0 comments/ 62564 views/ 7 favorites Back in Circulation By: egmontgrigor2012 CHAPTER 1 Operations manager Dwy (Dwight) Smith looked at the one paragraph summaries of the five applications who'd been short listed as possibly suited to become his new assistant. He scowled and snarled 'Fuck' and immediately apologized to office manager Irene Day. She ran HR as part of her duties in the small company that imported and distributed accessories for cats. "There's no need to apologize Dwy (pronounced with emphasis on the 'w' as in why). You are overworked and frustrated." Dwy glanced at Mrs Day's generous bosom and thanked her for being sympathetic. She delivered a motherly smile but that displayed her missing front tooth. The magic of the moment of intimacy died for Dwy. She pushed her breasts out a little but that noble gesture came too late. "This bunch is crap," he complained. "All applicants are young with little experience and reaching beyond their standing in management to try to win a senior position." "I know. Unfortunately the one applicant who appeared the perfect fit is forty-two and has been retired for twelve years." "Yeah right. What a stupid cow thinking she could slide back into employment after such a long break?" "Exactly." Mrs Day was almost to the door, with Dwy studying her hip sway, when he said, as an after-thought, "What job did that woman have been she retired?" "She ran her own flower vase importing business." "Oh and it collapsed?" Dwy grinned. "No she sold it for $2.8 million as I recall but there was substantial loan money to repay." "Irene," he said softly. "What?" she said, turning with a smile and touching her hair just above her right ear but avoided placing the other hand on her left hip. "Bring me that women's application." Katrina Withers was hired. The 42-year old attractive brunette had decided to return to the workforce following the death of her husband, a university professor and formerly a close friend of Katrina's deceased father Daniel. Charles Withers had divorced his second wife over her debauched behavior with the university's fast set. Charles remembered Daniel's attractive and still unmarried daughter who was now a successful business woman with a solid business degree and that would mean she'd fit in well with his role as head of the business school. He began visiting the MacDonald's household regularly and over time he wooed Karina and when she was suitably primed, he proposed marriage and was accepted. He'd died eating peanuts. * * * Dwy was blown away at the interview. He couldn't believe at forty-two Katrina could have retained such a shapely waist and breasts that still rode so high and majestically. She was a brunette with an attractive manner. He also confirmed she possessed a master degree in business admin from a highly regarded school and found she'd kept up to date with modern business practice and trends by revising course schedules for her late husband and selecting required reading for Prof. Withers from the mass of business publications that flowed into his office and were published on the Internet. The CEO approved of Katrina's appointment and she began as Dwy's under-study and Dwy studied her a lot. Sadly Dwy began losing his memory after developing fierce headaches and nausea and then was struck by twitching and was found to have a brain tumor. The operation was successful but he remained weak and took early retirement. The CEO Mrs Adams was happy that Katrina had meshed in with the way the company operated and appeared very competent. The first time Dwy was away sick she said to Katrina, "I'm worried about Dwy. My feeling is he has a serious condition behind the discomfort he's suffering." "I agree Diane. It could be very serious." "I'm confident to have you acting in charge of the department Katrina if you are happy about that." "I'm very confidence and relish the opportunity to grasp some real responsibilities again and when Dwy returns I will be better positioned to support him." "Yes and I'm sure you will," Diane said. "I shall give you an assistant." "Oh that won't be necessary. We are a good team and I can work longer hours if necessary because I have no domestic commitments, being a widow." "That is generous of you. I'll lift your salary for the periods you act in charge." * * * Katrina had more money that she could spend rationally. She was pleased being back at the coalface in business and began joining business groups to commit to being back in circulation. Living on campus at the university had been a little like living in a compound although she was free to venture out. She thought of it like being a tent camp in the city. Well many of the university males were like bearded Bedouins including her husband. She sought the challenge of being back in real work and decided she'd like to marry again to have regular sex on tap. Dwy had nailed her in her second month with the company but once was enough. He'd panted and dribbled over her face and came much too quickly and that was it and then had the gall to ask, "How was I?" One doesn't say to the boss he'd been a huge disappointment. Katrina purchased a non-metallic black BMW M3 convertible with black leather interior and she tended to drive it wearing black with dark sunglasses and wondered if any likely guy would be scared off, thinking Lady Vampire or, even worse, The Black Witch. She shrugged and decided to go with it for a while. Three months later Dwy resigned and Katrina was appointed to replace him without the position being advertised. For the next year she busied herself lifting the company's operations and just when everything was ticking alone nicely, Diane announced to the owners, a family of investors, that she was moving on. Two more resignations immediately followed and Mr Patel, head of the family, came in to assess the damage and Katrina could see he appeared a little flakey over losing his CEO, chief financial officer and office manager practically