Campaign for Love (10 page)

 

 

"Subconsciously, you must have begun to realize that nothing really
happened to you. In these days of 'kiddie porn' when you can't pick
up
a paper without reading about some atrocity on mere babies, often by
kids hardly more than babies themselves, you have to know that you
were
in no way responsible."

 

 

She nodded. "I know that now. But one side effect was that I had no
curiosity about the opposite sex. While my little friends were
playing
doctor and nurse, I was home playing with my dolls. I had found out
that every game with little boys wound up with, 'You show me yours
and
I'll show you mine.' I'd say, 'No thank you. I already saw one.'"

 

 

Quentin laughed ruefully. "I must remember never to use that
approach
with you."

 

 

"I know you think that it's all in my mind, the thing about members
of
the male sex of whatever age seeming to feel that I'd welcome their
advances. That's why I tried to make myself un-sexy."

 

 

"I believe you, Suzanna, my sweet, because I fell victim to that
same
animal magnetism. Strangely enough, it has very little to do with
looks, so your efforts to appear plain were an exercise in
futility."

 

 

"With you, perhaps. But no other man has given me a second look
since I
came to work here, and I'm hardly ever molested in the subway any
more."

 

 

"You mean you were before the transformation?" he asked, clearly
horrified at the notion.

 

 

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "You're more of an innocent than I
am! Haven't you ever known any women who ride the subways? One of
their
biggest expenses is having clothes dry-cleaned. They consider
themselves lucky if it happens on the way home rather than before
work."

 

 

"Do you mean-?"

 

 

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

 

 

"That's awful!"

 

 

She grimaced. "Tell me about it!"

 

 

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "I still don't
understand why you didn't attempt to put me in my place the first
time
I kissed you. You didn't seem scared. I hope you weren't."

 

 

"No."

 

 

"In fact, you'll forgive me if I mention again the fact that you
responded to me. It was definitely a two-way kiss."

 

 

Suzanna blushed once more.

 

 

"You don't leave me much pride, Quentin. But for what it's worth,
you're also the first man ever to arouse me in that way. I've read
about it and heard the feeling described, but I had never before
experienced it."

 

 

He reached out to pat her hand. "Oh, Suzanna! What a waste. You're
an
extremely sensual woman, and those smoldering fires are ready to
burst
into a raging conflagration. The first man lucky enough to make love
to
you is in for earth-shaking fulfillment beyond his wildest
imaginings.
I hope it will be me. As for you, you'll find it was worth waiting
for.
On the other hand, you may regret lost opportunities."

 

 

"Never. I want you to be first, last and always," she said candidly,
causing him to stare and then shake his head.

 

 

"I know that's the way you feel right now. Ready, willing, even
eager.
And later I'll probably want to kick myself for not making love to
you
when I had the chance. The truth is, now that I have aroused your
sexuality, I'd like you to take another look at those fellows you've
been dating, especially that poor soul who has been waiting
patiently
for years, and find out if it's me you want or if any reasonably
good
looking guy would do as well."

 

 

"How can you say that, Quentin?" she asked in a hurt tone.

 

 

He sighed. "I can say it because I care about you. I don't want to
add
to your trauma with guilt you might feel over having sex for the
first
time with your boss in circumstances and surroundings that seem
designed for seduction. We need to work together, after all. If it
happens with us, it won't be here. It will be some place where
you'll
feel comfortable and secure. Your place, or mine. Agreed?"

 

 

She sighed and said through gritted teeth, "Tomorrow I may thank you
for this. Right now, I could shoot you."

 

 

"I'll have to start calling you 'the impatient virgin'," he teased.

 

 

She stiffened and got up off the sofa. "Laugh if you want to,
Quentin,
but this weekend I have a date with my very old friend, the 'poor
soul'
I've been going with for years. You've just about thrown me into his
arms."

 

 

He stood up, frowning darkly. "I don't believe that for a minute.
But
if you wind up there, perhaps it will be because it was meant to
happen. Once the barriers are down, friendship has been known to
ripen
into love. But just so that you keep me in mind, here's one for the
road."

 

 

With that, he swept her into his arms and placed one kiss on her
lips
that almost set them tumbling back onto the couch in a welter of
writhing limbs.

 

 

But at last he pulled himself together once more, and then released
her
with a sigh.

 

 

"Now, grab your things and let's get out of here before all my fine
resolve crumbles. Not to mention the fact that I've only just now
remembered those damned security cameras you told me about."

 

 

"Ah, yes, there is that, but we happen to be in the blind spot. I
checked when I looked at the videos they took of him helping himself
to
my work. This area, and the bathroom. The cameras are angled for
people
coming in and out of my office, and yours. So there's no need to
worry
about this getting around. Well, not unless you want us to be on
film,
that is," she added with an impish grin.

 

 

He gave her a playful slap on the rump, and felt her firm, ungirdled
buttocks.

 

 

"Wow, what a figure. You're full of surprises!" he said in an awed
tone. "Tell me Suzanna, what other wonders have you been hiding
under
those shapeless tents?"

 

 

"I'm not telling," Suzy answered pertly. "You had your chance to see
for yourself and you chickened out of it."

 

 

He laughed throatily. "I sure did, Tiger. Now let's go before I try
to
correct the oversight."

 

 

They turned off the lights, and though she felt achingly
disappointed,
she knew he was right. But at last he was being protective of her,
and
seemed to be trying to build something deeply meaningful, not use
her
for a mere fling.

 

 

They held hands all the way down in the elevator, and once out in
the
street, Quentin again insisted on calling her a cab.

 

 

Once again, he gave her a fond kiss, and put her into the cab with a
wave.

