Message-ID: <14693eli$9808232202@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Archived-At: From: "Bill Morgan" Subject: {Morgan} NEW: Turnaround 5/16 M/F Rom; lite sex Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d Content-Type: text/plain Path: qz!not-for-mail Organization: The Committee To Thwart Spam Approved: X-Moderator-Contact: Eli the Bearded X-Story-Submission: X-Original-Message-ID: <19980823145557.7021.qmail@hotmail.com> Author's note: If you are looking for wall-to-wall sex, look elsewhere. This book is a romance with a business setting. Beyond that, the sex is comparable to - or less than - what one would find in almost any work of popular fiction. Permission is granted to post on any free site, as long as the copyright statement is included. Please advise the author of any such postings. Comments are welcome and encouraged. Please address me at morg105829@aol.com. I hope you enjoy the book. My plan is to post a chapter each weekday; it will take about three weeks for it all to be up. This is chapter 5 of 16. Six-Month Turnaround Copyright 1992, 1998 by Morgan. All rights reserved. Chapter 5 At eight o'clock the next morning Cliff was pleased to see everyone was present in the meeting room for the planning session. Moreover, everyone was wearing casual clothes. He announced that John Flood was no longer with the company and was pleased when he saw no looks of either surprise or dismay. "When we ended the session yesterday, we were talking about factors affecting the growth of the market. Has anyone thought of any others?" There were additional mentions which the group discussed. After each, Cliff showed on the chart whether the net effect on market growth was up, down or neutral. He was pleased to see that participation, particularly from the sales and marketing people, had increased substantially. Then he turned to competitor strengths and weaknesses. The first company they looked at was Ajax Industries. He explained that he was looking for three things: general characteristics and strategic thrust, strengths, and weaknesses. He defined a strength as putting a company in the top 25 percent of competitors, and a weakness, in the bottom 25 percent. The middle 50 percent would be listed, if appropriate, as a general characteristic of competitors. One of the salesmen offered a strength for Ajax, "Strong prices." Once again Cliff was grateful for Sandy. She had neatly sketched out a seating chart with names and organization unit shown. The speaker was a salesman named Don Peters. "Don," he asked, "What do you mean by 'strong prices'?" "Sir, they're not one of those scuzz-bag operators, always chiseling off their posted prices. Ajax sticks to its price list. They call the tune in our business, particularly to OEM - original-equipment manufacturers." "Okay, Don, I'll record that Ajax is the price leader. Folks, what I heard Don say is that Ajax establishes prices, and everyone else prices off them. Does anybody disagree?" Jane Miller spoke up. "I disagree! Ajax never leads. They just follow on price moves. There's no way they're the price leader!" Cliff smiled at the girl. He noticed that she looked like she had not had much sleep the night before. For that matter, Steve Muller looked like he was in real pain. It appeared to be a combination of the fast trip from the Coast with a two-hour west-to-east time change, coupled with very little sleep the night before. "Jane, I'm sorry. I'm afraid you're wrong for a change, and Don's right. A price leader is the guy who determines if a price change sticks. Do you remember the primary steel industry years ago before steel imports and electric furnaces started to chew it up? In those days, U.S. Steel was the price leader. The company almost never initiated a price move. Moves were usually initiated by small companies. But everyone watched what U.S. Steel did. If the small company put prices up and U.S. Steel followed, all the others moved, too, and that became the new industry price. If Steel didn't move, the smaller company quickly retreated. Now, Jane, who was the price leader? The little company that changed the price first or U.S. Steel?" "I was wrong," Jane responded. "I guess I'm not awake yet this morning. It's obviously Steel, and I agree with Don. Ajax is the price leader." "Don," Cliff said, "I want to come back to something else you said. I didn't record a strength for Ajax for 'strong prices,' and I want to talk about it. First, I should have stressed something at the outset. Everything on these sheets we're working on is from the point of view of the market, not us or our competitors. Unless we're dealing with a weird market like high-end perfume, the market always prefers low prices to high prices. How the seller makes money - or if he does - is his problem. It may not be nice, but if the buyer can get what he wants free, he'll grab it in an instant. "I once had a client in a chemical business. He was demolishing his two competitors, primarily with low prices, and they didn't have the first clue how he could do it. The answer was very simple, but they didn't know it. My client was known to use a totally different process to produce the same product all three sold. What they didn't know was that my client's raw material was a waste product generated in the production of a best- selling antibiotic. While they paid for their raw materials, my client was paid five dollars a ton to *take* his, with the antibiotic's manufacturer paying for transportation besides! By the way, the pharma company thought it was getting a great deal, too. Before my client came along, they had to pay twenty to twenty-five dollars a ton, plus trans portation, to get rid of the stuff. They were delighted. Now, put yourselves in the shoes of my client's competitors: How can you compete on price when you're buying your raw materials against a guy who is paid to take his? The answer is: not easily. They're likely to be at a major cost disadvantage. Do you all see what I mean?" The group had listened to Cliff with some surprise. Finally, they conceded that high prices for Ajax was a weakness, not a strength. The discussion moved ahead and covered the other competitors in the market including captive producers and U.S. plants of overseas-based companies. They had taken a break at ten o'clock and finally reached the lunch hour. Cliff was very pleased with the progress that had been made. He smiled to himself when he went into the same private dining room. The cold buffet was the same as the day before. The only change was the kind of soup offered. After he took a seat Sandy sat down beside him. "Cliff," she said, "if I understand this process correctly, we're going to move from this discussion to find out what we need to do to win in the business we're in. Then we try to figure out what changes have to be made to do it. Is that right?" "Sandy, that's exactly right. What we're really doing is stripping away all of the tinsel and ornaments to see what the tree - the basic structure of our industry and our company - is really like. Operationally, we're always bogged down in detail and day-to- day crises, so we almost never look. We're looking now." The meeting reconvened and Cliff shifted the subject to basis of competition: How does a company win the game. He explained there are usually a small number of factors - normally only three to five - that determine success. "Folks," he