Back From The Brink Ch 01

*Anyone can help the helpless; the magic lies in resurrecting the hopeless*

(Tuesday)

He walked into the showroom with such a sense of confidence and control that it was virtually breathtaking. He looked wealthy in the way a person from the Hamptons or Cape Cod would have been comfortable with; secure without being garish. What the hell he was doing in this little backwater town was beyond me.

My co-worker on the car room floor was catching a snooze so I got to him first.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Yes, I need a rental for twenty-four hours. A sedan; any make and model will do," he said.

"We have several cars to choose from. Let me show you our listings," I offered as I went back to my desk.

There was a time when I could turn heads and be assured that every man's eyes would follow me as I moved across the room, but those days were fading fast. Now I would get the occasional glance, but there were younger and fresher women out there. Still he followed me to my station and sat down. I punched up our selection on my aging computer system and turned the monitor toward him. I notice he looked at my hands.

"I'll take the Lexus," he said quickly. I took a deep sigh because I could really use the commission from this.

"Let's fill out some paperwork," I told him. He nodded nonchalantly, pulled out his wallet and slid a credit card across the table. It was one of those that sang out 'Credit limits? What credit limits?' and I remembered I once had one of those, even though it was the corporate card.

Entering his information I noted his name was Sebastian Vandemeyer from New York City; an upper West Side address. All I could think was this should have been me. I once dreamed of this kind of life. When I finished I saw that he was looking at my hand again.

"Sebastian; May I call you Sebastian? What are you looking at?"

He tapped his ring on the table and I immediately knew what it was and where it came from. Instinctively I covered my own hand and cursed the hubris that made me still wear mine. It was my college class ring.

"What is your name?" he inquired.

"Sylvia Westermann," I responded. I had taken to using my maiden name again since my divorce a decade ago.

"I'm the class of 2004; you?"

"Class of 1988," I sighed.

"Oh, you are that Sylvia Westermann. I've heard about you; you are sort of the 'what not to do' object lesson," he informed me. I couldn't have been hurt more if I'd been backhanded.

"Can I buy you lunch?" he asked.

"I ... I guess so. Things aren't exactly booming right now," I confessed.

As much as I feared his ridicule and condescension, Sebastian represented a world I desperately missed and longed to be a part of once more, no matter how impossible the dream. Even as we stood to go my loutish boyfriend Leo walked in.

"Hey baby, I need some cash. Me and the boys are going fishing," which was his code word that he was going whoring around again. He stuck his hand into my purse and I pressed down on his hand.

"Baby I need the money; maybe on Friday when I get paid?" I pleaded.

"Honey, I need the money right now," he insisted.

"Please," I said, "I can't right now."

"Bitch," he menaced and I felt so embarrassed I would die.

"Get your hand out of her purse," Sebastian said with a hint of menace as he came around the table.

"Fucker, this is none of your business," he growled. Sebastian struck like a snake. He twisted my Leo's hand, pressed the palm back and my boyfriend howled and fell to his knees.

"It is my business now," Sebastian said with icy calm. "Now next time I tell you to do something you had better do it or I will break you like a twig. Are we clear?"

"Fucker," my boyfriend ground out. Sebastian twisted and pushed harder until Leo yelped and tears streamed down his eyes.

"Okay, okay," he pleaded. What made this picture all the more amazing was that Sebastian was around five ten and fit and slender. My boyfriend was six two and a chubby two-sixty.

"Now, I think you were leaving," Sebastian said politely to Leo who picked himself and left still glaring hatefully at Sebastian.

"Thank you, but I think you've bought more trouble than you want," I told him. He held up his ring.

"We stick together," he assured me. "Lunch?" I looked over to my co-worker to see that he'd finally woken up and informed him that I was off to lunch and headed out with my customer. We went to the diner at the local motel which did have the best food in this small town. He let me order for him and we sat down to eat and have a little chit-chat.

"So, what brings you to town?" I inquired.

"I am moving to California but I wanted a vacation so I decided to take two weeks and drive cross country. I would have missed you if my car hadn't broken down. What brought you here?"

"What do you know about me and my fall from grace?" I asked.

