When Kim had married Curt, just three months before, a few days before her nineteenth birthday, she had been a virgin. She had saved herself for marriage faithfully all through high school, and had been as eager and responsive as any new bride could be. They had saved all their money to honeymoon in Hawaii and had enjoyed a part of paradise as Curt had helped her explore her own sexual responses. She had found them to be strong, indeed, overwhelming, when Curt touched, caressed, and penetrated those secret parts of her body.
"Here's your sandwich, darling," Kim said when Curt came through the kitchen.
As usual lately, Curt's eyes avoided her as he took the bag from her with a grunt and walked sullenly out the door. He was usually so sweet, but now it seemed there was almost nothing left between them, and after only three months of marriage. Tears welled up again in Kim's beautiful eyes and she made up her mind then and there that she would do what Curt himself had been too proud to do for himself.
In the bedroom, Kim took her robe off and began looking for her best clothing. She had never had the money for nice clothes and her newest dress was almost two years old. Her underwear was equally antiquated. She stopped briefly before the full-length mirror on the wall to give her naked body a critical look. She had never been a vain person. She lacked the money to dress herself up, but she made a terse mental comment to herself that she looked good. The skin was creamy and flawless, with a slight olive tinge to it, her legs long and statuesque with firm,full thighs and beautifully turned calves. Her belly was flat, no baby growing there, yet her hips flaring perfectly. She did think her breasts were quite a bit too large, though they were round and firm to the point of being hard. The nipples, now relaxed and quiescent, grew to hard red points when Curt excited them with his mouth and the aureoles were a bright pink and the size of silver dollars. Turning sideways, she decided that her buttocks were a bit too big and round, though they were full and bouncy. She decided she would have get more exercise and spread less butter on her bread. She gave a quick brush with her fingertips to the sparse blond bush of her pubis and she felt the darts of pleasure striking into her womb at just that tiny touch. She moaned spontaneously and squeezed her thighs together to stop the spasms of need that shook her belly. It had just been too long since Curt had given her what in the first two months of their marriage she had come to need almost as much as the breath of life. She knew then that she had to get Curt straightened out and back in working order or that their marriage and her whole plan for life would come down around her ears.
Kim put on her best old underwear and her best old dress and her best old shoes. The person inside was the best young woman around, the purest and most beautiful, so she made up her face but lightly and took special care to have her hair perfect. She smoothed any creases out of her blue dress and slung her purse over her shoulder.
Half an hour and a bus ride later she was sitting in the waiting room outside the office of Ike Harvey of Manson amp; Harvey International. Harriett, the secretary, announced her over the intercom and Mr. Harvey's gruff-sounding voice came back asking if it was important, did she have an appointment.
"She's very nice looking, Mr. Harvey. You might want to talk to her."
The intercom clicked off and Kim sat waiting. She was dreadfully nervous and suddenly wished she hadn't come. But she had to get some consideration for Curt or her dream life would come to a horrible end.
The intercom buzzed and Harriett said, "You can go in now, Mrs. Stevens."
Kim rose on shaking legs and went through the door into an enormous office. The desk was expansive, heavy, and crescent shaped. The room was also furnished with a couch and chairs, coffee table, bookcases and a bar. Behind that desk sat a man of about fifty-five with a pot belly, broad shoulders, a balding head and piercing grey eyes. He exuded power and a kind of predatory, pragmatic aura. Kim was immediately intimidated anew.
All at once, Harvey smiled. "My God, I believe you're the nicest looking girl that's ever walked through that door. It shouldn't be difficult to place you somewhere in the organisation. Are you interested in public relations?"
Kim hesitated. "Uh, Mr. Harvey…" And then she smiled, for his broad smile and friendly manner had totally disarmed her.
"Really, Miss, you could even get by without having to type very well. We might be able to find you a place in the reception office." His eyes devoured her. "Like a drink?"
"Y-yes, that would be nice," Kim stammered.
"Sit down, my dear," Harvey said, crossing to the bar where he began mixing screwdrivers, making sure Kim's was especially strong in alcohol.
Kim took the drink from him and sat on the couch. She had never drunk but once in her life and she felt the sweet and tasty drink warming her stomach and within five minutes she would feel it warming her senses as well. Still, her nerves were on edge inasmuch as Harvey thought she was here to apply for a job when she was actually here to ask a favor of him he might not be eager to grant.
"I think the public relations department is the right place for you," he said when he saw she had finished her drink. The second cocktail was in her hands almost instantly, and she had to drink half of it down before she had the courage to stop him and tell him what she had to say.
"Uh, Mr. Harvey, I have to apologize to you. I'm not here to apply for a job. I'm here to speak to you about my husband."
Harvey gave her a blank look. "I don't understand."
Kim got up and went to his desk. "My husband, Curt Stevens, he works for you. I'm here to ask you if you can't arrange for him to be promoted. He's working far below his potential."
Harvey stared at her a moment, then his face went dark. "You actually came in here to try to induce me to promote your husband out of turn?"
"He's been here three months already. He deserves a raise."
Harvey stood up and leaned over the desk, his eyes blazing,
his face turning red. "Never, in all my thirty years in business, has any man under me done anything so unethical and dishonest as to send his wife in to beg for a promotion." He blustered around the desk like an angry bull. "I don't see anything else to do but give the bastard his walking papers. Fire the bum and get his ass out of this company."
Kim stood there, incredulous. "Fire him? Oh, you can't do that. It would ruin everything."
"Look, lady. Everybody in this company works their way up through honest effort. Nobody sends their wife in to tease the boss into giving it to them."
Kim was sobbing now, knowing that she had made things so much worse than they ever could have been without her meddling. "He didn't send me in. I'm not here to tease you."
Harvey calmed visibly. "Not to tease me?"
"No."
"And your husband didn't send you? He doesn't know you're here?"
"No, sir." Kim's hands were on her cheeks in dismay. "It's just not fair to fire him because of what I've done. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Things have been so bad lately."