Leslie found that her life had adopted a strange, exhilarating rhythm. It had been almost six weeks since her trip to Markus' estate, and in the meantime, she had worked three more events.

For the first event, Jacob was visited by a business associate from Las Vegas, Jordan Wright, and his pet of four years, Daphne. This event reminded Leslie of her first job with Radek and Lucie.

The next event involved traveling to a first-time owner, Clarence Tucker, and his pet, Yvonne, in Virginia Beach. This event once again allowed Leslie to explore her role as a mentor for new pets.

Finally, they were visited by one of the longest-tenured owners in Evelyn McAllister of Dayton, Ohio, and her pet of three years, Hugo.

While all of these visits were enjoyable, none of them presented Leslie with anything particularly new, although she knew that many of her events would be routine like this once she was on the job for long enough.

In between all of this, she still attended her classes. The college workload might have suffocated her if she hadn't maintained her discipline in keeping up with assignments. She would often find herself finishing a paper on how weather impacts local ecology on Saturday afternoon, and then perform intimate acts in front of an audience that evening.

While she had been able to keep herself mentally balanced between her two worlds, she was looking forward to the upcoming long weekend that was provided to her by the fall reading days.

However, whatever plans she might have had for that long weekend were erased when she received a call from Stephanie in the middle of the week leading up to it.

"Hey, this is Leslie," she answered as she walked between classes.

"Are you able to talk right now?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah, for a few minutes. I'm between classes."

"Excellent. Mr. Henderson was looking at your schedule and happened to see that you had a four-day weekend upcoming. He happens to be traveling to Boston on a business trip this weekend, and he wanted to see if you would be interested in joining him. You have no obligation to join him. This is not a 'job' per se. He will completely understand if you already have plans."

Leslie stopped where she was, before realizing she had stopped in the middle of a highly trafficked pathway and stepped off onto the grass.

"A business trip? Not a job? Just to come with?"

"He is, of course, willing to compensate you for your time. You can discuss the details later, and whether this will be on or off-contract. You would fly up to Boston on Saturday, spend Sunday and Monday there, and fly back on Tuesday. Does that fit into your schedule?"

Leslie considered the situation. She was curious about what had brought on this invitation. But she had noticed that Jacob was perhaps taking a bit more of a beyond-professional interest in her, for lack of a better term. She had never been to Boston, so being able to spend time there sounded fun. But seeing Jacob work as an actual businessman also intrigued her.

"Sure, why not. I'll go."

"Excellent! I'll let Mr. Henderson know. Please arrive by 11 a.m. on Saturday."

"Okay, I'll see you then." Leslie then hung up her phone. A trip with Jacob that wasn't just to see another owner? This was an interesting new development, and she was curious to see how it would turn out.

Leslie packed a small suitcase that she had with clothes and other travel necessities and tossed it onto the passenger seat of her car before driving to Jacob's mansion that Saturday. She barely got out of her car when Stephanie appeared from the door into the staff room.

"Good morning, Leslie. Mr. Henderson would like you to wait out here. You will be traveling to the airport momentarily."

"Do I need to grab any of my pet things?" Leslie asked curiously.

"While Mr. Henderson doesn't think you will need them, I thought you might ask, so..." Stephanie then handed Leslie a small bag that included her black collar and sandals.

Leslie chuckled. "Thank you," she remarked, accepting the bag.

"Have an enjoyable trip," Stephanie smiled before returning inside.

Leslie stuffed the bag into her suitcase and then rolled it with her to the bottom of the entrance stairs. Soon, a dark green Jaguar XF rolled around the entrance, and Lucas exited the driver's seat.

"May I put your luggage into the trunk, ma'am?" he politely asked.

"Oh, uh, sure. Thank you very much!" Leslie replied with a smile. Lucas picked up her suitcase and placed it into the trunk.

The pair then stood next to the car waiting for Jacob, and Leslie started to blush, thinking of how many times Lucas had silently seen her naked during events. The silence stretched just long enough to become noticeable.

"So...," Leslie began, "You, uh, have worked for Mr. Henderson for a while, I'm guessing?"

Lucas continued to stand ready next to the car, unflinching. "Yes, ma'am. Going on eleven years."

Leslie nodded. "That's, uh, a long time."

Lucas continued standing there. Leslie realized she didn't give him much to respond to.

"I imagine you've seen, uh, a lot of things. Around the house in your years."

Lucas didn't move. He didn't even blink. "I do my best to respect the privacy of Mr. Henderson's guests and staff."

"Sure, of course, of course," Leslie replied, perhaps a bit too quickly. "It's just, you know, I guess you've seen me around, you know. During events. And stuff."

Lucas flashed her a courteous smile. "My job is to ensure everyone arrives and departs safely, ma'am, and to help with the smooth running of Mr. Henderson's estate."

Leslie had to let out a chuckle. "But you have seen me naked, right?" She asked with the tone of someone needing confirmation for science.

Lucas slightly cleared his throat. "I wouldn't describe myself as having looked, ma'am."

"Oh my god," Leslie remarked with a laugh, "You're very professional. Almost uncomfortably so."

Lucas let out a soft chuckle, although he still didn't appear to flinch. "Thank you, ma'am."

Leslie shook her head, still smiling. "Well, I guess it's only fair. You've seen more of me than some of my boyfriends."

"I assure you, ma'am, I remember even less."

Leslie stood for a second, then burst into laughter. "Now, I like you. Don't worry. I permit you to ogle me now and then."

However, before Lucas could respond, the front door opened. Jacob stepped out in rather casual attire for him—khaki pants and a dark blue polo shirt—flanked by Tim, carrying a suitcase. Lucas stepped aside and opened the rear passenger car door.

"If you please, ma'am."

"Thank you." She flashed Lucas a wink and a smile before getting in.

Lucas closed her door and walked to the other side, letting Jacob slide into the other side of the car while Tim piled his suitcase into the trunk.

