Chapter 4
When Norma awoke the next morning, strange feelings mingled confusedly in her mind. On the one hand, the unhappy brunette felt enormously depressed at the prospect of resigning from Cunningham Manufacturing, for that was what she would surely have to do now that she had been blackmailed. But on the other hand, she felt an unusual kind of satisfaction combined with a deep sense of guilt — the same kind of feeling she had experienced in the past after seducing young boys. She hated to admit it, but deep down inside she had actually enjoyed the savage assault on her body by her unscrupulous office rival — not that she meant to give in to Nick Saxby that easily. She still had a plan in mind to save her job, and she intended to do her best to make it work.
But how could she make it work, she wondered as she tossed off her bedcovers and approached the dresser mirror. Lazily she ran her fingers through the thick locks of her rich brown hair, and then the idea struck. This time, to get her way in the office, she would use a pound of honey instead of a teaspoon of vinegar. Nick Saxby couldn't be a complete sadist, and if she turned on the charm, perhaps she could persuade him to realize that he'd made a mistake and to give her those obscene photos back. She might even have to seduce him, but it would be worth it, even though she despised him for what he'd done to her. At least she could reassert her power over the male sex and, if successful, still qualify for the vice-presidency.
God, it was going to be difficult to act pleasant toward a man of her own age. It had always been difficult, though at one time she remembered trying to do her best. It was the time when John Peters, a fellow senior in the small New England college she had attended as an undergraduate had proposed marriage to her.
She had thought the matter over for several days and then decided to accept his offer, though she'd still had misgivings. She loved John as much as she could love any man, but for some reason he just did not excite her sexually, and the problem, she realized, was hers, not his. She could recall vividly the first night he had attempted to sleep with her in his off-campus apartment. Sensing somehow that the attempt was going to end in disaster, Norma tried in vain to make excuses.
"Wait a minute. Where are you going?" her thin scholarly-looking fiance had demanded as she gathered her books up and threw a sweater over her shoulders.
"I've got to leave now, John. I've got a lot of studying to do before finals."
"Leave, what do you mean? I thought you already finished studying?"
"I did, but - " she hesitated as he curled his arms around her shoulders and gazed at her tenderly.
"Norma, for Pete's sake, we're engaged now."
"I know, John, I know, but there's something I can't tell you."
"You mean you don't want to sleep with me. That's it, isn't it?"
God, she hadn't meant to hurt him, but what could she say?
"It's not that, John. It's a certain problem I have that I just can't tell you about."
"Oh, Norma, for Pete's sake. You're just scared that's all. It's the first time, isn't it? Every girl is scared the first time."
He said it with great assurance, as though he were certain of his facts. And technically he was right, for she'd never slept with a man before, although there were two nameless young boys in her past whom she'd thoroughly enjoyed going all the way with — whose every trembling move had inflamed the hot relentless desires of her loins. But she was not about to reveal her secret to her fiance and she allowed him to retain his illusions.
In fact, she even went so far as to abandon her plans to return to the dorm and she accompanied him into the bedroom, though she dreaded what she knew was about to happen.
Swiftly, John removed his clothes and set his glasses down on the make-shift end table by the head of his bed, then waited for her to do the same. Doing as he expected, she too stripped naked — all except her panties.
"Well, aren't you going to take them off?" he said as though the way for them to make love was to immediately remove all their clothing and jump into bed.
It was impossible to explain to him what her panties meant to her, how they were the focus of her forbidden escapades with young boys. Her whole secret sex life ever since the age of thirteen had centered around them. They were the red flag that she waved in front of young teenagers to attract their attention, to assert her power over them, and her whole body trembled with delight as she teased them with the thought of what unobtainable treasures lay beneath. John, however, couldn't possibly understand something like that.
Her young fiance wasn't totally inexperienced in sex, of course, but he had no idea of the forbidden side of it, the strange ways in which men and women can heighten their lust to a wild fever pitch. His idea was simply that a man and a woman took off all their clothes and went to bed — a very rational idea for a scholar who intended to pursue a doctorate in history.
Norma hid her true feelings and did as he bade her, removing her panties and then lying down on the bed beside him. It was one of the dullest nights she ever spent — ten minutes of kissing and petting and then a premature attempt at intercourse which left her completely cold. After it was all over, and her fiance had cum, she was left hanging in the air, with images of handsome young boys whom she could so easily tantalize and seduce floating through her mind in spite of her will to shut them out. From that point on, she knew her engagement was over.
That same night she left John's apartment and, propelled by an inner compulsion that she could not resist, set out in her car for a local bowling alley where she knew she would find teenage boys. The attractive college co-ed as usual succeeded with ease, luring a wide-eyed fourteen year old boy into her car and driving to a rural area where she joyously seduced him. They were all the same, yet all so excitingly different — these young boys, so bashful and so eager that they aroused the same lustful eagerness in herself, although she always maintained firm control of the situation and made them do exactly as she wanted. She could remember how nervously this particular teenager had rolled her panties down below her hips, the almost frightened look in his eyes as she guided his head in between her legs and felt his tongue begin to lick at her naked pussy. God, how much more exciting it had been than the boring conventional way her fiance had attempted sex. How much more exciting it always was when forbidden!