in one hit. She struck. When Mr Patel came to her office seeking ideas about what the family trust should do now, she closed the door and poured coffee and said, "What is your instinct to do about this Mr Patel?" He didn't know or didn't wish to say. "Cut and run?" Katrina suggested. He nodded. "Mr Patel why don't you sell the controlling interest of the company to me? Let's get two independent appraisals done, we each choosing an appraiser. Then when we agree on price you retain 49% of the company and I'll pay the trust to gain 51% of the company's stock." "But you're a woman." "Oh I'm glad you have noticed that Mr Patel. If you are suggesting I cannot run this company profitably then I may have to talk to your wife?" "Oh no, I was out of line and I recall Diane saying much of the company's recent success is due to you." Six weeks later Katrina acquired 51% ownership with the assistance of a bank loan with the right to buy out a greater share of the company if the family trust decided to sell down its stockholding or to pull out completely. As Katrina had expected, once the news was out that the new principal owner of Kitty Cat Accessories Inc. was a woman, the list of new clients grew steadily and no existing clients were lost. Katrina had been aware that many pet store clients were businesses operated by females or male/female couples. Then something more than interesting happened for Katrina. Stewart Alpine, the business appraiser she'd hired to value the business operation prior to her building the controlling interest, phoned to find out how she was going. "Very well Stewart and thanks for what you did to help make it happen. I believe I got a very fair deal." "You did and I'm sure the other appraiser looked at recent bottom line improvement against the five and 10-year trends, mindful that the upward swings eventually change to a downward swing." "Yes quite but my business plan calls for continuing improvement as from the day I gained control." "Very good. I suppose that finishes our business connection." "Yes but..." He waited and was the next to speak. "But what?" "I'm attracted to you Stewart." Katrina gripped her left hand into a fist and she heard him draw in breath. He said that feeling was mutual but he was married. "I'm not queasy about that." He thought about that and said, "I'm a bit younger than you." "I don't worry about things like that and I believe my skin is in fine shape, my body is firm..." "Katrina!" "Oh sorry; I got carried away." "It's okay. I saw you driving your black car yesterday, hood down and you dressed in black and I, well, I thought wow." "And so you decided to call here to ask me for a date?" With only a slight hesitation he said, "I had been thinking lunch." "Only for lunch would be fine Stewart. Today?" "Er." She waited and he said fine and said they'd have to take pot luck as it was late for bookings and she said no problem. "Take me to a café in a back street where you think your wife and her friends are unlikely to go for lunch." "Er I'm permitted to have business lunches without being secretive." "Of course you are. You name the time and place." "You suggest." "The Apollo. I'll call and book for 2:00. I won't touch you in public and so you'll be safe." He said unsteadily, "You are willing to touch me?" "What do you think?" she laughed and cut the call. Katrina smiled thinking of her brazenness. Well playing the tight-lipped lady hadn't won her dates. She was not ashamed of choosing the popular Apollo Restaurant in the city's main shopping street. His wife and girlfriends might well be there. Okay, so what? He said it was a business lunch. She didn't dwell on the thought they had had completed their business dealings. Few 40-plus women could encourage strangers to take a second look. But Katrina was one of them. She'd slimmed down in recent weeks after the death of her husband, not eating so much and eating more selectively and she'd returned to Pilate classes and was cycling again. She'd also been home to change into a much tighter fitting black lace dress and had removed her bra and, avoiding the no-no her mother used to go on about those older women in skirt lengths almost to their hips looked pathetic. Katrina's black lace hem rode knee-high. She strode purposefully into the restaurant toward the bar, aware a few people were looking at her and that put a little more arch into her back when she heard Stewart call from a table to her far right, "Katrina." Oh crap, now she looked stupid and everyone would know her name. Katrina right-wheeled and had the satisfaction of seeing Stewart standing and creasing his face into a great grin. She reached him and he looked uncertain. She kissed him... just a quick dab... so that his wife's spies in the room, who already knew she was Katrina someone, would be unable to report that the femme fatale had kissed Stewart passionately. Spies? Katrina wondered did she have to feel so guilty about this lunch that she was becoming ... um... paranoid. "Hi and how are you?" Stewart asked smoothly. "Paranoid." Christ why had she said that? She smiled and said she was feeling great and could see he appeared confused. Well who wouldn't. "But you first said Paranoid?" "Oh did I? I'd... um... just been thinking of what those early instant cameras were called. "Polaroid cameras." "Ah yes, thanks Stewart. Well moving on, is your wife here lunching with friends?" "What?" he choked, and looked around furtively. "Stewart I'm such a big tease. I'm sorry. We are here on a business lunch and that's perfectly legitimate. He nodded as if thinking he really should be lunching in a back street restaurant. "Have you engaged in other liaisons before this?" Stewart said weakly, "Liaisons?" "Stewart," Katrina said quite firmly. "We are not here to discuss your last birthday party." "Birthday party?" Katrina waved to a passing waitress who took their drinks order. "A blended red wine please." "A double whisky, no ice or water," Stewart