Sammi pulled the parking brake and opened the car door as her phone rang.
'Hey,' she said, as she reached the back her her car, opening the trunk.
'Sams,' the voice on the other end said. 'Can I ask you a question?'
'Sure.' Kacey, her best friend and housemate was obviously holding back a laugh as she spoke. 'What happened to the toilet seat?'
Sammi groaned and shook her head as she struggled with her suitcase - it wasn't that it was particularly heavy, but being only 5'3" with a slim, small frame, most things were heavy. She balanced the case on the back of her car, trying to tuck her cell phone under her neck to free up her other hand. Just as she had her iPhone balanced the case slipped back into the trunk, pulling her forward and she bumped her head on the trunk. 'Shit,' she moaned, rubbing her forehead.
'What are you doing?'
'I'm trying to get my suitcase out of the trunk, its heavy and I just banged my head.'
'Suitcase? Oh, right, you're going on that work retreat with your hot boss this weekend.'
Sammi shook her head. 'I'm not going with him, he's just going to be there. And he's not that hot.'
'Really?' her roommate said accusingly.
'No, he's hot.' Sammi conceded. So hot, she thought. David Hinch was super hot - all the women at the company thought it, and it was a big company. He was tall, slim with broad shoulders and a smile that, in the words of Kacey, could make panties drop.
'So, are you gonna do him?'
'What? No! He's my boss, no, actually, he's my boss's boss. And I doubt he could even pick me out of a line-up.'
Kacey laughed at her friend's reaction. In all the years they'd been friends Sammi, despite being eye-wateringly pretty, had always been shy and, awkward - especially around men.
Readjusting her phone, Sammi grabbed the handle of her suitcase. pulling up and back onto the edge of the trunk, balancing it while she prepared to lift it down.
'So,' Kacey said, 'getting back to the toilet seat.'
Sammi sighed. 'Yeah, that was me.'
'What happened? It's on backwards. I had to stand there looking at it, trying to decided what was wrong with the picture.'
'I must have broken it,' Sammi said, resigning herself to the fact that she was known to be clumsy so it must have been her fault.
Kacey snorted. 'I doubt that. I don't think your tight little butt cheeks could crack an egg, much less break a toilet seat.'
'Look, all I know is that when I went to the bathroom before I left this morning I sat down, and one minute I was on the seat and the next I'm on the floor and the seat was with me.'
'Oh, so that was what that noise was. I thought it was something out in the street.' Then Kacey let out a laugh, picturing her friend's accident. ' So you fell right off?'
'Uh-huh,' Sammi said sadly. 'One minute I was fine, the next I'm on on the tiles with my panties around my ankles.'
Her admission elicited another burst of laughter from her friend. 'You had your panties down? That's hilarious! Urgh, you didn't pee on yourself, did you?' she asked, laughing but still eyeing the bathroom floor for suspicious puddles.
'No, I didn't pee on myself!'
Kacey laughed again. 'I hope you were at least wearing nice panties.'
'I'm going to work, so they're white cotton ones.' she said, starting to see the funny side of the story.
Ordinarily she would have laughed about it from the start, but the anxiety she was feeling about the upcoming weekend was dampening her sense of humour. It wasn't that she didn't want to go on the retreat, she was happy to have been asked, and felt that the inclusion meant that she was being acknowledged for the work she had done in the year that she had worked at the company.
Kacey nodded on the other end of the call, smiling. They had been friends for years and even though she was super cute and sexy, Sammi could never really see it in herself, and where Kacey would wear thongs and push-up bras every day, Sammi was a little more conservative in her underwear choices, preferring soft cotton panties. She did own thongs, but these were generally saved for nights out when regular underwear would have left a visible line.
'Okay, I need to go,' Sammi said, still balancing her case, aware that her co-workers were most likely inside waiting to leave, and she didn't want to be struggling through the door with her case while everyone watched her.
'Okay, hun. Have a fun weekend and if you screw your hot boss I want all the messy details.'
'Shut up. Bye.' She ended the call, smiling at her friend's teasing. Dropping her phone into her suit jacket pocket, she braced herself to try lifting her case again.
'Can I help with that.' The voice from behind her made her jump. Turning around she saw David Hinch standing behind her. Her face instantly flushed, an involuntary reaction she always experienced when she was in close proximity to her boss's hot boss.
'It's okay, I've got it,' she replied, flustered, turning back to her case as it started to fall back into the trunk, taking her with it. In a flash he had reached out and grabbed the handle, brushing Sammi's hand as he did so.
'I can see you do,' he replied, gently, 'but I'd feel bad if I just stood here and watched you struggle.'
'Thank you,' she said, taking a step, pulling her hand away, breaking their touch, worried in case he thought she'd done it on purpose - even though he'd reached for the case himself - shut up, Sammi.
'You're welcome. I don't want you to bang your head again. I would have helped sooner, but I didn't want to interrupt your phone call.'