explained, "this section is absolutely critical! If we don't get this section right before we set our strategy, *everything* is wrong. We won't win and can't win because we will be focusing on the wrong things. When we complete it, the list will tell us what we need to do. Our strategy will be the things we intend to do to make it happen. Again, as in the discussion of strengths and weaknesses, it's from the point of view of the *market*! So I don't want to hear 'high profits.' The market couldn't care less about our profits. If they can get a better price from us, they would just as soon we didn't make any. This is the list of things to be done. How we achieve them - and make a profit - is what our strategy is all about. Understand? Now who wants to start?" Steve Muller offered the first suggestion, "Cliff, how about low prices?" Cliff grinned at Steve. "I'm sorry, Steve, I'm afraid I set you up for that with our earlier discussions. But let's talk about it: We said customers prefer lower prices to higher prices. However, we also see Ajax winning the game: They have the leading market share, they're gaining share and they're the price leader, yet we dinged them for high prices. Are you starting to see how this process works? We're trying to get *concepts* to add down and add across in the same way an accountant works to get his numbers to add down and across. Clearly, we're missing something. It's axiomatic that a company can't be winning if it's doing important things wrong. So how is Ajax winning with high prices?" At this point, Bill Stevens spoke up. "I think what we're missing is the price-quality equation. When we talk price we're assuming the products are equal in quality. I don't think they are. I think Ajax delivers consistently high quality that can create savings to the buyer. He can save in quality assurance, component testing, warranty claims, and his general reputation. Let's face it: If one of our valves fails in service, who takes the rap with the customer? It's certainly not us. Most people don't even know we exist. Magna Motors, or whoever we sold our valve to, takes the heat. It's their engine, after all, not ours. Does this make any sense, Cliff? I don't know a damn thing about strategy. I can't even spell it, for God's sake!" "Thanks, Bill," Cliff responded, "I appreciate the comment and what you just said certainly does make sense. There's one point I want to pick up on, and that's participation in these sessions. The reason you're all here is I believe you all have something to contribute... and I know you have a lot to learn. When we finish, you need to know what our strategy is. More important, you need to *understand* it! You can only develop that understanding through this kind of participation. If I didn't stress it enough before, I'll do it now. No one is being graded in this session. The grades come afterwards, when you're out performing in the factory, with customers... wherever. "One more thing: there are no dumb questions. The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked. If you're confused, it's entirely possible it's because we're not clear... or our bright idea may not be nearly as bright as we might like to think it is. Now, what about Bill's idea of a price/quality relationship?" The discussion continued through the afternoon, looking at price history, market segments - it turned out that the export market was growing rapidly but Murphy was ignoring it - production facilities and other factors. Cliff finally turned his attention to Murphy Manufacturing. As they looked at the company's position in the industry over time, the erosion of its position became very clear. Cliff adjourned the meeting when he got to Murphy's strengths and weaknesses. Sandy came up to him and said, "Cliff, you look absolutely beat. It's obvious to me what you're doing up there is tiring as hell. It's really the mental equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your belly, isn't it? It's really a hell of a lot tougher than it looks! Could I buy you dinner? Please?" Cliff had collapsed into a chair after standing all afternoon. He pretended to prop up one eyelid, and smiled at her. "Sandy, you're great. I scarcely have the energy to get down to my car. I'd love it!" She smiled at him and said, "There's an ulterior motive. Jane drove me in this morning and then went off with Steve. I think they're both so tired they may actually sleep tonight. Anyway, I need a ride home... again." "It's a deal!" Cliff said, "provided you drive." Reaching into his coat for his car keys, he put them in her hand. He was asleep almost as soon as he got into the car. The next thing he knew his shoulder was being shaken. "We're here," Sandy said, "but I'll be damned if I'm going to carry you up to my apartment. Feel better?" Cliff blinked and smiled. "Much better, thank you. Now where would you like to eat?" He looked at himself and suddenly remembered he was wearing casual clothes. "I'm afraid it can't be too swanky, though, with me dressed like this." "Come on in," she said. "We'll figure out something." They went up to her apartment. Cliff was very impressed. Although it was only a fraction of the size of Stephanie's he liked it much better, but he couldn't quite figure out why. In addition to its larger size, Stephanie's had its magnificent view over Lake Michigan, while Sandy's, in a low-rise, just looked out at a quiet residential street. Suddenly, he understood. Stephanie's was decorator-dramatic: beautifully done by an expensive decorator for a dramatic effect which had been achieved. Sandy's, on the other hand, was also exquisitely decorated but with an eye to comfort. He asked about drinks and made two while she went to her bedroom to change. He sat down on the sofa with his drink. The next thing he knew, Sandy was shaking his shoulder again. "Dinner's ready," she announced. Cliff looked up at her and realized she was again wearing what she had worn the previous Saturday - tight Levi's and her Michigan sweatshirt. Once again, her lovely auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "I'm sorry, Sandy. That was awful! I just sat down... and that's all I remember. Please believe me! It's a tribute to the comfort of your furnishings, not a comment on the hostess." He noticed that his untouched drink was now water. She smiled at him. "It's just as well," she said. "It kept you from being underfoot while I got dinner ready. I hope you're not tired of steak? That's about the extent of my culinary ability, except for opening cans." Sandy had set the table in her small dining area. It was apparent to Cliff that she was using her good china, crystal and silver. He supposed she inherited it from her family. The table was beautiful. Sandy brought out jumbo shrimp cocktail with Arnaud's sauce and Cliff expressed his surprise. "This is the strangest looking steak I've ever seen. And this has to be Arnaud's sauce from New Orleans, isn't it?" She nodded and poured a bottle of chilled white wine. Cliff noted it was a vintage French Chablis which was magnificent with the shrimp. She cleared the plates and returned with two beautiful boneless sirloins served with sauce Périgord, and Cliff could see she had a heavy hand with the very expensive truffles slivered into it. The steak was served with thinly sliced french fries and a salad. She poured from a half bottle of chateau-bottled vintage