1 comments/ 10348 views/ 0 favorites She Started Something By: Cromagnonman I noticed her as she walked toward me, her tall slender body moved with effortless grace, her head held high on her long neck and the sunlight turned her hair into strands of gleaming bronze. Then I noticed the men that she passed, they stopped and turned to stare open-mouthed at the vision walking away from them, walking toward me. I turned my attention back to her, it wasn't hard, and the straight backed way that she carried herself caused her breasts to thrust against the fabric of her crisp white blouse and accentuate her flat stomach and slender legs. This was one drop dead gorgeous woman and even before I met her I was in love, but then so were a thousand other men through whose lives she had walked. As she approached me she noticed that I was staring at her and her eyes turned to me as she neared and there was the hint of a smile just before she was passed me. I stopped, turned and stared just like those before me and the vision got even better. Her black skirt was tight over her hips and this revealed that she was either wearing a thong or no underwear at all, there were no lines to break the smooth curves of her arse. She wore heels high enough to tighten her calf muscles and these were further enhanced by her black stockings. She walked with an easy stride, sort of a cross between the exaggerated cross over style of a catwalk model and the open stride of the majority of women, it was almost as if she was perpetually performing a roadside sobriety test. As she turned the corner and out of my life I found that my imagination had gone into over-drive. Who was she and what did she do? She could be a model or even a film star but in my imagination she was much too intelligent for either of these vocations. She didn't look frazzled enough to be a teacher or a lawyer, a doctor was a slight possibility, a 4 to 1 shot at best, a nurse would get better odds, but my imagination dismissed all of these in favour of an Executive Personal Assistant. She had the qualities for this profession, looks in abundance, style without doubt and her immaculate appearance spelled out organisational ability and attention to detail, in short everything the busy CEO would desire in an EPA. She also exuded enough self-confidence to be able to put him politely in his place should he step over the line she placed between them. Her name was Heidi Freidricks and she was the Personal Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of a multi-national corporation and had been sent to collect important documents from one of their clients, hence the document case she carried. She strolled through the reception area of the office building, pausing just long enough to smile at the receptionist and slide the marker to indicate that she was once more in her office. The light at the bank of lifts indicated that it had gone straight to the top floor, the executive level. Heidi walked through her office to that of Spencer Fawcett, the CEO of TransGlobal, a holding company with interests in mining and oil and gas exploration. She took the documents from the case and placed them on his desk. He looked up from the papers that he was reading. "No dramas?" "No, they have resigned themselves to their fate just as you predicted. They had no room to manoeuvre and they knew it, to have held out would have been to delay the inevitable and cost them a fortune." "Good, have you completed the media release yet?" "It's in your in tray, have a read and if there are any changes to be made I'll get to them straight away." "I'm sure there won't be any changes, have young Peter run off enough copies for the media conference and see that they are available as soon as I get there, but don't distribute them until after the conference, we don't want to give them any hand grenades that they can throw at us, do we?" His mood changed. "Heidi I've come to rely on you for so much and I don't know what I would do without you. This calls for a celebration, there's some bubbles in the fridge, what say we crack open a bottle?" "I think that we should wait until after the media conference, it wouldn't do to front the press looking smug and pissed, would it?" "As usual you are right. Is everything set up for the conference?" "Yes, you're on in fifteen." Heidi turned and walked back to her desk. This was a great job for her with one minor problem apart from Spencer wanting to get into her pants, and that was that some of the acquisitions seemed to have cared little for the companies being taken over, the term that the media was fond of using was 'corporate raider'. While the directors of the company that she had just visited seemed on the surface of it okay with what had happened to them, she felt that there was an undercurrent of hostility and this worried her. What would they do? What could they do? She had gone over the take-over documents with a fine tooth comb before it went off to legal and neither of them could fault the legality of the process, but legality was only one aspect, morality was the part that she had problems with. Spencer