Lovestruck Read online

  As she pulled yet another file from the cabinet, she felt a little twinge in her neck.

  Damn, Barbara. Jenny still couldn't believe the woman had given her a hickey. Her shirt covered most of the mark, but every so often her collar would shift and if someone looked too close they would see the dime-sized purple bruise. At least Mike hadn't been awake when she went to work this morning. He had Thursdays and Fridays off and slept in those two days. If he saw the hickey, he would grill her until she told him who gave it to her. And even though he was one of her dearest friends, she didn't feel comfortable telling him about last night. She wouldn't feel comfortable telling anyone about last night.

  As the day wore on, she kept looking at the clock, and kept Jeffery's office door open to see when Barbara would arrive.

  By one o'clock, Jenny needed a break. She walked out of the office when she saw Barbara enter the hotel wearing a tan raincoat and carrying a big black and white umbrella. Jeffery left his post behind the concierge desk and met Barbara in the middle of the lobby.

  "Crap." Jenny squeaked and scurried back into Jeffery's office. Safely out of sight, she spied on her two bosses from behind the half opened door.

  Barbara kept glancing over at the front desk, even though she talked with Jeffery.

  I wonder if she's looking for me.

  The hickey on her neck throbbed and her bladder screamed for release. Despite her desire to stay off Barbara's radar, Jenny quickly realized she couldn't hide all day.

  With her bladder winning the battle, Jenny gathered her courage, and, head held high, walked out of the office. She went through the lobby and toward the women's bathroom where she first met Barbara. As she passed the two, Jeffery stopped her.

  "Jennifer, Ms. Jennings and I have been discussing scheduling in meeting times with the staff. We want to meet with each one of you at designated times starting tomorrow. I need you to talk to the housekeeping staff and schedule in half-hour blocks starting tomorrow at ten so they can meet with Ms. Jennings and me."

  "Of course, Jeffery." Jenny's bright voice hid her anxious feelings. Despite her nervousness, she turned to address Barbara. "Glad to see you again, Ms. Jennings."

  Barbara smiled and nodded. "It's very nice to see you again, Jennifer."

  Jenny nodded and excused herself, but as she turned to walk away, Barbara spoke.

  "Oh, and Jennifer, don't forget to schedule a time for yourself tomorrow. There is much I would like to discuss with you."

  Jenny gave Barbara a small smile. "Of course. Whatever you say. Excuse me." She scampered away toward the bathroom. She knew the interview wouldn't be about business, just like last night's 'business dinner' had been a sham. Barbara obviously intended to continue with her seduction. And as Jenny stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she couldn't decide if her frazzled nerves were an indication of her excitement at the prospect, or her body's way of forewarning her to be careful.

  Barbara let Jennifer go on her merry way. She and Jeffery went on a tour of the hotel and discussed all the good and bad points of the building. Jeffery surprised her.

  He seemed to know the hotel very well and he apparently enjoyed his job, even though the employees they came in contact with were more polite than friendly, an indication there might be harsh feelings lying just beneath the surface.

  They also went over the plan for the next day, and by the time they returned to his shoebox of an office, the day was nearly over and Jenny was nowhere in sight.

  Jeffery picked up a sheet of paper from his desk. "Ah, the list you asked Jenny to make." Jeffery studied the paper. "This looks great. Between the two of us we should be able to go through half the housekeeping staff tomorrow and finish the rest on Saturday. Jenny's put her name on here, also. Good. Sometimes I worry where that girl's head is."

  Barbara looked at Jeffrey in surprise. "What do you mean? Jennifer seems to be skilled at her job. She doesn't seem to be the lazy type."

  Jeffery sat back in his office chair and tapped a pencil against his desk. "She's okay. Better than her juvenile buddies, Mike and Tonya. Tonya works in housekeeping.

  You'll meet her tomorrow. All those two talk about is going out to the bars or picking up their next lay. Tonya just separated from her husband. Sometimes they can be so immature. I guess their ages do show."

  Barbara frowned at Jeffery's reference to Jennifer and her friends' ages. She already felt uneasy about the subject. "We were all like that once. Don't you remember what it's like to be, what, twenty-three, twenty-five?"