Bordeaux that had been opened earlier to breathe. He noticed that her portion was virtually the same size as his, and she ate it. He couldn't help contrast this girl with Stephanie. Stephanie was always chasing the latest in food fads, but as far as he could tell didn't enjoy eating anything. She merely picked, yet always seemed to be fighting her weight. Sandy, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy food and eating, yet complained of being too thin. She served coffee and cognac in the living room. "Cliff, there's a good movie on cable tonight. Would you like to watch?" He nodded agreeably and sat down on the sofa while she tuned the set to a pay channel. When she sat down beside him on the sofa, he put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled close beside him. He enjoyed the movie, but didn't know what to do. Sandy had almost immediately fallen asleep in his arms. He went to remove his arm but she had her hand on it and wouldn't let go. The movie was action-adventure, and the noises of the final scene woke her up. He smiled down at her bright green eyes and asked, "Did you enjoy the movie?" She smiled sleepily at him, "More than any movie I've seen in years. It was great!" she said softly. Then he tipped her face up and kissed her softly. He could feel her lips open under his and felt her tongue dart out. His hand went under her sweatshirt and he felt one of her beautifully shaped breasts in his hand. He cupped it and his hand was caught and held by hers from outside the sweatshirt. "Cliff," she said very softly, "No further, please. I only have the willpower to say it once. But it feels so wonderful! Please don't stop." He went back to kissing her. My God! he thought. We're necking after a movie! He realized he hadn't done that in about fifteen years, and it was wonderful. Whenever she kissed him, it was like receiving a jolt of electricity. He realized he was in love with this girl he had known for only ten days! Sandy was in heaven. She could feel his strong hand cupping her breast. For the first time in her life she didn't even feel inadequate! She realized, although she was not big- chested, her breast filled his hand. His kisses were wonderful. Then she felt his hand moving under her sweatshirt caressing her upper body. She stretched and lay back against him, savoring the feeling of being loved. Finally he pulled away, looked at her and saw her brilliant green eyes glowing with love. He slowly withdrew his hand, gathered her in his arms and kissed her again. He realized it was getting late, and there would be another big day tomorrow. He got up from the sofa and helped her up. She just snuggled against his chest with her arms around him. "Sandy," he said softly, "I'm going to bed. You used up your willpower awhile ago. I don't know when I used up mine, but there's none left. I would love nothing better than to go to bed with you, but we both know we shouldn't. Right?" He could feel her head making a tiny nod on his shoulder. She looked up at him and said, "Thanks so much, Cliff! This was the nicest date I've ever had." He smiled at her and gave her a soft kiss. "Sandy, that was the best meal I've eaten in ages. Since it was just pot luck, promise to invite me when you decide to cook a real meal?" She just smiled and nodded. He slowly released her and went down to his car. Meanwhile, Sandy turned off the lights and got ready for bed. Once in bed, she shivered remembering the feel of his hands running over her body and the thrill of his lips on hers. She tried to make sense of her thoughts but couldn't. She only knew he was the man for whom she had been waiting her entire life. As he drove back to his apartment, Cliff thought about Sandy and Stephanie. The two girls were a study in contrasts. And in every one Stephanie came up short. He was amused thinking about Sandy saying she could "only cook a steak." The way it was cooked would have done a master chef proud. In contrast, Stephanie could not have possibly cooked anything like it if her life depended on it, and could not have boiled water with the ease with which Sandy prepared the full meal. Moreover, there was a contrast in living styles and in friends. He didn't care much for Stephanie's, but he realized he didn't know any of Sandy's except Jane whom he liked. He guessed her friends would be an eclectic group, centered on Murphy Manufacturing. But having come to that conclusion he realized he had no basis for it. Finally, he thought about the movie. He couldn't be sure if she liked those movies or if she thought he would. He did know he couldn't remember having more fun even though they hadn't shared a bed. He remembered fondly how she had snuggled close to him and slept with his arm around her, and wouldn't let him move it. He could still feel her bare skin under his finger tips, and how, with his hand cupping her breast, she had placed her hand to keep it there. And her kisses made his toes curl! All of this, while wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, which made him feel far more romantic than he ever did with Stephanie and all her stage management. * * * The next day they began on Murphy's strengths and weaknesses. The picture that emerged was not bright. The only significant strengths were the company name - although it wasn't nearly as good as it once was - and skilled workers. Weaknesses included high prices, lethally coupled with poor quality. The product line was rated the broadest in the industry. Initially, some had argued it to be a strength yet discussion revealed that individual customers used few products, but typically in high volume. They looked at many other facets of the business and then examined market maturity. The market was rated classically mature: growth was slow, the market cycled, no new entrants, little untapped potential. The competitive position exercise labeled them Weak, i.e., currently unsatisfactory performance with opportunity for improvement. It is an inherently unstable position. A Weak company must improve to at least Satisfactory or become Nonviable, i.e., dead. They finally arrived at strategy formulation. Cliff initiated the strategy discussion: "Can anyone tell me the difference between a goal and an objective?" he asked. Sandy spoke up. "I think I heard somewhere that an objective is a special class of goal that's achievable, measurable and time-bound. A goal isn't necessarily any of those things. Cliff, it's well known around the company that you gave the board specific objectives to be reached by October 1. They're measurable - stated in dollar terms, and time-bound - by October 1. We all hope they turn out to be achievable." She looked at Cliff and asked, "How's that?" Cliff was smiling broadly as he answered, "That's an 'A+' answer! It's perfect! Now, Miss Donnell, the $64 question... No! We'll make it for dinner Saturday night. What is the goal for Murphy Manufacturing?" "There can be only one goal: the maximization of long-run profits. Do I get a dinner? My choice of places?" "You sure do! Now, since you're obviously hitting on all cylinders - equipped with Murphy rings and valves, we hope - would you explain to the group for extra credit..." He grinned and indicated the people in the room. "...why it's a goal, not an objective, why it's the only appropriate goal, and what it means?" Sandy was smiling and obviously enjoying herself. It was apparent