Business Studies 01 By Katzmarek Well, it all started when we got this assignment in our business studies class. We had to spend a week at one of the local companies, just learning the ropes. Now my neighbour runs a property and investment business from his home. I thought it would be a good idea to ask him if I could hang around for a week and see what happens. My mum was pretty cool, she asked him for me and he said OK. Mum wants to be a Real Estate Agent and Mr Chalmly had been pretty helpful to her. Y'know, getting her a mentor and such. Mr Chalmly has a couple of small kids, a 4 and a 6 year old. Apparently Mrs. Chalmly ran off with a bulldozer driver or something. My dad said it served him right for getting himself a 'trophy wife.' I think he was just jealous. Dad said Mr. Chalmly must be in his forties and Mrs. Chalmly barely 25 when she left him. You should have heard the gossip around the neighbourhood when she went. I felt sorry for him. Fancy leaving the kids there, I couldn't. They're such neat little kids and Mr. Chalmly has his work cut out looking after them as well as running his business. -------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll be 18 next March and I want to go on to University to get a degree in Business Administration. I'm really good at maths and sciences and I would like to study law as well. I've set my goal of earning $1 million or more by the time I'm thirty. Boys! HUH. They are SO boring at our school. All they talk about is cars and sport and I hear them bragging about their girlfriends and stuff. They think its cool to take a girl to some silly movie and stick their hands up her dress. They are so immature and I never want to go out with any of them. I did go out with an older guy once. He was my friend Angela's older brother and he's about 24. He's actually quite smart and a grad student in history. I'd never have gone out with someone really stupid! Anyway, we went to the movies, it was one of those arthouse things, and everything was ok until he wanted to put his arm around me. I suddenly felt cheap and dirty, y'know. Wierd, it was only an arm but still! I left his arm there until his hand started to travel down towards my breasts. I shrugged it off and he started to get all pissed off with me. Does he think he's earned the right to grope me or something? He took me home and he was all quiet at first. Then when we neared my house he tells me he's sorry and he really likes me. I told him it was alright, he just needed to respect me as a person. 'Just one kiss,' he asks when we pull up. 'No,' I said, then he tells me I'm 'uptight' and 'frigid' and he starts all over again. He may appear a nice guy but underneath he's a bastard. I run inside and he yells that I'm 'up myself'. 'Better that than HIM up me' I think, but I don't tell him that. Why are boys such pricks? ___________________________________________________________________ My real name is Beatie but everyone calls me 'Tee.' That's ok, better than 'Beat' any day. I'm in my final year of High School at this small provincial town. I can't wait till next year when I start Uni and move into the city, it's so boring here. My mum wants me to get contacts but I like wearing glasses. She says that, 'boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses,' but I think that's good. When my breasts started to grow and I got hips, all the boys started to treat me differently. I don't know what they want with me, I'm not exactly a barbie, I guess they think I'm desperate and would 'put out' for them. I gave them the message! --------------------------------------------------------------------- I knock on Mr. Chalmly's door and he lets me in. He is SO smooth as he shakes my hand and shows me the office where he works. I can see why he's so successful, he has one of those personalities that put you at ease straight away. It exudes confidence and... warmth, I think is a good description. His office is very orderly, I can see that his kids are not allowed in there! It's so tidy. Nick, he asked me to call him by his first name, shows me around and explains the system he uses. He tells me that office management is one of the key areas of running a successful business. Next he shows me the computer, his spread sheets, and I get a peak at some of his client files. He explains how he uses the information to target his market. Nick is kind of nice looking for an old guy. Dad said he's in his forties but he really doesn't look it. I think he must work out at the gym. Funny, I'm sitting at the computer screen and Nick's standing behind me giving the commentary. I suddenly feel all distracted and nervous, wierd. He has on this cologne aftershave and, when he bends over to point something out, his face is just inches from mine. All I can think about is the scent from him and how close he is. I can hardly remember what he's saying. We break for lunch and go through the lounge to the dining room. It's such a nice day he suggests we eat out on the balcony, which is off the lounge. I wait there while he goes to heat some pizza. On one side of the wall is his CD collection, hundreds of them. I look at the titles and you wouldn't believe the stuff he has. Punk and goth music, grungy stuff as well, like Nirvana and Soundgarden, unreal! I look down the collection and at the bottom are some Rachmaninov and Vivaldi, more HIM I would have thought! I don't know how someone could appreciate Vivaldi then listen to Pearl Jam! I figure they are probably his ex-wife's and she'd left them behind. On the balcony over lunch he tells me that his kids are at school and kindergarten. "How do you get on looking after them and working as well?" I ask him. He shakes his head before answering. "I've had to cut down a fair bit. It's tough in the evenings especially, I won't leave them with just any old babysitter you see. I'd like to start up some kind of social life too but the kids come first." The next thing I know I'm suddenly volunteering to look after the children for him. He looks interested but he tells me he's not sure, I would have to meet the kids and see if I get along with them. Now I've seen them, of course, I live next door, but I haven't had that much to do with them. He suggests that I hang about until they get home and we'll see. