Inheriting Control
Chapter 2 — Confidence Building
The parking lot of the industrial complex was pretty deserted when Jared arrived. Being an entrepreneur, he was used to working long hours. First one to arrive, last one to leave was the typical story. He was still fumbling with his keys sitting in the driver’s seat of his car when he heard the loud pipes of a muscle car. A yellow Mustang was pulling into a spot about four cars down from him, in front of his neighbor’s office. His old auto shop days told him had trained his ears enough to know that the car had seen better days. He stepped out of the car, just as the blonde was stepping out of hers, her eyes glued to the scrap of paper in her hand. Good thing too, because Jared wasn’t able to do much about his automatic reflex to scan her up and down. The first word that came to his mind was ‘floozie’, but it didn’t really matter. She was a looker. Long, curly blonde hair, angelic face and a body to stop traffic. Her skirt was a few inches shorter than he was used to seeing in the complex, but her heels were tall enough to make up for it.
He corrected himself just in time.
“Can you tell me where Suite 103 is?” She asked, walking his direction gingerly in his direction.
“You’re in the right place.” He said. “You must be Amy. Are you Stan’s daughter?”
The girl looked down at her paper again and said “Jared?”
“That’s me. We met once or twice, but that was probably about ten years ago.” Jared said, offering his hand.
She pressed her warm palm into his.
“Wow, I would have been about nine.” She said, smiling genuinely.
“Let me get the door open.” He said, juggling his keys in the other hand.
He noticed her looking at his ring as he selected the right key. Ugly, but eye-catching, he thought.
He pushed open the door and disarmed the system, flicking on the lights as she entered.
“Wow, is it just you?” She said, taking in the office.
“No, I have about four other guys working for me, but they usually don’t come in until about ten, since we do a lot of international business.”
She looked at him puzzled and he decided he needed to explain.
“A lot of our foreign buyers are on different time zones and we need to be here later in the evening.”
“Oh, I get it.” She said, still looking around as they headed back to his office. “Just guys?”
“Yeah, just a bunch of guys right now.”
Jared sat in the oversized black leather chair behind his desk and motioned her to the guest chairs.
“Dad said that you weren’t hiring, but you could vouch that I’m looking and might know someone else who needs someone.”
Jared was mesmerized by her looks.
“That’s right. I don’t like to fudge on the paperwork, but I won’t waste too much of your time with the formalities. Do you have a resume?”
Amy dug in her purse and came out with a slightly crumpled paper. As she handed it over the desk, she touched his ring.
“That’s unique. Where did you get it?”
He looked down, not sure what she was talking about.
“Oh, it was an inheritance. I put it on and can’t get it back off!” He laughed uncomfortably as she continued to stare at it.
“Can I try?”
He was a little taken aback by the question, but extended his hand. She wrapped her delicate fingers around it and tried wiggling it.
“Wow, how did you even get it on?”
“It just went right on.” He said, secretly enjoying her touch. “It must be a one-way ring.”
His joke either went right past her or she wasn’t paying attention. She just continued to work at the ring in vain.
“Tell me about your job hunt so far.” He asked, trying to extract his hand.
Amy looked up at him, slightly glazed and then seemed to snap back to reality.
“I lost my job about a month ago and have been looking for something ever since.” She said, hesitantly.
“Where were you working before?”
She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and anxiety.
“Well…” She hedged.
“You can be open with me. If we go over your work history, I might be able to help.”
He was glancing at her resume, which was mostly school and little experience. There were a couple of short stints in offices, but not much substance.
“Well, I’m not so good at the office stuff.” She said, still staring at him.
“What kind of work do you like to do, or what do you do best?” He prodded.
“Well, my last job was in entertainment.”
All kinds of inappropriate thoughts passed through Jared’s brain and he stamped them out like so many little fires. Keep on subject.
“Ok, what type of entertainment?”
Amy squirmed in her seat and didn’t respond. It was starting to frustrate him a little bit. Here he was doing her a favor and she wouldn’t even talk to him.
“Be honest with me.” Jared said in the most approachable way he knew how. “Describe your last position.”
Amy’s eyes glazed over a little bit. What came next kept Jared glued to his seat.
“Well, I worked as a stripper. You can’t tell my dad. I worked at Sensations downtown. Mostly just the usual things, dancing, doing table dances and VIP sessions. The money was excellent and I enjoyed getting the guys hot and bothered.”
Well, that was a lot more open than expected, Jared thought. He must have been even more approachable than he had thought he was capable.
“Ok.” He said, not sure where to go with that. “Why did you leave?”
Amy still had that look in her eyes. It was almost like she wasn’t entirely looking at him. It made him feel uncomfortable considering the stirring he was feeling behind his desk.
“Well, the manager caught me offering extra services in the VIP room.” She replied. What stunned Jared was that there was no embarrassment at all. A minute ago, she wouldn’t even tell him that she was a stripper, and now she was telling him this. His imagination was running wild and he was trying to keep a grip on it. He had been single too long.
“Ok…” Jared said, considering for a minute. “Give me a minute.”
He pulled out a pen and started looking over the resume again as Amy continued to look at his hand. He started talking himself through each line.
“Office.”
“Sensations.”
“Dance.”
On the third statement, Amy pushed back her chair slowly as she stood up. There was background music going in the office as usual, a little classic rock to break up the monotony. He glanced up, just as she started swaying her hips to the music.