said shakily. "No my friend and I will just have two red wines please." The waitress hitched up the left-hand side of her bra and Stewart said yes two red wines please. He blew his nose and took some little time folding his handkerchief and braced his shoulders and said, "So you wish to commit adultery with me?" That caught Katrina unexpectedly but she eyed him without wavering and said yes, providing they could do it without harming his family. "Can we be that clever?" "I would think so. Have you been down this road before?" His gaze dropped and he muttered yes. "And I have too, Stewart, being married to an older man. Do you wish to do it on this table now?" He grinned and said, with only a slightly nervous edge, that he was getting used to her impishness. Their drinks arrived and as the waitress walked off they eyed her butt and Katrina said, "I'm back in circulation Stewart and would like to mark this change in my life by having you between my thighs. If you don't wish to commit then please say so. Although I consider myself back in circulation no guy is banging me and I don't know why. I have decided I must go forth and ask for it, and so I've been thinking of you." "Well that leaves me in no doubt," Stewart grinned. "We can go to a motel as soon as we've finished lunch if you wish. I know of one quite near here that provide very short term room rentals." "Perfect and you are such a gentleman. Shall we order?" * * * Stewart and Katrina entered the motel room and she said, pleasantly surprised, "I believe many home bedrooms wouldn't match the quality of this room." "My aim is to pleasure you." She giggled and unzipped the back of her dress and lifted her arms for Stewart to do the rest. "God no bra and what a great sight. You're in wonderful shape." "Why thank you. You might care to suck and get a couple of fingers into me." Stewart hastened to drop her skirt and panties and dropped to his knees, pushing Katrina's knees apart. Stewart was no longer had to be coaxed. But alas it wasn't long before Katrina's knife-edge expectations began to falter, and falter turned into wilt. Stewart was goddamn incompetent at sex... he dribbled over her face, he sweated excessively and slipped out an appallingly large number of times until destroying all credibility as a lover as far as Katrina was concerned. But she endured it and finally got him away. "Did you come?" he panted, looking anxious. "Oh yes," she sighed, lying. He then looked so boyish as he grinned. Apparently he thought 'job done' because he said, "I must get back to work... unless you want another round?" "Oh no, that's quite enough for me. Um Stewart, I have this feeling your wife will find out about us. I'm worried." "Christ, so you really think so?" "I-I don't know what to say." "In that case we mustn't get together again. I'm off," he said, sliding off the bed and grabbing his clothes disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged dressed with his hair done. "Bye Katrina and thanks for the great fuck. You can get a cab away from here." "Yes of course. Oh Stewart, please don't mention my name in your sleep." "No of course not," he muttered now looking worried and left, slamming the door shut, leaving Katrina to finger herself to subdue her sexual frustration. * * * Katrina spent three weeks looking to move from her temporary accommodation where she'd lived since shortly after the funeral of her husband. Attractive apartments with great views appeared non-existent and finally she purchased a charming small brick house less than two miles from the city center overlooking a wilderness park with horse-riding trails. The house needed interior renovation and she decided to hire a crew to attend to that and she'd have pleasure attending to the over-grown gardens. She contacted five companies from the Yellow Pages and the times they gave when they could start ranged from five to twelve weeks. She contacted three advertisers in the local community newspaper under the heading Tradesmen Available. She interviewed three guys who looked shifty and unreliable and then the fourth guy arrived. He only looked sullen and uncooperative. "When can you start?" she asked, after they'd inspected the interior. Katrina thought she preferred 'sullen and uncooperative' to 'unreliable and shifty'. "At 8:00 this Saturday. I'm at college and need to study weeknights." "How old are you?" "Twenty." "Oh I thought you were older and would be experienced." "I told you I was experienced and had worked for my dad." Katrina said yes he'd said that. "I've worked for my dad on interior renovations during weekends and school breaks from the aged of fifteen until last year when he sold his business." "Oh excellent, that really is experience." He looked annoyed and said, "Now look here Mrs Withers there's no need to be sarcastic." Katrina was quick to appear contrite. "Oh but I'm not Mike, I took what you said to be the truth." He said awkwardly, "Oh sorry." "That's okay and you'll find I'm a straight shooter Mike. You go a great job and I'll give you a bonus because I intend living here for quite some time." "Do you have a family?" "No I'm a childless widow." "Jesus Mrs Withers some guys will be cussing they haven't met you." She laughed and said he was so nice and said it was time to discuss price. Mike said his dad had trestles and a paint sprayer that he could use plus brushes and other bits and pieces so all he needed was paint." "Then name your hourly rate plus paint." "Well what with you being a widow..." "I run a business Mike so you can exploit me, just a little." "Um $45 an hour plus paint." "Okay Mike that make that $50 an hour and take no short-cuts and redo any work not up to scratch. Do we have a deal?" "Sure thing Mrs Withers. And I'll commit to doing my very best. God I bet you are great in business." CHAPTER 2 Mike Cook had worked two 8-hour days on Saturdays and 6-hour days on the Sundays, starting late on Sunday morning after a Saturday night