had maintained that if you were bogged down by morality you would finish among the also rans and he always wanted to be a winner. She picked up the papers that she needed and headed for the auditorium where the conference would be held. Stepping up to the rostrum she smiled at the usual crowd of business journos and received return smiles from at least the males in the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, before Mr Fawcett gets here I think that we should run over a few ground rules. He will be announcing a major acquisition this morning, he will outline the benefits of this acquisition and our plans for the future growth of the company in terms of cost benefits and jobs growth. Following the announcement there will be a Q&A. You will restrict your questions to matters pertaining to this morning's announcement, no questions on any other matters please." She looked to the door at the side of the auditorium and saw Spencer waiting to be introduced. "Ladies and gentlemen, our CEO Mr Spencer Fawcett." Spencer walked to the rostrum and smiled at the media, his smile was not returned. "Thank your Heidi, good morning ladies and gentlemen, this morning TransGlobal has signed an agreement with Fremont Exploration to acquire their existing leases and their future, as yet undeveloped leases. This agreement guarantees the future employment of Fremont staff. . ." "We've heard this before." Spencer tried to identify the source of the interjection but was a fraction of a second too slow. "As I said we have guaranteed the future employment of Fremont employees and those that chose not to work for the merged company will be let go with all of their entitlements intact, we are not about depriving workers of their rights." "That'd be a first!" The interjector was seated in the centre of the room and Spencer quickly identified him as Zander (his compression of Alexander) Franklin, a new player in the business media field, and one who was not afraid to attack heads of companies and print what he believed the public should know. "Please sir, would you save your interjections until after this announcement. We have an information pack for you that will give you the finer details of this acquisition. I will be only too willing to speak to you individually to allay your concerns." A silence descended over the room. "Fremont was not in a position to continue with their exploration due to the contraction in the global financial situation, we on the other hand have investors who are only too willing to partner with us in building on the exploration work started by Fremont. This situation is in no way due to any lack of integrity on the part of Fremont management, we have nothing but admiration for Milton Fremont and his fellow directors and have offered board positions to them. Milton expressed his wish that his health could have allowed him to accept the offer, but felt that it was time that he stepped back from what is a very stressful position and enjoy, with his lovely wife, what little time he has left in his life." "Are you telling us that Milton Fremont has a terminal illness, and what is the nature of that illness because it doesn't seem to have affected his golf game?" "I'm not in a position, and it is not my place to comment on his health, that's a matter that you should take up with him." "I will." Heidi and Peter began moving around the room handing the information packs to the person at the end of each row who passed them to the others. Silence again descended over the room as the media skimmed through the document looking to see if anything jumped out at them that they could use to question Spencer. Heidi had done her job well. "Are there any questions?" A hand was raised; it belonged to the man who interjected during the presentation. "Yes Mr Franklin?" The exasperated tone of his voice suggested that he was getting a little tired of Zander. "Pardon me for being a tad cynical but isn't this exactly the same document that you handed out after the Kingsbridge Petroleum acquisition with just the names changed?" "If you'll allow me to answer this," Heidi moved to stand by Spencer. "This is not a re-jigging of any previous document, if you would take the time to read it in detail you will see that it is a substantially new document, I don't do rehashing Mr Franklin, Mr Fawcett gives me the data and I collate it into the finished document that you have in your hand. It may bear superficial similarities to other documents that we have put out in the past because this is what we do, we acquire businesses that are struggling and that we believe have potential to expand and to make a profit for our shareholders and other stakeholders. That is the very nature of our business and we are very successful at it. " "Don't lose her Mr Fawcett, she's good." He bestowed on Heidi his best smile and for a nanosecond their eyes met revealing just a hint of a connection between the two. This passed un-noticed by the gathered throng. "Is it time for the bubbles now?" Spencer asked as he and Heidi arrived back in his office. He took the bottle of Dom from his