Sammi's eyes widened - if he'd seen her bump her head had he heard the toilet seat conversation, when she told Kacey how she'd been on the floor with panties around her ankles? Well, she thought, I didn't like working here anyway - except that she did. Trying to convince herself that David hadn't heard the panty story, she watched as he lifted the case easily from the trunk.
He looked surprised. 'I thought this was going to be heavier.'
'Yeah, I'm not very strong,' she said, smiling sadly.
David looked at her and smiled, she looked around at the building, unable to make eye contact with him, worried that if she looked at his smile her panties might actually fall off.
'Shall we go?' he said, sensing her awkwardness around him.
Sammi nodded, turning towards the main entrance, but David stopped her. 'No, I'm parked over here.'
She stopped and look over towards the long Jaguar that stood, shining, at the curb.
'I think the others have already left,' he said, walking towards his car. 'One of the employees couldn't make it so we're a driver down. I said that I was happy to take my car and anyone who needed a ride. I guess you drew the short straw.'
He reached into his pocket and the trunk opened automatically. Sammi's heart pounded - she was supposed to spend two hours in a car with a guy who made her relatively inexperienced coochie wetter than an otter's pocket?
Dropping her case into the trunk of his car, David slipped off his suit jacket and laid it over her case, revealing a light blue, open neck shirt, his wiry torso evident underneath.
Great, she thought, now my case is going to smell like him all weekend, which wasn't a bad thing, except his subtle scent was making her hornier by the second.
The mid morning sun beat down on them, and as he went to close the trunk Sammi slipped off her jacket too, not wanting to get too hot in the car. David stopped, allowing her to put put her jacket in. She started to fold it neatly so as not to put it on top of his, assuming that it cost the best part of a couple thousand dollars.
'It's fine,' David said, 'just drop it on mine.'
She smiled, laying her jacket on his, knowing that if Kacey were there she'd have said something about his looking better on Sammi's bedroom floor. She blushed at the thought and thanked him before hurrying to the passenger door, straightening her skirt, worried now about the length - was just above the knee too short for being out with your boss's boss?
Out on the highway the expensive engine was barely audible inside the car. 'it's warm today.' Sammi said, looking out at the bright blue sky.
'Would you like the AC on?' David asked. 'I'm from Georgia, so I don't tend to feel the heat up here.'
Sammi nodded, glad of the chance to cool down, although she wasn't sure if air conditioning helped with feeling hot about your boss. David reached over and pressed the AC button. The blast of air that hit Sammi full fontal was warm but with seconds the temperature dropped, turning ice cold, shocking her, turning her nipples hard almost instantly. She looked down hoping that her bra and blouse were enough to hide them, but to her dismay two noticeable bumps had appeared.
'Better?' David asked, apparently unaware of her new situation. When Sammi didn't answer right away he looked over, seeing her trying to cross her arms. 'Oh! Sorry.' he said, quickly lowering the blast of cold air. 'I wasn't expecting the vents to be on that side.'
'That's alright,' Sammi replied, trying not to look like she was covering her breasts. 'I expect your wife had them on in this hot weather we've been having.'
Looking out the at the road ahead David said simply. 'Nope, no wife.' Then as an afterthought, 'or girlfriend.'
'Oh, I'm sorry,' Sammi said, hoping that he wouldn't be offended or think she was prying.
'No reason to be sorry. Just hasn't happened yet. How about you? Married?'
'No, no husband,' she said, mirroring his reply. 'Or boyfriend.'
'Really? That surprises me.'
'Oh,' Sammi replied, not sure what to say. Was he hitting on her? Did he think she was some kind of weirdo? And had he seen her nipples poking through her top?
'So, who was on the phone earlier?' he asked.
'Huh?' For a moment she couldn't think what he meant, then she remembered her call with Kacey. 'Oh, that was my housemate. Well, shes my best friend, but we live together. Her name is Kacey. She's nice.' Shut up Sammi!
David smiled. 'Oh, I just assumed it would be your boyfriend.'
Why would he think that? Had he heard the conversation about her underwear? No, surely not.
As the miles went by she relaxed a little, her nipples less visible now and she managed to chat, finding talking about work the least stressful conversation. Plus it showed her boss that she was serious about her job.
As they pulled off the road onto a long gravel driveway Sammi wondered just how expensive their hotel was. Just looking around at the grounds told her that she could never afford a night there.
'We'll leave our luggage in the car for now,' David said as they got out in front of the huge stately looking building. He stretched, his shirt pulling over his toned arms and shoulders. 'This place has valet service so they'll take our bags to our rooms when we check in.'
They walked through the front door into an opulent reception area, and Sammi looked around at the chandeliers and huge couches. The people who strolled about the place looking like they had more money they knew what to do with.
'I'll get us checked in,' David said, walking toward the desk, leaving her to wonder what the hell she was doing in a place like this. She watched as David spoke to the lady on reception, then, turning, he waved to her, smiling and beckoning her over. She hot footed it across the marble floor to where David stood, looking cool and relaxed.