out. He asked if he could have the third weekend off to go away for the weekend with his parents, and Katrina agreed. At 8:30 on that third Sunday evening, he called on Katrina and she came to the door just in her robe. She looked around the door and said, "Oh hi Mike. I thought it was Mrs Burroughs looking for her cat." "No it's only me," he said, appearing to be carrying something. "May I come in?" "I-I am just in my robe." "Mom and Judy my sister wander about in robes." "Meaning?" "I'm used to seeing females in robes." "Oh," said Katrina, opening the door. "Jeepers their robes are not thin," he grinned. "You have a nice body. Um sorry for saying that. Here is a piece of prime cut venison dad has prepared for you with cooking instructions and two jars of preserves from mom. They are pleased you have given me work and I guess I have talked to them about you, saying what a swell employer you are." "Oh Mike this is lovely of you and your parents. I thank you and please thank them on my behalf." "Thank me with a kiss." She kissed him, taking care not to press against him. "Gee I didn't think you would do that." "I don't mind kissing people I like Mike but a kiss is only a kiss." "You have no idea of what I think of you, do you?" "No and I'm old enough to be your mother. Off you go and thanks very much." Mike arrived next Saturday to begin painting the master bedroom suite. He'd already completed the guest suite, the hallway and the visitor's bathroom of the 2-bedroom house. He was in the bathroom painting when Katrina arrived in the bedroom back from shopping. She was changing into house clothes and had a leg on the bed removing her stockings when Mike appeared in the bathroom doorway. Back in Circulation "Hi and now that's a great leg. Do you trim or shave?" She eyed him and said she hadn't heard him call could he come in. "I was already in the bedroom suite." "You know what I mean." "Yes and I tried to time it so I could catch you." She laughed and with one stocking off lifted the other leg up to remove the thigh-high stocking. "What do you really want to say?" "I have all the windows open but you should sleep in the guestroom tonight to avoid residue fumes from the spraying." "Thanks. Now back to work." "May I watch you dress?" She didn't reply but went out changing her clothes, ignoring him. As usual at weekends, she didn't wear a bra and wore a thong instead of panties. When she was down to her thong Mike said, "Please turn and let me see you full on." She turned and faced him unabashed. "Have a lot of men seen you like this?" "A number of men have over the years, including my late husband." He kept on looking at her and said he hadn't had sex with an older woman. "That's scarcely surprising since you are only twenty." She pulled on her shorts and bit her lip when realizing he would have seen her breasts swinging when she leant over to get the shorts. "May we have sex before I finish this job?" "Back to work Mike, you're loitering." "Will you think about it?" "Possibly." Christ why hadn't she said no when she'd meant to say no? Why fudge it? She knew why. She'd never had a guy twenty years' her junior. Katrina almost whimpered, half-thinking she was depraved whereas the other half was thinking she was not. When Mike came to the kitchen for lunch he apologized. "I regret my behavior in your bedroom suite earlier. I took advantage of the situation and..." "It's okay Mike, I'm a big girl and yes, you are also an adult. Eat your lunch and talk about something else." "Have you thought about us having sex?" "Yes." "And?" "After you finish up work at 4:00 one Sunday." "Which Sunday?" She sighed and said any Sunday." "Every Sunday?" "The deal is at 4:00 on Sundays after you finish and for as many Sundays as you wish, within reason." "Are you serious?" "Yes, some girls like sex too and at the moment I don't have a guy calling." "That's a crying shame." Katrina laughed and said there had been times when she'd felt like crying over it. * * * Mike was in too much of hurry to deliver top sex but being only twenty he could bang away as soon as Katrina was ready for the next round and she had an appetite herself. That first Sunday afternoon after 4:00 he became aware immediately that he was on to a good thing when he got his mitts onto Katrina's breasts and said keenly, "Gee these are great tits." "I thought they would be too small for you, that you been a horny young guy would be focused on thirty-six triple D's." "Those are cow's udders." "Mike please there's no need to be nasty." "Sorry." "You'd better be otherwise this is the last bit of pussy you'll get from me." "I was wrong to speak so disparagingly of those women with unenhanced larger breasts." "Thank you." "And it won't happen again." "Apology accepted Mike, please get on with it." As he slurped over her breasts and tweaked the nipples, Katrina unzipped him and pulled out a long and slender cock of merit. She thought she might find an additional use for a nicely slender rod like that. They ended up in a sixty-nine and she sprayed his ejaculation over her breasts and she called, "Are you ready for the main event?" She was flipped, had her legs parted and he was entering her vagina before she knew it. "Pull out," she yelled. "Roll on a condom." "Sorry...I got excited," he said lamely. "Always a condom Mike, whether pussy or butt," she gritted. "Butt? Will you let me into your butt?" "Yes, er possibly," she sighed, not having meant to mention that so early in their relationship. The relationship ended three weeks later when Mike finished painting all walls and ceilings under Katrina's direction and more than pleased at the excellent standard of work she rewarded him with a bonus of $500. During that time she'd finished the makeover of the lawns and gardens and had engaged a lawnmower guy who also maintained the gardens, calling once every two weeks. When Mike left with his bonus and fully paid up, Katrina never saw him again, and that left a