  "I guess you're right. But were we ever like these kids? We were old before our time."

  Barbara couldn't stand the pencil tapping and pulled the offending object out of Jeffery's hand. "Perhaps we can learn something from them."

  "All work and no play? Yeah. I wouldn't mind . . . ."

  "Wouldn't mind what?" Barbara asked.

  Jeffery rubbed his chin and grimaced. "Never mind. What I do know is that Jenny isn't all work. She has a hickey on her neck that wasn't there on Tuesday."

  Barbara frowned. "Jeffery. There are more important things to worry about.

  Gossiping about Jennifer Caffey having a hickey is a waste of valuable time." She sounded too harsh even for her own ears and hid a grimace behind her hand.

  Jeffery tensed and squirmed in his chair. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just nice to have someone to talk to who's on my level. Everyone I'm in charge of is too young or acts like I have the plague. I guess that's what it's like to be forty and work in an environment where everyone is on the flip side of twenty. Even if we wanted to have a relationship with anybody here, we would have to be very careful. Not only are they young, but then there's the whole 'sexual harassment in the workplace' thing. Can you imagine if either one of us went after one of these kids? We'd be crucified."

  Barbara didn't like to hear it, but Jeffery did have a point. She rose from her chair. Jeffery did the same. "I do believe we're finished here. I'm going back to the office.

  See you tomorrow morning."

  "Right-o, Cuz."

  Barbara waved and left, internally wincing over Jeffery's annoying use of slang.

  She drove back to her office, thankful the rain stopped and the sun had come out, but unfortunately her mood had taken a nose dive. Everything pointed to the fact that a relationship between her and Jennifer would be virtually impossible. The only way they could be together would be if they kept their affair quiet. Barbara felt like a character in one of those maudlin romance novels she'd loved to read as a teenager. She'd become a cliché as the business tycoon who'd seduced the virginal and innocent secretary into being her mistress. But then again, didn't they say life reflects art, and sometimes truth is stranger than fiction?

  Chapter Six

  For the second night in a row, Jenny couldn't sleep. She had an extreme case of insomnia she couldn't cure. She drank hot milk, read her boring school books and even took a warm bath. Nothing seemed to work. She tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable spot in her bed. Every once in awhile, she'd drift off, only to dream of Barbara and their make out session in the car, then she'd wake up all flustered and frustrated. Masturbating didn't help. She wanted Barbara's mouth and fingers to bring her to satisfaction.

  Jenny awoke up to a blue-skied, sunny, near perfect morning, but she was in a piss poor mood as she left her apartment. She wished her hickey would fade. The damn thing glowed as bright as a beacon. She had a feeling today would be a pretty rotten one.

  When she arrived at work she threw herself right into her duties. With Jeffery busy in meetings, Jenny had to cover the concierge desk all day. Things picked up around the time Jeffery came in at nine thirty for his first meeting. Jenny was surprised Barbara hadn't come in yet and kept sneaking glances at the front entrance, watching for her to arrive. A little before ten, while Jenny talked with a guest, Barbara pushed through the front doors. She headed straight into Jeffery's office, and returned a few minutes later carrying an armfu
l of files. Her attention half on the chatty guest, Jenny watched Barbara head down the hall toward the conference rooms were today's meetings would be held.

  The rest of the morning flew by. Jenny's nerves were raw, so she decided to forego lunch. No way could she put anything in her stomach. Although she came and went, back and forth between Jeffery's office and the conference room, Barbara hadn't said a word to her yet, and for some reason she couldn't explain, that fact served to heighten Jenny's fear. Her usual staid emotions were all over the place.

  By two, Jenny felt strung tight as a bow. Her concentration was shot to hell and she couldn't keep a thought in her head. The phone kept ringing, and the lobby seemed busier than usual. Jenny wanted to scream.

  She'd just hung up the phone from giving directions to a guest who'd gotten lost on his way from the airport to the hotel when Susan, one of the members of the housekeeping staff, sidled up to the concierge desk.

