Chapter Four
The office was bustling at six o'clock that evening. Alice was at her desk working and she could hear the laughter and excitement. She kept her door closed, she would wait for everyone to leave before she put on her costume. Just before seven, she made her way downstairs to the lobby to check out the set up.
The lights in the lobby were off and there were strobe lights blinking blue and red and green flashes. Long white linen covered tables were arranged against the walls and the caterers were setting up champagne and soft drinks. Other tables had tapas. This was going to be fun.
Alice rode the elevator back upstairs. At seven-fifteen she peeked out into the hallway. She didn't hear a peep. She got dressed quickly and pinned on the veils. She had lined her eyes heavily in black liquid liner and put on false eyelashes. She looked campy, the Hollywood version of the seductive belly dancer. Once again she peeked out her office door before leaving. There was no one around. She locked her purse in the drawer and put the little key in her bra and left.
When she got downstairs the party was in full swing. 'Thriller' was playing and folks were dancing. She paid her fifty dollars and they stamped her hand. She showed her hand stamp in order to get a glass of champagne. Yum. Looking around she could pick out a few faces but no sign of Jasper. A party goer dressed as Paul Bunyan grabbed her from behind and she squealed thinking that she had been caught, but it was only Sam.
She relaxed in his hold. "Sam, how did you know it was me?" she asked him.
"I didn't, I just wanted to meet the belly dancer." he laughed hard, and took another long swallow of his drink. He swayed a little as he tilted his head back.
He was already half way to being sloshed. "Slow down, how are you getting home tonight?" Alice asked him.
"I'm staying at a friend's house a few blocks away."
"Oh, that's good, I hope you're not driving?" she quizzed him.
He swayed again and slurred his answer. "Nope. We're walking."
Realizing Sam needed to work off the alcohol in his system, she pulled him by the hand into the middle of the fray. "Let's dance."
They were dancing to the 'Macarena', when Sam's friend cut in. They were then joined by a werewolf. He was too short to be Jasper. Next a vampire cut in and they were dancing to 'Shout'. Alice suddenly found herself surrounded by various ghouls and goblins, a few buccaneers, an eerily realistic Uncle Fester and a Mr. Peanut. She was in the middle of a large group of strangely dressed, slightly sloshed men who were all vying for her attention, and she was having a ball. 'Crazy' came on and the group of men started to jump and sing, Alice was having a such a great time, she stopped looking for Jasper and started to jump and sing too. She was dancing with at least twenty fun men in what was fast becoming a mosh pit. She raised her arms and moved her body to the rhythm. It was fun to dance and just let herself go.
"Wang Chung' and then the 'Beastie Boys' came on and the group whooped it up some more. Alice had totally forgotten about Jasper. She was moving her hips to 'Livin' La Vida Loca' when one dark haired guy dressed like Neo from the Matrix grabbed her by the waist and moved her veil aside and kissed her. "I found you." he said in her ear. It was Jasper, behind the black hair, sunglasses and long leather trench.
Goodness! Jasper as Keanu Reeves as Neo! Alice was in heaven. His disguise was so good that she would have never found him, but she wondered how he found her. "You look great. How did you know it was me?" She asked in his ear.
"The men around you." He smirked. "You can disguise your body and your face but not your sexual attraction to men. I just looked for the biggest group of horny guys." He laughed.
He took off her veil and her head scarf, and stuffed them in his pocket. He ran his fingers through her curls and pulled her face to his. Her arms linked around his neck. They kissed and swayed to "Black Magic Woman'. His hands moved to her hips, feeling her movements. He pulled her hips into his and Alice realized he was forgetting he was still surrounded by employees. This was way too public, she pulled her lips from his. "Let's save it for later, and get something to drink. I'm thirsty."
Jasper held her hand and led her off the dance floor. She ate some tapas and drank some ginger ale. "The music is great, isn't it?" She yelled into his ear, trying to be heard above the din.
He bent down and spoke into her ear. "Yes, but I want to get you home." His eyes were feasting on her body in the barely-there-belly-dancing costume and Alice knew by the feverish look in his eyes that it would be a long sleepless night.
"I want to dance a little longer." Alice pulled him back on the dance floor.
#
Jasper kept possessively close and kissed her all night long. If they were somewhere else Alice would have let go, but she kept worrying about what people would say. He was in disguise, the temporary dark hair dye and dark shades made him unrecognizable; but without her veil, she was easily pegged.
"How long have you been here?" she asked him as she pulled her lips from his devouring mouth for the umpteenth time.
He checked his watch. "Since eight. It's almost ten o'clock now. I'm ready to get out of here."
