…More of Sharon's amazing writing…
Frank leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes wearily. While his recent promotion to manager of Denton Pharmaceutical's Research and Development Department may have been a great honor – he was, by far, the youngest member of the company's management team – the new position brought with it more than a few duties he despised. He was working on one now, a proposal for the department's budget for the next fiscal year, and he was devoutly wishing for something – anything – that would allow him to escape the spreadsheet displayed across his computer monitor for a while.
As if in answer to his prayers, his telephone intercom buzzed.
He picked it up. "Yes, Amy?"
"Dr. Falconer, Sarah Royce is here to see you."
Frank was stunned. Sarah was here? Why on earth would she be coming to see him? One thing was clear…the next time he wished for a distraction, he would have to take care to be considerably more specific.
"Send her up, Amy. Thank you."
He sighed. The famous Dorothy Parker quote popped into his head…"What fresh hell is this?"
He didn't have long to wait for his answer. Sarah, having been directed to Frank's office by the receptionist, stepped off the elevator on the 7th floor. She reached into her purse, grabbed the tiny tape recorder, and pressed the button. Record. She smiled, took a deep breath, and made her way down the hall. She looked approvingly at the doors on either side of the hallway. These were real offices, not cubicles. Perfect.
Frank was sitting with his head in his hands when he heard a sharp rapping on his doorway. He looked up and saw Sarah standing there, smiling at him.
"I'd have knocked on your door, but it's already open."
He managed a smile in response. "Come in, Sarah."
She walked in, closing the door behind her, and sat down gracefully in one of the chairs facing his desk. She carefully propped her purse on the edge of the desk.
Frank remembered his manners. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Soda? Ice water?"
She shook her head. "No, thank you. I just wanted to talk to you."
He raised his eyebrows. "Okay…what can I do for you?"
She suppressed a laugh at the question. More than you can ever imagine at the moment. She settled for a considerably less suggestive response. "Well, Eva's birthday is coming up. Not surprisingly, I'm not exactly on 'confiding' terms with her these days. I was hoping you could give me some idea of what I could get her."
He looked at her suspiciously. "Is there a reason you consider that to be a 'closed door' conversation?"
She shifted in her seat somewhat uncomfortably. "Well, I didn't want you to get in trouble for having a personal discussion during working hours."
He smiled a bit coldly in response. "Oh, I don't think I'll get in trouble. Let me just open this door."
Dammit, what's the matter with him? She hadn't wanted to tip her hand so soon, but he was forcing her. "Frank, please, don't do that."
He gave her a hard stare. "Why not?"
This wasn't going at all like she'd planned. No matter; she could still make it work. She had too many notches in her belt to be thrown that easily.
"All right. I'm here to discuss a gift, but it's not for Eva…it's for you."
He frowned. "For me? What are you talking about?"
She smiled seductively, and her hand played with the open neckline of her blouse. His eyes followed her hand, just as she'd intended. She knew he was getting a lovely view of her cleavage. She said smoothly, "Well, I saw you and Eva at Columbia's the other night."
His expression betrayed nothing. "Yes?"
She continued, "I saw the way you were behaving on the dance floor. I think I learned something valuable about you, Dr. Falconer."
He cocked an eyebrow. "And that would be?"
She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and smiled. "And that would be…that you love sex. Anyone who would be willing to do the things you did out there on the floor must have a very strong sex drive." There was a pregnant pause, then she continued. "Let's just say it's something we have in common."
He smiled in response, and Sarah thought she detected a touch of mischief in the smile. "Perhaps I just have a strong sex drive in the presence of my wife."
She shook her head. "Oh, I don't think it's that simple. It never is. 'Variety is the spice of life,' Frank. Monogamy is…unnatural. It's human nature to crave multiple lovers."
She stood up, planted her hands on his desk, and leaned forward, giving him an inescapable view down the front of her blouse. "Let me lay my cards on the table. The gift I'm offering you is…me. I want you…and judging by the way you're looking down my shirt, you want me, too. All I'm looking for is sex – the hotter, the better. No emotional entanglements, no strings. I know you love Eva; I'm not looking to break up your marriage." She paused for a moment, the visual memory of his tender lovemaking with Eva bringing a stab of jealousy to her heart. She quickly shoved the thought aside, and continued. "I just know we can bring each other incredible pleasure."
