Staff meetings were never my strong point. Staff meetings on Monday mornings drove me to distraction. I could not concentrate on anything. To make matters worse, the intensity of pressure at work seemed about to redouble. InterMedia had managed to get its hooks into one of the biggest and most important contracts in its existence, and we were going to have to pull out all the stops to bring it off.
The meeting had just started when Emily made her entrance five minutes late. People had just settled in, mugs of coffee positioned, piles of papers shuffled. Everyone stopped listening. Daniel continued talking for a sentence or two more before he stopped.
“Hi, Emily. Welcome. You look nice this morning,” he said.
“Sorry I’m late. Thank you.” She said briskly, avoiding his eyes on her.
Were they an item? Office rumors abound about that, I could now conclusively say something was in the air. I saw Edward Benson who was also in the meeting hide a smile. I made up my mind to have a lengthy talk with him on the subject.
The staff meeting was one of those nerve wracking battles where everything is happening at more than one level at the same time. Lots of talk of win-win, synergy, all that stuff. I tried to focus on what Daniel was saying. Long-term relationship. Win-win. Security. It was unbearable. At last, with lunch in sight, the battle seemed to be won. We would go ahead with the deal. The final negotiations would be on Thursday and Friday, the signing would happen on Monday. Our key team would have to fly up north to our client’s head office to clinch the deal. Consensus was reached. School was out.
I went straight to the bathroom. I wanted to rest my forehead against the cool tiles. I tried to stay with my breath while I zipped myself up. Daniel came in while I was drying my hands. I saw him in the mirror.
“You all right, old chap?” It was Daniel. He came bustling in, laden with files, dumped them by the basins, and went over for a piss.
“I am fine,” I said.
“Tell me, David,” said Daniel from his place, “you have any idea how to present our proposal?”
“Sorry? "
"I was thinking that making a very nice document would help."
"What do you mean? "
"Why don't we hire a professional photorapher to make a photo for the cover with a sexy woman model? This is the big game. Real stakes. I want everything to go all right for us."
I got a feeling that the fact that he was talking to me out of the boardroom meant something good. He fixed me with a penetrating, enigmatic stare. “Come with me to lunch. I want to discuss these negotiations.” And I had the distinct sensation he was ********* me out, making sure he did not leave me behind in the toilet…
Daniel heightened my anxiety at lunch. Midway through lunch he bent forward over the table and said, "I was thinking of proposing your wife on the cover of our proposal document."
I was wordless. What exactly did he mean?
"Damn your wife's really a lovely looking woman!"
I immediately grew suspicious.
"Yes, she's beautiful," I finally acknowledged. "But I don't think she'll like that," I responded to his words.
"I'm serious," he changed his tone. It sounded like he really might be serious. "A friend of mine owns a photo studio. I talked to Sarah about it the other day at the party."
"Really," I briefly looked up, pretending to sound disinterested. I hoped the look in my eyes would drive him away. In truth, I felt anything but disinterest. An image formed in my mind. I pictured Sarah appearing seductive on the company document.
Sarah hadn't mentioned anything about Daniel's proposal.
"You mean she didn't tell you?" He questioned the surprised look in my eyes. "I'm surprised she didn't tell!"
I thought of Sarah's response to this proposal. I had a difficult time imagining Sarah talking to Daniel about this stupid photo session, yet I was beginning to have second thoughts. The fact hat she chose to hide it from me made me suspicious. I remember how Sarah kept asking me about Daniel at breakfast the day after the party.
Further images formed in my mind. This time it was of Sarah in a photo studio. I imagined her on display. Then I thought about all the sensuous poses Daniel would ask her to do.
"Just an idea," he straightened back up and got ready to leave.
My heart was racing, I felt all of the energy drain from my body. "Who the fuck does Daniel Walsh think he is asking my wife to pose for the company document?" The more I thought of it, the more I found myself nervous. When I plucked up enough nerve to tell Sarah that night, I was surprised by her reaction. I expected absolute outrage. Instead, she said nothing for a couple of minutes.
Eventually she asked, 'What was his reaction when he said that?'
Perplexed by the calmness of her response, I said I thought it was a bad idea.
'It's flattering though, that he would have thought of me for the cover picture, isn't it?' She'd obviously had given it a lot of thoughts.
'Yeah .... but I really can't see you doing that."
'Oh yeah?' she said; and then after a moment's pause, she went on, 'God, you know I would never do something like that ... it's just that a wife would love to know how much her husband values her ...'.
'Trouble is .... Oh hell darling, I don't want all the guys at the office leering at you.'
'Don't be daft, they wouldn't do that. At least I don't think he would; but you never know, do you?'she said teasingly after a moment's thought.
I was incredibly turned on by her suggestion and I think she was too, because her breathing was getting quicker. I decided to wind it up because I was beginning to noticeably shake and wanted to take her to bed.
'Wow ... that'd be terrible!' I said sarcastically, 'Look I'm sorry darling, but I reckon you quite like the thought of showing your pictures around to all my mates, despite what you say....'
'Oh what a crazy thought ...other men staring at me..', Sarah said as she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me.
"Really?" I said, "Of course. I often hear them talking about you and when I go up to them, they clam up and change the subject."
Sarah looked at me and I asked, "Does that make you hot knowing other men want me?"
We laughed together, but only for an instant. I threw my arms around my wife and kissed her with an eager hunger. Sarah was now worked up, and I was not about to let the moment pass. I had waited for this kind of passion and excitement that had been missing for some time. That night, sex was extraordinary between us.
The next morning I kissed Sarah as I prepared to leave for work. "You know I love you don't you? Last night was wonderful," I said.
"Remember you can't work late Friday," she said. "You have to be home in time to get ready for the party."
"What time do we have to be there?" I asked.
"The party starts at 6 o'clock. I want to be there no later than 6:30," Sarah replied. "So you need to be home by 5 o'clock to get ready."
"Okay, why don’t meet me at the office and we leave together from there."
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. But what puts you in such a jolly mood?”
“Our night of passion,” I said teasingly.