Alice was ready too. "My bag is upstairs."
"Let's go." He said and holding her hand in his, he maneuvered his way out of the congestion of writhing human bodies. It was a relief when they finally got to the bank of elevators, where the air was relatively cool. They went up and up and when the elevator doors swished open they walked out onto an entirely dark sixteenth floor.
The way to the office was illuminated solely by the small intermittent pod lights built into the baseboards. She walked into her office and reached into the bra of her costume and took out the key to her desk. "Jasper my overnight bag is here, should we take it tonight or leave it here and pick it up tomorrow on our way to Big Sur? He didn't answer. "Jasper?" He was standing right behind her.
"Alice?" One arm went around her middle and he pulled her back against him. The other arm reached up and his hand moved her hair aside and he bent to nip the nape of her neck. She felt his erection at her back, he was fully aroused.
"What?" Her knees went weak. She felt a tremor course through his body, or was it hers?
"I've got to have you, now." Jasper turned her in his arms and started to kiss her throat.
"Jasper, my office is too risky, and there are too many people around." she whispered.
"No one is here, they're all downstairs having fun." It was true the office was dark and quiet, but it was highly likely that some of them would come up to collect their stuff. They would be heard, her office was the one nearest the elevator.
"My door doesn't even have a lock." She said weakly, but her thighs felt loose and she was ready to give in.
"We'll need to get that fixed."
Jasper grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall to his office. It was dark and the moon was shining through the windows. He locked the door behind them. He kissed her hard, and led her to his chair.
He sat in his chair and pulled her onto his lap and rubbed the flesh of her inner thighs. "God, Alice, I want you all the time. It's a miracle that I can get some work done."
Alice stood up and slowly unhooked the skirt and let it fall to the floor. Then she took her panties off. She sat on his desk and splayed her legs putting one foot on each arm of his leather chair. "Lick me, Jasper." She invited huskily. "Here." She tapped her clit.
He gave her the licking of her life, she was squirming and moaning when he finally picked her up and carried her to the couch under the window. The lovemaking was hot and fierce as Alice rode him, and he sucked her nipples. She was almost there when they heard laughter and footsteps coming down the hallway. For a brief second, green eyes flashed into blue eyes and they stopped moving. Alice grabbed Jasper's face and licked his bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth. "Make me feel good and I'll make you feel so good." She whispered into his ear.
The possibility of discovery added fear and a fierce urgency to the mix. Jasper picked her up by the hips and lay her down on her back, in seconds he was back inside her. His thrusts were hard and fast. Alice clutched his shoulders pressed her mouth against the base of his throat to keep from making noises. She felt Jasper's breath against her hair as his breathing became more labored. The room was quiet but for the wet sound of their bodies moving against each other and the low muffled moans. Alice was in heaven. The people in the hallway added a new dimension to her excitement. She imagined them being discovered and her heart skipped and her nub throbbed. Her hips moved wildly with his as they did the ancient dance. "Fuck, yeah." she moaned as her orgasm swelled higher and her body arched and bucked. When she came Jasper groaned at the almost unbearable tightness of the strong ripples of her climax. Jasper soon reached his own climax and grunted softly as he rested on her limp, moist body.
Alice stroked his back and his butt as he lay there between her thighs. Low voices from outside drifted into their reverie. They heard someone say, "… and Jessica said that she is one hundred percent sure that they are having an affair…" and another voice said, "…and did you see her in that belly dancing outfit. The way she was dancing with all those men? She was just oozing sex…" Another person chimed in, "… and they didn't care who was watching…" and then, "…he must have lost his mind." and then, "…who do they think they're fooling…." Another high female voice chimed in, "I wouldn't mind having a piece of that, though. Alice is freakin' hot."
The women were silent and then the high voice said, "Well she is." And then they all started cackling. Alice covered her mouth to keep the chuckle in. The last voice belonged to Lauren Yee. The talk and laughter in the hallway died away as the group left.
Ten minutes later Jasper and Alice were in a taxi on their way to his flat. The night was long and passionate and uninhibited. They made love on the couch, the kitchen counter, the hallway floor, and the edge of the bed. Her body was exhausted as she lay in Jasper's arms, falling asleep. His body smelled gloriously good and sweaty.
Stroking her hair, Jasper whispered, "Alice, how does it feel to be desired by everyone who looks at you? Do you get bored with the attention?"
"You overestimate my attraction, Jasper, many people loathe me. But to answer your question, I like being desired, but I love being desired by you."
"I think I'm going to have a hard time keeping you." He sighed.