He gave her a speculative look. "And if I say no?"
She walked over and stood in front of him. "You won't." Quickly, she sat on his lap, straddling him, and gave him a passionate kiss. At first, he was clearly caught off guard; however, to her immense satisfaction, she soon felt him respond to her kiss.
And what a kiss it turned out to be. Sarah may have been in control in the beginning, but Frank seized that control away from her without effort. She felt herself melt into him, hopelessly aroused, as his lips laid fiery claim to hers, as his tongue caressed her own, as his hands ran up and down her back in a slow, sensual massage. She moaned and pressed her body even more tightly against his as his mouth continued to drive her insane with desire.
Finally, it was over. For a moment she just sat there, still straddling him, gasping and unable to speak. At last, she managed to say, "Oh, my God. That was…unbelievable."
Frank smiled. "It was nothing."
She leaned forward, licked his ear and nibbled on his earlobe. "No need for false modesty. That was the most incredible kiss I've ever experienced." She leaned back and began to unbutton her blouse.
Frank reached out and grabbed her wrists to stop her. "No, you don't understand. I wasn't being 'falsely modest.' I was stating a fact. That kiss…was…nothing."
Suddenly she noticed the ice in his voice. She also noticed that, despite the fact her crotch was pressed against his, there was absolutely no evidence of arousal. None at all. She stared at him, completely confused. "What's going on?"
He gave her a condescending smile. "Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you? First of all, 'what's going on' is that you're getting off my lap." He gave her a not-particularly-gentle shove, and she stumbled to her feet.
He stood up as well, and impaled her with a glare that somehow managed to combine white-hot rage with ice-cold indifference. "You pathetic creature. You don't understand what just happened, do you? And you never will." He shook his head in disgust. "I used to be just like you. I lived for physical pleasure, and it didn't matter who the source of that pleasure was. None of them meant anything to me. Then…I met your sister."
He walked over to the other side of his desk and perched on its edge. Almost against Sarah's will, she followed him and sat down weakly in one of the chairs. He looked at her and continued.
"I fell hopelessly in love with her...and, ironically, through falling in love I have experienced physical pleasure I never would have believed possible. Her lightest touch arouses me. Her kisses make me burn with desire. And when we make love…I cannot even begin to describe the ecstasy. I know I do the same for her. I assure you, our encounters make what you experienced with that kiss seem as weak and insignificant as a childhood game of Spin the Bottle." He smiled with malicious amusement. "And our encounters are frequent. So I hope you enjoy envisioning what your sister gets to experience multiple times on a daily basis. It is something you, for all your 'multiple lovers,' will never experience."
Sarah stammered, "But…but…if you didn't want me, why did you kiss me like that?"
His smile turned cold. "To punish you, of course. To give you a taste of what you'll never get from me. No less than you deserve, under the circumstances."
The smile then vanished entirely. "One final order of business before you leave…" He reached into her purse and pulled out the tape recorder. She stared in astonishment as he shut it off and pulled out the tape.
"How did you know…" She was unable to finish her sentence.
He shrugged. "Just a hunch." Actually, that was a lie; although Transylvanians are almost identical, physiologically, to Earthlings, there are a few notable differences – heightened senses being one of them. Frank had heard the virtually undetectable hum of the machine in the purse.
"Let me tell you how things will be. You will leave me alone. You will leave Eva alone. You will leave Faye alone. I never want to see you in the vicinity of my family again. Do I make myself clear?"
She nodded silently. She sat motionless for a moment, staring at the floor, then looked up at him. "Are you going to tell her about this?"
Frank sighed. "I haven't decided. It would hurt her terribly, particularly after your actions with John; but then again, she needs to know exactly what she's dealing with where you're concerned. I'll have to play it by ear. However, never forget I have this tape in my possession."
She nodded, and tears ran down her face. "I really wasn't trying to break you up."
He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again. "I know. And in a way, that makes it even more pitiful. It would be bad enough had you been driven by love for me; it's even worse that you were willing to do something you knew would destroy your sister - were she to discover it - merely to satisfy your lust."
Sarah was now openly crying. "I'm sorry."
Frank nodded. "Yes. You are." He watched as she got up, grabbed her purse, and walked out without another word.
In a daze, he walked back to his prior position behind his desk. Suddenly, working on that spreadsheet didn't seem so bad.
The next time I wish for a distraction…shoot me.