refrigerator and expertly eased the cork from it, not a drop was spilled. He passed Heidi her glass and the touched glasses in celebration. "I think that went well and you handled that odious Franklin chap as well as I could have, probably better, I was getting a little sick of him." "He's just out to make a name for himself and advance up the media ladder, give him time and he'll either reach exalted heights or shoot himself in the foot and end up another drunken has-been. I favour the latter." "Heidi, are you happy in your work?" The question took her by surprise. "Yes I am, why do you ask that?" "Have you ever given thought to a more senior position in this company?" "Such as?" "Oh I thought something in administration like the Admin Manager position." "Do you honestly think that I would be suitable for that position?" "I wouldn't have offered it to you if I didn't. Minter will be retiring in a couple of months and I thought that you would make a very good replacement." "I'm flattered of course but I would like a little time to think this over. Don't get me wrong I would like the opportunity but then again I need to be sure that I can not only do the job but would fit in with the admin team." "They won't be problem, most of them know the situation and are happy to comply." "I still need to feel that I can fit in, the last thing that I want to do is to upset the team by coming in over people who have been there for ages. I need time to consider your offer, while the increased salary will be nice that's not the motivating factor in any decision, my salary in this position is more than adequate." Spencer topped up her glass. "What are you doing this evening?" "Not a lot, why?" "I thought a celebratory dinner is called for, what do you say?" "Mrs Fawcett won't be home this evening then?" "No. She's got some do with the Opera, a charity concert or some such thing, so I'm free as a bird and I feel like dinner at a fancy restaurant, but not alone." "Do you think it wise to be seen dining with a woman other than your wife, what if there are reporters there?" "How many restaurants are there in the CBD and how many reporters are there? The chances of one being I the same restaurant at the same time as we are would be very remote to say the least. On top of that, not many journos could afford to eat at the place I had in mind, they're more used to pub meals." "I suppose that there will be no harm in it, very well but no funny business like plying me with too much booze in the hopes of getting in my pants, okay?" "I agree, can you make the booking?" He handed her a business card for an extremely up-market eatery with matching prices. Heidi and Spencer had just settled in and were picking their way through the entrée when a camera flash went off. "What the . . .?" Spencer caught himself before he uttered the 'f' word. "Now isn't this cosy? And where is the lovely Mrs Fawcett this evening?" Zander stood there with a smug expression on his face. "Have you been stalking us? I should call the police but I won't if you promise not to publish that photo or write anything about this celebratory dinner that we're having so that I can show my appreciation to a staff member for her hard work." "I'm sure that it's all very innocent but you know what they say, 'never let the truth get in the way of a good story' and believe me, Mr holier than thou loving husband Fawcett, few of my readers will believe that there is nothing going on between the pair of you, especially after one of my colleagues has just broken the good news to Mrs Fawcett that you are having a romantic dinner for two in this expensive restaurant. Tell me, were you planning to go straight home after this, or were you going to see Ms Freidricks home and try to get into her pants?" "I will trouble you to keep your filthy innuendos to yourself. There is nothing going on between the two of us and I ask you, politely, to go and leave us alone, and if I find that you are following us I will not hesitate to call the police." "The only reason that there's nothing going on between the two of you is because the lovely Heidi here can't stand you, she thinks that you are a loathsome piece of shit and she only works for you because of the money that you're paying above the going rate. You think the extra salary will encourage her to give into your sexual advances. I think that she's got better taste than that." "You've got a filthy mind, if you could just get it out of the gutter for a few moments you'd see that your flights of fancy are so far from the truth to be laughable. Just go away and leave us alone." "I'll leave but I'll be watching you and your company and one false move will have me drooling in joy just watching you crash and burn. Enjoy the rest of your evening, and Heidi, we'll be watching him deliver you safely to your apartment, just to be sure that nothing untoward happens to you. Good-night to the both of you." "What an odious little man, I'll have him fired, that's what I'll do. Now can we get back to our celebration?" "Somehow I no longer feel hungry, will you take me home, please?" An unhappy Spencer