"I would prefer to hear it from you," he responded. I took a deep breath.

"I was in the conflict mediation business and doing quite good at it, but I did some stupid things. I slept with clients to seal deals and had affairs with various co-workers and my boss."

"My husband got the dirt on me and then everything began falling apart. I lost my marriage, my daughter, and finally my job when it came to light what I'd been doing. I couldn't get another job in the business so I gradually drifted from one low paying job to the next until I ended out here in the wilderness where at least no one knew my name."

"You were actually good at what you did; you got the job done and that's what they paid you for. Office affairs can be tricky, especially when you are both married. I'm hardly a prude though. I'm a results oriented kind of guy."

"What is it that you do?" I said.

"I handle corporate analysis and restructuring," he replied.

"You are a hatchet man," I clarified. He smiled with a dazzling set of perfect white teeth.

"I show companies how to turn their balance sheets around, so yes I have people fired, thus the necessity of learning to defend myself," he grinned.

"You seem awful young," I stated. He couldn't have been thirty.

"I had a mentor; he had a heart attack so I handled his business until he died last year and by that time I had established enough of a reputation to keep getting clients. I believe in saving the client, even if that means saving them from themselves."

I took a deep sigh. I missed those heady days of high-finance and high risk. I was still daydreaming when I heard him say something to me but missed it.

"What was that?" I asked.

"When I leave tomorrow do you want to come with me?" he repeated. I felt like I was hit by a truck.

"Can I think about it?" I murmured.

"Of course," he agreed.

Going back into the world meant scorn and confronting my shame and I was past my prime and unsure if I had the old fire that had driven me to such heights in the first place. I was a used car saleswoman now.

"Why me?" I had to ask. It was hard to believe he was lying to me because he was that hard up for a fuck.

"You get the job done. Believe me; I keep my charity work to the occasional gala and my check book. It is not part of my business life. Worst case for you is that you end up in California which is a sight better than here."

"I'm almost old," I found myself saying.

"My mentor was sixty-two and could make men half his age bawls like little babies. All you need to ask yourself is if you are hungry enough to still get the job done," he explained. He pulled out his wallet, pulled out two $20's and his business card. He slid the card across the table to me.

"Let me drive you back to work," he offered. I took the card up, stood and walked out with him. I noticed the waitress giving a speculative look. It was hardly a secret that Leo cheated on me but no one ever cheated on Leo. I thanked Sebastian when he dropped me back at work but I couldn't stop thinking about him and his offer.

Leo glared at me when I got home in the evening.

"Bitch, get me another beer," he barked when I'd shut the door. I could read his mood as being downright murderous so I hurriedly obeyed. I opened the beer for him and handed it over. As I turned to go back and start dinner he slapped me hard on the ass. It probably left a mark.

After dinner Leo decided he wanted some action. He pulled me onto his chair and pulled my blouse open and pawed my tits. Right when I thought he might be going somewhere with it, his TV show came on and he dumped me to the floor.

"Get me another beer Bitch," he said in an off-handed manner.

I got it for him as I was conditioned to do then went back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. I felt this day repeating itself for the rest of my dull life and tears started streaking down my cheeks. I found my phone in my hand along with his card.

"Sebastian, this is Sylvia Westermann; is that offer still open?"

"Of course," he responded.

"Can you come get me?" I was trying not to sound desperate.

"Give me your address and I'll be over there as soon as possible," he answered. I told him where I lived and gave him directions.

I waited until Sebastian told me he was about to arrive before I finished packing up my stuff. I already had two pieces of luggage in the living room before Leo even noticed.

"Where the fuck do you think you are going?" he scoffed.

"Leo, I'm going away," I found the courage to say. Leo looked first amused then angry.

"Sit your ass back down," he commanded.

"I have the chance to get out of here and I'm taking it. Have fun with your whores and I hope they can help you make rent because at the first of the month you will have to figure out how to pay your own bills," I told him. Leo stood up and menaced me.

"Get your shit back in the bedroom," he growled. He grabbed one of my breasts painfully and used the other hand to grab my ass. I attempted to pull away but was too strong.

