This is my first attempt at a writing a story. Any feedback is welcome. All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are aged 18 years or older. Any names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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"So..."
We looked at each other across the desk. Tony was a jowly man, bright eyes and a penchant for very expensive jumpers. Sitting next to him was Dennis. A slight mousey man with a grey moustache from back when it was fashionable.
I waited for them to get to the point.
"So, I hear that you've also been talking to SoftwareWrites?" Tony asked.
I was totally unprepared for that. SoftwareWrites were their main competitors. Bigger, better run and with a better reputation. And while I'd heard of them I hadn't been talking to them at all about a job.
"What did you think of Duncan?"
All jovial. Forced. Tony didn't like Duncan.
Fucking Joe. The headhunter was telling them lies about who I was talking to. But it had obviously hit home with Tony.
"Well, I couldn't really say."
"Oh, come now Phil - you can tell us."
More forced smiles.
"He was nice enough I suppose."
"Hah!" bellowed Tony. "Well, I can tell you that we have far more to offer than SoftwareWrites. Great opportunities, Phil. Great opportunities!"
This was my fourth interview. I had never had four interviews for the same role before but then I was green when it came to interviewing for a job. I'd been at my previous job for seven years and while it was good at the beginning, the cost cutting kept coming and the final straw was when they took away my company mobile phone. I started looking for jobs and at the time wasn't particularly choosy.
My first mistake.
But that's why I was here in this overly luxurious boardroom with two old guys who had built up their company from nothing. Plenty to admire you'd think but they'd got lucky. They began reselling the right product at the right time and made a huge amount of money. One lived in Henley-on-Thames and the other lived in Beaconsfield. Quite why they were still working I have no idea but here we were.
Fourth interview.
"So why don't you take a look at the fantastic opportunity that we'd like to give you Phil."
With that he passed across a contract offer.
As it turns out this wasn't an interview, it was an attempt to close the deal before I took an offer from Duncan at SoftwareWrites. Fucking Joe.
"I'd like a few minutes to read this if that's alright?"
"Of course, Phil - no problem. Would you like some tea?"
"I..."
"Of course you would. Sam!"
A few seconds later Sam opened the door. And I suddenly wanted this job a lot more.
"Yes, Tony?"
"Get our friend here a cup of tea will you?"
"Yes Tony - how do you take it?"
Many, many answers came to mind at that moment but thankfully I managed to respond ("white without thanks") and Sam left.
"We'll leave you for a few minutes then. Grab Sam when you're ready."
"Yes, I'll do that. Thanks Tony," I replied.
And with that, Little and Large got up and left me to review the offer. But my mind wasn't on the offer. It was firmly focused on Sam. She came back a couple of minutes later with a mug on a tray and a small plate of biscuits. She was wearing a navy blue business suit that highlighted her trim figure. She was petite. Maybe five foot two with curves to match, a warm smile and shoulder length loosely curled dark hair.
Her face was more pretty than classically beautiful. Her eyes were slightly too close together and her nose a little too large. But her smile was stunning and her bright brown eyes had a spark and life that was intoxicating.
"I hope this is alright," she said, breaking the silence. Damn it, I'd been caught.
"I'm sure it will be perfect," I responded, trying to keep my cool and smiling at her.
She smiled back and turned and swished her way out of the office. What an amazing arse! Dear gods but what wouldn't I give to see her naked?
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I started work at DT Software two weeks later.
My wife wasn't that impressed but then she wasn't that impressed about most things.
We'd got married for all the wrong reasons. I thought that she'd be a great mother and she thought...? I have no idea. It seemed a very dim and distant world in which we'd first got married even though it was only four years ago. We had a nice enough house in a so-so area of a small town in Surrey. She was a primary school teacher and all her energies went into that. Apart from the nagging that is.
Nothing in her world was done the right way unless it was done her way. And woe betide if you decided to take the initiative yourself and do something.
"I wouldn't have done it like that."
"You want to g out again?"
"Oh I'll close the curtains will I?"
"Exactly what time will you be home?"
In hindsight I should have ended things some time back but I am a bit of a doormat and I kept on thinking that once I was out of the old shitty job my mood would change and things would improve.
And sex was maybe twice a year. And not worth the wait. I'm pretty sure that something bad had happened to her in her teens sexually. I had no idea what it was though as she point blank refused to talk about sex. And I'd given up asking for it. It was pointless as it was never the right time. She was always tired. "Why can't you think more about me and my needs?" And in that very British way I just sort of accepted my fate and got on with life.
What an idiot!
Well hindsight is twenty-twenty.
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I knew that I'd made a mistake taking the offer about two weeks in to the job.