Fawcett ushered Heidi into his car and drove to her apartment. As they left the restaurant they passed a non-descript sedan parked opposite. The occupant dialled his mobile phone and left a brief message; "They're on their way." Zander had left the restaurant and immediately driven to where he now was sitting in his car opposite Heidi's apartment building, in his hand was an expensive and impressive digital camera with an equally impressive long range zoom lens. What was even more impressive was the fact that it could take clear pictures in low light conditions, an essential for the paparazzi. Spencer's car pulled up and he got out and opened Heidi's door. "Are you sure you don't want to walk me to your door?" He stood facing her, his hands on her hips, his face no more than 15 centimetres (6") from hers. "I'm sure, now you'd better leave before the paparazzi arrive, you never know want that Franklin guy is up to, he could be watching us right now." "Alright I'll go, see you in the morning." He gave her a light kiss on the lips before walking around to his door and driving off. Spencer Fawcett saw Heidi in the morning even before she got to work, they were plastered over the front page of both daily papers. Heidi was aware of this, as were the rest of the staff, and she suffered the stare as she walked through the foyer to the lifts. There were knowing nods between staff members and the 'I told you they were having it off' looks passed between them, what was now confirmed as common knowledge was so far from the truth. The receptionist had been fielding media requests for interviews and staff leaving the building for any reason, were accosted by microphone wielding media. That there were many ways of saying 'no comment' that would confirm the veracity of the suggestion became apparent as the day wore on, failure to deny was seen by all as confirming the truth of the rumour. Heidi's mother called and Heidi told her that there was definitely no truth to the rumours and that she was in no way romantically involved with her boss. Her mother said that she believed her. Spencer's wife called and spoke to him, he denied the rumours emphatically but, given past experience she did not believe him, a cold reception waited for him when he got home. The alleged affair made the TV news magazine programs and rumours of Spencer's previous dalliances reared their ugly head, as a result several calls were received from business partners withdrawing their financial support. The rot had set in. In a bizarre twist the former directors of Fremont Exploration, with help from others, launched a daring raid on TransGlobal whose shares had plummeted in a matter of weeks and were hovering below parity. Despite his best efforts Spencer Fawcett was faced with the proposition of having to sit in a meeting where he was faced with the only option that he had presented to companies himself, sell or die. His anger was causing his staff to run scared, afraid to do or say anything that would incur his wrath. TransGlobal was no longer a happy place to work. The only person who seemed impervious to the destruction was Heidi, she floated around the building with nary a care to weigh her down. "How can you remain so calm when everything is crashing down around us?" Spencer asked her. "What's the point of getting angry, nothing's achieved is it? If you remain calm you are more likely to find a solution than if you lurch from one crises to another. Why don't we sit down and take stock of the situation and see if we can't come up with an answer." "What do you suggest is the starting point?" "Okay, what precipitated this whole episode?" "I don't know!" "Think about it, a certain journalist just happened to find us in a restaurant having dinner, and just happened to be outside my place when you kissed me. The question that you have to ask is; how did he know we'd be there at that restaurant at that time, someone must have told him, someone who had an axe to grind, and someone who knows you and where you go. Start thinking, your business associates, who among them would have that knowledge?" "Where do I start, there are any number who aren't entirely happy with me for one reason or other." He was starting to think that maybe his method of acquiring wealth may not have been morally acceptable to many of his associates. "What about Margaret, have you done anything that would cause her to react in this way?" Margaret was Spencer's long suffering wife. She Started Something "God, she probably has the best reason to do this." His mind was galloping through several scenarios ranging from restitution to cutting his losses and getting out of the marriage. The former he doubted would succeed and the latter would result in his total financial ruin, not a prospect that he relished. "Unless you can isolate the real culprit and tackle that person head on you'll have to come up with a strategy that will return you to favour with them all." In his state of confusion Spencer failed to pick up that Heidi was relishing her newly acquired position of power, she was totally in control of the situation. "Take the