hole in her life in respect of male company. * * * Meanwhile, Katrina had been working effectively at the business in which she half-owned. The company was even more profitable now she was in control and had engaged a guy in his mid-fifties as director of operations and he'd arrived with some innovative ideas as well. The launched a new website simply called Kitty Kat hosted by a cat lady depicted in a black cat suit. Bruce the operations manager had engaged a team of a dozen marketing students from a local two-year college. They were teamed in pairs and went door-knocking at weekends to ask a series of questions and to note responses and seek volunteered comments from respondents. Then the students analyzed the results and supplied the report to Bruce for which they were paid $9000 to divide among themselves. That information provided a brilliant database for the company's marketing manager, who was also Cat Woman, and as that information was drip-fed into the Kitty Kat website the number of hits received soared. Bruce also filed in gaps in the lines of the company's locally supplied and imported products and modified weaknesses with existing products as shown by the feedback from consumers surveyed. Within eighteen months the company's profitability was running 85% higher than prior to Katrina buying half the stock in the company. At that point Mr Patel and two of his senior family members met with Katrina and offered to buy back the stock that had been sold to her. She said okay, she'd sell at a price 85% higher than what she'd paid for her holding. The Patel family representatives offered a price at 15% above what she'd paid but the meeting ended with no further progress being made. Mr Patel had coffee with Katrina next morning and said they would pay what Katrina demanded providing she resigned and left the company on the day the money was lodged into Katrina's personal bank account. She was happy to accept, having proven to herself she could run a company successfully. She had no idea what she'd do next but she certainly had no intention of retiring and joining four book clubs and going to the movies three times a week and joining a church to be on the group doing the flowers. She's paid back her bank loan and had increased her personal wealth significantly and so she was happy and there was no rush to get back into work. She registered with two executive search agencies. * * * Katrina was sitting at a lecture by 'The extraordinary leading businesswoman Edith Pickering' on a novel sounding subject of 'How to Finance Your Dreams' but Miss Pickering was as dry as dog biscuits and originality was missing from the presentation. An hour into the 3-hour lecture for which she'd been fleeced $65:00, Katrina decided to walk out. She asked the suited guy seated next to her to please let her pass. "Oh I'm going too," he said acidly. "What a rip-off." Katrina followed the guy out and they grinned at each other when they saw they'd started something of an exodus. "May I buy you a drink?" She thought if his response appealed to her, she said, "But I don't know you." "I didn't think you did," he grinned, disarmingly, sweeping back his sandy fringe and looking at her with pale blue eyes and his cheeks looked interesting caught in the fixed grin. She laughed and said, "Okay but only one drink if I find you boring." Well he wasn't shy because he took her arm but that was because they were about to cross a busy street. "Hi, I Charles Evans, known as Charlie to my friends." "Hi Charlie. I'm Katrina, known as Katrina to my friends." He was smiling again and pointed with his free arm and said, "This joint appears rodent-free." She smiled and appreciated he was trying hard. "Oh it's Mouse's bar," she said, looking at the sign but he corrected her and said no, Moose's Bar. Probably he didn't like his given name of Mouse." Katrina thought this had to stop this nonsense and so remained mute. "My ex-divorced me on the grounds of unmitigated cruelty and cited my humor." Omigod, Katrina thought. It could be true he was a divorcee and had worked it with wonderful timing to pick her up. He looked about her age. "There's nothing wrong with humor delivered appropriately and that includes in small doses." "I agree. You have nice breast contours." The passing traffic was noisy and Katrina wondered if she'd heard him correctly. He opened the glass door into the near-empty bar and the drunks ignored them and other people looked at them and went back to their conversations. They chatted and drank sparingly and Katrina rehearsed how to gently refuse when he suggested they go to his home and tour his garden that he'd mentioned that covered almost an acre. She had become a little tired of casual liaisons that tumbled into oblivion, figuring they had all been inappropriate founded from the outset. This was regrettable because she had expressed an immediate interest in the garden and had felt keen to see it. When asked what business was she in, Katrina had said she was out of business at the moment and he didn't ask what the heck did that mean. He then said he was practically out of business without elaborating and they drifted into discussing recent films they'd seen recently and established they had two mutual interests, gardens and films. They didn't discuss sex, politics, the weather and family but touched on shopping, fine dining and concerts and then he said he must go. God had she bored him that much? As he stood he suggested they exchange phone numbers and they pulled out their phones and did that. Katrina had no idea why they did that because nothing was going between them. * * * Charlie Evans returned to his delicatessen business, the largest based on floor area by far in the city but alas not in popularity and therefore was not top in trading volume. He signed a pile of checks and sighed when his office manager said, "We are heading into another liquidity problem again. You need to advertise more." "We're cut