All three had moved on from the restaurant and were now drinking medicinal brandies in the decadence of the old armchairs of Lucinda's suite at that grand old dame of Boston, the Copley. They were just on the right side of sobriety and it was Chris who spoke. 'I think we need to write your baby's father's lady a contract!' She reached for some of the hotel notepaper and her proper fountain-pen. 'Do we have all of the basic things like name and address?'

'Not with me!' Lucinda cursed herself for being caught out. 'I've got an unfinished postcard from Las Vegas in my office, that he never sent. All the details are on it, together with his protestations of love and apologies for not writing or calling. I'll fax it to you when I get back.'

'Can you remember the dates of the integration and the final negotiations?'

'Two weeks from the 3rd of August.'

Chris wrote and then read back what she had written. 'You will be required from Saturday the 3rd of August, until Sunday the 18th, to assist in the negotiation of a large international contract. There may be, but it is unlikely there will be, an extension of up to two weeks, as necessary.'

'That's fine.' Lucinda confirmed, what George had said. 'Who're you writing this from?'

'Let's increase the mystique.' Chris wrote a note to herself. 'I'll write this anonymously from the firm. How much are you going to pay?'

'We're going to have to give her a sub, as I suspect she's fairly broke and couldn't afford the sort of treatments and clothes, I want to give her.' She took a second piece of notepaper and did a few sums. 'How about four thousand pounds for expenses, twenty thousand for doing the job and twenty thousand if we get a good deal? Oh! and a bonus for everything we save below say a hundred million dollars.'

'That's a lot of money!'

'I'm paying and I can afford it!' Lucinda was deadly serious. 'But remember it is absolutely essential she comes!'

***

'How does this sound?' Chris proceeded to read. 'Payment will be a sum of twenty thousand pounds on completion of the assignment. In addition, if the negotiations have been successful, then a bonus of a further twenty thousand pounds will be paid. In the event of any extension, then the extra time will be rewarded at a rate of four thousand pounds for each day.'

'Fine!' Lucinda made a couple of notes. 'You remembered the expenses.'

'Yes! Here's the bonus clause.' Chris continued to read. 'A further bonus will be paid, based on two percent of any difference below the target contract price of one hundred million dollars.'

'No! Make that difference from instead of difference below, as I want her to get paid both ways.' Lucinda thought for a moment. 'It will show if she's loyal to him or Zyzzx.'

'You're devious!'

'Coming from a Welshman, that's rich!' Lucinda screwed her paper up and threw it at George. 'Now we need something about duties.'

Again Chris wrote and read back. 'Your duties will include management of the house, where the negotiations will take place, some cooking, confidential waiting at table and organisation of the four other female staff.'

'Sounds fine, but I think we ought to put in something to say that she's not there for sex!' Lucinda was grinning madly. 'Either it will put her on the right scent or set her at ease.'

'This should do that!' Chris read back. 'You will not be expected to perform any act of a sexual nature, that includes the touching of any other person.'

'Good! You can read that in many ways!'

'George, you've always had a dirty mind!' Chris kicked her husband playfully in the shins.

***

'Can I take your paper, Chris?' Lucinda reached across and took it.

'Hang on, I'm the lawyer!'

'But I'm paying and we need to put in the sexy bits.' She thought, scribbled, crossed-out most of it and then wrote again, before reading back. 'As it is essential that the highest standards are maintained at all times, you will be required to be in the best of bodily and mental condition.'

'Nothing wrong there! You'll have to check that she gets fit!'

Lucinda continued to read. 'For the employment period, you will be expected to be properly corseted at all times, to a waist measurement of twenty inches.'

It was about twenty seconds before George spoke. 'You can't say that! Corsets went out with my grandmother.'

'I can and I will!' Lucinda remembered all of those conversations in the hotel suite. 'I know both of them and that will be a tremendous turn-on for her. And for him!'

'George is being evasive and he's forgotten my mother!' George blushed. 'She was born in the very early years of the twentieth century to an old Boston family and her mother trained her waist to nineteen inches as a child. I can remember sitting on her bed at perhaps three or four, whilst she tortured herself and pulled her laces tight. She was still wearing Victorian-style corsets, when she died ten years ago. I actually think, that George was turned on, by the whole thing, judging by some of the underwear he buys me!' She kicked him again.

***

'Have you any more sexual gems, Lucinda?'

Lucinda read again. 'For the employment period, you will also be expected to remove all bodily hair.'

This time it was Chris who was embarrassed. 'We all have our secrets, Lucinda. I take it you do.'

'No comment!' The two woman laughed and giggled, whilst George discretely poured some more brandy.

'And now for the last clause, unless of course, you can think of anything else.' Lucinda read what she had written. 'For the employment period, you will also be expected to have your breasts bare, with jewellery in nipple piercings at all times.'

'I like that!' George was getting into the swing of things and got kicked again.

***

Chris had now taken the notes back and was writing a legal clause to close it all. She started to read. 'You will provide photographic proof, that you have complied with the instructions by the twenty-fifth of July. You may also withdraw from the contract on that date, by returning any remaining money. If you do withdraw a reserve will be used.'

'Are you having a reserve, Lucinda?'

'George, if she withdraws or doesn't even sign the contract, then I'm free to contact him, love him, control him, fuck him or anything I want.' She came and sat on the arm of his chair. 'Did all of this turn you on, George? You looked a bit uncomfortable at times.'

'Lucinda, can I ask a favour.' She put her arm around him. 'Here take this ten dollars, Go downstairs and buy yourself a drink or some cocoa. Chris and I have an intimate discussion to perform.'

Copyright 1999 by Ewart Higgins