Swept Away_(1)

“This will pay dividends in the long run. I am that sure of it”

Statements like this were nothing new for Tracy. She was the veteran negotiator for her company. She seemed to get the results that nobody else could. Her reputation usually preceded her in every business encounter she had. Tracy was a volatile force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, she found great pleasure in taking down everybody in her way of her career aspirations. Not uncommon behavior from a third generation corporate negotiator. Fierce was an understatement with Tracy in the meeting room. As an independent and ambitious woman, she always seemed to have to prove herself to her family. Her grandfather and father worked for the same company their entire lives. Tracy was the first girl born into this line of corporate ambition. She was always believed she was expected to fail because she was a woman in a man’s world. This made her more determined than anyone to prove all the knuckle dragging men they were completely wrong. And that she did on a daily basis. She lived in New York City but had homes in England and France. Her company headquarters was based in New York but she would not settle for sub-par accommodations when she travelled; another byproduct of her upbringing. She had assistants and assistants to help her assistants. It seemed to resemble a feudal lord’s serfdom more than modern society. It was all she knew and she used it to her advantage. It was no surprise when she was called in by her superiors the next day. A particularly hostile takeover of another company was not going as planned. She was going to be sent in to sway the course of battle back to the company’s favor.

“So that’s it. You just need the merger to proceed so that we can liquidate assets? That should be easy enough. I will leave as soon as I can arrange transportation.”

“That will be fine Tracy” stated the CEO. “Good luck”.

“They need the luck Sir, not me” and she turned and left them whispering amongst themselves.

There was a scramble from her assistants to coordinate itinerary and materials needed for her trip. All of this culminated at the company hanger where she would board the company jet. Three of her assistants always went where she went. The assistant that directly reported to her was a younger business analyst name Nicolas. He was handpicked by Tracy for this position which unfortunately was no glamour detail. Tracy was difficult at best to work with and she treated Nicolas like he was a second class citizen. Part of it was due to her ingrained desire to outshine every man she came across. She never let anyone get close; they were all prey to be devoured in the course of business.

“Ma’am, your itinerary is ready and all travel arrangements have been finalized as requested. Is there anything else you need at this moment?” asked Nicolas.

“Nickie, I need you to get out of my way so that we can get this over with.” Tracy sat down in one of the jet’s plush seats. “I still have my current projects to finish and if you would be so kind as to let me to them.”

Nicolas turned away and prepared himself for takeoff. There would be no need to check on her further until they landed. Her attention would be solely taken by her laptop. Nickie, as she called him like some little pet, resented this treatment but the money was good. Sometimes he wondered if it really was all worth it. The flight took just over eight hours to land in London. From there it was another two hours to get to Paris where the negotiations were taking place. Tracy had allotted only three days to wrap up this negotiation before flying back to the States to continue her work on a profit venture her company was interested in. Baggage and people were transferred into a waiting vehicle for the trip to the L’Hotel du Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe on the Rue de Courcelles. From here they would congregate and plan for tomorrow’s negotiations. Nicolas always rode in the same vehicle as Tracy. He always had to listen for some off the wall thought or item she wanted done. He was part court stenographer, part detective.

“Nickie, can you make sure my laptop and presentation materials get to the meeting room straight away. I have much to do and cannot wait for all these tourists to get out of the way”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Good, and assemble the others, we need to be all out for this. Timing is critical”

“Yes Ma’am”

They all settled in and were right down to work. The hours flew by with preparations and research. When Tracy finally got to the negotiations, things were in short order. She plowed through her adversaries with reckless abandon. It took a day and a half to wrap up the formalities and Tracy and her entourage were back on the company jet to New York. The day after their arrival, Tracy reported back to her superiors on the positive outcome of her negotiations. More chest thumping was heard figuratively as they congratulated her on a job well done. The CEO of the company spoke up over the ruckus of the room.

“Tracy you have done us proud. I speak for the Board when I say that you truly are a formidable asset to this company. We would like to reward you by giving you a seat on the Board. This is an honor that is only bestowed upon the best we have. We would be honored to add your voice if you would accept.”

“Thank you Sir and it is an honor to be considered for such a great acknowledgement. I happily accept your offer and hope that I continue to prove my worth to this company”

“Then it’s settled. Effective Monday, you are our newest Board member. Being that it is Wednesday, please take this time on us and enjoy some much deserved relaxation.”

“Thank you Sirs.” Tracy turned and left the Board room and found Nicolas.

“Nickie, they just made me a Board member. We are moving up.”

Tracy did not notice that Nicolas was rolling his eyes at the thought of now more responsibility and verbal harassment from his colleague.

“That’s great Ma’am. It is what you worked so hard for”

“They gave me time off until Monday. Not sure what I am going to do. Never really stopped for a vacation. Nickie, find me a good vacation spot where I can relax and get some rest.”

“Yes Ma’am”

With that, Nicolas left the hall and went about setting up a restful retreat for his boss. Frustration was still on Nicolas’ mind when he selected an out of the way nature resort in the Midwest for her stay. This was not Tracy’s normal practice to be away from the city lights and people. Either way, Nicolas felt it was something she needed. A few hours later he went to report back to Tracy.

“Trip is all set Ma’am. You depart in the morning via the company jet.”