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Funny, I'm suddenly getting quite excited by the idea of babysitting his kids. God, I hope I'm not developing a crush on him or anything, that would be SO embarrassing! After lunch he shows me some photos of investment properties and points out the features that make them attractive to his company. He brushes past me to retrieve a folio and lightly touches my shoulder with his hand. I nearly jump out of my skin, oh no! He apologises to me and I'm looking at the carpet red-faced, I feel so stupid! Please don't let him notice! --------------------------------------------------------------------- His kids are really neat! They come crashing home talking really loudly about what they did at school and kindy. Nick gives them big hugs and kisses each one, which I think is so cool. It was kind of hard listening to them because they seem to be competing to get out their stories, Nick is so patient with them. He introduces them to me and asks them if it would be alright if I looked after them from time to time. They ask all sorts of childlike questions but they tell him it would be OK. Before I go home he asks me to wear something tidy tomorrow because we're going out to see some houses. I'm not sure whether it was a hint, but I feel a little insulted, I am always tidy! --------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day I put on a suit. I borrow it from my mum because we're the same size now. I think Nick will be impressed. Nick raises his eyebrows and smiles, he approves! Straight away we get in his car and head off. It's very flash, like a Jaguar or something and I feel pretty cool riding around in it. It's a Daimler Double-Six and a classic. I know because I asked him. It's all leather and wood interior, definitely the sort of car I'll buy when I earn my first million! We arrive at the first house and we're shown around by an agent. Nick introduces me as Beatie his assistant, that is so cool of him! We stroll around while the agent fiddles with some papers. We go into a back room and he sniffs the air. "Thought so," he says, "damp, can you smell it?" I told him I did but really I couldn't detect anything but a faint paint smell. "Repainted," he says, "here, see the edge of the carpet?" I look but I don't notice anything. "If you run your hand around the edge you can feel the pile's stiff. It's been dried out without being lifted. Condensation has been running down the wall and wetting the carpet edge. They probably had a mould problem, that's why they repainted the room. You can feel it, poor ventilation." He crouchs down to look at the skirting board. "Yes, there'll be a problem there I think. The skirting's starting to come away... there, look!" Now I could see it, a small gap between the skirting and the wall where it's warped from the dampness, Nick is so clever! We stand by his car while he has a last look at the house. "So you won't buy it?" I ask him. "Oh yes, it's a great location, good and solid construction. I'll open that room out, put another window in... 10 or 11 grand to strip the lining and repair the damage there... replace the carpets... put in a new kitchen. It'll be a quality home when I've finished. I'll call him this afternoon and negotiate a price." He explains that the best investments are those that are a little run down but basically sound. If the vendors are not too greedy you can spend 15 to 20,000 and still turn it over for a good 15% margin. 'You can never lose on property,' he tells me. 'Even if you end up paying too much you can put tenants in and wait for the market to rise. When those interest rates come down the house market shoots up. Just a matter of patience.' I'm learning so much! On the way back, Nick is lost in thought. Eventually he smiles at me and nervously asks, "Tee, y'know we were talking yesterday about you doing a bit of babysitting?" I nodded. "Well something's come up tonight, I need to go out. I was wondering..." "Of course!" I tell him. "Wait, wait," he cautions, "I'll be very late, probably. Would it be possible for you to sleep over? It may be 1 or 2 in the morning. I'm sorry to dump this on you but it came up suddenly." "No, no, it's fine. I'll be happy to." "$80 be alright? From, say, 6 o'clock until 7 in the morning?" "Fine!" "Good," Nick says, relaxing. "Cool," I say, thinking about my bank balance. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The kids are so cool. We watch a few videos cuddling up on the couch then I tuck them up into their beds with a kiss each. I go to bed myself after the late news. I spend the time writing up my notes. I reckon it will be a A+! The spare room is next to Nick's. I lay awake for ages trying to get to sleep. It's wierd being in a strange bed, and house. I'm not used to it. I must have drifted off because I wake up when I hear the door close. There are voices, low and muffled through the walls. Next to the bed there is a clock and I squint at it without my glasses. It reads 3am. I lay awake trying to identify the voices, I'm curious. I hear Nick's little laugh he does, unmistakeable, and the other voice? It's female I think. Nick has brought home a woman? I'm trying to think up all the reasons why a woman would be here. An old friend he met perhaps? Stopped by for a nightcap before heading home. Perhaps she's a client and he wants to show her a few things, I'm being irrational! I don't want to accept he has a girlfriend! I don't see why he shouldn't have, he never mentioned