'We have a problem,' he said as she arrived next to him. 'Or rather the hotel as a problem.' He looked at the receptionist, allowing her to explain.
'I'm very sorry, madam,' the receptionist began, the use of the word almost causing Sammi to look around to see who the hell she was talking to. Then she realised she was addressing her and she tried to look professional, like people referred to her as madam all the time.
'Unfortunately, about an hour before you arrived the bathroom in your room had a leak which has rendered it unusable until we can get a plumber and cleaning team in.'
Sammi looked at her and nodded. She didn't mind which room she was in - why hadn't they just given her another room? And then it dawned on her.
'And I'm afraid we are fully booked what with your company's conference here.'
David looked at Sammi, shrugged and smiled. 'Sorry,' he said, which she found endearing given that none of this was his fault.
Sammi looked at them both - was David going to have to drive her home? Were they going to get her a cab?
'We do have a solution, though,' the receptionist continued, looking at David and back to Sammi.
David looked at Sammi. 'I've asked them to put the suggestion to you so you don't feel obliged to take it.'
'Mr. Hinch has one of our cottages in the grounds for the weekend, so our option, if you're happy, is for you to share with him.'
David looked at her. 'Honestly, Sammi, if you're not okay with this then please say and I'll happily -,' he paused realising that there was not really any other option, 'I'll sleep in the flooded room,' his said finally.
What Sammi wanted to say was - are you freakin' kidding me? You want me to spend a long weekend sleeping in the same cottage as my hot boss? And given what a doof I can be when I get nervous this is NOT going to get well. And he's hot! Have you seen how hot he is? LOOK AT HIM!
What she actually said was, 'Oh, that's fine with me. That's if you're okay with it Mr. Hin -, Davi -, Mr David.' Mr. David? What was that! Kill me now!
David smiled, making no reference to her verbal train wreck. 'Then I think we have a solution.'
The receptionist looked relieved. 'And madam, we would like to offer you a free night here as an apology for the inconvenience.'
'Oh, that's okay,' Sammi stuttered, 'my company is paying for the room, so it's really their free night. I don't mean it's MY company, I don't own it. I just work there - well, not JUST, I LIKE working there - but the point is it's David's Hinch's company.' She looked up at him. 'Isn't it?'
David smiled. 'It is, well, me and my family. But this was your room so it's your complimentary night. You could bring your housemate and hopefully the toilet seat won't be broken.'
Sammi looked up at him, embarrassed - had she heard him right? Had he heard her conversation with Kacey? Did this mean that he knew what kind of panties she was wearing? She metaphorically face-palmed herself. But no, surely she heard him wrong, he must have been talking about the toilet in the hotel. Of course. That had to be it - right?
'Okay,' the receptionist said, looking a little lost for a moment. 'Peter here will show you to your cottage and if you leave me your car keys, sir, I will have your bags brought to you shortly.'
Thanking her, David turned to follow the porter. Sammi followed, wondering how she could say so many things wrong in such a short space of time in front of her boss - her hot boss - her boss's hot boss.
'This is a cottage?' Sammi said, walking through the large rose lined front door and into an antique looking reception room that she thought Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway would have felt at home in - except that it was plush, opulent and huge, like if Shakespeare had been a rapper.
'The master bedroom is down the hall to the right,' Peter said, pointing down a long corridor lined with antique looking paintings.
David turned to Sammi. 'That's yours if you want it.'
She looked shocked, raising her hands. 'Oh no,' she said. 'That's all you. I'm happy with whichever 'hovel' is left.'
David laughed, nodding. 'Thank you.'
Peter turned to Sammi, smiling kindly. 'And so I'm afraid you're left with this dungeon,' he said, leading her to a doorway to their left. When he opened it Sammi saw the largest, highest four poster bed she had ever seen. The floors were stripped wood, the furniture was antique looking but polished to within an inch of it's life, and at the end of the room, through a half open door she could see what looked like the most luxurious bathroom she had ever seen.
'I bet that has a rain forest shower,' David said, conspiratorially, leaning close to Sammi's ear. She jumped at his voice closer, her heart pounding again at his scent and velvety voice.
'It does,' Peter said knowingly. 'In a wet room.'
'Sammi,' David called from down the hallway. She had just finished unpacking and was laying on the huge bed. She scrambled off the bed, having to drop a couple of inches to the floor given it's height and her lack of it.
David was standing at the back door of the cottage, holding a beer, looking out over a rolling field which lead down to a lake that was surrounded by trees. The sun, starting to dip towards the hills in the background reflecting in the still water.
'Wow,' Sammi breathed, standing next to him. 'Beautiful.'
'Yes,' he said, looking down at her, before looking back at the sunset. 'Everyone is meeting in the restaurant in five minutes he said. So we will be fashionably late.' He handed her a second beer that had been in his other hand. 'You like beer?'