that the other people in the room were reacting with varying degrees of surprise except for Jane Miller who expected Sandy to be correct. Sandy started her explanation. "First, why it's a goal, not an objective: It's not time-bound. What does 'long-term' mean? It's not measurable. It's impossible to prove, even long after the fact, if profits were in fact being maximized. Finally, it may not be possible to do. It doesn't meet any of the tests of an objective. "It's the only possible goal, because as a profit-making company, it's our reason for being here. Everything else - fair wages, good employee relations, good corporate citizenship - whatever that means - being environmentally sound - all play off the profit maximization concept. For example, if the company pollutes the lake, the State of Wisconsin, the Feds, or both, close us down. End of story. We certainly didn't maximize profits long term. If we have lousy relations with our employees, the good ones quit and we can't replace them. We're through - again. What it means is this: We do the best job we can, balancing long- and short-term requirements in an optimum fashion. Mr. Fitzpatrick, I think I explained it. Doing it, sir, is your job!" "Another 'A+' answer. Sandy, that was the best answer I've ever heard anywhere. As a reward, while I try to figure out how I'm going to pay for dinner, you get to stand up here, marker in hand, and discuss objectives and goals. You can get the ink on your fingers. I'll rest my feet and heckle." He grinned and handed her his felt marker. Sandy was startled but went up to the charts and asked, "Does anyone have any questions or comments?" Kevin O'Rourke spoke up. "Sandy, what should our objective be? Better yet, what's our strategy?" Sandy looked a little flustered and looked at Cliff. Avoiding her eyes, he studied the carpet pattern. "Kevin, I think it's pretty straightforward. Putting together all the material Cliff dragged out of us - there are over forty sheets papering the walls - I think it's fairly simple. Incidentally, I'll try to write big. I heard a rumor that we can't get out of the room if there's one square inch of wall not covered with these sheets. "First, we strip down the product line to about 5 percent of the products we're offering now. I guess we'll work out the numbers between now and the next session. According to Cliff's little strategy cards, that's called Product Rationalization. "Second, we streamline our manufacturing process. We clean up the line layout, knock off a bunch of inspectors, and insist that the guys making the products get it right the first time. We debug the whole process to make it as easy as we can to do it right. I think that's Production Rationalization. While I'm borrowing his marker, I guess it's fair to steal his stories, too. He told me about a Japanese auto executive he was talking with who was very puzzled. 'Missa Fitzpatrick, I do not understand American companies. You pay one man do, another man undo, and third man redo. Much cheaper to do it right, first time!' Anyway, Cliff thought the Japanese made sense, and I know he did. Does anyone here care seriously to argue that he doesn't?" No one spoke. "I didn't think so. "Third, we have to build our export business, with a special focus on South America. "That's enough, and it's a lot. I would like to say one more thing: What's an assistant doing setting strategy, you wonder. Well, so do I. I can't even spell strategy the same way twice, and that's *my* job. I've worked at Murphy for more years than I care to think about, but I've learned more about our ring and valve business in the last three days than I learned in the previous ten years. After what we learned, I think our direction is obvious. What do you think?" Sandy conducted the remainder of the meeting. Cliff was impressed. Not only did she show an in-depth understanding of all the material, she had an instinctive grasp of all the interactions. He also found that she used her knowledge of the people to draw them all into the discussion. He particularly noticed that no one challenged her role as leader nor tried to blow one by her. By the time she wrapped up, every person in the room had talked about the strategy. Finally, she tried to hand him the marker, but he refused. "Folks," he said, "I know when I've been upstaged. Great job, Sandy. You close!" "You heard the man. We're all done for now. There will be memos out scheduling our next meeting dates. We're adjourned." Cliff was pleased to see the people crowd around Sandy to congratulate her. Others came over to thank him for the opportunity. Finally, he and Sandy were alone. The girl glowed. They were both straddling chairs looking at one another. Cliff looked at her and asked, "What did you think about it?" "Cliff, it was the greatest day of my life! I loved it! But you made it possible. I was being absolutely truthful. I did learn so much! Thank you." She tipped her chair forward, intent on kissing him. He leaned forward, too, to close the distance. The kiss with both of them balancing on tipped chairs was breathtaking. The only contact was with their lips. Sandy was trying to convey the depth of her love through her lips and did. Cliff was rocked to his shoes. * * * They spent the next two days on the cash management project and preparations for the session on the retail business beginning the following Monday. Sandy was funny. Now that she was recognized as the company treasurer by bankers, O'Rourke's people ran a phone line through another secretary to answer "Miss Donnell's office" if she were out, to a button on her phone which she picked up if she were in. The same line ran to Purcell's old office which she used in her capacity as treasurer. Cliff noticed she kept a beautifully tailored suit on a hangar in her new office. If a banker came to see her she quickly changed into her "treasurer's suit" and greeted them. He had asked her about Saturday night. Finally, she told him where he was taking her. The selection was her choice. * * * Cliff was wearing a dinner jacket when he went to her apartment to pick her up. Although he felt strange bringing her a spring-flower corsage, he thought it was very pretty. He rang her bell and the door opened moments later. Cliff was stunned. Sandy was wearing a silk chiffon strapless cocktail dress, and she did a little pirouette to show off the skirts. The dress was the same shade of emerald green as her eyes. She looked gorgeous. "I would whistle, Sandy, but my mother told me it isn't polite. But you are simply breathtaking!" He presented her with the flowers, feeling sheepish as he did so. He saw her eyes start to tear, and she gave him a quick, light kiss on the lips. "Thank you so much! Cliff, this is only the second corsage I've ever had! The first was for my high school senior prom... and he was a drip." She looked at him seriously. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather I cook? I feel I cheated, somehow, because I work for you." "Sandra Donnell, not on your life! You bought the dress specially for tonight, didn't you?" She nodded her head shyly. "But you would give it all up and cook, wouldn't you?" Again she nodded. "No way! The reservations are made, the champagne is being chilled, the band is warming up and I even put on a tux, for heaven's sake!" "Cliff, you look very handsome in a dinner jacket. I have to tell you that today is the proudest day of my life! I've never felt so good about myself before, and it's all your fault. I shouldn't say it I suppose, but this is the first time I have ever had the courage to wear a strapless dress. Would you believe it? I'm almost twenty-six years old! The other night you convinced me that maybe there's enough of me to hold it up." Cliff left the car with the valet parking attendant and escorted Sandy to the dining room. The maître d'hôtel greeted him and showed him to a reserved table. He enjoyed watching the heads turn at Sandy's auburn-haired beauty. When they were seated, he looked at her. "I can't imagine a girl looking more beautiful than you do now. I guess you may have taken ten or fifteen minutes to get ready?" She smiled softly. "Ten or fifteen hours, maybe. Do you like my hair? It was countless hours of torture to get it right. I think I'll wear a hair net to bed, or something romantic like that to keep it this way." The band was playing, so Cliff asked her to dance. Again, he was startled at the way she floated in his arms. When they sat down again, he called for the champagne he had ordered earlier. He was disconcerted by the way she was studying his face. "Tell me about you," she asked. "You know about all there is to know about me. Do you have any brothers or sisters?" "I have an older sister, Susan. She lives in L.A. with her husband and... I guess it's five and two-thirds nieces and nephews, now. I'm sure you'll like her, and I know she'll love you! She's two years older than I am and is constantly pregnant. I asked her one time, and she says it saves money to buy maternity dresses by the dozen. Another time I asked her if she and her husband ever did anything other than make love, and she looked at me deadpan. 'I beg your pardon,' she said. 'Charley and I have made love seven... no, eight times. I remember it distinctly. It was twice on our honeymoon, and then there was the time I miscarried. That's eight. He's just more effective than most men.' Can you believe it? The funny thing is I saw her last summer in a bikini, and she looked like her daughter's older sister. If you told someone she had given birth to five children, he would say you were crazy. I guess we're not much of an Irish family, with only two children, so Sis says she has to make up for lost time. The funny thing is she and Charley have five of the nicest kids I've ever seen. Of course, that's an unbiased uncle's point of view." "I can't wait to meet Susan!" Sandy said, taking his hand in hers. "I hope I will someday." "I was thinking about you the other night," he said. "I was contrasting you with Stephanie. Incidentally, I'm breaking it off with Stephanie for good. I thought I should tell you." He smiled at her and squeezed the hand that was still in his. "You're truly beautiful. You know that, don't you? I have never seen such a gorgeous combination of eyes, hair and skin as you have. You are extraordinary." Cliff had ordered Dom Perignon which they were sipping. The dinner was superb, and they both enjoyed the dancing until they left at closing time. Finally, they arrived back at her apartment. He stood at the door and she said, "Cliff, please come in. I would like to make us some coffee to go with some special cognac I've been saving. Could you handle some?" He smiled and went in. She had the coffee maker primed and turned it on. A few minutes later he helped her with the coffee cups and the cognac. He recognized it from its Baccarat decanter as Remy Martin's Louis XIII. As they sat together on the sofa sipping their coffee. "Sandy, tell me about yourself. I don't even know who your friends are other than Jane Miller. I gather you have no family left?" "I guess I am the last of the Murphys. Most of my friends are in the company. Being away at school for six years and working the rest of the time in the plant, I guess that's what happens sometimes." He took her in his arms and kissed her. She instantly responded with a passion that surprised him. When he ran his fingers over her bare back he found her skin was like satin to the touch. She spoke softly into his shoulder, "Do you remember giving me a question for extra credit? And I got it right? Cliff, for my prize I want you to stay with me tonight. Please?" He looked at her and could see that her eyes were glowing. "You're serious, aren't you?" he asked softly. "I've never been more serious in my life! I should warn you, though: I have next to no experience with men. I guess I was always a tomboy and then I was the kid sister. Until you came along, I always thought of myself as a graceless geek. I've only been with a man once in my life, and it was awful. He was as inexperienced as I was, if you can believe such a thing happening these days. We didn't know what we were doing, and it hurt terribly. You hear so much about the sexual revolution, but I guess I've always been hiding behind a door or something. Can you help me, Cliff? Please?" Cliff felt very humble as he followed her into her bedroom. It was beautifully furnished and yet was different, somehow. As he looked around, he realized what it was. Here was a stark contrast to what he had become used to with Stephanie. Steph had a stage setting for seduction. Sandy's room was ready to go to bed. He noticed the bedspread was off the bed, and the covers were turned down - on both sides - on the very comfortable-looking king-size bed. As they stood together in the room, it was all Sandy could do to keep her knees from knocking. She was so scared! The one previous experience she had mentioned to Cliff had been far worse than she had admitted. She was correct about one thing. Neither of them had had any experience. But she hadn't told him that the boy had just lost control. It had ended up as a rape, with Sandy screaming in pain while he forced his entry and ended with her lying on the floor with her body huddled in a ball as he left. She prayed she wouldn't make a fool of herself tonight. But she didn't have the slightest idea what to do, and Cliff was being too considerate. He was taking no initiative. She swallowed hard and realized she would have to take the lead if anything was going to happen. So she moved close to him, kissed him softly and then helped him off with his dinner jacket. Then she untied his bow tie, took off his cummerbund and began to unbutton his shirt. He had a very hairy chest and wasn't wearing an undershirt. She kissed him softly on his nipples. His braces were already hanging down, and he had slipped off his shoes. She unhooked his waistband and let his trousers fall. He stepped out of them, and was now clad only in his briefs and socks. He pulled his socks off and flipped them towards a corner, leaving only his briefs. He was so muscular and handsome it took her breath away. She was still fully clothed. Still without saying a word, she turned her back to him. Please, God, she prayed, Don't let him laugh at me. She could feel him unhook the top of her dress and slide the zipper all the way down. She stepped out of her shoes and held the front of her dress. Then she turned towards him again and just let the dress fall to the floor. Now all she was wearing were bikini briefs which she pulled down quickly and let drop. Cliff watched the lovely girl as she let go of the dress. He couldn't make out the expression in her eyes as she just stood with her arms at her sides and her shoulders back. My