Her arms tightened around his neck. "No you won't. You're the best lover I've ever had. Just keep it coming baby and I'm here for the long haul." She yawned and drifted to sleep.
#
Hoping to reach Big Sur by noon, they left before eight the following morning. Jasper drove his Lexus RX, claiming the handling and the space was needed for the trip. Alice was a little disappointed, because she had been hoping to get a chance to drive his snazzy yellow Porsche. Stopping for a bite at the half-way point in Santa Cruz, slowed them a little, but Alice had insisted that she needed to eat. The drive down was fun, they discovered that they had similar tastes in music, both loving everything from The Smiths, Squeeze, and Nutini, to Neko Case and the Cowboy Junkies. They argued over what they would play, but they liked the same artists.
The weekend in Big Sur was idyllic. The weather was beautiful and Jasper played tour guide. They hiked along a nature trail and saw the monarch butterflies that roost here on their way south. They hiked along the sand on a lonely beach and looked for humpback whales with binoculars. They didn't get to see any but the adventure was in the trying. They strolled hand in hand around town and shared an ice-cream cone. She was pleasantly surprised that she got to see the town after all. On Saturday night, Alice wore her red dress to dinner in the dining room of the B & B.
The night was chilly and clear as they sat on the balcony, warmed by the quilt they cuddled under. They sipped their wine and whispered and laughed. When it grew very late they ducked inside and shared a bubble bath in the huge claw foot tub and then made mad love in the big down covered bed. Alice realized that she and Jasper had a similar sense of humor. They teased each other and laughed constantly.
They delayed their departure and didn't leave until after dinner on Sunday evening. They held hands on the three hour drive back to Berkeley. Jasper pulled up in front of Alice's house at ten o'clock and she kissed him good-bye in the car. "I don't want to risk getting caught in a clinch again." she told him. He helped her upstairs with her bag but declined to come into the house. Alice understood. Renee could be daunting.
#
The next week sailed by. After the visit to the site in Fremont, Alice came up with some awesome ideas and she worked on them night and day. The weeks went by and Jasper and Alice continued their affair. There was a pattern to it. He went away often for business, but he would see her when he returned, usually meeting her after work and taking her out to an early dinner. They would return to his flat and make love until midnight, then he would drive her home. They never included others in their nights together, for the most part it was a highly secretive affair. They didn't hide it, but neither did they announce it. Rumors continued to spread around the office, but to most people watching, Alice and Japer were close, but since there were no definitive signs of affection, it was still speculated about.
However, over the course of a few weeks, Alice, slowly became dissatisfied. As hot as the sex with Jasper was, she found the affair stultifying. When Jasper was with her it was sex, sex and more sex. Over their dinners, Jasper talked sex, and even at work, he would fine the time to stop by her office and engage in flirtation and innuendo. Alice found it a little annoying and tried to introduce subjects that may be of interest to him, but he was like a one trick pony.
In November, she invited him to Bella's surprise birthday party but he had a business trip. He also declined her invitation to Thanksgiving dinner (he flew to see his family in Colorado) and they spent it apart. Alice was a little relieved, that is until she found out Renee had matchmaking on her mind and had invited the elusive Dr. Mike D' Souza.
Fortunately, Renee couldn't pull a fast one because the young doctor had gone home to Louisiana for Turkey Day too.
Bella had come home for the holidays as well. She shared a place up in Napa so she wouldn't have to commute and she managed the trip down every other weekend. Alice enjoyed the time at home with Bella and Renee. It was just like old times. Renee doted on her younger daughter and quite frankly so did Alice. Bella was such an uncomplicated little soul that it was hard not to love her and want to be sweet to her.
Alice spent Thanksgiving weekend thinking a lot about a lot of things. How long would their little family last? How long would it be before Bella and Chris decided to tie the knot. Alice realized that she did not want to live home alone with Renee forever. That would be a nightmare. She decided that she would start looking for a flat just after the New Year.
#
November drifted into December. The personnel director had sent out flyers regarding a mandatory training on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. When Alice freaked, rushing into Jasper's office to tell him about the seminar, certain that she and Jasper were being targeted, he informed her that the company had the same required training every year. The staff all attended it at a facility offsite. She breathed a sigh of relief.
The site of the training was in a building not too far from the offices of Hale Designs, and they all trooped there on foot. Alice barely listened to the lecture as she absent-mindedly leafed through the little pamphlets. Suddenly she realized that the room had gone quiet. She perked up and asked her neighbor, Pablo, what was being discussed.