His hand came around form my ass to my crotch, forcing my skirt up and driving his cock against me. Leo's cock was the only thing I liked about him; it was long and thick, but recently I hadn't been getting enough of it and what I was getting meant less and less. Leo had force but no passion and the sex had become meaningless for me. Size wasn't everything after all.

As I continued to resist Leo put his hand around my throat and pushed me back toward the bedroom. The knock on the door came like a bell of salvation. I was hard to think of a man as being a source of anything helpful until now. Now I knew I was desperate enough to clutch at any source of succor.

"Who the fuck ..." Leo began.

"Come in!" I called out. Leo turned on me as Sebastian came inside.

"Listen up you bastard," Leo snarled at Sebastian, "you get the hell out of my house."

"Gladly," Sebastian responded. "Let me get Sylvia and her bags and you'll never need to see me again."

"The Bitch is with me. I've already broken her in and I'm not done with her fat ass yet," he gloated. I flushed red with shame. Sebastian didn't say anything; he walked over, picked up my two bags and left out the door. Leo didn't know what to make of that.

"Sylvia," Sebastian asked me when he returned, "Is there anything else?"

"Get the fuck out of here," Leo sputtered.

"There are two dress bags in the bedroom plus a carry-on," I gasped because Leo still had his hand around my throat. Sebastian walked past us as if we weren't there and came back out with the rest of my luggage exhibiting an unnerving sense of purpose. When he came back he looked evenly at Leo.

"We are leaving now," he addressed Leo. Leo let me go and turned to face Sebastian. "Sylvia, please go to the car," Sebastian instructed me. Leo grabbed my arm and I was afraid a fight was going to break out. Instead Sebastian reached into his back pocket, pulled up his wallet. He counted out several bills and held them toward Leo.

"Here is $500; let us go and have yourself a good time," he offered. Leo looked at the money hungrily, his mind going over the possibilities. He pushed me toward Sebastian, took the money and laughed.

"Make sure to put the cunt on a bus back home when you finish drilling her," he chuckled.

"I will keep that in mind," Sebastian said evenly. "Sylvia, are you ready to go?"

"Oh yes," I sang out. I headed out of my sorry former dwelling and prayed I'd never see it again. The drive back to the motel passed in silence.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that," I apologized softly.

"Think nothing of it," he smiled. "I've had my share of messy break-ups." I had to look at him seriously for a bit. He seemed totally unflappable. "We will have to share the room but we do have two beds."

"Oh, okay," I responded. I knew I wasn't passed good-looking; that I could still be desirable and I knew I had that kind of reputation too. In my mind there was little choice in putting out for this job opportunity.

When we got back to the small motel she helped my get my bags inside without comment.

"I'll use the bathroom first," he said. "And I've got the bed closest to the door." He was casually disarming. I watched him head to the bathroom and five minutes later he came out bare-chested, well-defined in draw-string pajama pants. He barely gave me a look as he went to his bed, kicked back against the headboard and looked over his tablet.

I wasn't sure what to wear to bed. Normally I wore an old t-shirt but I wasn't sure what kind of impression that would make so I chose an old black satin slip that I hoped would double as a nightshirt. When I came out I was hoping for some sort of reaction but he barely noticed me. That was a terrible blow to my ego. I had slid into bed and rolled over to look at him when he glanced my way.

"What service do you use?" he asked.

"What?"

"What network are you on?" he clarified. I felt stupid, sighed and told him. He nodded.

"We'll find a place to get you an upgrade tomorrow; someplace along the way. You'll need a great deal more capability if you are going to be part of the team," he informed me.

I suddenly felt desperately aggressive. Sebastian had done so much for me already, expended so much money and time, but some part of the old me awoke from its slumber.

"I'll need some new clothes too," I told him. Sebastian didn't even bat an eye.

"We'll get your sizes and send a memo to my people in LA. They should have five or six suits ready for you by the time we arrive," he answered.

I leaned up on my elbow and looked over at him, the covers slipping down to my waist and the slip opening up enough to give a good view of my cleavage. He looked over to me and smiled.

"Time to turn in," he informed me. "I want to make an early start in the morning." He cut his light off and I heard him settle into his bed. I rolled over, looked up at the ceiling and struggled what to make of the situation.

