At the age of 23 I was in my second year of a graduate trainee scheme with one of the UK's more successful tech companies. It was a sought after position, with excellent remuneration and great prospects. But it came with a demanding, high pressure, workload.
The way the scheme worked was we rotated around a number of directorates, getting exposure to a variety of functions and ways of working. It also meant we were working with and for several different teams, typically in 6 month slots.
I'd been in my current directorate for a few months and was, unusually for a trainee, away in San Diego on a tech conference. Invites to these were typically reserved for more established employees. Partly as they were something of a junket and considered a "reward" for good performance. But also because there were almost invariably sessions at which we would ply our wares to prospective new customers. And trainees were not considered skilled or experienced enough to do this.
The directorate was headed up by Chrissy. The only woman director in the company and perhaps something of an anomaly across the whole, male dominated, tech industry. She was in her mid 40s, sharp as a scalpel and with the most fearsome reputation imaginable. Even the other directors seemed scared of her. To the junior employees, myself included, she was someone we tried our very hardest to stay on the good side of. Though, ideally, we'd try to avoid her completely.
Just on this trip alone she'd reduced one of the more senior product managers to a gibbering wreck as she berated him, publicly, for what she felt (in fact she was probably correct) had been an ill prepared, inaccurate, client pitch.
The other stand out feature (and forgive me for presenting a cliched, sexist, stereotype, but I'm afraid it's true) was that Chrissy was attractive. Extremely attractive in fact. And did not conform at all to the nerdy, tech, stereotype.
Immaculately sleek jet black hair, albeit cut in quite a severe bob. Flawless skin and a slim, tight, toned, figure. Whilst she never dressed to draw attention to it even her conservative business clothes did not hide the peachy arse and firm, still perky, tits. Some of this, I guess, was due to good genes. But much of it down to the fact that she trained hard, with a reputation for pushing herself as hard in the gym as she pushed the team she led.
So she stood out, in almost every way.
By the last day of the conference the majority of our company delegation had gone home. But a small team, led by Chrissy, had done a pitch for some new business to a huge US client. She'd specifically asked for my input and, surprisingly, had got me to present. Albeit just a small part. I wasn't the most technically gifted, but I knew I was good on my feet; more articulate and assured than some of my more techie colleagues.
The presentation had gone well and I'd felt comfortable in the part I'd played. Remarkably, even Chrissy had complemented me on my performance. The bulk of the team went straight to the airport, to pick up our flight home later that afternoon. But Chrissy and I drove back to the hotel, in a hire car we'd rented. We'd left some of our promotional materials there and also needed to settle the account for our week's stay. Chrissy was going to attend to the latter whilst I was there as the "muscle" to hump stands and boxes down to the car.
Pulling in to the underground garage of the hotel I found a parking spot in the far corner of the lower of two levels. It was early afternoon and surprisingly quiet. As we pulled our laptop bags from the boot (or trunk as I guess they called it in the States) I heard footsteps, echoing through the garage.
Turning round, with just idle curiosity to see the source of this, I was astonished to see two young guys come hurtling towards. They seemed slightly built, though one was over 6ft tall. With one of them brandishing a large knife, almost machete like in appearance.
Coming to a halt in front of us the taller of the two snarled at me, "give me those bags and hand over your wallets and watches," waving the knife just inches from my face.
His movements were judderey, he was licking his lips repeatedly, with dilated pupils. Clearly he was under the influence of something.
Initially I was more taken aback than scared. I didn't think San Diego was a particularly dangerous City. And the car park of one of the more up market hotels, especially in the middle of the day, certainly didn't seem like the sort of place where you'd expect to be waylaid by knife wielding junkies.
All of that said, I quickly appreciated the seriousness of the situation. I was just grateful that they had a knife (albeit a very large one) and not a gun. But, even without them brandishing a gun, from my time in some of the grubbier cities back in the UK, I knew better than to attempt any heroics.
The company would replace our computers, my Casio watch was worth less than £50 and I had just a few cards and about $100 in my wallet. Certainly nothing to risk my life over. I suspected Chrissy had much more expensive jewellery. But it would be insured. So discretion was certainly the better part of valour.
"Hey, no worries," I assured machete man, gingerly handing him my laptop bag and unfastening my wristwatch. "Just stay cool, I'll give you what you want and you can walk away."
Chrissy, on the other hand, was less compliant. She was either braver, or more reckless. I felt the latter.
"No way, we are not handing you anything," she spat out at them.
Initially this seemingly unexpected response surprised our two muggers and, momentarily, I though we may have got away with it. But, predictably, drugged up as it appeared they were, it just inflamed them.
"Shut up bitch, you'll do as you're told," the taller of the two slurred. "Let me give you some encouragement."
Moving towards Chrissy he gripped her tightly by the arms and tried to tear the watch off her wrist and the necklace from around her throat. At the same time his friend moved behind her and grabbed her breasts, tearing open her blouse and then groping her groin over her business suit trousers.
"What a piece of meat," he sneered, "let's get ourselves some of this," he suggested to his co-assailant. His accomplice then tried to kiss her roughly, whilst also pawing at her tits, managing to free one of them from the cup of her bra.
I'd been quite prepared to hand over our valuables. But there was no way I was going to stand by and see a woman assaulted, particularly sexually.