He was only a few tables away from Sagan Pharmaceutical founder and CEO, Carl Shoemacher. Rudy had checked and found that he took lunch here once a week with a few close associates. He had immediately arranged a reservation.
His wife, Sophie interrupted his thoughts, asking once again, why they were here having this expensive lunch. Sophie was 27 and a knockout. At 5’7” she was taller than many women, with strawberry blonde hair, high cheek bones and the largest blue eyes Rudy had ever seen. Clothed, she looked regal with her long legs and full thighs. Unclothed she was breathtaking with supple breasts and graceful hips that beckoned to be held. She was dressed to the nines today at his insistence but had no idea that she was about to play a major role in his career advancement.
Indeed, had she known she would have raised that judgmental eyebrow of hers and refused to be involved. He had met Sophie at a church function, years earlier. She was as gorgeous then as now, but thoroughly ensconced in her religion. She refused sex until they were married and still now, 4 years later, refused to perform what she considered to be lewd sex acts.
The old man was finished eating and was now sipping on coffee. It was time Rudy realized.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” he told her.
He straightened his bow tie and shakily sauntered over to the CEO’s table. Having lunch with him was Beth Crawley, the Chief Financial Officer and Benjamin Craft, the VP of Research. It was the perfect group to introduce his discovery to. In fact he had tried previously to get an appointment with Craft, but his job as lab technician apparently didn’t rank high enough to gain him entrance to this elite crowd.
Carl looked up as he stood near the table.
“Good afternoon. My name is Rudy Spencer. I work in the fragrance division. I have recently made a major discovery that I am sure you will want to see. “
From his pocket he produced a small bottle. The bottle was half filled with a clear liquid and had a perfume style sprayer on it.
“What is this?” Shoemacher growled. “You’re accosting me at lunch?”
“Sorry sir, but I wasn’t able to get an appointment with you and I didn’t want you to miss out on this significant breakthrough. “
The other two at the table took on perturbed looks as Rudy tried to ply his way into their circle.
“Waiter,” Carl called out.
The time had come to put up or shut up. Rudy turned toward Beth and leaned toward her smiling.
“You look lovely today,” he murmured, making sure he was loud enough for Shoemacher to overhear.
While not in Sophie’s league, Beth was still an alluring, albeit haughty woman. She immediately brightened.
“Why, thank you, Rudy! It’s nice to be complimented by such a handsome man!”
The two men at the table stared. They both knew Beth as a poised, matter-of-fact individual who had no sense of humor and did not suffer fools readily.
Rudy reached over and caressed her cheek.
“It’s easy to compliment someone as lovely as yourself.”
Beth blushed. She actually blushed. Carl would have bet half a year’s income that she wouldn’t dissemble over a short, pudgy, rude person such as the one standing here. She turned to him, smiling broadly.
“Carl, why don’t we ask Rudy to join us?”
Just then the waiter arrived.
“Sir, is this man bothering you?”
Carl considered a moment, then motioned for him to wait.
“Have a seat, Rudy.”
Rudy gladly pulled a chair and sat down.
“I’ll only stay a moment,” he said. “The missus is waiting patiently for me.”
“Oh?” Ben asked. “Where is she?”
Rudy pointed out his wife. She was leisurely poking at her food. It was apparent that the two businessmen appreciated her appearance. Rudy was proud of his wife and had wanted to show the two men that he could attract beautiful women. Otherwise, they might get the wrong impression of his reasons for pursuing this discovery.
“I wanted to speak with you about a project I’ve been working on. It involves using pheromones within a fragrance.”
Beth was rubbing his arm affectionately as he said this, but it was Ben and Carl who immediately turned their attention back to him. Pheromones, as they well knew, were chemicals that, once released, attracted members of the same species. It was widely seen in the animal kingdom, but not well understood in humans, despite the tabloid claims. Sagan Pharmaceuticals had been working for years to perfect pheromones for use in perfume. Success in this would be worth billions.
Ben glanced at Beth, then at Carl.
“What about pheromones?”
“I’ve developed a fragrance that incorporates pheromones and allows you to attract the opposite sex.”
“Rudy?” Carl asked.
“Just what do you do for Sagan pharmaceutical?”
“I’m a lab technician.”
“And this pheromone you’ve developed. Where did you get it?” Ben asked.
“Why I extracted it from honeybees.”
The two men looked briefly at each other, then smiled broadly.
“And I suppose you are wearing the fragrance now?” Carl asked.
“That’s correct.”
“That explains Ms. Crawley’s behavior then. I wonder, Mr. Spencer, if I might see this fragrance.”
Rudy passed the vial over to the CEO. He reflected that this was going exactly according to plan. He would get his promotion after today, he was certain of it.
Carl looked the vial over, then casually sprayed some of the liquid onto his wrist. He smelled his wrist, then sprayed a generous amount on his hand and rubbed the fluid into his face and neck. When he was finished he passed the bottle to Ben.