  The shy eighteen-year old, who had trouble speaking to anyone at work unless that person happened to be Jenny, looked very nervous Jenny smiled, hoping to put the young girl at ease. "What's wrong, Susan?"

  "The corner suite on the tenth floor has a major problem. I went to go vacuum a-and saw a s-spot near the bathroom l-looked wet. I think there may be a l-leak."

  "Great, just what we need when the big boss is here." Jenny cursed under her breath and looked down at her watch. She had less than an hour before her meeting with Barbara. "Jeffery is busy at the moment. I'll go and see the damage. Thanks for letting me know."

  Susan nodded but she didn't walk away. The crestfallen look on her face tugged at Jenny's heart.

  "Susan, stop worrying. You did nothing wrong."

  "It's just . . . because Ms. Jennings is here. I don't want her to think we don't care about the hotel. We all do. I do!"

  Jenny couldn't help but laugh over Susan's enthusiasm. "She knows. Now finish up your duties. Your shift is almost over."

  "Yes ma'am." Susan rushed away.

  Jenny checked her watch again. Thirty minutes until her meeting. She would check out the water leak first and then see Barbara. She hoped the problem on the tenth floor wouldn't eat up too much of her time. She wanted to do some breathing exercises before three o'clock arrived. She grabbed the universal hotel pass key out of the drawer behind the concierge desk and placed a call to the crew at the front desk, telling them she needed to check out something on another floor. When another employee came along to relieve her, she went to go see about the damage.

  Barbara ended her latest meeting in twenty minutes, leaving ten minutes to spare. She couldn't wait to see Jennifer. Oh, sure, they would discuss Jennifer's job performance first, but Barbara had a plan. She intended to invite Jennifer over to her place afterward for an evening of food, wine, kissing and a whole lotta lovin' if Barbara had anything to say about it. Of course, she first needed Jennifer to agree to come over.

  The young woman seemed nervous as a cat, and Barbara figured she had the same worries about mixing work with pleasure. But as long as they kept everything under the radar there shouldn't be any problems.

  Barbara stood and stretched. She walked down the hall and out into the lobby.

  Guests mulled around and many of the hotel staff looked busy, coming and going.

  Jeffery's office door was closed; he apparently hadn't finished his last meeting as quickly as Barbara had finished hers. She felt a surge of compassion for whoever he had holed up with him in that mess of an office. As the "big boss," she should be the one to have everyone quaking in their shoes at the thought of a job review, but based on what she'd overheard from some of the staff, Jeffery's 'interviews were more like grillings.

  Her stomach let out a loud growl. She needed sustenance and made her way over to a group of vending machines placed in a little alcove. As she pondered her selection, she couldn't help but overhear two people talking near the elevator.

  "Jenny's so great," a girl said. "I explained to her about the water leak in the tenth floor suite instead of bothering 'you know who', and she decided to take care of it herself."

  "Yeah," her male companion answered. "I wish Jenny could be our manager, not Bane. Too bad he has connections. But The Barracuda is pretty cool."

  "She doesn't seem too scary. I'll meet with her tomorrow. Oh, it's almost three. I better clock out."

  Their words faded as the two people walked away. Barbara's hunger pains no longer mattered. She peeked out of the alcove and looked up and down the hall.

  Finding the coast clear, she smiled, a plan formulating in her mind. She walked over to the elevator bank and pressed the up button. She would see about this leak and how much water had been spilled. But she'd also spend a little time with Jennifer. Maybe they could create a few 'wet spots' of their own.

  Chapter Seven

  Jenny stood in the bathroom with her hands on her hips as she surveyed the damage. One of the water pipes burst under the sink and caused the leak. She hoped the room below didn't getting any water. She shut off the valve and made a mental note to call maintenance. At least the damage wasn't as bad as she first thought it would be.

  "Damn. I should have brought a walkie-talkie with me. Guess I'll have to use the phone." Jenny mumbled under her breath. She walked out of the bathroom, and stopped in her tracks. Barbara sat on the edge of the king-sized bed.