back to advertising that appears to work for us. The consultant said the main thing working against us is our location and of course the cost of relocating is tremendous." Soon after closing and all staff had gone, Glenys the office manager called by to say receipts for the day had been on the higher than usual level and they discussed a few things and she left for home. Charlie sat at his laptop and searched for a name, Katrina Withers. Up came several entries as 'wife of Professor Charles Withers' and smiled noting she'd married a Charles. He ignored those entries because she'd said she was a widow but read one of the obituaries about 'the hugely influential' Prof. Charles Withers. Then in a business news section he read where Katrina Withers, CEO of the company, had purchased controlling interest in Kitty Cat Accessories Inc. for an undisclosed amount and then almost two years later had sold the now thriving business for more than $1 million more than she'd paid to secure her holding. Jesus. Then he found an article where Katrina Withers was pictured receiving a Chamber of Commerce aware for 'Best Leadership for businesses with annual turnover between $5 million and $15 million.' Jesus, thought Charlie, his annual turnover was $4 million-plus but was currently losing money equivalent for five months out over every 12 months of trading. Charlie drove home wondering if he should try to engage Katrina on a 3-month contract to find ways to improve his business. * * * Katrina found nothing on TV that really interested her and went for a long walk because she didn't feel like reading. She'd thought about Charlie Evans when walking around the lake and back home booted her laptop and searched the name Charles Evans and found a photo of him from five years ago as new owner of the city's largest deli, Harry's Fine Foods. Katrina had never heard of it and winced when Charlie was reported as saying the name of the deli would be changed to Thank Evans Fine Foods. She looked for a the Thank Evans website and thought it looked as it had been designed a hundred years ago and the format had been unchanged since then, only computers hadn't been around in those days. Yes quite, she giggled. The main page included a photo of Harry, who looked younger than forty. The former long serving Air Force pilot disclosed he knew very little about food because his wife Victoria did all the shopping and cooking. "Omigod," Katrina said aloud. He probably had been married to the well-known TV drama support actress Victoria Truman who for a while became known as Victoria Truman-Evans. Katrina looked up Victoria Evans and hunted through the large number of entries and found 'Second Divorce for Victoria Truman-Evans' and yes, the story stated Victoria had divorced her dashing airman husband of eight years, Lt Col. Charles Evans. There was a photo of them from their wedding and Harry had certainly looked dashing in those days. Smiling, Katrina resisted the temptation to call Charlie to tell him to change the name of his business and to upgrade his website. Charlie called Katrina next day. "Hi I've been thinking about you." "Not lewd thoughts I hope." "Excuse me?" "Well you scarcely know me Charlie and thinking lewdly about me would be inappropriate." "Oh thanks and think of yourself as being safe because I never comment about whether or not I ever mentally undress a woman." She laughed and said that would be inappropriate for her to answer and he laughed. "I was wondering about Saturday night?" "Yes I'm available and can stay out late." He took time to cope with that enthusiasm. Katrina bit her tongue, annoyed she'd jumped him so quickly. "That's fine. Should we do a movie and dinner?" "What about just dinner?" "Yes that could be a good decision because you'd probably want to see a boring movie about big business." "Whereas you'd probably favor a war movie or some other gory tale of blood and guts." "Eh?" "I was er joking Charlie. I prefer romance movies with wall-to-wall sex." "Eh?" "Perhaps you should forget that comment as well Charlie. Are you happy in what you do?" "Not really." "Ah then we have a subject to discuss over dinning." They discussed what type of food and Charlie said he'd call for her at 7:30 and in the meantime would book for a meal at 9:00." "Oh that's fine. Bye. Oh Charlie?" "Yes." "Forget my comment about sex," Katrina said slyly, knowing he'd know puzzle why had she said that. Charlie arrived on Saturday and gave one blast on his car horn. Katrina went out to his vehicle thinking Charlie had to be trained even if he'd been seasoned in commanding air crews. "Gentleman go to the door of the house or lobby of the apartment building to greet their woman when they date Charlie." "Oh god I'm sorry. I've been slovenly in my ways. Please let's have a replay, you return indoors." "I'm almost completely in the car now Charlie." "It doesn't matter, let's do the right thing Katrina. I've spent hours thinking about this date and more... um thinking about this date," he said. Katrina also wished to wind back the clock and save him embarrassment. "Sorry Charlie, I missed hearing what you just said." Charlie slipped into a relieved grin. "I said it doesn't matter, let's do the right thing Katrina. I've spend hours thinking about dating you." "Oh Charlie, that's very nice of you," she said, getting out of the car and returning indoors and waited for him to knock. He knocked, she opened the door and said, "Oh hi Charlie. Let me kiss you." They enjoyed their first kiss. Katrina closed the front door and he accompanied her to the car, arm around her waist protectively and he opened the front passenger door for her and stood to attention. "You're so sweet Charlie," she cooed. Katrina was wearing a soft-knit dress with a reasonably deep V-neck to leave Charlie with no uncertainty about whether or not she was developed sufficiently to have cleavage. She thought about hitching up her dress when sitting on the bar stool so