"Ready?" Jacob asked as he buckled himself in.

"As I'll ever be," Leslie noted.

Lucas re-entered the driver's seat of the car and started driving down the road. It was perhaps a half-hour drive to the local airport, where the pair boarded a small private plane. It was considerably smaller than the one Leslie had ridden on to California, but this plane didn't need to be that big.

Once the plane took off, Jacob turned to look at Leslie. "I suppose you want to know why I invited you on this trip."

"The question had crossed my mind," Leslie chuckled.

"I suppose the short answer is I thought you might be interested in watching me work. To observe and learn. It could be a useful lesson for you."

"And the longer answer?" Leslie prodded.

"I may ask for your help in persuading the investors. Some of them have been getting cold feet in the lead-up to the final contract signing. I feel that you may be... helpful."

"Helpful? In what way?" Now Leslie was truly intrigued.

"I suppose that depends on you. I have some ideas, but I'm not requiring you to do anything but be present."

Leslie let out a sigh. "So, who are the investors?"

Jacob grabbed his suitcase and unzipped a side compartment. He pulled out a manila folder, which contained several sheets of paper.

"There is a group of six investors willing to help fund one of my proposed biotechnology ventures, and I need all six on board or else this project will be cancelled. It's not important right now for you to know what the venture is, just know it is important to me and my business."

Jacob pulled out a dossier with pictures for three of the investors and presented the first to Leslie.

"The first is William Lerner. He's a veteran finance guy. He knows my ventures produce returns. I've worked with him a lot. He's no problem."

He handed her the sheet for the second investor. "Diego Morales. He likes the way I do business. He can be pretty gregarious, so be prepared for that. He's also on board."

Jacob handed Leslie the third dossier. "Rina Khatri. She is a clinical trial vet. She told me she was sold on the due diligence I had done for this venture. She is also on board."

"So, the next three are the ones you—we—have to convince," Leslie noted.

"That's right." Jacob pulled out the next dossier. "Olu Okoye. He is very analytical, but he is also pretty cautious with his investments. He has liked what he's heard but still needs some reassurance. I'm pretty confident I can get him on board."

"Okay, who's next?" Leslie asked.

"Sophie Jung. She's silent but pragmatic. She can be a hard sell. But she can be convinced by boldness."

"Interesting. And who is the last one?" Leslie noted, scanning over Sophie's sheet.

"Martin Bass. He's blunt. From old money. He's been deeply skeptical of my venture since the beginning. He will undoubtedly be the hardest one to convince. I have to admit, there may be some bad blood there on his part from past dealings. I'm not entirely sure why he signed up for this. Perhaps something caught his eye. But he has reasons not to trust me."

Leslie picked up his dossier and looked it over. "Well, I'll do my best to help you out."

The flight took barely an hour before the plane was descending for landing at Logan Airport in Boston. A black four-door sedan was waiting to pick them up once they landed, and within half an hour, they were arriving at the Four Seasons Hotel on Dalton Street, with a bellhop taking care of their luggage.

"Wow," Leslie whispered to herself as she looked up at the sleek, glass hotel that rose above all the buildings around it. She followed Jacob into the lobby to the maroon reception desk, feeling supremely underdressed for the occasion.

Jacob handled the check-in while Leslie just took in the sights. Soon, Jacob turned around and handed her the keycard. "We're in 1703 and 1706. I hope you find your room acceptable."

Leslie looked down and saw "1703" written on the envelope; her card was inside. "I have a feeling that won't be a problem."

The pair, along with the bellhop, took the elevator up to the 17th floor. "Follow me, please," the bellhop remarked once the doors opened, stepping out of the elevator and to his left. Three doors down, and almost in a corner with another door, the bellhop stopped. "Room 1703, ma'am. Let me know if you need anything."

"Oh, uh, thank you very much!" Leslie thanked him as she tapped her key against the door and heard it unlock. She pulled her suitcase in with her as she watched the bellhop walk three more doors down the hall to room 1706 to attend to Jacob before letting the door close.

The room was absurd. This wasn't even one of the suites, and it was easily the largest hotel room she had ever stayed in. The main bedroom had a king bed with a curved window, demonstrating she was at one of the corners of the building. The bathroom was also enormous, with a shower, bathtub, and a toilet in its own room with frosted glass.

"Holy shit," she breathed to herself. The entire experience felt way too high-class for her. She suddenly felt the changes of clothes that she brought were wholly inadequate, not that she had very much else in her closet back at home that wouldn't feel that way.

Perhaps a half-hour later, she heard a knock on her door.

"May you join me in my room?" Jacob asked upon her opening it.

"Oh, yeah, sure."

She made sure she had her key on her before following him down the hall. If she thought her room was absurd, his was just stupid. Straight in front of the door was a living room-looking area, which is where Jacob led her. On the way there, she passed a hallway, down which she thought she saw the bathroom and the start of another hallway which, she assumed, led to Jacob's bedroom. Jacob motioned to the couch, and she took a seat, with him sitting in the nearby chair.

"Our first scheduled meeting is at one in the afternoon, tomorrow, in the Gloucester Room on the sixth floor. A second meeting, if necessary, is scheduled at the same time in the same room on Monday. I think I can lock down Okoye's support quickly. That's when you come in. If you are willing."

"What do you mean?" Leslie asked curiously.

Jacob stood up and walked to a nearby closet, then pulled out a black blouse. It was apparent quite quickly that it was rather sheer.

"You want me to wear that?" Leslie chuckled.

"Only if you want to. As I said, I had some ideas," Jacob smiled.

"And what's the thought behind this, if I may ask?"

"Well, Ms. Jung is impressed by boldness, and I think you appearing as my assistant in this certainly makes that impression. As for Mr. Bass, maybe it will shake him up a bit. If you're willing, I'd like for you to stay in the passageway that connects our meeting room with a nearby one until I call for you. That way, your entrance can be more dramatic."