Tracy did not even bother to ask where it was. She just assumed that Nicolas would handle it like everything else and know what she wanted. She knew her clothes would be packed and her travel materials would be already on the plane when she arrived at the airport in the morning. When she arrived in the morning, she boarded the plane and again found her favorite plush seat for the trip. After takeoff and climbing to altitude, the pilot came over the intercom.

“Ma’am, we will be landing in Wisconsin in three hours and twenty minutes. Enjoy the flight”

Tracy about choked on her skinny latte as she burst out, “Why the fuck am I going to Wisconsin?”

Just over three hours later, Tracy felt the plane touchdown on a very short runway unlike the airports she was used to landing at.

“Enjoy your stay Ma’am. After you disembark, we will be back on Sunday for your return flight.”

“I can’t stay here. You have to take me somewhere else.”

“Ma’am, we already have our flight plan filed. We cannot deviate. I’m sorry but you are here until Sunday. Again, enjoy your stay.”

Tracy disembarked the jet and found a solitary cab waiting for her at the terminal by the runway. She thought this must be a joke. Where is the limousine? Where are the assistants to take my stuff? Goddamn you Nickie was all she thought. She would have called him except the cell service out here barely made connection. The cabbie came over and helped her with her bags.

“Be careful with those. They are expensive. Probably worth more than your car.”

The cabbie just looked and shook his head. Reluctantly, Tracy climbed into the cab. She figured that the hotel she would be staying out would have a phone to call back and get this mix up straightened out. The cab ride to the hotel was abysmal. Cramped into the back seat and holding onto her belongings across roads she would have guessed had not been paved in fifty years. After thirty five minutes of travel, the cab driver turned up a long, winding driveway. As the vehicle approached the hotel, it looked more like a log cabin than any hotel she was accustomed too.

“You have got to be joking”, half talking to herself. “I am not staying in this place.”

The cab reached the front door and Tracy exited the vehicle. There was no staff to grab her luggage. She struggled to take all of her things into the building fully intent on calling someone immediately to come and get her. Tracy approached the desk and ordered the clerk to hand her the phone.

“Phone line down Ma’am. Thunderstorm last night knocked it out. Waiting on the phone company to come out and fix it. Not sure when that will be, I’m sorry.”

“Do you have any way of calling out of this place? My company must have made a mistake and sent me to the wrong place.”

“What’s you name Ma’am?”

“My name is Tracy and my company was supposed to send me to a resort for vacation.”

“Ma’am, you’re in the right place. I have your reservation here. Booked through Sunday afternoon. Can I check you in?”

“Absolutely not. I want to get out of this place.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. The least I can do is set you up in one of our rooms to freshen up until this can get straightened out. Will that be acceptable?”

“I guess it will have to be for now.”

The clerk proceeded to get the remainder of her information before giving her the room key to the room her company had reserved for her. Tracy proceeded with her luggage to the room at the end of the hall. If she wasn’t cursing Nicolas before, she was definitely gritting her teeth vehemently now. Unlocking her room, she went inside and was mildly surprised at the accommodations. The room was very open with beautiful views of the outside scenery. As much as she did not want to admit, it was a beautiful area after she spent some time looking out the window. Tracy opened her window to let the outside air in and she was overwhelmed with all the scents from the flora surrounding the area. There were no smells like this in the city. Seeming almost nostalgic, she dreamt back to her childhood days when her family used to vacation in remote areas of Europe. Here she would experience many different majestic gardens and the scents that brought back warm feelings. The tension of this ordeal was starting to fade away.

Going into the bathroom to freshen up, Tracy was met with one of the grandest bathing vessels she ever saw. Built into the side of the bathroom, it spanned across a wide window with a panoramic view of the hillside outside. Captivated by the bath, she decided to draw one to relax. The water was very hot as she adjusted the temperature to her liking. Slowly, she removed her clothing, neatly setting them on the bathroom counter. Finding some bath salts, she sprinkled some into the water to release the fragrance and set the ambiance. Just before entering the water, she removed her panties and bra. Tracy settled into the water and let the warmth of the water cascade over her. Her nostrils were filled with the sweet fragrance of the salts. She laid back and fully stretched out her legs in the tub. She spent quite a few moments watching the hillside and seeing the trees sway from the soft breeze. Slowly, she ran her hands over her body letting the water warm every part of her.
Tracy was a vicious employee but this was counter balanced by her beauty. She stood a stately 5’9”. Her legs were long and defined. Her hips had just the right amount of flair and curvature to make any business attire flattering. Her stomach was taut, a testament to her love of yoga. Her breasts hung perfectly accenting her form. Tracy slowly rubbed up and down her body, self-massaging the tension out. She stopped momentarily to and rubbed her hand over her breasts. It felt good to get them out of the bra she was wearing. She twitched a bit as her hands moved past them. Looking down, she noticed them firming and becoming erect. Bringing her hands back up, she stopped over her breasts again, this time gently pulling on each on with her finger and thumb. It felt so good to relax in the hot water and her nipples were sending shudders down her body and tingling her legs. Tracy continued to massage her breasts, slowly making each nipple grow harder and harder. She was surprised that she could stretch them fully erect to almost an inch long.