Immersion Playground
Book #2: Arena
Chapter 6
Rick and Giselle enter the offices of Immersion Playground just before nine, thirty minutes prior to Coy and Sierra's scheduled arrival. While Giselle opens doors, Rick juggles a selection of bagels and fruit, along with several flavors of coffee and teas, plus apple and orange juice. He didn't know what breakfast items Sierra and Coy might like, if any, so he got a little of everything. They are still spreading the items on the small buffet in the corner of the conference room when Todd and Charlie arrive.
"Good morning all," Charlie announces as she enters the conference room, drawn in by the smell of coffee.
"Morning," Rick and Giselle say almost simultaneously as Charlie and Todd enter the room.
"Everyone ready for an exciting day of wrestling action? That coffee smells wonderful," Charlie says, heading straight to the buffet.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Giselle," Todd adds while pouring himself and Charlie a cup of coffee.
"Rick asked me to come this morning. He wanted my stamp of approval for... err... what was his name?" Giselle asks.
"Coy," Charlie supplies. "Why would he want your stamp of approval? You obviously have horrible taste in men."
Giselle hears Todd snicker. "I heard that!" Rick complains.
Rick and Todd settle at one end of the table with bagels and watch Charlie and Giselle chat at the buffet, Giselle serenely dunking a tea bag as she talks with Charlie. He notices that Charlie keeps look over to them, obviously in response to something Giselle is saying. He can hear Giselle, but can't quite make out the words.
"What do you suppose they are talking about? Besides us, I mean," Todd asks quietly.
"I don't know. The only thing I know is when those two start whispering, things invariably getting interesting around my house," Rick says, never looking away from the two women.
"Yeah, same here," Todd acknowledges. "On the other hand, those two getting together put us where we are today, so I don't guess I can complain."
"Yeah, I suppose not. It just makes me nervous, that's all."
Todd barks out a brief laugh. "I know what you mean."
Suddenly Charlie bursts out in the full-throated laugh she has, the one that turns men's heads. She laughs long and hard, putting a hand on Giselle's shoulder for support. Giselle looks to Rick and smiles broadly.
"Oh hell," Rick moans.
"What?" Todd asks.
"I don't know, but it's not going to be good," he says, eyeing Giselle's broad smile before she and Charlie continue their conversation. After a time, the ladies break up their little gab-fest and join the men at the table.
"Sounds to me like you've had a busy few days, Rick," Charlie says, sliding into a chair next to Todd. "Had your ass kicked, kicked some ass, and didn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight." She watches for Rick's reaction over the rim of her coffee cup, slowly sipping the hot liquid.
"Sounds like someone has been talking out of school," Rick says with a pointed look at Giselle.
"Don't let her get to you, Rick," Giselle says. "She thought she was going to get hauled away by the police for indecent exposure this week."
Rick and Todd look at one another. "Neither one of them can keep a secret worth a
shit,
" Todd says bitterly.
"Amen to that, brother," Rick replies as both Giselle and Charlie giggle in delight. Finally, unable to stand it anymore, Rick says, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."
"You first," Todd replies.
***
Todd is just finishing his story of Charlie and him on the wrestling mat when the outer door pings the four of them, announcing someone entering the reception area. "I'll get them," Charlie says, rising from her seat. Once again, Rick makes a note to talk to Charlie about having one of her girls come in for some part-time work. Why can't he remember to talk to her about this? Today, as soon as Coy and Sierra leave, he'll mention it to her.
Moments later Charlie returns with Sierra in tow. Instead of riding leathers, this time Sierra is wearing a t-shirt with a picture of a lioness roaring at a lion, the male looking decidedly chagrined, with a caption below it that reads
I am woman. Hear me roar.
She also has on a pair of running shorts and sneakers with no socks. Without the heavy leather to hide her figure, Rick can now see that Sierra is a very attractive and well-endowed young woman.
"Help yourself to anything you like," Charlie says, indicating the selection of food and drink. As Sierra browses her options she makes introductions. "Rick you have already met. That's Todd Rose, my husband and the operations manager of Immersion Playground. That beautiful creature there is Giselle Chamfer, Rick's wife. Everyone, this is Sierra Pederson, one of our two participants... I hope," she amends.
Sierra is polite, greeting Todd first, but she seems very focused on Rick and Giselle. "So that's what you look like," Sierra finally says to Giselle. "You are fucking gorgeous. And you, Mr. Rick Chamfer, for an old fart, you've got some moves." There is a short uncomfortable silence in the room while Sierra chews a bagel. "Sorry," she says finally with smile, "but considering what we're doing, I figure if we can't be honest with one another, then this project is in trouble before it even starts."
Todd begins to snicker, a snicker that quickly spreads through the room as the truth of what Sierra said sinks in. Rick also notices Sierra said 'we,' with no caveats, so he stands and extends his hand across the table to her.
"You're right, and well said," he says, shaking her hand again. "Welcome aboard, Sierra."
"May I ask you a personal question, Giselle?" Sierra asks.
"I suppose," she answers quietly.
"Do you always come like that?"
"Wellโ" Giselle begins, but Charlie interrupts.
"Yes. She's a goddamn sex machine. It pisses me off, and I'm jealous," Charlie says, causing Giselle to blush furiously.
Sierra begins to laugh. "Yeah, I think I'm jealous too, and I just met you."
Giselle blushes even more. Over the last couple of days, after experiencing Rick and Giselle's immersion, Sierra has found herself thinking more and more about what she really wants in life. Her experience with relationships in the past is that they tended to cool quickly, but here is a woman, obviously in love, whose relationship doesn't appear to have cooled at all. In fact, Charlie's reaction indicates just the opposite, their relationship is hotter, more intense, now than ever before.
What would it be like to have a relationship like that?
she wonders.
"I hope we didn't put you out too much to meet us here this morning," Giselle finally says, recovering her composure.
"Not at all," Sierra replies. "One of the nice things about working for yourself is you get to make up your own hours."
"What do you do?" Rick asks.
"A little of this, a little of that. I have a little family money, but my day-to-day expenses are covered by the sale of vids on the net. I also write a few articles here and there. It's not much, but I don't need a lot, and it leaves me a lot of free time to do what I love."
"Oh, what's that?" Giselle asks.
"What do I love to do? Travel mostly, get off the beaten path, go where few people go. I make vids and keep a journal, then use that material for the articles and vids to help fund the next one. I also like to stare death in the face, then kick him in the balls. Free climbing, auto racing, anything to get the adrenaline pumping, you know?"
"Charlie tells me you box," Todd says, intrigued.