keen to go this year, and she'd been busy the last couple of weekends shopping for a new dress and accessories.
Surprised or not, Darren had welcomed the idea of going to the party thinking that a night of socializing and dancing would probably help cheer Lisa up and put a bit of sparkle back into their lives. Since first telling him about the party Lisa had told Darren several times that he didn't have to go if he didn't want to. He wouldn't know any of the other guests so it might be a bit boring for him, she'd said. However, the more she told him that, the more Darren thought it was best if he went along, so he hadn't been dissuaded.
Early on the evening of the party Darren was dressed and ready, but Lisa hadn't yet made an appearance. As soon as Darren had finished dressing Lisa had commandeered the bedroom and the ensuite, she'd then spent a long time getting ready. When she finally made an appearance, she'd taken Darren's breath away.
Her hair and make-up were perfect, and her party dress was sensational. The turquoise blue sheath was the perfect colour for her, and it fitted like a second skin. The low-cut bodice showed plenty of cleavage and she was obviously bra-less, her nipples showing as two small swellings even though not aroused. Her skirt ended about four inches above her knees, and as there was no discernible panty line Darren had reasoned that she must be wearing a thong as underwear. Her shoes were white strappy sandals with 4 inch heels and her only jewellery was a diamond bracelet, worn on her left wrist, and a pair of large diamond stud earrings, neither of which pieces Darren had seen before. She'd looked utterly desirable and a little bit tarty at the same time.
"Wow, you look fantastic," he'd said, "Why don't we ditch the party and go somewhere more intimate, then come home late and horny and make love all night."
When he went to kiss her, she'd pushed him off saying, "Don't be silly, I've gone to a lot of trouble to look like this, I don't want it spoiled and I want to be seen, we're going to the party."
The party was being held in the function room of one of the better hotels in town and when Darren and Lisa arrived most of the other guests were already there. Lisa introduced Darren to one or two of her co-workers and they'd gradually gravitated to the bar area where they'd chatted with a couple of the other guests as they got themselves drinks. Lisa was attracting a lot of attention from the other guests which was just what she'd intended.
The party wasn't to be a terribly formal affair and food was provided by a good buffet. The bar was free and was busy.
They'd been in the party room no more than half an hour when a tall, well-built man, at least six feet tall approached them. He was handsome (if you like arrogant aquiline features).
The man had taken hold of Lisa's hand, lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Hello Lisa," he said, "I was looking for you everywhere, I thought you'd decided not to come after all, and this must be your husband."
"Hello James," Lisa said, smiling broadly. "I wouldn't have missed tonight for the world. Yes, this is Darren, he works at the hospital, something very technical." Turning to Darren she said, "Darren, this is James my manager, we work very closely together."
Turning to Darren, James had offered his hand, but as Darren went to take it, he'd seen a look in James' eye that made him feel that this smooth man was going to try to show him who was boss with a knuckle cracking handshake. What James didn't know was that Darren had a fierce grip of his own when he wanted to use it, and he'd mastered the art of making a solid fist of his own hand that was difficult to crush.
James had gripped Darren's hand, and as expected, he tried to hurt him, to show him who was the master. However, he couldn't crush Darren's rigid fist and then he'd found his own fist being crushed by the smaller man's fierce grasp. He'd tried harder but Darren was more than equal to it and beads of sweat had begun to break out on James' forehead as his hand began to hurt badly.
Darren had relented and let the handshake fall apart. Looking into James' eyes he'd smiled at the bigger man and said, "Yes, it's nice to make your acquaintance, I do like a man with a firm handshake."
Red in the face, and well aware that other party guests had noticed what had happened, James had said, "Yes, well I have to mingle." Then to Lisa he'd said, "I hope to dance with you later."
"Of course," she'd replied, with a sickly smile.
When James had moved away, Lisa had turned on her husband, "Why did you have to do that?" she'd hissed, "Everyone noticed."
"Well, the prick started it," said Darren. "I know the type, he's a bully, and he likes to show everyone what a big man he is. Well, he picked on the wrong victim this time."
"He's my boss and you should have treated him with respect," Lisa said.
"You are joking of course," Darren had replied, "He's a total shit, no one has any respect for people like him, they need to be taken down a peg or two."
"You'd better get me a drink," she'd said, "I wish you hadn't come tonight."
"I bet he thinks the same thing," Darren had replied with a smirk, as he went to get them both drinks.
It took a few minutes to get served at the busy bar and when he'd returned and given Lisa her drink, he'd seen James approaching again.
Ignoring Darren and going straight up to Lisa, James had asked her if she'd like to dance with him.
"Yes, I'd love to," she'd said with a broad smile on her face. Handing her drink back to Darren, she'd told him, "You'd better find us a table." As she let herself be led onto the dance floor.
Darren had quickly grabbed a table where he could watch the dance floor, he didn't trust this arrogant man and he was beginning to realise that he shouldn't trust Lisa either.
James and Lisa had danced four tunes straight through, and his hands had gradually moved all over her back, her hips and backside, pulling her in close to him. Lisa had moved her arms up so her hands were behind James' neck; they were virtually cheek to cheek.
Just as Darren had decided that enough was enough and was about to go onto the dance floor to reclaim his wife, James brought her back. He still had his hand on her backside as he steered her through the other dancers and Darren was certain he was squeezing her arse.
Lisa had joined Darren at the table and grabbed her drink. "I've apologised for your bad manners," she told him, "James said it was okay, as it was often a cover for an inferiority complex."
"I don't want to hear any more about Mr. Superior," Darren said sharply, "Now, I think it's my turn to dance with my wife."