Leslie stood up and took a closer look at the blouse. "Bra or no bra?" she asked with a laugh.

"I'll leave that up to you as well," Jacob chuckled.

"I don't suppose you have a bottom to go with it."

"As a matter a fact, I do." Jacob then returned to the closet and fetched a black pencil skirt with a high slit.

"Sure, why not? Sounds like fun. And if you don't think it will be disruptive to your meeting," Leslie agreed.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to get you early. We want to get there before any of them, so your appearance is a surprise."

Leslie returned to her room. She spotted the bathtub sitting in the middle of the bathroom next to a large window. Leslie knew she probably should close the blinds, but then again, she remembered having seen from the outside that all of the windows were tinted. It would be pretty difficult to actually see anything, especially up to the 17th floor.

She hung the outfit Jacob had given her in the closet and slipped off her clothes, turning on the bath water in the process. Once it was full enough, she grabbed her shower sponge and body wash and lowered herself into the medium-hot water.

She looked out onto the city and felt a bit of a thrill. She was exposing herself to half the city, although she knew this wasn't really true with the elevation and windows. But the thought that there was ever so small a chance that she might be wrong gave her a tinge of both anxiousness and excitement.

She closed her eyes and relaxed. Her thoughts drifted to Jacob. She was surprised he had asked her to do this for him. She wasn't sure what type of businessman he was, but it wasn't this. She didn't really think badly of him. She doubted he was the only one who might use a pet in this way, but it still caught her a bit off guard that he would mix his personal and professional life in this way. She pondered whether this was a first or if his previous pets had done something similar in the past.

But the thought of being useful to Jacob in this arena was alluring. Being his sword that he could unsheathe made her feel powerful and important. Then she had another idea of how to perhaps wield her confidence and power.

She finished soaking in the tub and drained it, grabbing a towel to dry off. She picked up a menu she had seen on the table earlier and looked it over before walking over to her phone and calling a number.

"In-room dining," the man who picked up the phone said.

"Hello, yes. I'd like the classic niçoise salad, the chocolate cheesecake, and a banana berry smoothie."

The man didn't say anything as he was entering her order, then spoke back up. "What room are you in?"

"1703."

"And would you like this added to your hotel bill?"

Leslie hesitated for a moment. She hadn't exactly asked Jacob if she could get room service. On the other hand, what was a $70 food bill on top of what was likely a multi-thousand-dollar hotel bill already?

"Yes, please."

"Excellent. It should be up in fifteen to twenty minutes."

"Thank you." Leslie hung up the phone. Ten minutes passed, and she was starting to get fidgety. Was she really going to go through with her idea? She was starting to have second thoughts.

It was approaching twenty minutes when she heard a knock on the door. She ran to the door, still completely naked, and looked through the peephole. A girl probably her age, maybe a couple of years older, was waiting outside with her food.

Leslie let out a large sigh and swung open the door. "Good evening," she said with a big smile, her hair still somewhat damp from the bath.

The woman hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Leslie could see her eyes make a full run from her head to her toes.

"Good evening, ma'am, I'm here with your In-room dining order of the classic niçoise salad, chocolate cheesecake, and banana berry smoothie."

"Sounds great," Leslie cheerfully remarked as she stepped aside to let the woman in her room with the rolling tray carrying her food.

The girl's red hair reminded her of Scarlet's, although the attendant's hair was shorter, not even shoulder-length. Her uniform was clean and sharp, and she had deep blue eyes.

“Where would you like it?” she asked, her voice cool but amused.

“Right there’s fine,” Leslie gestured, motioning toward the table near the window.

She couldn't help but notice that the attendant took several discreet glances at her as she put her items on the table, along with napkins and silverware.

"Is everything to your satisfaction?" The woman asked. Once again, Leslie couldn't help but notice her eyes flicking around.

Leslie picked up her wallet and pulled out $30, and handed them to the attendant. "It looks excellent." Leslie made sure to make eye contact, letting her stare linger perhaps a moment longer than it should have.

“Very generous,” the attendant said, tucking the bills into her pocket with a practiced motion.

Leslie then followed her back to the door. The attendant pushed the cart out, then turned back around, making one more sweeping look with her eyes. "If you need anything else."

"Maybe you can ask me again after your shift. If you have time," Leslie smirked.

The attendant seemed to ever so briefly return the smirk. "1703, right?" Then, before waiting for a response, she pushed the cart down the hall, letting the door close behind her.

Leslie's heart was thumping. That had gone better than she could have dreamed. Did she just invite a hotel attendant to her room later?

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Leslie stirred in her bed the next morning to the sound of her phone vibrating on the side table. She grabbed it and looked. Jacob was calling her.

"Good morning," she groggily answered.

"If you're up for it, do you want to join me for breakfast? I'm already in the restaurant downstairs."

"Sure. Give me a few," Leslie replied and then hung up.

She stretched and then looked next to her. The red-headed attendant was fast asleep. Her perky breasts, which Leslie had so gleefully suckled the previous night, were illuminated by the morning light.

Leslie gently slipped out of bed and looked at the floor. The devastation from the night before was apparent, with the attendant's clothes scattered all over. She picked up the name tag and read it. "Sarah," she noted softly before setting it on the table.

She quietly slipped on a shirt and a pair of jeans before grabbing a notepad and jotting down a note:

Thanks for the wonderful evening.
I’ve gone to breakfast. If you wake up, feel free to let yourself out.
— L

Leslie tore the sheet off and left it next to the name tag, grabbed her room keys and wallet, and quietly slipped out.

After wandering the hotel in search of the restaurant, she finally found Jacob and joined him.

"You might see a room service charge on your bill," Leslie chuckled as she sat down.

"Oh? As long as you didn't order $1000 worth of caviar, it should be fine," Jacob answered with amusement.

"Don't worry, just a salad, some dessert, and a smoothie."