God, he thought, She's afraid I'll laugh! But she's magnificent! He reached out his arms and she came to him. He didn't laugh! she thought. Thank you, God. He didn't laugh! When he held out his arms, she moved closer and mashed her breasts against his chest. She moved her body against his to feel her nipples chafe against the hair on his chest. It felt marvelous! He put his hand around her small ass and squeezed a cheek. She could feel her fluids start to gush and she felt her knees almost buckle. At the same time she could feel a pressure on her abdomen where his sex made contact with her body. She steeled herself, bent down, and pulled down his briefs releasing his magnificent weapon. She just looked. She couldn't bring herself to touch it. It was so huge! I can't do this, she thought. It's so big it will tear me in half! But I must! If Stephanie can, I will. He took her to the bed, pulled down the covers, placed her on her back and got in beside her. He noticed the sheets were new, very crisp, and held a faint trace of her perfume. She made no move to turn down the lights as he began to caress her body. She steeled herself and moved her hand toward his sex. She found it, touched it gingerly and decided she liked its feel. Then she began to caress it as he continued stroking her body. His hand moved down to her legs and started lightly to caress her thigh. She parted her legs to give him access, and his hand moved up to her cunt. She felt herself impaled as his finger moved inside her and contacted her clitoris. Her fluids had been flowing, and she could feel her warm wetness around his finger. Meanwhile, her hips had started to move, seemingly of their own volition. She was simultaneously scared and wanting. She had steeled herself to take him, and she seemed to understand that her body wanted him more than her brain feared him. "Please, Cliff, now!" she whispered, "Please." He moved on top of her. Using her hand to guide him to her vaginal opening, she lifted her hips to try to make his entry easier. He moved forward and she felt a small pop as the head of his sex entered her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and felt him move deeper inside her. He withdrew and went in again, and yet again. Suddenly she realized he was in to his full length. And it hadn't hurt! She felt stretched. She thought she could feel him all through her insides as she wrapped her legs tightly around him. She lay back on the bed to enjoy the feeling of having him inside her. Cliff looked down at her. As he entered her, he saw her head toss from side to side, and her hands alternately caressed him and pressed flat against the sheet. He could feel her strong legs wrapped around him, and when he had entered her fully, tighten around his hips. At that instant her eyes opened, and he saw a look of pure joy. "You're in me," she whispered. "Of course I am. Are you surprised?" He leaned forward and kissed her while she continued to hold him with her legs. Slowly he started to move in and out. She picked up his timing and started to move her hips in tempo. Sandy was startled when she felt an involuntary spasm in her vagina. Could this be an orgasm? she wondered. She could hear herself making involuntary sounds as he used long strokes that seemed to last forever. His tempo speeded up, and hers did, too. She could feel herself being taken up to a peak. When she reached one, she felt the sensuous spasm again, and yet again, each stronger than the last. She tried to grip his sex with her vaginal muscles. He was so large inside her she fit him like a very tight lubricated glove. She could feel herself climbing again, higher and higher. Her pelvis now had a life of its own as she continued to bump and grind against him. She was taken higher, higher and higher still. Suddenly she exploded and then fainted as her nervous system overloaded and cut out. Cliff reached his peak as he worked within her. Her head tossed faster and faster and her involuntary sounds increased in intensity. Then she experienced a series of orgasms, each more intense than the last. Still they had moved together in a way he had never experienced before. He could sense it as she approached her climax and then he exploded, bringing her over with him. His fluids pumped into her as her vaginal muscles contracted violently to squeeze him dry. He saw her go limp as he collapsed on top of her. Sandy slowly regained consciousness. She had never felt like this before. As sensation returned, she realized she was on her back, with her side molded to a wonderfully warm body. Then she realized an arm was over her holding her tightly while its hand was holding her breast. She nestled closer and the hand started to move. Quickly, she took it in hers and kept it pressed to her breast. With her head resting on his shoulder, Cliff heard her whisper, "Please!" He kept his hand in place, and they went to sleep. Daylight coming through the blinds finally awakened him. He realized he had his arm around this lovely girl nestled against him. When he softly squeezed the breast he was holding, he heard a warm sound from deep in her throat. She rolled over on her side and faced him with her arm coming around and over him. He could feel her long fingers stroking his chest. Looking over, he saw a pair of lovely green eyes regarding him. This is heaven! she thought as his hand gripped her breast. She rolled over in bed and put her arm over his body. She looked intently at his face and whispered, "Good morning, Darling! What happened last night? The last thing I remember was going higher and higher, and then everything exploded. I never dreamed it could be like that." She looked at him with concern showing in her eyes. "Was I all right?" she asked anx iously. "It was perfect, Sandy!" he said. "I've never experienced anything like it. Ever!" He suddenly realized how beautiful she looked even though she had just awakened. He ran his fingers over her body and felt her satin skin under his fingertips. He ran his hand through her hair and tousled it. She just shook her head under his fingers and smiled. Cliff realized again how unlike Steph she was. Stephanie would have had a fit if he messed up her hairdo. Sandy seemed to relish the feeling. Sandy threw off her covers and ran into the bathroom. Moments later she went off toward the kitchen, and Cliff got out of bed to go to the bathroom. As he was coming out, she came back into the room. She looked at him and decided he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She went up to him and shyly took his flaccid sex in her fingers. "It doesn't look nearly so terrifying this morning," she said softly. He lifted her chin to look straight into her eyes. "Was it terrifying last night?" he asked. She buried her face in his shoulder which muffled her reply, "I was certain it would rip me in half." Again he lifted her chin. He could see that she was very serious. "Why did you let me do it, then?" he asked, genuinely concerned. She didn't lower her gaze. "Because I wanted to. Honey, I was determined if Stephanie could take you inside, I could, too... regardless. I so desperately wanted it inside me, I didn't care if you ripped me open to make room. Could you feel my... cunt?... flowing with moisture? My body thought it could take you inside, even if my brain didn't believe it. Then it just went in with a little pop, and it was all over. You can't