it but why should he? For some reason it really bothers me. I don't want to feel this way, it's so stupid! I'm falling in love with him and it's so disempowering. My rational side tells me that a relationship with Nick is out of the question. He is too old for me and he only sees me as a student and neighbour whose doing an assignment. If he sees me as a woman as well, he's not making that obvious, I'm probably no more than a child to him. But my feelings want him to notice me. I want to please him and have him smile at me. I want him to take me in his arms and kiss me, hold me, cuddle on the couch over a smoochy movie. I want to go out with him and have him take me home, like he's doing with that woman. And I want him to take me into his bed, make love to me, and bring me breakfast in bed in the morning. I want all those things and it's so foolish because it will never happen! The voices have moved next door, into Nick's bedroom. So she's not here to look at houses or for a quiet drink. They're keeping their voices low but I can still make out the woman giggling and Nicks little rumble. There are long silences and I can only imagine what they're doing. I will myself to ignore it and go back to sleep. However a little while later I wake up again to this tap, tapping noise. It takes me a while for my mind to focus before I realise it's probably Nick's bedhead banging against the wall. I listen carefully and I think I can hear the springs of the mattress creaking in time. God! they're 'doing it,' right next to the wall! It stops then resumes, stops then resumes. I can make out heavy breathing, a little cut-off cry from the woman, as if they're trying to be quiet. Very considerate I must say! I'm tingling all over, I can't help it. When I shut my eyes I can picture the woman lying on her back with Nick on top of her. I can sense the scent of him, his face inches from my own, his breathing, his arms around me. And I imagine his hard penis pushing in and out of me. I want to have an orgasm, I push my hand between my legs and nearly jump with the sensation, I'm SO hot. I slide my hand into my panties and I'm so wet. I start to play with my clitoris. I turn over onto my front because that is the way I like to masturbate. The bedsheet becomes Nick's body sliding over me, the pillow his face against my cheek. I dream, as I kiss the pillow, it's Nick's hot mouth. A little bomb goes off but I want more. I thrust against my hand while I rub myself, sliding my middle finger along my slit as I work my clitoris with my thumb. The tapping is continuous now. I can hear the woman's voice quite clearly, her shrill cries now unrestrained. Nick grunts and she cries out, "Oh God... oh baby... harder... OH...OH." And I'm coming with her too. I'm whimpering and gasping into the pillow as the feelings spread out from my vagina to my whole body. I grit my teeth, my face screws up with each wave of pleasure. I press down onto my hand and work the last of it out. That was one of the best orgasms of my life. If I can't have Nick, well, that was the next best thing. I'm exhausted and my hand is tired but I feel a glow all around my body, that was WONDERFUL. Just before I fall back to sleep, I hear footsteps and doors closing, good, she's leaving. I grin in satisfaction. --------------------------------------------------------------------- I remember my first date, it was with a boy maybe a year older than I was, perhaps 15. We went to the movies, it was some dumb action thing. He didn't try to touch me or anything, I think he was nervous. Anyway, we catch the bus home and my stop is quite a way from my house. He offers to walk me and I say ok. On the way there is this little park and he suggests we go for a walk through it. Like a fool I agreed, but up to then he'd been the perfect gentleman. We get to this tree and he asks me for a kiss. Well I didn't know any better then and I thought that's just what you did on a date. It wasn't just a kiss, you see. He opened his mouth and tried to push his tongue inside. I sort of thought, 'ok, maybe that's what you do,' I didn't know. So his tongue is fishing around in my mouth, it felt wierd, then his hand started groping my breasts. I still thought ok until he tried to shove his hand up my dress, that's when I pulled away. "Touch my cock?" he asks. Like NO, NEVER and NO WAY. But he tries to pull my hand down on it. "Just a little touch, PLEASE?" The guy was such a baby! I look down and he has this thing dangling out of his trousers, it looks so silly. I put my fingertip on it, it's all warm and soft. "Is that all?" he says. 'Oh for God's sake, what does he want me to do with it?' I ask myself. I let him pull my hand down again and he curls my fingers around it. Guiding my hand, he shows me how to stroke it. "Ow, not so hard!" he whines. "Sorry," like I should be apologising! His little pecker starts to get a little bigger, but not as big as I've read about. He tries to kiss me again but I turn my face away, so he's slobbers over my neck. I look around anxiously in case someone walks by. He wants me to pull on him harder and once again he's squeezing my breasts like he's testing his bicycle tyres. God! I wish he'd squirt his stuff and get it over with, I just want to go home. All of a sudden he's puffing away and pumping goo all over my hand, it's disgusting! I rub my hand on the grass and walk away, leaving him struggling to do up his trousers. He's yelling,'Tee, Tee, wait,' but I don't and I never want to see him again. When I get home I find that his white stuff is all over my dress, drying. Yuck! I feel like chucking it in the rubbish, but mum would have a fit. I had a little cry that night, which is unusual for me. I just felt so disgusted with myself for doing that. I won't allow myself to be put in that position ever again. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 2 follows. Katzmarek (C)