  "How did you know I was up here?" Jenny said, impressing herself by keeping her voice strong and calm, despite the fact her legs were like Jell-O.

  Barbara leaned back on the bed, swinging one leg over the other. Her skirt rode up and Jenny's eyes went wide as she caught an unhampered view of smooth-shaven pussy.

  She's not wearing underwear . . . .

  "I overheard a few of your co-workers, and they mentioned where you ran off to.

  We are due for our meeting." Barbara looked down at her watch. "Now, actually. I came up to see how much damage has been done to my property, and I figured we could just talk here."

  Jenny crossed her arms in a defensive stance. "As you can see, I have things under control. I didn't 'run off'. There's a small leak under the sink. I turned off the valve and was about to call maintenance to take care of the problem. I was running a few minutes late."

  "There's no need to be defensive. We are supposed to be reviewing your job performance, and this shows me how well you can handle a crisis, should one arise."

  Barbara stood and walked over to the door that led into the hallway. She closed it, and the click of the lock engaging echoed in the room.

  Jenny swallowed as she watched Barbara turn and approach her. For every step Barbara took forward, Jenny took one back, until she pressed up against the wall near the bathroom. Barbara placed both hands on the wall beside Jenny's face and caged her in place. Jenny swallowed again. Her pussy fluttered. She fisted her hands and kept them down by her sides to stop from reaching out and pulling the woman in for a kiss.

  "Does this mean we're not going to have our meeting? 'Cause then I can get ready to—"

  "Shh." Barbara placed a finger against Jenny's lips. "We're going to, but this will be more of a meeting of the bodies rather than the minds."

  Jenny ducked under Barbara's arms and took a step toward the door, but Barbara grabbed her hand and refused to let go.

  "Please move away from me. This is sexual harassment."

  Barbara laughed and stepped in closer until their chests touched. "You think this is sexual harassment? Then why do I feel your nipples through your jacket?"

  Jenny held her breath and watched as Barbara unbuttoned her jacket and then reached inside to cup one of Jenny's breasts. A soft moan slipped past her lips.

  "Is this sexual harassment, Jennifer?" Barbara whispered against Jenny's ear. She released Jenny's hand and caressed her other breast, rubbing the pads of her thumbs against Jenny's cotton-covered nipples.

  "We'll get caught." Jenny tried to reason.

  "No, we won't. You're my last interview. No one knows where we are."
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  Barbara flicked her tongue against Jenny's earlobe, and Jenny rolled her head to the side, allowing her freer access. Barbara's moist tongue trailed a path along Jenny's jaw line, until it reached her lips. Jenny gasped and fell into the kiss, losing herself in Barbara's sweet taste. God, how she needed this!

  Jenny's knees buckled and Barbara wrapped an arm around her waist.

  "Come on, let's get comfortable." Barbara led her toward the bed.

  Jenny went willingly, her need and desire overriding her fear. The only thing that mattered in that moment was Barbara. Her kisses, the touch of her soft hands on Jenny's skin.

  They kissed their way across the floor, and when Jenny's legs hit the bed, Barbara gently pushed her down. Jenny lay there as Barbara kissed her neck and nibbled on the hickey she'd given Jenny a few nights ago.

  "I loved how I marked you," she said on a growl. She placed her hand on the bruise. "This shows the world you belong to me." Without warning, Barbara tore open Jenny's shirt.

  Jenny's gasp of outrage quickly turned to a moan of pleasure when Barbara released the clasp on Jenny's bra and kissed her breasts.

  "Thank god for bras with a front clasp." Barbara mumbled against Jenny's skin.

  Jenny twisted her fingers into the comforter and wrapped her legs around Barbara's waist.

  Barbara chuckled and grinded against Jenny's crotch. Their quiet moans filled the room. As Barbara dipped her head to suckle one of Jenny's nipples, Jenny tried to reach in between them to caress Barbara's breasts.

  "Nuh uh, kiddo." Barbara released Jenny's nipple with a loud pop and grabbed Jenny's hands and held them above her head by her wrists.

  Jenny squirmed, trying to break free. "But I wanna touch you too."