“Ah, what are you doing?” He stammered, waiting for his old college friend to barge in the door.
“Dancing.” She replied dreamily.
“Why?”
“You said to dance.” She cooed.
Jared found himself watching for a few seconds, then mentally slapped himself.
“You probably should stop.” He said.
“Ok.”
Amy sat back down in the chair. His mind was racing. Was this girl that compliant? Could he get away with it? The answer was a resounding no. He hated himself for it.
“What other skills do you have, Amy?” He said, trying to ignore the last minute or two.
“Well, my boyfriend says that I give great head.” She said, grinning.
Jared was taken aback. “That’s not really what I mean. I mean something you can demonstrate to potential employers.
“Oh, I can demonstrate that.” She said with a devilish smirk on her angelic face.
“Ok.” Jared said, sitting back. “Let’s wrap this up. I’m not sure what I can do for you. I can fill out your unemployment form for you and vouch for it. My best advice is for you to try to dress a little more professional and enroll in some sort of business training.”
“I’ll do that.” Amy said, with an honest look on her face.
Jared walked her out and was glad that she was gone before the staff arrived for the day. What was that? He was sure that it was some kind of setup and he cursed his own willingness to help an old friend.
The day was pretty typical, phones ringing and buzzing and business flowing as usual. He was just about to wrap up for the day when the phone rang.
“Global Imports, this is Jared.”
“Jared, Stan. Thank you so much.”
Jared thought the shoe was about to drop. A little fear tickled at him, but then he realized he hadn’t done anything at all inappropriate.
“You’re welcome. She needs to work on her skills to be more employable.”
“That’s what she said. Don’t know what you did, but she went out this afternoon and bought herself a business suit and enrolled in the business program at the junior college. I’ve been trying to get her to do that for years now. What did you say?”
“I just…” Jared thought back to the conversation. “suggested it.”
“Well, I owe you one.” Stan said.
“No problem, buddy.”
Odd, Jared thought. He spent the drive home thinking about it. Come to think of it, Dori hadn’t forgotten to do anything he asked of her lately too, then there was the lady at the drive-through…
He pulled into the driveway and passed Dori’s car on the way in.
She was washing dishes when he walked in the kitchen. She hadn’t noticed him yet, so he took the opportunity to admire her perfect young figure. He gathered enough fantasy material, then announced himself.
“How are the kids?” He asked.
Dori jumped a little bit, and he admired the tension that appeared in her firm calves for a second as she startled to his arrival.
“Good. Just finishing up the dishes.” She said, smiling at him as she looked over her shoulder. “Ever get that ring off?”
“Nope. Going to visit a jeweler.” He said, touching it.
“Want to try some dish soap?” She asked, pointing the soapy rag his direction.
“Can’t hurt.” He replied. Anything to touch and be touched by this one was worth it.
Dori worked at the ring for a few minutes, even pouring fresh liquid soap onto it. It wouldn’t budge.
“Stuck.” She said, finally. “I guess you’ll just have to get married.”
Jared laughed. “You’re the only single girl I know. Let’s get hitched. I’m sure your folks won’t mind.”
“Ok.” Dori said, that glazed look coming back. “Whenever you want.”
His perception of reality started crumbling a little bit. He was usually a good judge of character and she was being completely serious.
“Probably not the best idea, but I’ll take a rain-check.” He said, slightly stunned.
“Sure. Anytime.” She replied, turning back to the dishes.
“I’m going to go sit down for a minute.” Jared said. “I’m not feeling too well all of a sudden. Come see me when you’re done.”
“Sure thing.”
Jared went and sat down on the couch. His head was spinning. He was having this uncontrollable fantasy about Dori, Amy and the ugly ring on his finger. “Control over the fairer sex” kept popping into his mind. They certainly were both fairer. Don’t kid yourself, he thought.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Dori said, entering the living room as she dried her hands with the hand towel.
In just under five seconds, about a hundred suggestions came to mind. Nothing he could be sure wouldn’t get him a punch in the mouth. Then it came to him. He tried to make it sound like a joke.
“Yeah, you could stay in the spare room for a day or two until I feel better. It’s a promotion from babysitter to maid.”
The silence hung in the air for a minute. It was just a joke, he kept telling himself.
“Ok.” Dori replied with a smile. “Just for a few days. Hopefully you’ll be better by Friday night.”
Jared just stared at her, trying to judge her seriousness.
“Friday night?”
“The party, silly. You’re still invited.”
Ok, I’m definitely losing my mind, Jared thought.
“I’ll need to pick up some things. I can’t just wear my uniform all week.” Dori said, flipping her skirt around.
“It looks great on you, though.” Jared said. “You’ve really grown up.”
Dori blushed.
“Thanks!” She said, grinning. “I wish they’d be a little less rigid on the requirements, though.”
“What do you mean? Don’t be shy.”
Dori had that momentary hesitation again.
“I’d like to wear it a little bit shorter.” She said, blushing fresh again.
“Show me.”
Dori hesitated, then reached down to the waist of her skirt. She raised it about three more inches, revealing her gorgeous young thighs.
“This would be good.” She grinned.
“It most certainly would.” Jared said, shifting in his seat to hide the bulge growing in his pants. “Well, I don’t have regulations.”
“I have an older one at home that got too short as I grew taller.” She said. “I’ll get it when I run back to my apartment.”
Dori bounced out the door as usual, leaving Jared’s jaw on the floor.