"I promise their breakfast is better than mine," Jacob chuckled as she handed Leslie a menu.

A waiter soon walked up to the table. "May I take your drink order, ma'am?"

"Oh, uh..." Leslie quickly looked over the available beverage selections. "I'll have a latte, please."

Leslie then looked at Jacob, who she felt was giving her a somewhat peculiar look.

"What?" she asked with a bit of a laugh.

"Nothing. You just look like you are in an unusually good mood," he replied with a small smirk.

Leslie innocently shrugged. "Huh, I don't know why. Maybe staying in such a luxurious hotel makes me happy."

"Perhaps," Jacob answered, somewhat unconvinced, but didn't press further.

Soon, the waiter returned to take their food order.

"I'll have the buttermilk pancakes with chocolate chips," Leslie ordered.

The waiter jotted it down before turning to Jacob. "And for you, sir?"

"The lobster omelet, please."

"An excellent choice. Would either of you like anything else?"

"I think we're good," Jacob noted.

The waiter then took their menus and walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh, lobster omelet. Fancy," Leslie jabbed.

"I'm in Boston. I have to get lobster whenever I can," Jacob chuckled.

The waiter returned shortly with their food, and Leslie had to admit the pancakes looked almost too beautiful to eat. She took a bite and found they tasted nearly as good as they looked.

They chatted briefly about the meeting, going over the main players and their plan once again before finishing their breakfast.

"I'd like to be in the meeting room at 12:30. I'll come and get you a few minutes before then," Jacob remarked as they walked down the hall toward their respective rooms.

"I'll be ready," Leslie acknowledged, before opening the door to her room.

She stepped inside and saw that Sarah was gone, her clothes picked up, and the bed made. However, Leslie eyed an addition to the note she had written.

"No, thank you!" had been written, with "you" being triple underlined. Underneath it was a phone number. Leslie made a mental note to text the number later, but for now, she had to concentrate on business.

She put on the outfit Jacob had given her, opting to go braless, then looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't so sheer as to be transparent, but it was see-through enough that breasts and nipples were quite apparent, especially in the light. The skirt stopped just above her knees, with a slit that rose dangerously high.

She heard a knock on her door. She grabbed a jacket to put over her top so she didn't flash everyone on the way to the conference room, and answered it.

"Are you ready?" Jacob asked.

Leslie let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I think so."

The pair made their way down to the conference room, where a rectangular table was set up.

"When the time comes, I'd like for you to stay in that walkway behind me. It leads to the neighboring conference room, but there should be room there until I call for you," Jacob instructed.

"Yes, sir." Leslie put herself in a much more formal state of mind. She was acting as his professional assistant, after all.

Jacob laid out several documents in front of the chairs around the table, leaving the spot at the head of the table for himself.

With about ten minutes to go, Jacob pulled Leslie aside and handed her a folder.

"When I call for you, I'm going to ask that you bring some additional information to help persuade them to fund this venture. I want you to come out and hand this to each of the investors individually. After you're done, come and stand by my side. I want you to be a presence there, even if you don't add anything else."

"Understood, sir," Leslie nodded. She then walked into the passageway between conference rooms and out of sight.

Soon she heard the room door open, and Jacob greeted one investor, then another. She heard Jacob welcome Mr. Morales, then Ms. Jung, then Ms. Khatri. A few moments later, he welcomed Mr. Lerner, then soon after, Mr. Okoye.

"That leaves the biggest troublemaker," Leslie thought to herself. "I wonder if he is taking his time getting here on purpose, as a show of power."

Leslie checked her watch. One o'clock turned to five after. Then ten after. Then, finally, the door opened once again.

"Ah, Mr. Bass, glad you could finally join us," Jacob politely welcomed him. "Now that we're all here, let's get started."

As Jacob had predicted, it only took some minor convincing to get Mr. Okoye on board with his part of the funding, leaving him to focus on Ms. Jung and Mr. Bass.

They continued to work through several issues they had with the project. Finally, Ms. Jung made a remark that caught Leslie's ear.

"I'm not totally convinced you are willing to see this through. This is quite a long-term project, and while the rewards, if completed, are potentially quite considerable, it does actually need to be completed."

Leslie recalled Jacob's description of her liking boldness, and perhaps this was a challenge to Jacob on this point. Was he bold enough to see this through?

"If that is your concern, then I think I have just the thing to alleviate it," Jacob began. Then he raised his voice. "Leslie, can you join us?"

That was her cue. Leslie let out a deep breath, then walked out of the passageway swiftly. "Yes, Mr. Henderson," she remarked once she had stepped into the room and, with as much confidence as she could muster, handed the information sheets to each investor. She tried to put out of her mind that she was quite literally exposing herself to a room full of investors as she took her place next to Jacob.

"These are some of the long-term projects—some of which are longer term than even this one—that I have seen through to the end," Jacob continued without missing a beat.

Leslie couldn't help but appreciate the fact that Jacob had used her to give Ms. Jung information that spoke to her articulated concern, but was using Leslie herself to reassure her about his boldness.

She stood by Jacob, her hands feeling a bit sweaty, and clasped her wrists, her back straight. There was no attempt to hide what everyone could see. She was here to play her part, and she was determined to do so. She started to scan the table and gauge the investors' reactions to her.

Mr. Lerner was perhaps the most obvious. He couldn't help but get a slight smirk on his face, as if he appreciated and understood the move Jacob was making. He wasn't leering at Leslie, but he definitely noticed her.

Mr. Morales also seemed to react in amusement. These two were the two who had worked with Jacob the most, and it reinforced Leslie's suspicion that this was perhaps not the first time this had happened. His eyes lingered on her a bit longer before reading over the document.

Ms. Khatri didn't seem to even notice her, or if she did, she didn't have a reaction. Perhaps as a clinical trial vet, nothing shook her anymore. Either that or she was keen on reading the document to keep herself from noticing.

