Jo was an ex-model, forty-eight years old, tall, maybe five-foot-eight and slim. The way she walked, you could tell she was an ex-model.
From the investigation she had carried out, Jo was married, with a couple of teenage children. Her husband worked in construction, was of a similar age and was well built; he spent a lot of his spare time at the gym.
Despite ageing, from the photos you could tell she still thought she was a someone. The way she walked around that office, from the camera footage, the Professor also got the impression that she wasn’t well-liked.
It was no coincidence that Howard always took her to all the events; he liked showing her off.
Flicking through the pictures, the Professor chose one of Jo in a bar from the summer, posing away like usual, and rested the photo against a stack of Petri dishes.
The Professor liked looking at her victims as she carried out her work, finding it therapeutic, discussing her findings and her treatments as if they were there with her.
The Professor looked into Jo’s blue eyes staring back at her.
“Well, look at you, doing another pose there. Thinking you are a real someone, Jo. I know you’ve been shagging my husband and what… it’s been going on for six months now.”
Smiling, she mixed the spatula in the beaker, as it frothed to the surface.
“Now, you will probably be thinking, what exactly do I know? Well, I know tonight you are at an awards event with Howard, and you will be fucking him in the hotel room.”
The formula started to froth some more, just like the rageful hate in the Professor.
“I know all your secrets, Jo. I just can’t work out the exact arrangement. Howard pays for your Botox to keep you young, pays for all those photoshoots.”
She grinned to herself and giggled.
“Don’t you think you’re a little old to be trying to kick start your modelling career again? Are you hoping to be a mature model now, Jo? Oh, but you are a little too old for Jean-Pierre though… Yes, I know all about Jean-Pierre. Those photoshoots shouldn’t be taking that long. I wonder if your husband knows. He doesn’t look like someone to mess about with. Would be terrible for him to find out.”
Mrs Wild glanced down at her watch.
“Well, I know you and Howard will be getting ready for that event, so it looks like Howard won’t be home to receive his parcel. Oh, I know all about how Howard pays for your lingerie for those, shall we say, sexy photoshoots. It does look like a nice set. I’m sure Howard will be as pleased, as you will be, with the shoot.”
There was movement on one of the camera screens to the entrance to the house. The delivery man had come earlier than expected.
“Well, now I must dash, Jo. The parcel has arrived. Don’t worry, I will collect it on Howard’s behalf and make sure that you have it in time for your photoshoot, but I can’t apologise if it gets a little, shall we say, tampered with.”
The Professor, laughed, as she made her move to the door to leave the annex. Before she closed the door, she looked back at Jo’s picture.
“Oh, maybe more importantly for you, I’m sure Jean-Pierre will approve of that lingerie too.”
Jo made the usual excuses to her husband, Marco; another event night and she was needed, which was the truth.
Marco had started to get more jealous of Jo; she had always got the attention of men but just seemed a little different over the past year. Marco didn’t want to get into another argument about her staying overnight, so kept silent over the matter. Jo tended to get what she wanted anyway.
“Promise I will be back in the morning, darling; benefit is that I get to work from home the next day.”
“Not bad for some, hey, Jo?”
Jo gave Marco a kiss on the lips before setting off.
Although the other staff knew and were jealous of Jo getting to go to the events, Howard always made her work first in the office and meet him there for the event. Then, well, what happened after the event, happened after the event.
Howard’s attention towards Jo started from her first day.
Jo had only been in work for a few hours before he invited her into his office and was flirting away. He may have been in his late sixties, but he looked good and had that power from his position and wealth that turned Jo on.
Later, she found out that he was very demanding in bed; he seemed to have endless stamina.
The compliments towards her being beautiful never stopped and when he found out she was an ex-model, which didn’t surprise him, he started to support her trying to get her back into modelling again. Howard paid for photoshoots, even for a bit of Botox in her face. Always passing her gifts, sometimes items to model.
It wasn’t long before Jo found another benefit from the photoshoot. Howard was supportive, but Jo knew he was getting his benefits out of the arrangement. It wasn’t just the sex either. At these event shows, he used Jo to help him get contracts, too, often flirting with the men. Jo was the glamorous partner, and often Howard passed her off as his wife.
