Page 44 of Corporate Escapades

“What do you say we give the kids an early out on Friday, providing the week goes well?”

“I say, that sounds like a pretty nice plan,” he replied.

Dom looked to Mya and Chase. “Get us a report on Friday morning, and we’ll let you know if the week was a success. If it has been successful, they can cut out at noon. In fact, I’m feeling so wonderful today; why don’t the four of you take a little trip out of town this weekend and relax at the cabin?”

“That sounds great,” said Mya.

“You and Chase have been more than good sports about this situation. It’s only fair we include you as well. Now, since breakfast has ended and we’ve handed out our good news for the week, you may proceed with your day,” he said, waving them on.

Paris, Vic, Mya, and Chase exited the room together.

“Wow!” said Vic. “He must be in an exceptional mood. He never offers to allow anyone to stay at the cabin unless he’s present.”

“Yeah, I heard that,” replied Paris. “I think we should do it,” she said excitedly. “I could use some time away from the city, couldn’t you?”

“Oh, definitely,” he replied. “I’d love to get outdoors and do some hiking. It helps clear my mind.”

“What about you two?” asked Paris. “Are you game as well?”

“Heck yeah!” replied Chase. Mya nodded her agreement.

“Okay, it’s settled,” said Vic. “We’ll work our butts off this week, so we can go to the cabin and relax.” The excitement hewas feeling reminded him of going to the cabin as a child. His father would take him hiking and fishing. They’d swim and have bonfires in the evening. He couldn’t remember the last time he roasted a marshmallow. It was definitely time for a break. It had been a long time since his last visit.

The group chattered about the weekend as they walked to their more than familiar jobs. They both knew how to do the work, and the territory was a good deal more comfortable than the previous two positions they’d held. There was no way they could mess it up.

Sense of Adventure was located on the first floor of ADG. Paris breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the wing. Each planner had their own office, and there were four different rooms for meeting with clients. Each room had its own theme. The rest of the staff worked in a central open-concept area.

The place was far from typical. The entry had a hallway that split and offered three different routes for clients to choose from. The first took them to an outdoor area that looked like an island oasis with a pool surrounded by sand and a tiki bar that boasted complimentary beverages to all who were of age. The second was called the Library Café, which had all sorts of high-end sweets and treats to choose from, as well as virgin or alcoholic beverages. There were comfy couches and recliners as well as intimate reading nooks built for two. The third hallway led to Fantasy Land, which was sectioned off into various rooms meant for several types of activities. There were thirty rooms, and the themes ranged anywhere from passionate nights to games and tea. These mystical areas were meant for one of two things. Relaxing while contemplating the next big adventure or finding a romantic partner.

Outside of the halls of passion were also standard meeting rooms, but they were reserved for the less exciting parts of the process, such as signing contracts, making payments, and first-time meetings. Clients who came in for these purposes would enter through a different entrance where they would be greeted by one of the front desk attendants, offered a beverage, and then deposited in the room that corresponded with whichever planner they were working with. These particular rooms were painted in grey and held large posters of people experiencing the adventures they had planned.

Paris thought about all the things they offered. There were matchmaking sessions, honeymoons, hiking excursions, parties, once-in-a-lifetime trips, etcetera. You name it, and Sense of Adventure would find a way to make it happen, as long as it was legal. If you wanted to go sit in the mountains of Colorado in a log cabin and smoke marijuana for a weekend, they’d make it happen. Everything from your ride to Colorado to the place you would stay, the activities you’d partake in, and the food you’d consume, would be laid out in the plan.

The clients who came to Sense of Adventure were from all different lifestyles and monetary backgrounds. Paris and Vic both loved a challenge, and it was exciting to plan on a budget or without one. There was no limit to what they could do when they put their minds to it.

Vic would never admit it to his family, but his favorite part of working for Sense of Adventure was playing matchmaker. While he had a hard exterior, he had a soft gooey inside that knew what romance should look like. He could always tell if two people would click, and he excelled at setting up the perfect first date. His first dates ranged from tea in the Library Café to sky-diving or running with the bulls in Pamplona. The extraordinary was always in Vic’s game plan, and he hoped one day he could share in some of the amazing adventures he knew existed around the world with his romantic match.

