It is now twenty thousand twenty two May twentieth and the Corvid nineteen pandemic is finally in check. It has been a long two and a half years for everyone, but the upside is everyone adapted to new ways of doing things.
During this time many of the school aged children have been home schooled. Aric Brown is one of them. He just finished his last year of High School. He is a tinkerer; he considers himself an inventor and spends his spare time on his projects. During the last few years, the shy young man became interested in exercise equipment specially designed for women, he is a healthy young man, although very shy. He designed a spinning bike with a woman in mind. We will explain more about this later.
Steven Williams owns a cyber security business, dealing with security for business computers. Carl Brown owns an Insurance business and contacted Williams Security, when he heard about the new hackers that are prevalent in the cyber world today. MaryAnne is Steve's wife, they both are in their late fifties. She is a mature beauty and a high school teacher, that had Aric in school (BC) 'before the pandemic', and she presently teaches remotely, the past few years included.
Carl contacted Steve. "Hi Steve, I am concerned about the cyber-attacks that have recently surfaced, could you give me a price to upgrade our computer security? You did a great job for me a few years ago, and I want a proposal from you along with one other company I have contacted."
"Sure, Carl give me a day or two and I will get back to you." Steve said, pleased that he received a call back from one of his recent clients, but worried that he has to bid against another company, as he barely made ends meet the last quarter, with the pandemic the world dealt with the last couple of years.
Steve arrived home in a good mood, he told his wife about the call from Brown Insurance and the possibility of a handsome payday if he can sell his cyber product. He didn't know that Carl had a plan to humiliate MaryAnne and let his son use the unlucky teacher to test his stationary bike. Aric is somewhat of a geek, and very shy around women. Carl and his son will have some fun with the hapless teacher, while he gets the much needed, cyber protection programs.
Two days later Steve called Carl. "Hi Carl, I have the numbers for you. You will be excited when I tell you what we can do for your company." Relaying the information in his best salesmen persona.
"That is great, can you come by after lunch so we can discuss your proposal?"
"I can do better than that, how about I meet you at Publix Restaurant, and we can talk about my proposal over lunch."
"That is a great idea Steve I will meet you there at one, thanks for the offer."
Ten minutes to one Steve is sitting at a table out of the main dining area, in a private corner, and stood up when he saw Carl arrive at the reservation station in the front of the dining establishment.
"How are you doing Carl." Steve said as he extended his hand.
"Great, glad we are on the other end of the pandemic."
"You got that right."
The waiter came to their table and the two men ordered their beverages. While they were waiting for their drinks, they continued to converse about the last few years.
Carl near tears said to Steve. "My wife recently past away; my son and I are still grieving." He continued after composing himself. "I hope we can get past this soon."
"Sorry to hear that Carl, if there is anything, we can do to help let us know."
"Thanks, I will do that." Carl said.
The waiter came back with their beverages and the two men ordered the meal.
While waiting for the meal Steve gave the proposal to Carl, it was a six-figure number a year for full coverage and a two-million-dollar insurance for any hack on their system. It was a five-year contract.
"The cost is kind of steep, I have another proposal for twenty-five thousand dollars less a year, but I have more confidence in your ability to ward off any attacks, because you have given us good service in the past, and if your wife helps my son Aric with his invention ,then I will go with your company. As you said a few minutes ago you will help us any way you can." Carl stated.
"How will MaryAnne be able to help your son?"
"Aric has been working on a spinning bike for females and needs a woman to see if it will work as he designed it."
Steve confused by Carl's last statement, but he knew Williams Security needed the job said. "I will talk to my wife about it and get back to you tomorrow."
They had their lunch, they talked about 'BC' the time before corvid. Carl took a copy of the proposal. The two men said good-bye and left after Steve paid the tab.
Steve did not go back to the office, he called in and told his second in command to lock up. He went home for the day. Steve walked into the house to see his wife just finish up with the online class. They will be going back in the fall for in person classes.
"And what do I owe the pleasure of your presence in our home before six."
"I met with Carl Brown today, I gave him a proposal for a five-year contract that we need to stay solvent. He said something that confused me. Carl said we are higher than another bidder, but if you work with his son Aric, we will get the contract. Do you know Aric Brown?"
"Yes, I had him is school, he was kind of a weird kid, always looking at me, as if he could see through me. I think he had a crush on me, and he professed to be an inventor." The mature teacher said.
Before we go on, a little about Mrs. Williams, she measures, five foot six tall, thirty-four, twenty-two, thirty-six, has brown hair with grey highlights. MaryAnne keeps in shape with exercise on ellipticals, treadmills and stationary bikes. She is a few pounds heavier than when she was married twenty-five years ago.
The conversation continued with Steve. "He wants you to test a spinning bike that he invented for females; do you have any idea what he is talking about?"
"No, but it can't be very good for the female if he invented it."
"Well, unfortunately, if I want to get the contract for cyber security of Brown Insurance, you will have to work with young Aric to test the bike."
"Who said that? MaryAnne asked with a frightened look on her face and continued. "The young man gives me the creeps."
"His father said that to get the contract, you need to work with Aric to test the bike. We need the contract to stay alive, the economy has backed me into a corner MaryAnne, with your hours cut and the business decline from Corvid you have to help me stay afloat, so we don't lose everything."
"Okay I will at least see what Aric wants me to do and then we can talk about it." MaryAnne told her husband with a foreboding of what is to come.
The next day first thing in the morning, Steve contacted Carl and gave him his wife's cell phone per her instructions.
It was twenty minutes later that Aric called MaryAnne. "Hi Mrs. Williams, how have you been?" He asked when the Teacher answered the phone.
"I have been well and how about you?"
"It has been a very boring few years not being able to go out with friends, but I spent my time designing a spinning bike for female riders, it gives the rider a workout with an instrument to pleasure her also. I need someone to work with me to test it, and my father suggested you." Aric said with just a touch too much enthusiasm.
"Can you give me more information Aric."
"No, it would be better explained if you see my invention. I think you would be very content after you ride it for a while." Aric said cryptically and then he continued. "Can you come to my lab tomorrow morning?"
"I don't think I am interested Aric." MaryAnne said she had a premonition it will be bad for her.
"Suit yourself I will tell my father."
Ten minutes later Steve called in a panic. "MaryAnne you have to work with Aric, or we will not get the contract. Do whatever he says, or we lose everything."
The hapless woman called Aric back. "Hi Aric, I reconsidered, I think I will help with your invention." MaryAnne said when her student answered the phone.
"Great come by this afternoon and we can get started, I will have lunch here for us." He wanted her come to his house before she could change her mind and he gave the address to the fearful woman.
MaryAnne clothed in a dress that came to the knee, a coordinated bra and pantie set with black flats on her feet, entered her car to start the fifteen-minute trip to her destination in a upper class neighborhood. The house she parked in front to check the address, was about four thousand square foot colonial with a circular driveway which she entered. She parked next to the front door and it opened not only Aric but four of his nerdy friends accompanied him also.
"Hi Mrs. Williams." The group stated in a singsong fashion. MaryAnne was too nervous to notice how mature Aric has become.