Mr. Okoye looked mildly startled at first, but then seemed to recover. Leslie's appearance certainly seemed to be a surprise to him, but ever the professional, he quickly took it in stride.

Ms. Jung was the most important one here. She made comments on the document to Jacob, but her eyes lingered on Leslie. But she wasn't leering at her. It was more a matter of trying to assess what her presence even meant. I'm sure she understood Jacob was trying to send her a message with it.

Then there was Mr. Bass. She caught a slight narrowing of his eyes and the tightening of his jaw. No amusement. No curiosity. He seemed to understand the play here, and he did not seem very impressed. He didn't even bother looking at the document Leslie had handed him. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair with a theatrical air of detachment, as if to make clear that he would not be swayed by the show she was putting on.

Leslie didn’t flinch. She looked at him briefly, then looked away. "Let him stew," she thought to herself.

Jacob continued without missing a beat. “As you’ll see on page three, the Synexis expansion, which required a 24-month runway and nearly triple the staffing projections, closed not only on time, but under budget. We have the same lead engineers allocated to this proposal.”

Finally, Ms. Jung spoke up.

“I see,” she said, softly putting the information sheet down. “And you think her presence reinforces your conviction to carry this out?”

Jacob turned slightly toward Leslie without looking directly at her. “I bring what matters to the table.”

Ms. Jung didn’t smile, but she did lean back in her chair and gave a single nod.

“I’m in.”

Jacob then turned to the last holdout: Mr. Bass.

“I don’t make decisions based on theater,” he said coolly.

“Neither do I,” Jacob replied with equal coolness.

Mr. Bass took another look at Leslie. This time, his gaze looked more calculating, as if he was trying to figure out Jacob's play here. Or perhaps how he could take this play and shift it to his advantage.

“I’ll think it over,” he said at last.

Jacob nodded. “Fair enough.”

After another short round of discussions, the meeting was dismissed. The investors filed out slowly. Lerner gave her a polite nod. Morales smiled. Jung's eyes lingered a half-second longer than expected.

Bass was the last to leave. As he passed Leslie, he paused briefly but said nothing before exiting.

Once she and Jacob were the only ones left in the room, Leslie let out a huge sigh of relief.

"You did quite well, congratulations."

"What is up with Mr. Bass?" she asked. He unnerved her for the entire duration of the meeting.

"I'm not sure. I think this meeting has turned more into a power play for him than anything. He wants to see me squirm. Maybe he is hoping I will give him something painful for his support. Or maybe he is just stringing me along."

That evening, Jacob invited Mr. Lerner to dinner. However, the hotel's restaurant reminded Leslie more of a lobby lounge than an actual restaurant. Mr. Lerner was sitting on a couch opposite them, drinking a glass of wine from the bar.

“Well,” Mr. Lerner began, “that was certainly the most entertaining funding meeting I’ve attended all year.”

Jacob gave the slightest smirk. “She performed her job well, William."

"That was a masterstroke, I must say. You knew what Ms. Jung's actual objection was, and you answered it without saying a word that actually answered it," he nodded in approval.

"I was just there to deliver papers. That's all," Leslie wryly added.

William laughed. “If that’s all you were doing, then the rest of us must be blind.”

Jacob spoke before the conversation took a turn in a direction he didn't want. “Let’s keep this dinner focused on the outcome, not the theater.”

“Of course,” William said, his grin still lingering. “Still—she’s good, Jacob. Very composed.”

“She's learning quickly.”

William leaned back on the couch. "It might interest you to know, Leslie, that I met Emily once—I assume you know who I'm talking about."

Leslie set down the drink she was in the middle of taking a sip of. "Oh yes. Mr. Henderson's previous... assistant."

"Yes. Anyway, it wasn't in a situation like this, but it was still similar. She had a little bit different energy, but was also quite smart, and beautiful."

"Thank you," Leslie replied to the compliment.

“She wasn’t built for longevity in your world, though,” William added. “Neither was Penelopy, if I’m being honest.”

Jacob's mood seemed to shift slightly. He seemed to be aware of where William was starting to take this. "And what world is that?"

“The one where you stay ten steps ahead of everyone else,” William said. “The one where most people can’t keep up.” William then turned toward Leslie. “But you—there’s something different about you. You’re more than a fixture.”

Leslie wasn't sure how to take the comment. “That’s a… new compliment. I think."

“William...” Jacob started, but William waved him off.

“I’m not trying to stir the pot. But I’m old, and I’ve earned the right to be sentimental if I want to be.” He then looked at Jacob squarely. “Elena wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone forever.”

Leslie looked at William, then at Jacob. She felt like she could have heard a pin drop in the room now. She knew about Jacob's two previous pets, but Elena was a name she had not heard before.

Finally, Jacob spoke up. “I didn’t realize you knew her that well,” his voice seemed to add immediate chill to the air. It was quite clear this was a topic he was not pleased to be discussing.

“I didn’t,” William said softly. “But I saw what she meant to you.”

Jacob picked up his glass. “She’s not the topic tonight," he replied shortly.

Leslie could feel her heartbeat. Mr. Lerner had revealed something that Jacob had not intended. It wasn't that difficult to put together the pieces here and surmise who Elena was. And from how William spoke, she was clearly no longer part of this world, some disaster having taken her from Jacob, perhaps before any of his pets.

William leaned back and flashed a somewhat sad smile. “Alright, alright. I’ll shut up. Just know, I’m glad you’re still human under all that steel, Jacob.”

The waiter soon arrived with their dinner order, cutting through the layer of ice that seemed to build up in the meantime. Leslie knew well enough not to ask about Elena right now. But she would file the name away.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

The next afternoon, the investors reassembled for the second meeting. Leslie joined Jacob from the start this time, although she was now wearing a blouse and skirt that a normal business assistant might wear, having served her provocative purpose the day prior. The tone of the day felt quite different, with Mr. Bass being the last remaining holdout.

