Bruce Thompson watched from the side of the large room as it slowly filled with couples and other celebrants. He was scanning the crowd for one person in particular, one person whose life was about to change dramatically, one way or another.
It was a Saturday night in late summer, the last day of the company's annual four-day stockholder's meeting. The last night of the meeting was always the company's big party, when corporate executives and invited guests gathered to mix, mingle and network, and to unwind from the busy schedule of events that had been a part of the company's meeting. It was always held in the large banquet room on the top floor of the skyscraper that housed the company's corporate headquarters.
The company had been started by Bruce's father in the years after World War II, but it wasn't until Bruce had taken over almost 15 years earlier that the company had really taken off. He was a tall, lean, authoritative man in his late 40s, with a full head of silvery hair. He had an undeniable animal magnetism, a tremendous sexuality that drew people to him, but he also had a ruthless streak. Whatever he wanted, he usually got, and on the rare occasions when he was rebuffed, the offending party always paid dearly.
At last, the person he'd been looking for arrived, and he stared as she entered the room on the arm of her husband. Tim Johnson had been hired a little over two months earlier as a lower-level executive. He had a fair amount of talent in the field, but what had landed him the job was his wife.
Marie Johnson was, quite simply, stunning. She was a little shorter than average and slender, with A-sized breasts that were just big enough to have some swell. But it wasn't her body that had attracted his attention, it was her exotic looks. She had a dark complexion, with large, deep brown eyes and short curly hair of a very dark color. She had been born and raised in South Louisiana, and it showed in every pore of her body and in every word she spoke.
As he drank in the sight of the comely Cajun beauty, he sensed a presence at his side, and looked over at his wife, Diane, who had sidled up to him. She was a tall, well-built woman in her mid-40s with a long, thick mane of blonde hair that swept back off her forehead. Except for the 40 extra pounds she carried, she still looked like the debutante beauty she'd been when she'd met Bruce nearly 30 years ago. And even those pounds didn't hurt her appearance much. They were well-distributed, giving her an earthy sexuality that far surpassed most women much thinner than herself.
"What do you think?" she asked, as she hooked an arm in his and nodded in Marie's direction. "You think she'll play?"
"Oh, I think she will," Bruce replied. "I get the sense that under that quiet facade is a sexy woman struggling to get out. I don't think she'll be any trouble."
"Well, just remember, you said that about the last two," Diane said in a teasing tone. "And you recall how those turned out."
Bruce just snorted as he walked to the stage, where a jazz combo had just finished its first set. He walked to the microphone and addressed the party briefly, thanking the guests for coming and his executives for another successful year.
With that, he walked off to begin seducing Marie Johnson. He walked over to the young couple, who were in their early 30s. Tim was a rather shy, quiet individual of average size and sandy blond hair. This was only the second time he'd met Mr. Thompson, and at first he was ill at ease. But Bruce was at his most charming, and soon the couple were a little more relaxed in his presence.
Marie seemed to be impressed with the way he'd smoothly greeted and treated her. She caught herself gazing at Bruce as he moved on to mingle with other partygoers. She and Tim loaded up on hors d'oeuvres and had a few drinks. They were greeted warmly by a number of guests who welcomed them to the company, especially the vice presidents, who shook Tim's hands and suavely kissed Marie's hand, telling her she looked good. She was certainly dressed to impress, with a black mini-dress that tied in the back in such a way as to make it very clear she wasn't wearing a bra, which she hardly ever needed anyway.
Eventually, the band returned to the stage, the pace of the music picked up and couples began to dance. Bruce and Diane helped get things going by cutting a rug for a few numbers, then Diane went off in one direction and Bruce went off in another. Marie was tapping her toe to the beat of the music, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get Tim onto the dance floor, and that frustrated her.
Suddenly, Bruce appeared by their table and asked Marie if she would dance with him. Tim nodded his consent, of course, never suspecting Bruce's intent. Bruce and Marie danced a few numbers, and Marie was duly impressed with Bruce's hard, athletic body and mesmerized by his dynamic personality. She was also getting fairly horny, and she could feel her little nipples getting hard. She idly thought about what he must be like in bed, but quickly dismissed the thought.
Marie loved her husband and had never strayed, but their sex life had deteriorated in recent months. They had suffered two miscarriages within the past year, and they had thought a change of scenery would help, but Tim was working long hours and traveling a lot. And, frankly, Tim had never had the kind of sex drive that suited her. He was a once-a-week kind of guy, while that once-a-week was often spectacular, she was a once-a-day kind of girl. But he was a good provider, and a sweet-natured man who worshipped the ground she walked on.
When the band's set ended, Marie was vaguely disappointed, but Bruce escorted her to the bar and got them both a drink. She failed to see the subtle nod Bruce gave the bartender. Marie took the drink, then walked back to find her husband. Tim, however, was engaged in some serious shop talk by a couple of vice presidents and one of the company's vendors. She finished her drink, went to the ladies room and went back to the bar for another one.
Just then, Bruce materialized next to her.
"Marie, do you mind coming with me," he said smoothly. "There is something I need to discuss with you. Something of vital importance to Tim's career."
"Sure," she said, glad to be in this powerful man's company. She was starting to get a little drunk, and was also feeling a little funny in her abdomen, like she was very turned on sexually. They got on a nearby elevator and descended several floors then stopped, got out and walked down a deserted hallway to a door that opened to a meeting room. Marie was getting a little suspicious, so she asked Bruce why they were there.
"What we have to discuss needs to be for your ears only, and I thought a quieter location would be better," Bruce answered as he closed the door behind them.
He turned to her and gave her a penetrating look. She was idly sipping her drink, but looked down, humbled by his gaze.
"Marie, let me ask you something," Bruce said, then continued without giving her a chance to speak. "Do you love your husband?"