“Good morning,” said Angela as she met Mya, Chase, Paris, and Vic in the employee lobby. “I see we’ll be working with you this week,” she purred. Her attention was directed at Vic.

Paris watched as Vic gave her his most dashing smile. Already, the knot had returned to her stomach. Vic needed to focus. Angela was all legs, with her short black skirt, which accentuated her sexy tight butt. Her long blonde wavy hair fell loosely down her back and framed her face, which held perfect red porn star lips. Her blue-green eyes had the longest thickest black lashes Paris had ever seen, but it was her fake breasts, displayed by a red corset which she wore with a low-buttoned white blouse, that really stole the show. Paris was appalled by the way Vic stared, mesmerized by her every word and the way she reached out and gently touched his shoulder with her masterfully manicured red nails. She was no kitten but a full-grown lioness who could do some serious damage.

Interrupting her thoughts, Tom sauntered up to the group. “Sorry I’m late,” he said. He winked at Paris and then turned his attention over to Vic. “Vic, you’ll be my assistant this week. I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” Getting right to business, he led Vic off to his office, where he could speak more directly about the week’s agenda.

Mya and Chase said goodbye to Paris and headed off to do Paris and Vic’s rightful jobs, to the best of their abilities. Paris was not particularly happy about working under Angela, but she could see the finish line, and she was not about to give up. She followed Angela into her office.

“Take a seat,” said Angela. “You’ll be at the desk outside my office, of course. I expect you to answer all calls routed this way and to set up my appointments. You’ll bring me coffee each morning along with oatmeal. I prefer it with blueberries and cinnamon. I’ll have a coffee break at two in the afternoon as well, and you’ll bring me a scone from the café at that time. You willnot come into any of my meetings, and you will not speak to any clients other than on the phone. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes,” replied Paris. She was disgusted that Angela was only giving her part of the actual job. It was insulting the way she was being treated, and it was emotionally frustrating that she wasn’t allowed to go to any meetings. The meetings were the most exciting part of the job.This is going to be a long week, she thought, and she was right.

Vic watched as Angela went out of her way to speak to him each morning and to bump into him each afternoon. Her sex appeal was distracting, and he found he had to force himself to focus and not search her out when he was sitting at his desk. She was never hard to find, with her high-pitched tinkling laugh. That laugh sent a shockwave to his groin. He kept telling himself that she was off-limits and he would avoid her like the plague, but as each day went by, he felt as if he was fighting a losing battle. Vic held no memory of her dressing so provocatively in the past. He wondered what had changed, as well as what he might find underneath her scant clothing.

Paris was dealing with her own Angela issues. Each morning Angela would angrily demand a change to her coffee order. She’d tell Paris how incompetent she was and that she couldn’t believe her parents had ever allowed her to work at ADG. She knew Dom and Cristo were big fans of Angela and that she seemed to have immunity within the company for some reason. Paris didn’t care why, but she couldn’t wait to be out from under her.

On the other end, Tom was extremely kind to Paris. He greeted her each morning, and frequently offered to take her to lunch. He complimented her clothing, even though Paris knew her clothes were nothing exceptional. His kindness pulled ather heartstrings and made her want even more one-on-one time with him. One morning, he even went out of his way to correct Angela’s coffee order for her. Paris had been grateful. She was so tired of Angela’s angry and abusive comments. It was as if the power had gone to Angela’s head.

Paris decided to keep her head down and do her work. She wouldn’t fight back against Angela, and she wouldn’t let Tom get in the way. She worked harder and harder to do the job to the best of her abilities. She was slightly jaded that Vic seemed to have gotten the better end of the deal. Tom took Vic nearly everywhere and let him do the job to its fullest. He had a great boss, and the office eye candy, all doting over him and how exceptional he was.

By Friday, Paris felt she’d earned an early release and the cabin weekend. She prayed Dom was in a giving mood. At eleven that morning, they were given the green light. Paris let out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t handle one more moment with Angela, for fear that she might snap and do something regrettable.

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