Shelly
"It's time to decide, Shelly. Do we have a deal or don't we? It's your decision, but you need to choose."
The quintessential "soccer mom" hadn't imagined that anyone would see her in her underwear today. It was a good thing her mother taught her always to wear something presentable in case she was in a car accident.
"You don't want the paramedics rolling their eyes at your shabby, faded panties,"
she warned. As always, Mom was right.
So there she stood in a nice, clean peach-colored bra and panties set, and nothing else. Her shoes, socks, jeans and top lay on the nearby black leather sofa. And now she had to decide whether to cross that very scary line and take off the rest.
Shelly was pretty damn hot in high school 15 years ago, and the years had been gentle. She was blessed with a face everyone would call "cute" for the rest of her life, and although she wasn't the same weight she was then, the few added pounds were more or less evenly distributed. Petite and fairly athletic, she drew the attention of many of the other dads when she and her husband attended their kids' games and other events. Rick didn't mind because Shelly had been, and always would be true blue. In fact, he liked how the other men desired her.
But still, there she was, half naked in front of a man she had only met 20 minutes ago. This was a lot different than her usual tightly scheduled day. Time to fish or cut bait, as Rick would say.
The invitation had come from a nonprofit she had never heard of. It included an access keycard and directions to the penthouse office. The nonprofit had electronically transferred $10,000 to her pet cause, the local no-kill animal shelter. That got her attention. It was a third of the budget for the complete remodel and expansion they had dreamed about for years. The only condition was that she would tell no one about the meeting.
It was kind of mysterious, like a secret agent movie -- kind of exciting. So she entered the lobby of a downtown skyscraper and took one of the main elevators to the 77th floor. She felt out of place among the executives, lawyers, venture capitalists and other folks who roamed the halls in buildings like this. Following instructions, when she arrived on 77 she found another small elevator to her left, her keycard opening those doors. One flight up and she exited into the penthouse office.
The decor was spare, in neutral shades, and with an amazing view with floor to ceiling glass. Just a fraction of the entire penthouse level, the office was less than a thousand square feet, with another room adjacent.
There behind his desk she recognized Derek Shannon, 33, entrepreneur, billionaire, and habitual wealth creator and accumulator. Some thought him almost handsome, others saw him as a bit of a primitive, as if he had come from an earlier time. Built like a heavyweight boxer, His $8,000 suit didn't really change that impression. His body looked hard and his face craggy. Some said he resembled a young version of that old character actor Jack Palance. He made an effort to appear welcoming that was only marginally effective.
"Good. Punctual. It shows respect. Come in and sit down."
Completely out of her element, Shelly timidly took a seat on the other side of the desk, and thanked Mr. Shannon for his generous donation. After that, she didn't know why she was here. Was she supposed to praise him for a time, and was that what he wanted? "We are so grateful, Mr. Shannon. It's so hard raising money for these poor helpless animals, and when your funds showed up in our account, why, most of us just cried, I have to tell you. You don't know what it means--"
"Oh, yes, of course, and you are very welcome. Glad to help the puppies and all that," interrupted Derek. "Now, why I asked you here. You might have heard of me as a person who makes deals, and I am. Every time I buy a cappuccino, it is a transaction, and both sides must comply with the terms. I know it sounds a bit, er, much, but that's how I see things. Do you get what I'm saying?"
""Well, of course, I guess so. That makes sense."
"Good. Now my $10,000 donation is a deal without any conditions, so that contract has been completed. Both parties are satisfied. Now I would like to propose another arrangement for you to consider.
"Open the envelope you see on the desk. It's a cashier's check to the shelter for the remaining $20,000 that you need."
"Oh my goodness, Mr. Shannon, I don't know what to say. This is so kind of you." Shelly's eyes moistened and she dabbed at them with her hand.
"Good. Here's the thing. This check has a small condition. Something you could do. Just a few minutes of your time. I know it will sound shocking and of course you can leave that check behind and our meeting will be over with no hard feelings. But the thing is that...well...I would like to see you naked for five minutes in exchange for that additional donation. No sex, no touching, just looking."
Shelly was silent for several moments as she processed what Derek had said. "I don't know what to say, Mr. Shannon. I...don't think this is right. I'm going to leave now."
"Perfectly OK, thank you for coming in, Shelly." Derek seemed even less appealing as his voice got a little lower and quieter. He looked her in the eye, deadly serious. "Just one word of warning. Say nothing about this to anyone ever. This is my only demand. The consequences would be devastating for you, the shelter, and your family. You know I am extremely wealthy, and my expertise and abilities in the cyber world has few equals. You can't imagine the havoc I can unleash if you seek to damage my reputation by gossiping about me. That's all I ask. Say nothing. Do you understand?"
"No, no, I won't tell anybody, ever. I promise. I didn't ask for any trouble. Please leave us alone."
His mood lightened. "Then we have no problem at all, Shelly. That's all I ask. I'm sorry if I upset you." Derek tried to form a friendly smile.
She turned toward the elevator, but then stopped and thought about how wonderful it would be to finish the remodel and expansion this year. She turned back at Derek. "How do I know you won't be recording this and putting me on the Internet?"
"That is a very intelligent question. It would be a massive risk for me. I could go to prison for that. And if I wanted to make videos with nude women I could produce a Hollywood-quality version for my private consumption or for the world at any time I wanted, with any number of world-class beauties. So no, for my own benefit and protection, there are no cameras or any recording going on here. After you leave, this will in essence never have happened. We will never speak again."
"Just five minutes? And no creepy poses?"
"Correct. Just you naked, not covering yourself. Nothing gynecological." Shelly blushed. She took the check and examined it. "OK. But you stay back there." Derek smiled and nodded. Negotiation complete.
*