that he could see, with careful positioning, to at least her stocking tops. But she pulled back, thinking perhaps her problem with men related to pushing too far, too fast, not that there had been many men around to have problems with. At dinner Charlie said he had a problem with his business. "Oh, tell me about it." He leaned forward and said, "I need to boost my turnover while keeping margins competitive to keep the bottom line consistently in the black." Katrina, heart racing, said casually, "How inconsistent has the inconsistency with profit been?" Charlie shifted his chair closer to her but it wasn't to see down the top of her dress. He lowered his voice and said, with a conspiratorial edge, "In each of the past two years we've had five months when we traded in the red. Before that it was anything between two and four months." "Jesus Charlie." "What, tell me?" "Well you probably think what do I know..." Katrina, we are only chatting. Tell me what you were about to say." She sighed and said there were several possible approaches, one being to sell the business when trading was on an upswing, to change the nature of the business and perhaps the best option would be to study the business from go to whoa before changing anything. "Katrina, will you accept being engaged for three months as my business consultant to help sort out solutions?" "Charlie you don't have a clue about me. Hire a professional consultant." He said he'd searched the web for business reference about Katrina and found she'd purchased into a business and sold out eighteen months later for a bit profit and had won a Chamber of Commerce award for leadership in business. He said slyly, "Have you looked me up on the Internet?" "Why would I do that?" she said evasively, keen to avoid lying. "I thought you'd be interested." She patted her fringe and made no comment. Charlie outlined his background, his entry into business and what had happened since. "You took a big risk and it almost paid off," she said, nodding sagely because that's how she felt. "I need to restructure," he said. "You've had experienced at doing that. Come and work for me. Bill me at a hundred bucks an hour." "Charlie, that's more than I'm worth as a non-professional consultant. Pay me half that amount." "No, come for eighty bucks and hour." "No." "I want you Katrina." Her heart leapt but all he said was very well, fifty an hour. "I'm developing more than a business interest in you Charlie," she said casually, desperate not to push forward too fast. For a moment she thought his fingers would snap the stem of his wine glass but finally he smiled and said, "That's interesting." She laughed. He grinned and said, "More wine?" Charlie took her to the front door of her home but declined to go in for coffee. Katrina gave him a long kiss and was kissed back expertly. She resisted her desire to smash his hand against her already-swelling vulva. She waved him off and then rushed into the bedroom to grab her favorite toy, a dildo long enough to get both hands around it for a rousing outcome. As Katrina worked it, still not undressed, she yet again confirmed she was somewhat over-sexed but knew that wasn't her fault. Some women were overly keen about shopping or eating cakes... her big desire was to be eaten by a male who'd rise to do everything that was expected of him. Back in Circulation CHAPTER 3 The deli was huge and Katrina thought it looked very clean and tidy and in the main well laid-out. It was quite busy and in the tradition of delis was supported by a large staff. She met the admin staff as well and they all seemed nice and responded positively to Charlie's request to be 100% cooperative to Mrs Withers who had been engaged to give advice on the upgrade of the operation. "What do you think?" Charlie asked nervously. "I'm talking first impressions." "You were sold a pup. The location of this retail outlet is all wrong." "Yeah but the price was good." She ignored that. "It would be hugely expensive to relocate the business and unsettling for regular clients. I see you are short of storage space and having those three long shipping containers for storage in the parking area is not good. Let me have a think about this." Charlie didn't see Katrina for another four hours. She returned and said, "I have the basic solution but it will take eighteen months to accomplish and that part of it will cost you less than $10,000. Can you wear that?" "Yes, we still make a profit on the majority of months." Katrina unfolded a roll of paper that she'd used for sketching. "This is an empty store on Maple Street backing on to here that has had three failed businesses in four years." "Yes a Mrs Ireland was the last tenant, a hairdresser, attempting to establish her business in an already competitive street for hairdressers." "So the building owner told me." "You've met Joe Gadsby?" He came in to talk with me with his commercial Realtor. "What about?" "I suggested a redesign his floor area. He'll lose a strip 12-feet wide and a small recess at the rear of the third store and you'll lose a 20-foot wide strip for an extension of the covered alley to connect with your premises, with the other eight feet to connect to the recess that will involve a stairway to the vacant office floor of the Joe's premises that you'll be leasing for storage, sorting product etc. That means those containers can go and what you pay for renting of them and go towards rental of the top floor of Joe's premises. You probably will gain an extra dozen parking spaces." "My god. There's a public parking building on the other side of Maple Street. Some people will park there to shop the street of course but it will be but a short walk through that alley to my deli. That's absolutely brilliant. So what does Joe think about this?" "He was conservative until the real estate woman called the council and a planner said the council would welcome the connection between Maple Street and your business and gaining revenue