Rudy smiled. Things were going well. As his research had shown, the fragrance lost its effectiveness after a while. Because of this, Beth would soon turn her attentions to these two men and allow Rudy to slip away. They would be so grateful to him that he would finally get his promotion. So convinced of this was he that he was completely floored when Carl next spoke.
“I think Rudy, that the time has come for us to meet your wife.”
He immediately grasped the implications of that. Why hadn’t he seen this coming? Quickly he demurred.
“Oh she’s not in a very good mood today, I ‘m afraid. Perhaps another time.”
Carl laughed jovially.
“I think we both know she won’t mind chatting a bit. Besides, how else can I test this wonderful product of yours?”
Rudy was trapped. They didn’t need his permission to talk to his wife; the fragrance would affect her quickly he knew. His only hope was to play along and wait for the right moment to break away from them. Carl whispered a moment to the waiter and then, reluctantly, Rudy led the trio to his table and proceeded to introduce them to his wife. Carl smiled broadly. He and Ben had both stopped a few feet short of the table. It was a respectful distance and not noticed by Sophie but Rudy knew they would have to get much closer for the fragrance to have any effect. He breathed a sigh of relief. Clearly, they didn’t realize how to use the stuff.
“I must apologize, Mrs. Spencer, for bothering you at lunch,” Carl said.
“But when I found out that the exquisite woman seated nearby was the wife of a colleague, I insisted he introduce us.”
“Why thank you,” she replied.
“Rudy has told me a lot about you, but he never mentioned that you were so charming.”
Carl took the compliment in stride.
“May I call you Sophie?”
“Sure,” she said coolly.
“Thank you Sophie. Your husband has been telling us that he’s designed a fragrance that will make women respond agreeably to whatever they are asked to do. Are you aware of his work?”
“No, I’m not,” Sophie replied cautiously.
“I see. Well ma’am, I very much want to test this fragrance, for obvious reasons, and I wondered if you would mind if I tested it on you? You see, for this test to be valid, the two people involved would need to be total strangers. Since we have not met, I thought this might be the perfect way to test the potion’s effects.”
Sophie looked intently at her husband.
“Rudy, is this why we’re having lunch here today?”
“Um, yes.”
Sophie considered this a moment. Then looking at Carl she asked,
“Is Rudy up for a promotion because of this?”
“Why, yes, that is a possibility.”
Rudy talked a great deal about getting promoted and he could see now that his wife was thinking this would help him.
“Sophie, there’s no need…
“Of course I’ll do it, Mr Shoemacher!”
Rudy groaned inwardly. Then he realized suddenly that he too wore the cologne. He could simply tell her not to do it.
Unfortunately, at that moment Carl moved forward eagerly, closing the gap between them quickly.
“Please, call me Carl,” he said to Sophie. He clasped her hand, and then leaned in close.
It was too late now, Rudy knew. Carl had the more recent dose and Ben held the vial. Somehow, though, he would have to gain control of this situation; before it was too late. Carl continued speaking to Sophie in a deferential tone.
“And I thank you, dear lady. You certainly are the adventurous sort. I will endeavor to treat you well at all times during the test. “
The effect on Sophie was immediate and obvious as her smile melted into warmth and her perfect, white teeth showed. If she wondered what he meant by treating her well, she didn’t show it.
“I wondered Sophie, if you might have some free time this afternoon. I have arranged to perform the test right here at the hotel and I would be thrilled if you could join us on such short notice.”
“Oh, that won’t be possible,” Rudy cut in.
“Beth has a meeting at the church that I’m sure she won’t want to miss.”
“It’s just a choir meeting. I will catch up with Reverend Scott later. This sounds much more important.”
“Wonderful!” Carl stated.
“I’m afraid though, Sophie, that I was unable to secure a proper meeting room for this on such short notice. I was forced to lease one of the rooms in the hotel above us, so if you aren’t overly embarrassed by it, we will proceed to have the meeting there.”
“That will be fine, I’m sure,” she fairly gushed.
The room was a suite, with two king size beds and a separate sitting room. Carl led them into the room and mixed them all a drink. He chatted amiably with Sophie the entire time. Rudy had tuned most of the discussion out while he tried to fashion an escape plan. But he soon was yanked back into the conversation.
“I have to say, Rudy, your wife has the most beautiful skin I have ever seen. Ben come here and look at this. Would you mind Sophie, if I touch you? I want to see if your skin is as soft as it looks. “
Sophie had a mild blush on her cheeks and she looked thrilled to be here with these men. She immediately acquiesced to the request and in moments, both Carl and Ben were stroking her cheeks, arms and neck as Rudy stared, helplessly.
“Oh, your husband must be so proud to be married to an intelligent and luscious creature such as yourself.”
She chuckled lightly.
“I’m afraid he isn’t,” she replied.
“Or at least he’s never told me that.”
“No? “ They were talking about Rudy, but clearly ignoring him.