Fremont acquisition, instead of the buy-out wouldn't it have been better if you'd offered to help them finance their future exploration?" "But that would have meant me not being in control, whereas the buy-out left me in total control." "And because someone had it in for you the situation is that you are now looking like losing control of all of your own company. One greedy decision and it looks like it will all come unstuck." "What do you suggest?" "Why don't you go and talk to Milton Freemont, let him see that you have a talent that, kept in check by someone like him, can be of more benefit to him if you were allowed to continue to work towards a combined future profitable outcome." "Do you think that he'd buy that? He wasn't overjoyed when I backed him into the corner." "You can only try because if you don't he has only one position to work with and that's to buy you out at a bargain basement price. It's possible that if he agrees your shares will rise and you can get back on your feet and work with him to form a strong partnership. I think that you'll have to convince him that you will cut back on the aggressive way that you've done business in the past, that may help your cause." "So I'm to become a new man, is that it?" "If you were someone else would you like the present you?" Spencer sat in silence for some time before shaking his head in answer to her question. "So, are you going to do something about it or do I start looking for a new job?" It really hit him then, the woman that he'd come to rely on for so much was prepared to abandon him to his fate unless he changed and, in that moment of clarity he realised that even she didn't like his current persona and his dreams of a relationship with her would soon disappear. "I can see that I've a lot of thinking to do." "In the mean time I'll have a talk with this Zander Franklin guy and see if I can find out just what his beef is with you." She left him in his office and went to her own where she placed a call to the newspaper where Zander worked. She was eventually put through. "Hi Mr Franklin, my name is Heidi Freidricks." "Not the absolutely gorgeous Heidi that's wasting her time with a loser like Spencer Fawcett?" "Yes, the very same. I was wondering if I could arrange an appointment to have a chat with you." "You name the time and place and I'll be there with bells on." "I don't think that will be advisable, do you?" "No I guess not. Okay where and when and I'll sneak in so that no-one recognises me." "Now you're being silly." "That's the only way that I can stay sane." Heidi gave him the name of a small pub a couple of blocks off the main road where she knew there would be few people to recognise them. She poked her head into Spencer's office. "I'm off now, I'll see you in a couple of hours." He looked at her and a half smile flashed across his face. The dining room of the pub was all but deserted, most of the clientele were satisfied with a counter lunch, partly because of the large quantity of unpretentious food and partly because of the close proximity to the beer taps. Heidi arrived before Zander and chose a table in the back corner. Zander arrived five minutes later. "Hi, how are you?" He asked as she rose to greet him. "I'm fine." She said after he'd kissed her, not a kiss of casual acquaintances, more one of close friends. "And how is our favourite corporate rat coping?" "Not well, he's never been in this situation before. I threw him a lifeline this morning, I told him he should go and speak to Milton Fremont to see if he could patch up the damage and maybe work with them. Knowing Milton, that's not likely to happen any time soon." "You are one devious bitch, do you know that?" Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of a waitress with the menu. They ordered and she disappeared. "I've had a good teacher, haven't I?" "What can I say? Although when it comes to subtlety you beat me hands down." "What's the next plan of action?" "I'll have a talk to Milton, I think we'll string him along a little, let him believe that Fremont will entertain a joint venture with TransGlobal and then at the last minute pull out of the deal, let Fawcett experience what it feels like to have your life's work destroyed with the stroke of a pen. In the meantime I plan to write a column about the predatory practices of companies like TransGlobal and how they contribute little to the economy while wielding great power over those that do. He'll feel like a leper in the community by the time we've finished with him." "But that's been done many times before, hasn't it?" "Sure, but in the past it has been take-overs for the purpose of asset stripping, but this time I will highlight the practise of take-overs financed by paper money with no asset support in case of a change in fortune, such as we have here with the TransGlobal/Fremont take-over. TransGlobal is a paper money company, it has no assets to speak of, it rents its office space, it relies on investors for its capital and if anything happens to any of those investors it has to find another to take its place and quickly. And of course, any hint