 

 

Suzy sat back and sighed as the cab headed uptown, her lips still
burning with the delight of the kiss. She wanted a whole lot more
than
that from him, but it would have to do for now....

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

 

 

Thanks to all her work with the Imperial Foods account, the days
flew
by until Suzanna realized with the help of her Blackberry reminder
that
it was time for the banquet which Jerry White had invited her to.

 

 

Suzanna, who knew how Jerry loved being seen with an attractive
woman,
went all out. Her gown was pale gold lamé and fit her like a
second skin. The neck-line plunged to the bottom of her rib cage,
but
was so cleverly designed that even when she moved or leaned forward,
nothing was exposed but her cleavage. The effect was breathtaking.
She
wore only the sheerest gold pantyhose under the dress, which hugged
the
contours of her magnificent figure.

 

 

Her lovely long legs were also displayed by the slits running up
either
side of the gown to mid-thigh. Her high-heeled sandals added to her
height and length. Her only jewellery was a simple diamond choker
with
matching earrings. Her ensemble was completed by a gold wrap lined
with
black velvet.

 

 

After months of doing without, Suzanna applied her makeup with care,
a
warm pink-beige foundation, blusher, deep rose lip gloss, dark brown
mascara, and green eye shadow. She knew she looked exquisite, for it
was mirrored in Jerry's eyes when he came to pick her up.

 

 

He was resplendent in a black tux with a snowy shirt, with a piped
front edge in black. One last look in the mirror told her that they
made a striking couple.

 

 

Like most Manhattanites, Jerry didn't own a car, but he had a cab
waiting, and they got into it, chatting easily like the comfortable
old
friends they were.

 

 

At the banquet, they sat with several couples Suzy had met before,
mostly friends of Jerry's. Because things were so much like hundreds
of
dates in the past, it had been hard to think of Jerry as a possible
lover.

 

 

But now that she was getting over her biggest hang-up, she was
beginning to realize that Jerry had never really scared her as a
man.
In fact, it had been years since she had thought of him as a man at
all. There was no thrill when she was with him…

 

 

Unlike Quentin, came the thought unbidden.

 

 

She pushed it to the back of her mind, and determined to enjoy
herself.

 

 

The company was pleasant, and for a change she enjoyed the dancing
after the meal. In the end she concluded that it was because she had
not had to spend her whole evening keeping her partners at arm's
length, or their roving hands off her. No one tried to get too
close,
whether from habit or disinterest, she couldn't be sure. Perhaps it
was
just that she was less frightened, and so less vulnerable-looking,
and
thus got fewer hassles now that she was more confident.

 

 

"Suzy," Jerry said to her during one of their dances together, "I
must
be the envy of every man in the place. You look more gorgeous than
ever. I don't know what it is, but you seem different somehow."

 

 

"That's because I'm enjoying being a butterfly again after these
past
weeks as a caterpillar."

 

 

"Whatever it is, I like it. It makes you seem a lot more yourself,
this
transformation of yours."

 

 

"Thank you. You're pretty dashing yourself."

 

 

He blinked in surprise. "That's the first time you've ever said
anything about my looks. Sometimes I wondered if you ever really
look
at me."

 

 

She blushed crimson. "I'm sorry. You're right, I don't think I ever
do,
not really. I guess I should have seen a shrink years ago. I've been
so
busy protecting myself from a repetition of a childhood terror that
I've become completely closed off. I'm sorry. You don't deserve that
treatment."

 

 

He gave her an understanding smile. "It's lucky you said that. Any
more
of that kind of treatment and I'd have started to look around for
somebody else. Anybody else."

 

 

They both laughed easily, and returned to their table. For once,
Suzy
reveled in the admiring glances turned her way. Men could look at
her
without wanting to take advantage of her, she could see that now.

 

 

She relaxed, and even enjoyed the 'rubber chicken dinner' as they
joked
about most banquet food. As she sat there enjoying being the center
of
attention, Suzy finally started to feel for the first time every as
if
everything was really falling into place in her life.

 

 

When the banquet was over and Jerry handed her into a cab in front
of
the hotel, Suzy didn't move right over to the far window as she
usually
did.

 

 

When Jerry got in and sat down, his hips and thighs touched hers.
Thinking the fault was his, he attempted to inch away from her, but
found little room.

 

 

Suzanna wriggled as if to get more comfortable, then leaned toward
him
saying, "I'm tired. I haven't danced that much for a long time."

 

 

But Jerry pushed himself so far into the corner that he almost
climbed
the seatback.

 

 

Poor man, had she really be so stand-offish in the past. Or was it
that
he had issues to…

 

 

She spent the rest of the journey thinking that she could at least
move
things forward with the good night kiss. As usual, just before
Suzanna
slipped inside, Jerry aimed a kiss a half-inch to the right of her
mouth.

 

 

But this time, when it landed, he found his mouth pressed against
two
soft, velvety lips.

 

 

Suzy had her eyes open watching for a reaction. It was instant
shock.
She saw his eyes open wide, and he pulled back and waited for the
chewing out he figured was coming.

 

 

He remained frozen, waiting for her to storm away and slam the door.
Instead, her eyes closed seductively, and she melted into his body
as
if she'd been doing it all her life.

 

 

Jerry was a bit slow on the uptake, but not that slow. His arms
swept
her into a tender embrace as he closed his eyes and lost himself in
their first kiss. But although Suzy's lips were slightly parted, he
didn't presume to kiss her deeply, certainly not as Quentin had
done.

 

 

After a brief but pleasant interlude he released her slightly. He
asked
softly, "When we touched in the taxi, I was the one who pulled away.
Did you crowd me deliberately?"