"Maria asked if knowing that two people are having a relationship and feeling uncomfortable in their presence, constitutes "workplace sexual harassment." he informed her out of the side of his mouth.
The lecturer was taking her time answering the question. "I guess that would depend on the company policy. Whether or not there is a rule against employees dating each other. I don't know Hale Designs policy but I do know that there are times when two people in the workplace are married to each other. Certainly if other employees know about that relationship and are not comfortable with it, that cannot be construed as sexual harassment.
I went to a law firm last week and gave this seminar. Two of the partners are married to each other and another two are engaged. Relationships do spring up at work, because that's where we spend most of our time and that closeness can lead to a more personal relationship. But sexual harassment is not so much the relationship, but rather does one person feel that they have to have that relationship in order to keep their job and be treated fairly. Are they feeling pressured? Do they feel they don't have the ability to make a choice about that relationship? Do they feel or have they suffered consequences because of that choice?
That's what we have to keep in mind. On a personal note, I want to say that my parents worked together and met on the job. I also met my husband when I was a teacher and he was the principal. Not every personal relationship that starts between co-workers will fit the definition for sexual harassment. But again I defer to company policy. Many companies that do not want to deal with this murky grey area institute a policy of no dating by co-workers. Mr. Hale does your company have such a policy?"
Jasper cleared his throat and said, "No, it doesn't. We just have a policy that the relationship is not flaunted at work."
The lecturer continued with the slideshow and took more questions. Alice continued to leaf through her booklets. Alice wondered if Ms Maria 'Grumpy' Blake would ever just lighten up. She was starting to suspect that Maria had had her eye on Jasper before she, Alice, came into the picture. The thought brought a picture to her mind of Jasper and Grumpy humping in bed. Her vivid imagination had Grumpy riding Jasper with a stern look on her face and a whip as Jasper cowered under her.
Alice almost burst out laughing. She turned the bubble of laughter into a cough. Her shoulders started to shake and she got up to take a restroom break before she embarrassed herself by doubling over and clutching her belly. She felt hysterical laughter welling up and she practically sprinted to the exit door. As soon as it closed a series of loud cackles escaped from her throat, she laughed until tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. When she recovered she went in search of the bathroom to pee and fix her face.
When she came back, Jasper was waiting in the hall. The doors to the auditorium were open and the crowd was milling about inside. A few people were leaving and walking towards the elevator. "Lunch break." he explained.
"What are you doing for lunch?" Alice asked him.
The expression on his face told her what he'd like to do for lunch and it had nothing to do with food. "I'm meeting you at the top of the stairs." He said urgently and left.
Some folks were taking the elevator and a tiny few were choosing to run down the stairs. Alice went back into the bathroom and took off her panty and stuffed it into her bag. Her heart thundered in anticipation but she dallied until everyone was gone. As she opened the staircase door and ran up two flights to meet her waiting lover her juices flowed.
Jasper did not disappoint. When he grabbed her and kissed her she felt him against her abdomen, rock hard and ready. So was she. He backed her into the door to the roof and yanked up her skirt and moaned as he felt her naked bottom. He knelt and lifted her leg over his right shoulder. Alice's first orgasm ripped through her in less than a minute. Jasper stood and quickly unzipped and his slacks and his underwear slipped to his knees. Alice panted as she hurriedly helped him put on a condom. He grabbed her bottom and squeezed before lifting her up to meet his hips. Alice wrapped her legs around him and he entered her with a forceful push. "Mmm, that's it, that's what I need, you feel so good, so sweet Alice." His face was in the crook of her neck as he pumped into her again and again.
Alice held on tight to his shoulders. His shaft stroked her nub at just the right angle and she let him know. "Yees, right there Jasper. Don't stop. Come on, give it to me hard." She licked his lobe and nipped it and Jasper pushed harder. And she moaned in delight as she urged him to push her over the brink to heart-stopping satisfaction. Her body was on fire as she felt the buzz begin. "Jasper, I'm coming." The buzz became electric as her nub trembled and she tightened. They both tumbled over into bliss with groans and gasps.
As he stood there recovering, he was still inside her, pinning her to the wall. Alice stroked his damp hair. He whispered in her ear, "Alice, my god you're perfect, you fit me like no one else ever has." And his mouth reached to cover hers in a deep, wet kiss.
Alice couldn't help but think of the irony of the situation; sexual harassment seminar downstairs, she and her boss screwing two floors above. Was she crazy? Was he? Were they addicted to the risk? Is that what the big draw was? Was there anything substantial to their involvement with each other, or was it all about screwing? She feared that her question had already given her the answer.