believe how wonderful you felt. You're so big! Now I feel so wonderfully sore down there... and we only did it once. Can we do it again, soon?" She had been concentrating on his eyes so much she wasn't aware that his cock had become rigid again. As he pulled her closer, it bent back between them. Her hand went down to caress it and then asked, "Do you mind?" For an answer he just smiled and put his finger in her now-moist slit. "Do you?" "That feels so good! But you're ready again." She took his hand and led him to the bed. "Can the girl ever be on top?" she asked shyly. He turned on his back, and said, "Of course, honey!" He watched as she carefully strad dled him. "Am I doing this right?" she asked. "You're doing just fine!" he replied as he cradled her ass cheeks in his hands and stroked them with his finger tips. She positioned herself over his cock and allowed her body to settle slowly. Again she was surprised at how easily his huge sex penetrated her. She rotated her hips and used her vagina to pull him into her. She was trying to do it all in a single stroke. Finally, she could feel him all the way inside. He moved his hands and grasped her beautiful breasts which were bouncing slightly in front of him. "God, they're lovely," he said as he played with her small pink nipples and watched as they became erect. She leaned further forward and he lifted his head and shoulders off the bed to kiss her. She put one of her hands behind his head to pull him closer to her. It felt so marvelous to kiss her like this with his hands holding her breasts while his cock was being caressed by her vaginal muscles. Slowly, she started to move up and down on the bar of his sex that impaled her. Her hips rotated as she moved up and down. The feeling in her sex was exquisite. Again she heard herself moan as her passion built to a small orgasm; she paused for a moment and continued. Now she could feel her passion rise higher than the first time to a peak followed by yet another orgasmic re lease. She focused her eyes on Cliff's face as he tried to maintain control during her orgasm. It built to a stronger climax again, followed by another and yet another. Finally she heard herself cry out as her cunt exploded, triggering Cliff's release as well. Her hips jerked uncontrollably as if they had a life of their own. She collapsed on his chest and could feel her cunt continue to pulsate to extract the last bit of semen from the cock inside it. She lay with her head on his chest as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Finally she raised her head and looked at him proudly. "I didn't faint! I was conscious the whole time!" She looked at him with a question in her eyes, "Cliff, is it always this good?" He put his arms around her and pulled her close. Then he pulled the covers up over them, stroked her hair, and ran his fingertips over her back. "No, it's not. It's never been this good before. Ever! Sandy, you're marvelous!" He continued to stroke her and heard her make soft mewing sounds as she gently caressed his chest with her breasts. "Does that feel good to you?" she asked, pushing herself away from his chest so she could see his eyes. "It feels so wonderful to chafe my nipples on your chest!" He just smiled and nodded. Then she grinned. "Come on! The coffee's ready." Cliff was torn. On the one hand it felt so great to just hold this lovely girl. On the other, the coffee smell, now wafting into the bedroom, was wonderful. With a groan he got out of bed and followed her into the kitchen. He again contrasted her behavior with Stephanie's. Not only did Sandy not mind him seeing her naked, she seemed to revel in it. When he got into the kitchen, Sandy had already poured two cups of coffee and was making preparations for a big breakfast. He sat on a chair and watched her move about the room so gracefully. Finally he asked, "Sandy, how did you know I would be staying last night?" She looked up in surprise, then smiled. "I didn't know, Cliff, but I was hoping." She looked at him abashed, and asked diffidently, "Was everything all right? Was the bed okay? I guess I shouldn't have been so obvious, should I?" He had looked around the apartment and noticed everything was spotless. "Sandy, you said last night you had spent hours getting ready. Looking at how beautiful you look this morning with no makeup, and seeing how beautiful your apartment looks, I have to believe it was about thirty minutes for you and ten hours for the apartment." "Don't you like it?" she asked anxiously. "It's not as pretty as you are, but it's a lovely apartment." She had made bacon and eggs with toast and hash browns. She brought two plates to the table and sat down facing him at the breakfast table. After they had eaten, she poured more coffee. He looked at her as she sat across from him. "You know, you look awfully cute sitting there. You have beautiful breasts. They stand up so proudly with their lovely little nipples." She looked down at her breasts and then back at him. "Aren't they kind of small, though? I thought men liked girls with big boobs - the kind you can mash your face into." "Now why would you think a thing like that? I thought you were the kid sister?" She smiled. "That's just it. I am. But you know what? Guys tell their fantasies to their kid sisters sometimes. I guess when I'm not being the kid sister, I'm the one they come to cry to. Honestly, I felt like crying more times than I can count. A guy who I thought was pretty attractive broke up with his girl and came to me to cry about it. Of course, it never occurred to him to ask me out. I can't tell you how often that scene was played. I guess that's how I developed a taste for beer. Whenever it happened, I would walk the guy to the nearest bar and let him cry in his beer. It never occurred to them to look at me. But in the meantime the guy would wax poetic about what gorgeous boobs the girl had. Once a guy went into raptures telling me about his ex-girlfriend's lovely cunt... in graphic detail, yet." She looked at him, "It hurts, Cliff. It really does. So if you think I lack self- confidence, there's a reason for it." "What fools!" he exclaimed. "Honey, I know it hurt. On the other hand, you would have been married long ago if they had eyes in their heads, so it's a break for me. You are absolutely perfect!" "I suppose there were compensations," she said with a wry smile. "I never would have made Phi Beta Kappa if I dated. All I ever did was pick up the pieces every once in a while. Cliff, you can't believe how bad it was. Once I was invited by one of those guys to his wedding. He wanted me there because *I* restored *his* self-confidence. Can you believe it?" He leaned across the table and softly kissed her. "It's their loss. Sandy, you seem very unconcerned around me. You make no effort to hide your body. If you're so ashamed of it, why don't you?" She was puzzled and then shook her head. "Because I love you. I'm not much, Cliff. But I don't want you to be fooled... to think you might be getting something you're not. Do you really like me?" "Darling, no! I love you! And I think you have a perfect body." "What do you want to do now?" she asked. "I want to get to know that luscious body of yours better. May I?" "Honey, if it's in my power to give, you can have it. What do you want to do?" "Shouldn't we do the dishes first?" he asked. "Are you kidding? The dishes are always here. This