As she waited to meet with Elliot, her company's VP of sales, Emily reflected upon the personal progress that she had made during the previous months. Multiple sessions with her therapist had helped her understand some of the reasons why she had broken her marital vows three times, so she now felt ready to start a new chapter in her life and put all her mistakes behind her. But first, there was one important issue she had to take care of. The renewal date for the contract with her largest client was coming up, and she had to find a way to avoid meeting with Michael, the CEO. She rehearsed in her mind the reasons why it would be better for Elliot to be the point person in the renewal negotiations, and when he finally called her into his office she felt confident that she would be able to convince him.
The meeting with Elliot had not gone the way she had expected at all. He had listened to her but had completely dismissed her arguments by revealing that Michael had personally demanded that she met with his team. She quickly realized that arguing with Elliot would be a waste of time, so she promised him that she would get the contract renewed and left his office. She was not looking forward to meeting Michael at all, but reasoned that she was now much better prepared to rebuff any advances he might attempt.
The long day of contract renewal negotiations was almost over and Emily was elated that Michael had not been present. All the details had been ironed out and all that was missing was Michael's signature. His team expected him to stop by the conference room before leaving for the day, so Emily was surprised when the head of purchasing handed her his phone and told her that Michael wanted to speak with her. She walked to an adjoining empty room to have some privacy and asked Michael if he was on his way down to sign the contract. Michael apologized for his absence and explained that the signing would have to wait until later in the evening. He told her that she would have to bring the contract to a party he was attending in the private residence of one of his friends, which set off alarms in Emily's head. She asked why they could not just wait until the next day, to which Michael replied that he was leaving on a business trip first thing in the morning so the only time he could meet her was at the party. Besides, he added, the heads of several large medical practices were going to be in attendance so it would be a great opportunity for Emily to network with prospective clients.
Realizing that she had no choice but to attend the party, Emily asked about the dress code. Michael told her not to worry. He had already taken care of everything. The clothes he wanted her to wear were waiting for her at the concierge desk of her hotel, so all she had to do is pick them up and wait for the limo he was sending to pick her up at 9 pm sharp. Emily was still processing what Michael had just told her when he ended the call. Confused, she walked back to the conference room, picked up the final version of the contract and returned to her hotel.
It was almost 9 pm and Emily contemplated her reflection in her hotel room's full length mirror. She felt exposed in the expensive dress she had found waiting for her. The silky fabric accentuated the shape of her sculptural body, leaving very little to the imagination. Deep cleavage in front revealed the sides of her perky breasts, and did not allow her to wear a bra. Her nipples were clearly noticeable through the thin material, and she had to move carefully to avoid exposing them. The dress was very short and had a deep slit on one side. Emily turned sideways and moved one leg forward to make sure that the gap did not expose the tiny thong that had come with the dress. The ensemble was completed by ankle-strap high heel sandals, which accentuated her toned calves and pushed her perfect posterior out.
The loud ringing of the room phone interrupted her contemplation. She answered it and told the concierge that she was on her way down to meet the limo Michael had sent for her. She took a deep breath before leaving her room, telling herself that she would be back within a couple of hours with signed contract on hand. As she walked through the hotel lobby, she noticed the leering gaze of every male she passed. Thankfully, the limo driver was waiting right outside so she hurried out and entered the safe confines of the vehicle.
The limo ride had taken more than an hour. She had not paid much attention to the road, but when the limo driver stopped and opened the door for her to step out she could not help but be impressed by her surroundings. The limo had parked in the circular driveway of a large mansion. A large water fountain gurgled in the middle, and lights illuminated carefully tended gardens. A huge crystal chandelier was visible through the massive front door, which was presently held open for her by a distinguished-looking older man which Emily assumed was the doorman.
She walked inside, followed by other guests who had just arrived, and she started scanning the interior looking for Michael. She wanted him to sign the contract so she could walk right back out and return to the safety of her hotel room, but he could not spot his tall figure in the large crowd. As she looked for Michael, she could not help but notice that most of the guests were much older than her. They were a mixture of couples who were probably in their sixties and seventies, men in their fifties with wives who were clearly surgically enhanced, and a few slightly younger couples who looked to be in their forties.
As Emily made her way toward the back of the mansion, she was once again acutely aware that most male eyes followed her movement, some more discretely than others. She also realized that her attire was much more revealing than what the other women were wearing, which explained the hostile looks she was getting from some of them. Luckily, she finally spotted Michael ahead of her, talking in a small circle of elegantly dressed men. He glanced in her direction and motioned her to come close, making space in the circle for her. Before she could pull him away to get him to sign the contract she was carrying in a folder, he started introducing her to the other men.