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He was also a lot older than me. And, word around the office had it, a lot more experienced.
Not that it would take a lot for anyone to be more experienced than I was. I was still a virgin!
I fortunately got to my cubicle without being noticed by anyone in power. Tension had been pretty high recently with both the big project and the impending lockdown. I carefully peeled back the foil wrapping holding the entire souvlaki together and ate my breakfast as neatly as I could, wiping off my hands before checking my email.
I could have kicked myself black and blue for not checking my email first. Sitting there, along with the fandom newsletters and ads from cosplay companies, was an email from Viktor. Vik, as he was called. Not least because it was the first three letters of “Viking,” which was what he looked like. Just a much cleaner, modern version.
Hand shaking, I clicked on the email that opened up a whole new world of options. I had to read it twice before the meaning of the message really sunk in. My English teacher would have been so ashamed.
Assistant Needed to Travel with Vik to Remote Location to Continue Operations and Assist with Anything Else that May be Needed.
For the first time in my life I was relieved not to have any family nearby or even a goldfish to call a dependent. An extended trip into the mountains was something I had always wanted to do. I had gone camping a few times near the base of our local range, trying to work my way up in the most literal sense, but had never had time for much more than a weekend trip into the foothills.
And there would be Internet! Which really shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was.
Then I got to the part about the money. There is no way to describe the sound that came forth from my lungs other than squeeeeee.
I covered my mouth immediately and looked around to see if anyone had heard. If they had, they weren’t letting on. My dignity remained intact.
I was definitely going to apply. I knew there would be crazy competition, but it was worth a try for the trip and money alone, not to mention the chance to get up close and personal with my sex god of a boss.
I just wondered what the “extra duties” might be. I knew most of the business jargon they used around here, but that was a new one. I figured I would find out if I got chosen, but honestly, just about anything seemed worth it for such an awesome chance.
Clearing my mind as well as I could, I started composing my response, first in my mind and then into the message box on my computer screen.
I played up my sterling record with the company as well as my fairly numerous academic achievements, including but not limited to a degree in computer science from UCLA and an award for a programming competition I had received my sophomore year.
I also mentioned my love of the outdoors, without directly stating my burning desire to go into the very mountains where the job would take me. It was heavily implied. I was sure he could figure it out.
As the cherry on top – though I had no idea how literally at the time – I said that I was young, healthy, and ready and willing to complete any task or order he might need me to carry out.
Clicking “send” with a sigh of both relief and satisfaction, I got on with the work of the day, majestic mountain views and dollar signs dancing gleefully in my head. Not to mention some sexual thoughts, as well.
If I had been superstitious enough to believe in lucky rabbit’s feet, I would have rubbed one bald by the end of the day.
I wasn’t naïve enough to think that this job would have no strings attached.
But I was secretly hoping that I would be the one to be put on Vik’s strings.
I was a little scared, but mostly excited.
And I was really hoping he’d pick me.
Chapter Three
Vik
Sleep deprivation could have some interesting physical effects. For example, the sensation of being both awake and drowsy at the same time. It generated a sort of fugue state in which I was neither energetic enough to be fully alert nor tired enough to go to sleep. The pot of coffee I drank before leaving the house no doubt had something to do with that.
The email blast had gone even better than I had expected, and I had spent most of the night trying to whittle the number of applicants down to a much more manageable size. I only had a day to choose, after all, as I was planning to head up to my own little fiefdom by the next morning.