The other five investors reiterated their commitments, and after about forty-five minutes, Jacob dismissed them, saying he would let them know if there was a final contract to sign. That left Jacob, Leslie, and Mr. Bass alone.

The conversation began cordially, but it didn’t stay that way for long.

Every time Jacob seemed to reassure him on one point, Mr. Bass raised two more. It soon became clear to Leslie that he wasn't looking for answers; he was looking for leverage.

She also paid attention to Jacob's body language. At first, it was calm, but after about an hour, the first cracks started to appear. For the first time that Leslie could recall, he started to appear out of his element. Mr. Bass was clearly starting to get to him.

And Bass knew it.

"I'm not sure why you think the Omaha Center will be completed in three years. It just seems too optimistic," Mr. Bass pushed back on Jacob's latest point.

"From all of our estimates from our partners, we feel that is a safe, conservative estimate for completion."

"Yes, but if it isn't, it will delay the rest of the project. Perhaps derail it."

"If that unlikely event happens, we'll deal with it. There are always contingencies."

"So you have said."

Finally, after another half hour of wrangling. Mr. Bass leaned back in his chair. “I’ll need more time.”

"How much more time?" Jacob asked, perhaps with the first real twinge of impatience.

Mr. Bass's lips ever so slightly curled, Leslie thought.

"I'm not sure. When do you need a final decision?"

"Soon. Preferably before everyone leaves tomorrow."

"Very well. I'll mull on it overnight and give you an answer in the morning. You know what room I'm in if you want to discuss this further before then."

Mr. Bass then picked up all of his papers and excused himself from the room.

After he left, Jacob didn’t speak right away. He gathered the papers in deliberate silence, placed them into a folder, and only then glanced at Leslie.

Leslie felt that he just looked... worn. He was tired of dealing with Mr. Bass, and Leslie couldn't blame him. Mr. Bass was being intentionally obstinate.

“You knew he was going to do this,” she said quietly.

Jacob signed. “I suspected. I had held out hope that yesterday was enough to flex his muscles. I guess it wasn't.”

Leslie hesitated, then said, “He wants something. He’s not rejecting you. He’s just dragging it out.”

"I suspect I'll find out what his final demand is tomorrow morning. I'm not expecting it to be something I can accept."

Leslie sat and pondered. "So you think he is giving you an impossible choice: give up something you don't want to, or give up the venture entirely. He wants to see just how badly you want it."

"Yes, I believe so."

"So, do you want it that badly?"

Jacob hesitated, then picked up the rest of his papers without answering Leslie's question. "I think I'm going to go to my suite and take a nap."

Later that evening, Leslie was pacing in her room. She hadn't heard a peep from Jacob since they had returned from the meeting. She felt like he was resigned to his fate of a failed venture, and she wished there was something she could do about it.

But maybe there was.

She walked down the hallway to Jacob's suite and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" she heard Jacob answer from behind the door.

"It's me."

A few moments later, Jacob opened the door and let her in. He looked frankly terrible, at least compared to how he usually looked.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Jacob asked.

"No, I'm fine," Leslie remarked as she sat on the couch.

Jacob poured himself a glass of whisky, but didn't sit down. Leslie could tell the situation was still bothering him.

“I think I should go talk to him," Leslie suggested.

Jacob looked up with a slight look of surprise.

“Bass," Leslie added.

Jacob paused for a few moments. "No."

“You didn’t even ask what I meant by that.”

“I don’t need to,” Jacob replied coolly. “And the answer’s still no.”

She stood now, taking a few steps toward him. “You don’t think I could influence him?”

“I'm not sure. But even if you could..." Jacob's voice trailed off, the rest remaining unsaid but understood.

Leslie looked into his eyes. “So what? You’ve used me to influence people all weekend. That’s not a complaint, by the way. I agreed to it. I wanted to be part of this.”

“That was different,” Jacob answered. “That was theater. Presence. Calculated leverage. But what you’re suggesting…”

“What I’m suggesting,” Leslie interrupted quietly, “is that I talk to him. Alone. In his room. And if I can use charm or flirtation or something else to change his mind, then maybe that’s what this deal needs.”

"You don't need to do this."

"I know I don't need to. But I want to. I want to do this."

Jacob turned and walked to the window and looked out.

“You don’t know what he’ll ask for."

Leslie sighed in slight frustration. "I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect."

Finally, he turned back around.

“If you go, it’s your decision. Not mine. I’m not asking it of you. I won’t.”

Leslie gave him a slight smile. “Understood.” She then turned to leave.

"Leslie..." he then said just before she exited. She stopped and looked at him. "Be careful."

She flashed another smile at him. "I will."

She hadn't even gotten back to her room when her phone vibrated.

"1206." That is all the message said. It was all that needed to be said.

Leslie re-entered her room and put on some makeup and quickly made up her hair. She went through the clothes she had brought and was thankful she had brought a more provocative outfit just in case: a red spaghetti strap front lace-up tank top and a pair of black short shorts.

She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked okay, gave out a sigh, and then headed out on her way.

She took the elevator down to the twelfth floor and then to room 1206. She then knocked firmly twice.

A few moments later, the door opened, and there stood Mr. Bass. He was still in his white dress shirt and slacks, but no longer in his blazer jacket.

"Well, this is unexpected," he remarked with an immediate smirk. He invited her in, clearly understanding the purpose of her visit.

“I wasn’t expecting company,” he mused, closing the door behind her.

Leslie offered a hesitant smile, stepping forward as if weighing her next words carefully. "I came on my own," she said softly. "Mr. Henderson doesn’t know I’m here."

That piqued his interest. "Doesn't he now?"

Leslie wasn't sure if he believed her or not by his tone. In any case, he appeared intrigued by the situation.

Leslie exhaled, feigning inner turmoil. "I hate seeing him so stressed over this deal. It’s unlike him. And I thought... maybe I could talk to you. Appeal to you in a different way."

