Sylvie turned and ran out the door. In the living room she scooped up her pocketbook from the couch and headed for the door. She did not hear the valet following her, and for that much she was grateful. When his apartment door was closed behind her she headed for the street door and dashed outside. The cold air mass that had enveloped Washington after the thunderstorm filled her lungs as she began to clatter up the street on her high heels. She knew she would never find a taxi in that neighborhood, and she would have a long way to go. Her freedom gave her no pleasure whatsoever since she knew that it was only temporary, and she dreaded having to face her unsuspecting husband that evening at the special dinner she had promised him.
Chapter 3
'I'll take care of it for you, Ron.' Arlene took the list of delegates from Ron Cassidy's desk and headed outside to her own office. She enjoyed being Ron's assistant, and she was good at her job, she knew.
It was much more rewarding to work for the middle brother of the Cassidy family than it would have been acting as her cousin Sylvie's assistant. Arlene settled down at her desk and began to go over the list. Some of the names were starred, and those people she must contact for Ron.
Sometimes she was startled to realize how well it had all turned out.
She had thought upon arriving at the Cassidy's place in Grandville that her cousin's husband Tim was in reality the perfect man for her! This inner conviction had created a great deal of friction between the two women, and had led Arlene to initiate one blissful night with Tim himself. Arlene still remembered sitting on the young District Attorney's lap that night out on the enclosed terrace. She would never forget the smooth hardness of his cock rising upward between her nakedly trembling buttocks, sinking high into the seeping pit of her willing cunt. Her own cousin's husband! She and Sylvie had been raised as sisters by Sylvie's father when Arlene was orphaned at an early age, and yet even that closeness was not enough to make Arlene change her feeling that she and not Sylvie belonged with Tim!
That was a long time ago now, and Arlene was glad that she no longer felt that way. All the status and excitement that she might have gained as Tim's wife were coming her way now with Ron. And even though there had never been any mention of marriage, and probably never would be, Arlene knew that there was a closeness between the two of them that would last for a long time. They were two of a kind, really, she mused now, while looking through the papers on her desk. Each of them had a hard edge, a ruthless quality that enabled them to accomplish things where others might fail. Ron did all the dirty work for his senatorbrother-badgering delegates, bribing, tempting, all the things that the Senator himself tried to stay above.
But more important to Arlene, Ron was really the first person to ever discover the clue to her secret nature, and he had opened up to her an entirely new realm of sensuality that she had never dreamed possible.
The pair did not actually live together, but Ron had insisted that Arlene take an apartment directly next to his in the elegant new apartment building on the outskirts of the city. That way, Arlene was always available when he wanted her for business or for pleasure, and she was always willing and capable for both.
Chicly attired in a lightweight suit of a subdued tone of gray, Arlene made an impressive appearance as she sat behind her desk. Her dark hair had been cut so that a few brush strokes would keep it in place all day. With a serious expression on her face, Arlene pressed a button on her desk. Within a few moments the young girl who was her secretary came in.
'Yes, Miss Pickering?' she inquired.
'Mary, would you please make up a list of the names and addresses and phone numbers of the starred and underlined people on this list?'
'Yes, Ma'am,' the young girl answered. 'Right away!'
Arlene watched as the girl left her office, and then she decided that she would take a break until the list was completed. She was feeling a trifle unsettled that day, and she wasn't sure just why. There was really no reason for her to be dissatisfied about anything. The secret campaign for Tim Cassidy's nomination to the Presidency was going well.
She and Ron, and of course Tim himself, were seeing to that. But Arlene realized that it had been a few days since she and Ron had spent the night together. True, they had both been extremely busy. Every day counted now that the summer was approaching, and then at the end of the summer the party convention would take place and they would make sure that Tim Cassidy was nominated. It was all pretty exciting, and Arlene felt a thrill racing through her. To think that she was connected with such historical events… that she was actually helping to shape the course of the country and of the world!
She stood up and went to her window. The office building that she and Ron worked in was not far from the Capitol and Tim's Senatorial office, and Arlene could see the buildings from her window. She paced restlessly back and forth for a moment, her long slim legs carrying her well-proportioned figure with graceful steps. Arlene had always been considered a beautiful young woman, and back in her home town had been pursued by many young men. None of them, however, had succeeded in capturing her heart. Although she had occasionally explored the more carnal pleasures with them, they had done little but scratch the surface of her deep-rooted sensuality. What Arlene had really wanted was to be recognized as a person.
Ron had given her both of these things, she realized, her heart suddenly beating wildly. He had thrust her into a position of power where all of her talents were put to use, and she had not abused his trust on her. In addition, he had captured her body and soul and shown her what it was like to give herself up totally to another person!
It had only been a few days now, but Arlene realized that she missed Ron's hard body against hers. She did not really think that the romance between them was cooling, but the tiny hint of an idea was there. A few days meant nothing, really, she told herself.
Suddenly her intercom buzzed, and Arlene rushed to her desk.
'Arlene?'
'Yes, Ron?'
'Get in here, babe. We're going out to lunch with Senator Grotter!'
'I'll be right there,' Arlene replied. She turned and opened the door to her closet, taking in the sight of herself in the full-length mirror she had attached to the inside of the door. She looked perfectly dressed for almost any occasion. She added a dab of 'Femme' perfume behind her ears and about her neck, inhaling its brisk yet feminine scent with pleasure.
It was a perfume that seemed to announce to the world that she was no longer a girl, but indeed, a woman! Feeling strong and capable, she went into Ron's office. More than anything, she felt they were partners, facing the world and its daily problems together.
The lunch took place in the back room of La Fourchette, an exclusive French restaurant often visited by congressmen and their cohorts. They had the small room to themselves, although it was often used for two or three tables. Arlene knew that Ron had asked that they have a private meeting place, where they could nevertheless enjoy the excellent cuisine of La Fourchette. In the front room, a small string quartet played diffused and competitive music, and this music was piped into the back room so that Arlene and Ron and Senator Grotter could hear it.
They were just completing the last of seven courses and drinking a very pleasant Bordeaux with their cheese. Arlene was no longer participating in the lively conversation with Senator Grotter because she knew that Ron was not zeroing in on the real topic of interest. They wanted and needed the influential Senator's assistance if Tim Cassidy was going to be nominated at the convention.
He had never shown himself friendly to any of the Cassidys, and had delighted in making derogatory statements to the press about Tim's abilities whenever he got the chance. He was an old crocodile, as Ron put it, and it was up to them to charm him!
Arlene rose to go to the ladies' room. The wine was making her feel a nice glow and she walked slowly toward the private accommodations for that room. She seemed to be able to feel the eyes of the two men upon her swaying buttocks as she moved away from their table, and she felt proud to be such a good-looking woman as well