of impropriety, no matter how minor, will affect its share price and reduce its value to the point that it is vulnerable to a hostile take-over, just like we have set in train, it's now time to shunt the train onto a siding and let it rot." Heidi walked into Spencer's office. "It's not looking positive, for some reason he's gunning for you and he has an article coming out in Saturday's paper that is highly critical of your business practices." "But there's nothing illegal about how I go about my business." "It's not the legalities he's concentrating on, it's the ethical side of things. I don't know what you've done to upset him but he's going to keep gnawing on this particular bone until there's nothing left." "I see that I'm going to have to speak to legal about whether I can take out an injunction to try to stop him." "Do you really think that's wise? It will more than likely create more bad publicity at a time when you need good press. Just sit tight and wait to see what Fremont has to say, you may get some good publicity out of that." "As usual you're right. I don't know what I'd do without you." "You might have to get used to it unless you tread carefully, we could both find ourselves out of a job. Why don't you go home and think on it, talk it over with Margaret, she might appreciate her inclusion in your business and be able to offer a suggestion, who knows? I'll hold down the fort." Spencer left and as soon as he had gone Heidi was on the phone to her father. "Hi Dad, now would be a good time to buy TransGlobal shares, but don't use your own brokerage account, just in case anyone investigates the transactions, you could run the risk of being charged for insider trading. You could use Grandpa, if anyone asks him why he's buying those shares he can say that he figures that the company is worth more than its share value indicates and he believes that in the right management hands it could return to profitability in a short time. If it doesn't it becomes a tax write-off." "Do you want him to buy you some shares as well?" "Sure, transfer the money from my brokerage account into the one you're going to use, he can sell it to me later after, you know what." "Okay Honey. By the way, how is our media campaign going?" "Wait for the weekend edition, there's an article that might interest you." Her next call was to Zander. "Are you home yet?" "I just got in. The editor's happy with the article, he wants to give it prominent placement in the business section." "Good. I'll see you in about thirty minutes." Thirty minutes later she was in his apartment and in his arms, her lips were pressed hard against his and her arms around his neck pulled his face to hers. Zander's fingers worked on the buttons of her blouse and his hands were soon caressing the upper slopes of her breasts. Heidi released her strangle hold on his neck and her hands went to his trousers, her agile fingers undoing his belt and zipper before grabbing his cock that was hard in anticipation of what was to follow. "I'll race you to the bed." There was good natured pushing and shoving as each vied for front position going through the doorways and Heidi beat him, but only just. His hands went immediately to the waist of her skirt and pantihose, pulling both of them from her, before his tongue and finger began to pleasure her wet pussy. "Wait." Heidi pulled his head away from her pussy. "I want to join in, not just lay here and enjoy you wonderful though that is, giving pleasure is a two way street." She turned around on the bed and he took his position over her, his cock in her mouth as he resumed his licking and fingering of her. It was only a matter of ten minutes before she shuddered her way through an orgasm, arching her back and lifting him while she pushed up the full length of his rock hard cock. With a grunt he emptied into her gulping mouth. It was like this every time they made love, the first time was energetic, fast and furious, now they would settle into a more leisurely period of love making until exhaustion took over and they drifted off to sleep. Heidi snuggled against Zander's surprisingly, given his profession as a journalist, taut body, her hand working to bring his cock to life for the next phase of their lovemaking. "I was thinking, under normal circumstances I wouldn't have looked twice at you. If it hadn't have been for my father's situation I wouldn't have, but there was something about the way that you were positive of being able to help him recover his money that attracted me, it was more than the story for you, wasn't it?" "It took just one look at you for me to fall in love with you and to want to move heaven and earth to help you, and my selfish reason was for us to become lovers and hopefully marry." "It worked didn't it?" "Only just, now you're going to have to work hard to keep me, I've done my bit." She released his cock. "He's ready and I'm ready so what are you waiting for?" "So that's why you came up with that totally outrageous pick-up line, was it?" He swung his leg over her and his cock slid into her moist pussy. He felt the sides press against his cock