Bass' smirk widened as he poured himself a drink. "And what exactly are you offering, Miss Leslie?"

She hesitated just long enough for him to think she was wavering. That was key. Make him believe he was the one steering this moment. "I just want to help him," she murmured, glancing away and feigning embarrassment. "If there’s something I can do. To change your mind."

He took a slow sip of his bourbon, savoring the illusion of control. "You care about helping him close this deal, don’t you?"

Leslie nodded, biting her lower lip. "I do."

He chuckled, stepping closer. "Well, then. Maybe we can come to an understanding."

Inside, Leslie smiled. Because he thought this was his idea, that she had walked into his game. But in reality, he was already caught in hers.

He moved so that he was standing directly in front of her. "I can see why he hired you as his assistant. You are quite beautiful. I'm sure you aid him with more than just office work, though, don't you?"

"Yes," Leslie thought. "You're taking his secret companion right out from under him without him even knowing. You are getting a final victory, you think you can brag about for all time over him."

Leslie looked away as if embarrassed that he had discovered the truth of her and Jacob's relationship.

"And now his play thing is my play thing. Yes, I think this will do." He then tugged on the strings tying the front of Leslie's shirt together until it became undone. He then slid the shirt off the back of her shoulders, leaving her topless. He clearly understood the implication of her not even wearing a bra. "I see you understood the situation as well."

"Yes," she answered simply, still feigning resignation about the situation. She pushed her shorts down, revealing she also wasn't wearing any panties. She stepped out of her sandals and shorts, then looked up at Mr. Bass with a look asking, "What do you want me to do?"

Bass took a slow, self-satisfied breath as he looked at Leslie. He walked a circle around her as if he were inspecting a new item that had just been delivered, taking in all the details.

He stepped in front of her again and cupped her cheek with practiced confidence. “You’ll be remembered for this, you know. Maybe I’ll even thank Jacob in the morning. Just to see how he reacts.”

He then walked into the bedroom portion of his suite and started to undress, Leslie following. "It's not usually my custom to go find a nice piece of ass on business trips, but I suppose I can make an exception."

Leslie remained silent, still feigning reservation about her fate. Bass finished getting undressed, then sat on a nearby couch next to the window. "Here, girl."

Leslie knew what he wanted, and of course, she would give it to him. But Leslie knew that was where she could start turning the script.

Bass' cock was still semi-hard, but Leslie didn't wait. She slid her tongue under it, then slipped her mouth over it, squishing it between her tongue and the roof of her mouth. Bass let out a soft shudder.

She continued working on it, feeling it expand inside her mouth. After a few moments, she raised herself on her hands and started gently massaging his scrotum. "I have him by the balls now—literally," she thought to herself.

Her mouth stayed at the base of his cock, it finally stopped expanding just before it hit the back of her throat. She could continue to hear soft moans come from him as she continued to work her mouth and tongue up, down, and around his shaft. She wondered how long it had been since he had gotten a blowjob quite like this one.

"Girl," he began, "get up here. I want to see what you are all about," he directed.

Leslie slowly pulled her mouth off of him, staring him in the eyes as she did, as if to say, "I'm the one making you feel like this." Ever so gently shifting the balance of control.

She got on the couch, straddling him, resting her knees on either side of his legs. He put his hand against her face. "You are lovely."

She looked away as if to signal that she was embarrassed by the comment, but also appreciative. His hands started at her shoulders, then ran down the top of her chest, moving to the sides of her torso, then down to her butt, taking in the full roundness in his hands.

"I can't wait to find out what you are like in bed. Henderson is a lucky man," he remarked. Leslie could already tell his attitude shifting from sneering opportunism to lustful anticipation. He started touching and kissing her in various ways: on the cheekbone, on her breasts and nipples, running his fingers down her back or side. She intentionally gave him positive responses for some actions and no response for others. She soon found him going back to the actions that elicited a positive response. She was starting to control what actions he took. Now was the time to really start to flip the script.

"Why don't we go to bed, Martin?" she suggested while giving him an alluring look.

He appeared slightly surprised by her use of his first name, but the expression was fleeting. But Leslie knew she had hit a spot.

At first, they lay in bed facing each other side by side. He continued to kiss and grope her while she slowly caressed his erection.

She then rolled on top of him. He might not realize it yet, but she was now the one in control of the situation. She gently ground her pussy against his cock. The hunger in Bass' eyes was palatable as his hands continued to caress Leslie's breasts and torso. She raised her hips, grabbed his cock, and slowly lowered herself down onto him.

His eyes almost seemed to roll into the back of his head at first. She slowly grooved her way up and forward and then back, increasing her pace slowly, with Bass clearly content to enjoy himself and let her control the pace under her.

However, it was only a couple of minutes before Bass started breathing harder. He was just able to get out "get ready..." before Leslie felt him squirt into her, although it didn't feel all that powerful. At least not compared to the other men she had been with at this point, who were, admittedly, much younger and sprier than Bass was. But the irony of this pompous man being bad in bed wasn't lost to her.

Leslie did her best to fake an orgasm just after she realized he was coming. She had never actually had to fake an orgasm before, so she wasn't sure how believable it was. On the other hand, Bass seemed like a man who would be convinced by just about anything in bed.

Once recovered, Bass once again put his hand on Leslie's face, who was making an expression of being half-exhausted and half-defeated. "I have to thank you. I think you've just given me the motivation to sign Henderson's contract. You know, it's not a bad deal, really. But look what I got by holding out."

Leslie made a play of ruefully sliding off of him and off the bed, stepping over to pick up and put her clothes back on.

"I'll have to make sure to thank Mr. Henderson in the morning on what a fine... assistant he has working for him," Bass added with a grin, still lying in the bed.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Bass?" Leslie asked before leaving.

"No, I believe that is all. And thank you for the enjoyable night."