(Wednesday)

I woke up to hear slightly strained noises from the foot of the bed. It took me a moment to orient myself; I was away from Leo and sharing a motel room with a man I barely knew. I sat up and saw Sebastian exercising at the foot of his bed. It was just past dawn and it looked like he'd been up for a while. I imagined his physique took a good amount of work to maintain and I took the next few minutes enjoying the view.

"Do you want to go running with me tomorrow morning?" he asked me. "I get up around five and try to get two miles in before working out." I had to gasp. I couldn't remember the last time I had a serious work out.

"Sure," I found myself saying.

"I'm going to grab a shower then we can go out to eat. You probably want to stop by your work and tell them where to send your last paycheck then we can get my car and head out," he told me.

"I'll shower after you," I responded. He nodded and walked to the bathroom. I followed him soon enough and by eleven we'd put the dust of my old home behind me. It was frightening and exciting at the same time.

Driving with the windows down in an expensive car tore years of failure and fatigue off my frame and clouds of doubt from my mind. I found myself tapping Sebastian's arm and smiling. He did something unexpected; he pulled over.

"Do you want to drive for a while?" he asked. I scooted over so fast I pushed him out the door.

He walked around and barely had time to buckle up before I tore down the road. This felt even better, having the power and control as well as the sensation of the fire racing down the road. He finally ended my fun by directing me to this country diner where I found I'd developed a greater hunger than I've had for some time.

We spent the rest of the day driving around heading generally west and stopping by various roadside shops looking for curios.

"What do you plan to do with any of this stuff?" I inquired.

"Oh, I'll set a shelf aside for this stuff to remind me to relax from time to time," he answered. I laughed at his response and took his hand before I even realized what I'd done.

Sebastian gave my hand a quick squeeze before letting go but that was as close as our contact got for the rest of the day. I could tell he liked me but I didn't know how much. He was used to keeping his emotions shadowed behind a congenial mask; it was part of the skill set you need when dealing with difficult people. It was a skill I'd have to reacquire.

"So, what do you want me to do?" I asked him as we sat down to dinner.

"We sell off component parts of corporations that are not core business and we have to get the best price. That means getting our client and the purchaser to come to an agreement on what a fair price is and that is where you come in."

"Oh, you've thought this out haven't you?" I wondered.

"Of course I have," he nodded. "As I said you are not a charity case; you got results in the past and I'm banking on you doing the same for me." Everything this man had done to wound my ego evaporated in the heady sensation of the prospect of the work I was born to do and had been denied from for so long.

"Thank you for this," I told him. "I can't imagine I was your first choice for this."

"No you were not, but you are the most qualified," he informed me. I had to agree with that; ten years ago I had been one of the best mediators in the country. I was going to win that back. Something about the way Sebastian talked to me made me believe I could do just that.

Evening came around and we found ourselves dressed in the same large bed together. I was watching TV and Sebastian was working on his phone talking business – so much for his vacation. When he finished up I noticed him watching the show with me. I decided I had to do something about that.

"Do you want the controller?" I asked casually. He shrugged and scooted over the bed close to me. I handed him the remote control and he began channel surfing. I let my gaze wander from the screen to the side of his face. I leaned forward and kissed him on the jawline right below the ear. When he turned and looked at me I wasn't sure what to make of his expression.

He answered my concern by putting the control down, putting his hand on the base of my skull and pulling me into a deeper kiss. I pushed my way closer to him and he rolled onto his side facing me. His kisses brought me back to another time; he was drinking deep of my passion, tasting me, not devouring me.

I felt him push me down and get on top. One hand began rubbing my nipple through the sheer fabric of my slip while his other hand took me by the back of the knee and pulled my leg up. I found my own hands running through his short dark blonde hair while the other sought out his crotch. He was aroused and I could make out his dimensions.

He wasn't as long as Leo, but definitely as thick and I had to admit I was a bit of a slut for comparing the two men on such a simple scale but my hunger for sex had always been something that I found hard to control. As he drew my leg up along his own leg I could feel his cock pushing against me.