Now, however, as she stood in front of her dresser mirror lost in reflections, the young career woman realized that her secret life was about to break into the open, and that she must do everything possible to stop that from happening. Yes, she thought to herself, the only approach was to play up to Nick Saxby in the hope that she could conquer him. Assuming she was successful, she could always fire him at the first excuse after she was named vice-president.
The first thing necessary, Norma decided, was a sudden change in appearance to make herself look more attractive in the office and thus convince Saxby that she had changed her high-handed ways. So, instead of tying her hair back in the usual school teacher's bun, she began running a brush through her thick chestnut locks until they glowed with a lustrous sheen. Then, instead of putting on her glasses, she retrieved her contact lenses from her dresser drawer. There, she thought to herself when she was done, this should certainly make a difference.
The difference was noted immediately at the office — especially by Flo Jones at the coffee machine, who nudged Davey Wilson firmly in the ribs.
"For Pete's sake, will ya look at that!" Flo gasped.
The redheaded office boy could hardly believe his eyes. Miss Peterson was wearing her hair long and her glasses were gone. And hell, the dress she was wearing was so short he could practically see her panties from where he was standing. Jesus, she looked like a real sexy broad!
Later when Flo entered Norma Peterson's office, she discovered that not only had her boss's appearance changed, her whole personality had too, or at least that's the way it seemed.
"No, Flo, I really don't have anything for you to do at this moment. Why don't you just enjoy your coffee," her female boss smiled at her.
What a change! It was almost too good to be true. For the first time since Norma Peterson had started working at Cunningham, she was actually becoming pleasant!
When Nick arrived at nine-twenty that morning, late as usual, Flo scurried immediately into his office.
"My God!" she said breathlessly. "You really must have done something. She's changed completely."
Nick glanced over his shoulder at the new Norma sitting in her office, wearing her dark hair down in the style he recognized from the evening before, and obviously sporting contact lenses instead of glasses. So, he thought, I'm supposed to think that all she needed was a good stiff cock. Ha! He was a bit too smart to fall for that act. For one thing he accurately sensed that Norma Peterson was just playing a role as usual. In the past she'd worn one costume in the office and another on the weekends when she set out to seduce little boys. Now, he was pretty sure, she'd just switched costumes, that's all. She's a clever broad, he thought shrewdly to himself, and it certainly doesn't make sense that she would just suddenly change her personality for everyone in the office to see. In short, he was still worried. Norma Peterson was up to something, the clever little bitch. Still, he had further plans for her, so he'd play along for a while.
"Listen, Flo," he said. "Have you got anybody lined up yet for the party at my place this Friday?"
"I talked to a couple of people. I called two girl friends last night and I talked to three girls from the office this morning."
"Good, good! The more people you can get from the office the better. Invite a couple of salesmen too. You're my official hostess."
"Sure, Nick," Flo said. "But I still don't see what you've got in mind."
"Just trust me, Flo baby. I'm gonna get Norma Peterson off your back once and for all."
"Okay, I'll trust you," she shrugged, a mischievous twinkle glittering in her clear blue eyes. She frowned at him quizzically and headed back to her typing desk.
With the exception of lunch, which he ate in a small diner across the street from the company, Nick remained in his office until late afternoon, letting Norma sweat, though he was still suspicious about what kind of game she was trying to play. At four he finally sauntered into the neighboring cubicle to pay her a little visit.
"I've been expecting you," she said quite pleasantly, smiling at him as he stared back in response.
"Oh have you?" he said suspiciously.
"Yes, I expected you much earlier in fact." Norma continued smiling at him, though deep down inside she wanted to kill him for taking advantage of her the way he had.
She managed to suppress her primitive venal urge by thinking about how she was going to get the best of him, and held her smile as though she were posing for a portrait.
Nick, for his part, still eyed her suspiciously but began to warm up. Hell, how could he help it? She was flashing that winning smile at him, looking warm and satisfied. Maybe all she had needed was a good stiff cock to break down that icy reserve of hers.
His ego surged sky-high as he contemplated this somehow unlikely thought, as he pulled up a chair.
"Look, baby, why don't we just stop this battle and call a truce."
"That's fine with me, Nick," Norma said, using his first name without a trace of embarrassment. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, smiling at him easily, though she hated herself for doing it.
"I'll tell you what," Nick said. "I'm having a little party at my apartment this Friday. Why don't you just come along?"
"Well, I might and I might not," she answered coyly.
"Oh?" Nick grinned. " "It depends on what you offer me in return."
"The photos, you mean?"
"Yes, exactly. That was a rather nasty trick you pulled, taking pictures like that!"
"Not as nasty as trying to screw me out of the vice-presidency," he countered. "Stop over at my place around nine or ten on Friday, and we'll make a deal. Okay?"
He gave her a quick wink as he backed out of her office, but the moment he reached his desk, he began thinking things over. There was something strange about her behavior. By all rights she should be feeling depressed and hating his guts. But no, she was sitting there smiling at him as though they were the best of friends.
For the first time, Nick began to realize exactly what she was up to. She was still in there fighting for her career, and undoubtedly at his expense. She was tougher than he thought. Any other woman in this position would have quit her job and gone to another town. But the fact remained, he still had the goods on her, and he was going to have a little fun with her besides.
He was going to get her in a situation she could never live down. He was going to make sure she got screwed by everyone in the office, just like she screwed them — only in a different sense of the word. This phony act of hers was going to come apart at the seams.