from three or four businesses on Joe's site instead of one. The planner suggested a bakery, a bread shop and a coffee shop would be just the right kind of mix with the deli and Joe became very keen on that concept that has to be approved by Council of course." "But we sell bread." "Think about giving shoppers a choice Charlie and anyway a bread shop was only a suggestion; that space could attract a florist." "Yeah, I can see Joe and I will need to establish a business relationship." "Good man." "So is this you finished with your consultancy?" "Oh yeah? The interior of your deli is a little higgledy Charlie. It needs to have better groupings and angling to facilitate better flow. Please show me your business plan and your marketing plan?" "I don't have any and who needs them?" "Well for starters, a business owner determined to grow his business and increase the bottom line." Charlie shuffled his feet and muttered, "Oh, like a flight plan." "Possibly and your website, are you proud of that?" "I haven't looked at it for a long time because it was so goddam awful. Oh... I guess that's what you wanted to hear. I've been remiss again?" "You certainly have but I'm here to push you into doing the right things. I'd like to see you increasing turnover by 20% within twelve months." "You're dreaming." "Oh really?" Charlie looked at Katrina thoughtfully. * * * Katrina drove to Charlie's for lunch. She'd been invited because she'd hinted, mentioning on three different occasions she'd like to see the gardens. "I had been thinking of inviting you but the house is in a mess." She said impolitely, "Then invite me on Sunday and spend part of Saturday cleaning up." He nodded as if considering he'd heard a great idea. Katrina knew he was a good guy but just needed a little push at times. Charlie came out to greet Katrina wearing a purple shirt, jeans and sneakers. He looked so relaxed and really was quite handsome. She guessed this was the real Charlie, a guy at home away from his business problems. A beautifully-groomed Golden Retriever ran out of the house and welcomed Katrina warmly and she squatted to hug it. It was love at first sight. Charlie looked at her white croqueted front sundress with scooped neck that showed some dancing flesh rising from below and her hair was completely loose and Katrina had chosen to wear minimal make-up to allow him to glimpse the real Katrina Withers. She stood from greeting the dog and Charlie said, "My god you are a superbly attractive woman." It was an exaggeration, but she loved it, and even better she didn't have to press for a kiss. Charlie zeroed in and kissed her ever so sweetly, taking his time. She thou thought 'Take me to bed Charlie' but instead said, "You look great and have a noble-looking dog that's so beautifully groomed." "Thank you. His name is Zen." "Oh hi Ken." "The dog wagged his tail unoffended while Charlie corrected softly, saying Zen, emphasizing the 'Z'. "Oh sorry. My ears must require waxing." "Your ears required nothing. Everything about you is beautiful even when you are bossy." Omigod. He stood awkwardly and so she placed her arm around his waist and he linked an arm over hers to half-circle her waist and she said, "May we walk the gardens?" "An excellent idea," he smiled and Katrina resisted pulling his hand up to cup her breast. As they walked under and archway to enter a very sheltered area, Charlie's hand lifted to cup her breast and while she oohed about the rectangular lily pond she placed her hand lightly over his to indicated he was welcome to cup her breast. There was a white-painted seat under a flowering cherry tree at the far end of the pond and Charlie led her there and when seated, his hand returned to cupping her breast and this time she distinctly felt his fingers moving. She held her face up to be kissed but he missed the cue and she said softly, "Kiss me." "Just teasing," he said and kissed her. She could have wrung his neck. The kiss went on and on and she felt herself melting and opened her mouth slightly and lo, Charlie's tongue forced its way in to waggle with her tongue. During the next fifteen minutes, time almost stood still for Katrina as she concentrated to avoid pushing the pace. They meandered back to the house, chatting and stopping to kiss. She'd been aware of that and walking through open French doors and straight into Charlie's bedroom and then her mind spun into absolute focus when he \lifted her up and lowered her on to the bed. Either Charlie or she lifted her legs up to roll up her butt and her panties were pulled off. In a romantic haze she felt herself being pulled closer to the edge of the bed. Her breathing rate increased and she groaned Charlie and he responded by ramming his tongue into her mouth and she pulled out a breast for him but he was otherwise occupied. The back of her dress was lifted and when Katrina heard the tiny sound of the condom pack being ripped open, she stuck out her butt to avoid having to keep a leg raised. "Here we go," Charlie said and pushed two fingers into her very moist pussy to open it and Katrina felt something smooth and fat, almost as big as her dildo, begin to slide in and she felt several shudders rake through her. She smiled happily as Charlie worked into rhythm and her eyes flew open as she felt a thumb beginning to work into her butt. Wow, was this slightly shy and rather laid-back Charlie? Later, much later, showered and nude, they sat back in the shade on sun loungers drinking sparkling wine and eating cold smoke salmon on a bed of mildly tasting fruit puree and additives Charlie had concocted that complimented the delicate tasting fish. "I'd love you to move in with me." "That's a very tempting offer Charlie," Katrina said carefully. "Well that's a pretty positive reaction. I'll rephrase the comment, "Katrina I'd love to marry you and have you living here with me." She reached for his hand and said casually, "How soon can we begin to make that happen?" THE END