Amanda wasn't an unattractive young woman. But at nineteen she was tall, gangly, redheaded, thin, she had the typical small tits of a ginger girl and on top of it all she wore thick glasses to compensate for her dreadful nearsightedness. Her self image wasn't exactly one of confidence. Add to this she came from a very dysfunctional family and her domineering parents had a tendency to choke the life out of any good idea she ever had.
Thus she ended up working in the family business where her parents could keep an eye on her and consistently strangle her dreams.
The family's electronics business started doing better after Amanda started working there. This had everything to do with Amanda applying her intelligence to the production and procurement processes. Modest changes to these processes resulted in exponential improvements to the final product. In the space of a few short months orders had doubled and new employees were hired.
Among those employees was Sean. In his early thirties he had moved to the US from Ireland to work at a New York bank and after some issues with his visa and the bank he ended his Wall Street pursuits and ended up working with Amanda and her family.
Amanda was immediately smitten with his lilting Irish accent and his impish good looks. The man looked like he was happy and smiling even when he was frustrated and angry. His dark unkempt hair appealed to her as well.
Sean didn't immediately notice Amanda's interest in him. It took some time on her part and it wasn't until one day when Sean's hand had accidentally brushed against her petite ass that he woke up to her attention.
He was deeply aware of her domineering parents and soon enough he was also aware of her desire to escape them. This in addition to her obvious crush on Sean.
Sean started to see Amanda in a whole new light. He decided that he liked her trim figure, he loved her dark red hair, he even loved her bespectacled face which gave her a very demure countenance.
One particular Saturday Amanda had been going about her work when her father decided that this was a good time to assert his dominance of the girl. She had made a small change to yet another process and even though the change would save several hundred dollars per month he decided to be angry about it. He unloaded on her in front of everyone and soon enough she was crying.
Sean didn't get to see this or he would have objected. He had been out dropping off packages at the shipping company when this drama took place.
When he returned he saw that Amanda had been crying. He knew who was responsible for it. He saw his chance.
He wrote a note on a memo pad and then neatly folded it. Finding an excuse to go by Amanda's desk he stopped and slipped the note to her. She hurriedly hid it away lest either of her parents demand she hand it over.
When she had a need to go to the bathroom she excused herself and scurried off to do her business and to read her note. She closed the bathroom stall and unfolded the note to read it. Her heart sang as she read the note.
"Care to chat? Come by my flat later. 172 Ardmoore Place, #12"
Saturdays were a half day at the shop and when noontime rolled around everyone left for the day. Amanda elected to do some filing and she told her parents she'd be home later after she was done. They bought it because she sometimes worked extra, this was not unusual.
Amanda waited until after one before she locked up and started walking to Sean's place. It was only a couple miles walk and the crisp fall air met with her approval. Gray clouds were approaching but she gave them little thought.
Sean was quite pleased when he heard the light knock on his door.
"Amanda, I'm glad you came!" he said as he ushered her into his apartment.
He guided her to a nice couch and she sat down. Her flowery dress complemented the fabric on the couch.
"Would you care for tea?" he asked.
"Maybe later, thank you!" she replied.
Sean sat with her and got her to talking about her family and the words just flowed from her. He could tell she'd been wanting to talk for a long time but never had anyone to talk to. He asked many leading questions to keep her talking and he also took the opportunity to study her. He liked what he saw.
The time flew by and just over an hour had elapsed when the sky outside turned dark.
"Oh, my. I have to get home before it rains!" she exclaimed as she got to her feet.
"I can drive you if you'd like." he offered.
"My parents would kill me if they saw me with you. I'll just walk. Thank you so much for your hospitality and your time. I really appreciate it!"
He said something else and then she blew out of his place just like the wind.
Amanda cursed herself as she walked away. She'd been such an idiot thinking to talk to Sean about all those things! And what was she thinking not wearing her coat when there was rain coming?
She didn't make it a quarter mile when thunder roared and then the sky opened up with a downpour! In a few moments she was soaked to the skin. She stopped in the rain and almost started to sob thinking about the three mile walk to her parent's house. Her thoughts turned to Sean and so did she.
Sean was surprised to hear light knocking on his door again.
Opening the door he found a disheveled, freezing, and soaking wet Amanda.
He wasted no time ushering her into his home. He went right to business and ordered her into his bathroom with stern instructions to take a warm shower. Taking her wet clothes from her he tossed them into his dryer.
The thought of her bare and naked just a few feet away from him had him thinking. Going to his bedroom he got out his bathrobe and then put on a pair of fleece pants and a t-shirt. He went to the kitchen and fetched a bottle of Tullamore Dew. Grabbing a couple tumblers he made a setting on the coffee table in his living room.
When he heard the shower stop he politely passed the bathrobe to Amanda and told her it would be a hour before her clothes were dry. He'd set the dryer to 'low' and 'gentle' knowing this.
When she emerged from the bathroom she looked even wispier than before. Her hair was towel-dried and it made her face look even prettier. What little makeup she would wear had been washed away and he liked her natural appearance. The bathrobe made her seem even smaller.
He had her sit down on the couch and put a throw blanket over her. Amanda liked this and she felt more at ease having something else to cover her body.
"Here, sip on this..." said Sean as he poured a tumbler of whiskey and handed it to her.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Something to make you feel warmer."
She sniffed it and then sipped at it. It was much smoother than the cheap liquor her father preferred. She wasn't a stranger to alcohol but neither did she drink too much.
"After your clothes dry I'm driving you home. No argument about it, okay?"
"Okay." she replied.
Sean had intended his comment to put her at ease and it did.
Over the next hour he kept Amanda talking and he kept her tumbler full of whiskey. She never noticed when the dryer finished running.
Outside the weather continued to rage. A crash of thunder rang out from nearby and the lights went out.
"It's ugly out there. You might want to stay a while until it blows over."
Amanda nodded. "Mind if I call my parents and tell them I'm safe?"
"Of course." he replied.
She pulled out a simple cell phone and made the call. Of course Sean only heard one side of the conversation.
"Hi Mom, I wanted you to know I'm okay."
"Yeah, I'm at a friend's house."
"No, no one you know."
"No, I don't want you and daddy coming over to embarrass me. I'll be fine."
"Probably tomorrow morning the way the weather looks."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."
Amanda put the phone away and then looked at Sean, "I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself but can I stay here tonight?"
"Of course you can."
The apartment got cold once the electric heater stopped running and for once Sean didn't mind not having a fireplace. Amanda cuddled up into the blanket and now that she wasn't going home until the morning she felt free to imbibe more of the smooth whiskey.
By six it was dark out and Amanda was three sheets in the wind.
Sean paid attention as their conversation ebbed and Amanda nodded off.
He moved next to her and pulled the throw blanket away. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and then gently shook her.
"Amanda?" he asked.