increasing his pleasure and, to prolong the sensation, his mind drifted to Spencer Fawcett and his attempts at getting into bed with Heidi. It was some time later that exhaustion took control and they drifted off to sleep. Friday morning and Heidi felt on top of the world as she walked through the foyer on her way to her office, she had been loved to within an inch of her life by the man that was soon to marry, she had just about got her revenge on the man that had destroyed her father's company, one that had been in his family for three generations before him. Today was the day for the coup de gras, today she would finish the job. Spencer Fawcett wasn't in his office, not an unusual occurrence of late, when she placed her first call. "Mr Fremont, Heidi Freidricks, have you spoken with Mr Fawcett recently?" Milton Fremont spoke in a quietly confident voice. "We are expecting him in ten minutes and we will keep him waiting a further ten before speaking with him." "Good, it's time. The article comes out tomorrow, including what is about to happen and the process leading up to it." "Young woman, I have to ask you this, did he hurt you so bad that your revenge is so brutal and final?" "You'd better believe it, he deserves everything that's coming to him." "I feel that this will be on my conscience for some time after this is over." "Mr Fremont, that's the difference between the two of you, you at least have a conscience." Heidi hung up the phone. It rang immediately "Good morning TransGlobal, this is Heidi, how may I help you?" "Heidi, it's Margaret Fawcett, I don't know who to turn to, but Spencer is acting strangely, it's almost as if the life has gone from him. He keeps muttering something about reparation and how wrong he's been. He has an appointment this morning with Fremont and I think that he's hoping that they will help him, but I don't know, if I were them I wouldn't, I know that sounds callous but I've been married to him for long enough not to care anymore, but in a way I'm hoping that it doesn't happen. Does that sound awful to you?" "No, I don't think so. This might sound callous to you but, Margaret, it's time you got yourself a life." Spencer's house of cards came crashing down around his ears. Firstly he was frustrated because the night before he had gone to Heidi's apartment but she wasn't home. He waited for over an hour for her to come home but she hadn't and all sorts of irrational thoughts had gone through his head, where was she and who was she with, did she have a lover, she'd never mentioned anything about her private life but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he would have her. He'd come close the other evening, well at least he got to kiss her and in his current state of mind, that was a start. It quickly got much worse this morning when Fremont pulled the rug on any hopes he had of being saved from the fate that he had come to dread. After driving around for hours he went home to find Margaret had left a note telling him that the marriage was over and that she would appreciate it if he vacated the house within twenty-four hours and in the mean time she was vacationing with a man friend. Heidi didn't help either, she hadn't been in her office and no-one knew where she was. Heidi was holding a glass of very expensive French champagne in the Fremont boardroom, she was celebrating the success of her coup with her father, Milton Fremont and Zander Franklin. What she had started had reached a most satisfactory conclusion. At least that's what my imagination told me. I saw her again, walking towards me with that confident stride and I was still in love. I decided to follow her, not in a stalking way, to see how right I was about her and where she worked. My dream was shattered when she walked through the front door of a large department store, I followed her to the perfume department, maybe she was buying a new perfume, something like the one I got a whiff of as she passed me, but no, she took off her jacket and hung it in a cupboard and put on her name badge. Damn! She was a perfume salesperson, nothing like what I'd imagined. But I still had to speak to her. "Excuse me miss, but I'm looking to buy some perfume for a special young lady, what is that you're wearing?" "It's not a good idea to buy something that smells good on another person, she might have a different body chemistry to mine." "I'll take that chance. And could you gift wrap it for me, with a gift card?" "Certainly sir, you must love her very much, this isn't cheap you know." She presented me with the completed package and accepted my payment while I wrote on the card. One part of my dream proved true, her name was Heidi, let's see if the rest comes true. Taking a deep breath and mustering up all the courage that I could, I put my pen away and took the package and held it to her. "Heidi, my name is Zander Franklin and I've been in love with you since I saw you for the first time yesterday. I would very much like it if you would do me the honour of having dinner with me this evening, and I would like it if you would wear this perfume. What do you say?"