is the first time in my life I ever spent a night with a man. Cliff, you can't believe how wonderful the night was, or how great I think the man is! What would you like me to do?" He led her into the bedroom and he got on the bed. She got on the bed, too, and knelt on the bed near him. She was kneeling back on her heels. "Do me a favor?" he asked. "Anything!" "Put your hands on your thighs, and kneel up straight. You can't take your hands off your legs. Okay?" She instantly agreed. He moved her a little closer to him so he could reach her easier. Then he began slowly to stroke her legs. Sandy could feel her body tingle as his fingers went over her body. He caressed her breasts, and then stroked her belly and abdomen. She could feel herself vibrating as he focused on the inside of her thighs. She spread her knees wider and lifted herself slightly to give him unobstructed access to her cunt. Finally, she felt his finger move inside her slit. It gathered some of her secretions from her vagina to moisten it. She shuddered as his finger found her clitoris and began to tease it. In the meantime she watched his massive prick become erect and begin to vibrate. She wanted it desperately, but he had asked her to keep her hands on her thighs. She could feel her hips move on their own and again she started to moan as the pressure built in her cunt. The clitoral stimulation was driving her crazy, but she held on. She was astonished to feel herself building towards another massive orgasm while she just watched his massive sex. Suddenly, she climaxed. Her juices poured out in a flood, and he had his hand cupped to catch them. Still she fought to remain upright, and just managed. She had screamed, her heart was pumping furiously and sweat was pouring from her body. Slowly, she returned to normal, still maintaining the requested pose. "Sandy, you are incredible! I didn't think it was possible for you to hold on, but you did. I thought I could bring you to orgasm, but there was no way you could hold your pose if I did. I did, but you did, too. How?" "Cliff Fitzpatrick, Jane's right! You are a sadist! That was the most excruciating agony I've ever been through in my life. Just look!" She moved her hands and he could see finger marks that were likely to become black-and-blue where she had been gripping her thighs. "Why did you do it, then?" he asked, amazed at her fortitude. "Because you asked me to," she replied simply. "I said I would do anything you asked if it was in my power. This was... just! Cliff, will you hold me now? Tightly?" He reached out his arms and she dove into them. He rolled her on her back and entered her moisture-laden cunt. "Oh, God! That feels so good!" she exclaimed. "Is there anything I can do to increase your penetration... to get everything in?" "Put your legs over my shoulders," he said. She immediately did, and maximized the penetration. She could feel him go in and out, as again she built towards a peak of sensation. Finally, he let go and carried her over the edge. She exploded when he did. He unwound her legs and lay down beside her. They lay there quietly for a time while they regained their breath. "How do you feel?" he asked. There was no response, just a murmur approaching a purr, as she snuggled closer to him. They both slept. * * * Sandy awakened first. "Come on, let's take a shower," she said, pulling him out of bed. He followed her into the bathroom and watched as she adjusted the shower control. She got in and he followed her. They were like two kids playing under a hose. He hugged her tightly and loved the feel of her wet body. They soaped each other, and Sandy particularly enjoyed soaping his sex organs. Finally, he got out of the shower while she washed her hair. He dried off and went back to the bedroom. She found him asleep when she came out of the bathroom after having washed her hair. She joined him in the bed and was almost instantly asleep as well. When she awakened she was in his arms. She started to run her fingers over his body, exploring it. He awakened and looked at her. "What are you doing?" "I'm exploring... and it's fun. I never had my own man to explore before." He started to run his finger tips over her body. She stopped and looked at him. "And what are you doing?" "I'm exploring, too. I never had a girl of my own to explore before, either." He grinned at her. "Cliff, are all men like you? You're so big! Of course, I have no basis of comparison. I guess I never looked at magazines like 'Playgirl', so I just don't know." She looked at him and changed the subject. "Cliff, do you like a girl to go down on you? Isn't that what they call taking a man's sex in your mouth?" "Do you want to?" he asked. "You're so interested in what Stephanie and I did, but that's not a question you ever asked. Do you think she ever did?" "No, it's not. I know the answer to that one: The answer is no. But you didn't answer my question." "Yes, I did. I asked if you want to." She had been watching his face carefully. Instead of answering, she just smiled and moved down on the bed. His prick was semi-flaccid, and she stroked it with her long fingers. It started to stiffen, and the process fascinated her. Before it reached its fully- engorged size, she took it in her mouth, licking the tip first. As she opened her mouth to get it in, she could feel it continue to grow in size. She maneuvered her body to try to create a line for his monstrous sex. As she licked and sucked, she could feel it like a piece of iron. Using one hand to caress his balls, the other manipulated his cock. He was near an orgasm. When she could feel him start to explode, she took it into her mouth as far as she could and the warm spend spurted into her mouth. Cliff could see her breathing through her nose and swallowing as fast as she could. Some still squirted past her lips. As the spurting stopped, she lifted her head and started licking his prick. When she had taken it all into her mouth, she moved up beside him. "Yum!" she said. He bent to kiss her, but she tried to stop him. "I don't think you want to do that," she said. "I still have a mouthful of your cum." He put his lips over hers and ran his tongue in her mouth. "Why did you do that?" he asked. "Do what?" "Swallow it." "I needed to. Please don't ask me why. I knew what was going to happen, and I could feel you trying to pull me off. But I wanted to. Do you mind?" "Of course not, silly." "I adore you, you know," she said matter-of-factly. "You can't know what it's like when you have always been on the sidelines watching other people... and suddenly, it's happening to you! Cliff, I hope you're not mad at me. I think I loved you from the first moment I saw you. I think, deep down, I was hoping this would happen when we hired you. Cliff, I'm not part of the deal. I need you to run Murphy. But dear God, I think I need your cock inside me even more! Honey, would you like to just scrub the whole thing and sell off Murphy? I have more money than we can possibly spend, and it's all yours. I'll give it all to you. I just need you so badly." She rolled on top of him and crushed her breasts against his chest. They spent the rest of the day becoming better acquainted with each other's bodies on her king-sized bed. -- +----------------' Story submission `-+-' Moderator contact `--------------+ | | | | Archive site +----------------------+--------------------+ Newsgroup FAQ | ----