Driving into work, she prepared herself for the usual bitchiness from the jealous women, but she could get through it; after all, she would be wined and dined at an exclusive event that night, plus have some fun afterwards.
Jo arrived at the event on time and saw Howard waiting for her at the bar. It was a beautiful hotel, a good couple of hours' drive from home, full of corporate people, mainly middle-aged men, all dressed in immaculate suits.
She grinned to herself as she felt the eyes of men on her. She looked good, wearing a black tight dress that had a low neckline, but importantly was cut quite short, a couple of inches above her knee. When Marco saw it, his mouth opened, followed by the fact that she shouldn’t be wearing such short dresses in public. What Marco didn’t see was her team it up, in her six-inch stilettos, which she pulled off, being an ex-model. The dress clung to her like a glove.
Jo still had the body of a model, even after two children and not being far off fifty, still a size 10 with her tall frame showing off her long slim legs, all freshly applied with fake tan for the event.
As soon as Howard looked up and saw her, Jo saw his mouth open slightly and moisten.
“Well, look at you… you look stunning,” Howard said, leaning over and kissing Jo on her lips.
“Well, it’s always a pleasure coming to events with you.”
“I’m glad you think that way… you are by far the most beautiful woman here. The men won’t be able to take their eyes off you. You’re like a blond bombshell… Here, take this glass of champagne.”
“Thanks… I hope you’re not trying to get me drunk early on.”
“Ha… that is the last thing on my mind… Wow, just look at those legs of yours. You do have a model body, Jo.”
“Oh, please.”
“You do, those heels… you are well over six-feet in them… you’re taller than me in them.”
Jo watched how Howard looked her up and down. She loved being the centre of attention.
“Come on, let’s go through… we’ve got work to do before play, Jo.”
Howard took her hand and walked into the conference hall, like a proud man with his beautiful wife.
As the conference was coming to an end, they headed back to the hotel.
“You were great Jo; you worked that room and those clients like a Hollywood star.”
“You were good too… you do most of the talking.”
“Tonight though… Jacob almost committed himself to a future deal and that was down to you. I will be following that lead up now.”
“It was nothing.”
“Nothing, Jo… I saw what you did.”
“And what was that?”
“Sat on that stool… in that short dress… as soon as you crossed those slim long legs of yours, he was like a little boy lost. That’s a grown man, worth a lot of money. His attention on you and from that, our business.”
“Well, I suppose this dress was a little short… and that leg cross did linger a little… well…”
“You know what you’re doing; you’re a pro, Jo.”
They giggled together. They did make a good team.
“Now, I saw a lot of men handing out their cards. I don’t want to lose you from the company.”
“Oh, behave, Howard.”
“I don’t, Jo and to be honest I’m more concerned about you leaving to get back modelling again. You look stunning in those photoshoots you show me and tonight… well…beautiful.”
Jo blushed.
“You were flirting a lot with Jacob.”
“Well, he kept complimenting me… what could I do? He thought I was only forty. Clearly that latest Botox worked.”
They giggled again.
Even with a few extra lines around her eyes and forehead, as she was in her late forties, Jo still looked good.
“I’m the lucky one taking you back to the hotel room now.”
“Ha, so you say. What was that all about, introducing me as your wife?”
“A man can dream… look, I wouldn’t bring Sheila, my wife, anywhere near this place. We just share a house, that’s all now… she’s a nice lady, but you know… there’s nothing there. She just wants to work in that laboratory of hers, no idea what goes on in there.”
As they entered the hotel reception, Howard, still holding Jo’s hand, asked for the key.
Jo was always impressed with the venues and the hotels, all no expense spared. She could get used to this life. Maybe if she impressed the right people, or her modelling got on track, she could reach better heights.
She thought of Jacob's card in her purse. He was always another option, too; as much as she liked Howard, it was too intense to work at his company. Even more money, promotions wouldn’t be enough.
Plus, his wife gave her the creeps. She only saw her once, at Howard’s house, when Howard did a workshop there. Not many people ever saw her, but just that one sighting, something did not look right to Jo. She had heard of all the great work Sheila did: the charities, some medicine she even created, but something sinister was there.
“Mr and Mrs Wilkinson, room 409,” Howard joyfully said and was given the key.
Jo giggled. “Seriously, Howard, what are you like?”
“You know what I’m like… now let’s get in that room.”