Leslie walked to the room door as if she was sulking, but once she was outside and closed the door, a grin appeared on her face. He was ready to sign. Her work here was done.

She returned to her room and picked up her phone, quickly texting Jacob, "He'll sign," and putting the phone down. She then stripped her clothes off and walked into the shower. She was more than ready to give herself a couple of big orgasms to celebrate her victory.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

The next morning, Leslie was just arriving at the restaurant when she noticed Bass entering from another entrance, walking with a confident strut toward Jacob, who was sitting at a table sipping a cup of coffee. Leslie decided to hang back and observe from a distance for the time being.

"I believe I'm ready to sign," Bass remarked with a smirk, choosing to stand over Jacob rather than join by sitting down.

"Oh?" Jacob replied with feigned surprise. "What made you change your mind?"

"I got a much better look and feel of things last night," Bass answered with increasing smugness.

Jacob took a sip of his coffee. "I see. In that case..." He pulled out a leather portfolio and pulled out some paperwork, and presented it to Bass, along with a pen. "I'm sure you know what all the documentation says by now. Just sign the last page."

Bass finally sat down to sign the document and grabbed the pen. "You know, Jacob, that girl is something else. I can see why you've kept her so close. She is quite the talent."

Leslie noted that he couldn't keep from letting a huge grin creep onto his face. He just had to get in this final round of gloating.

Bass signed the document, then handed it back to Jacob. Jacob looked down at it to make sure everything was correct. "Yes, she mentioned how cooperative you were last night." He then glanced up at Bass with a completely unperturbed look on his face. "She must have made a very compelling case."

Bass's grin immediately started to fade. It was clear this wasn't the reaction he was hoping for. Leslie doubted Bass expected Jacob to go full-on "woe-is-me," but he likely expected some subtle response. A frown. A twitch. Anything. But Jacob's face was stone solid. "Well. I suppose we both got what we wanted, then," Bass remarked, trying to act like he was merely being gracious.

"Yes, I'm quite pleased with the outcome," Jacob replied, this time adding a little grin of his own to signal that he seemed quite aware of what went down and was fine with it.

Bass stood up. Leslie could tell by his demeanor that it wasn't quite as smug and cocky as before. That's when he spotted her. He grabbed his own leather portfolio with his copy of the contract and walked toward her. She made no effort to avoid his arrival.

“You’re quite a woman, Leslie. I can’t imagine Henderson is happy.”

Leslie just gave him a shrug. "I'm not sure why you think he wouldn't be. He got his deal."

"And I got to steal his girl right out from under him in the process," Bass added, his grin reappearing. "I do look forward to business dealings with Henderson in the future."

Leslie tilted her head at him in a bit of amusement. "Did you think I belonged to him?"

Bass seemed to falter for a second before his grin returned. "Aren't you? You two are obviously quite close, and he is clearly protective of you. You can't tell me there isn't anything there."

Leslie's smile widened. “Oh, he is protective. But not because he owns me. Oh, Mr. Bass. I'm afraid you've misread this situation. I went to your room because I wanted to. I did exactly what I intended.”

Bass' grin once again left his face, but it was clear he still wasn't convinced of what Leslie appeared to be implying. “Well... that’s certainly not how it felt.”

Leslie stepped just slightly closer and next to him, as if she was getting ready to walk by him but had one last thing to say.

"That was the plan." She then let a beat pass before continuing, this time her voice tinged with amusement, "Thank you for your cooperation, Martin. Although it would’ve been more enjoyable if it lasted longer."

She then turned and left, walking toward Jacob's table without looking back. As much as she really wanted to see Mr. Bass stand there contemplating what had just happened, she felt it would dilute the impact. She finally got to Jacob's table and took a seat, with Jacob flashing her an amused smile.

"I have to congratulate you, but you really didn't have to do that."

"I think bringing him down a few rungs is worth it," Leslie joked.

"I mean what you did last night."

Of course, Leslie knew what he meant originally; she just wanted to play it off. "Jacob, I didn't feel obligated to help you, if you're still worried about that. I saw that he was taking joy in stringing you out. So, I decided to take care of the problem."

Jacob let out a slight laugh. "He was right about one thing, though. You are something else." He took another sip of coffee. "You are sure you're alright?"

Leslie just flashed a smile. "I'm great. Although admittedly, the sex could have been better. But you got your deal, and Mr. Bass is left seriously questioning whether he actually won or not."

The pair finished their breakfast and then went back to their rooms to pack. By 10 in the morning, they were checked out and back on their way to the airport to fly back.

"You're probably wondering how much you'll get paid this trip. We didn't really go over that or have any truly defined work time, other than the meetings," Jacob remarked once they were in the air.

"I actually hadn't really thought about it at all. I guess you've taken such good care of me in that regard that it hasn't even really entered my mind," Leslie replied with an appreciative smile.

Jacob leaned back in his seat with a smile, showing he was reassured. "I suppose it's a plus for me if that's the case. I just wanted to make sure I'll compensate you appropriately for this trip. Your presence was... invaluable."

Leslie just nodded and smiled. She didn't really know what to say. She wouldn't know how much to ask even if it had been on her mind, and she trusted Jacob's judgement on this matter. If anything, she worried that Jacob might go a bit overboard on thanking her with compensation, not that she would say no to more money in her bank account.

"I also think you've earned next week off. I hear it is your birthday soon?" Jacob continued.

"Ah, yeah, the week after tomorrow," Leslie confirmed.

"I see...," Jacob nodded, Leslie thought with a bit of a thoughtful look on his face. "I hope you have a good twenty-first birthday. That is always a big one."

They landed and made the half-hour trip back home. Jacob once again bid Leslie a happy early birthday before retreating into the mansion, allowing Leslie to put her pet paraphernalia back into her locker before leaving.

Just before getting into her car to leave, she looked back at the mansion and pondered what Jacob was doing in there. He let her see a side of him on this trip she hadn't been allowed to see before, and she appreciated it.