Saving the Company Ch. 04

"Joe, I need to calm down and think about this rationally," she said in a forcibly controlled voice. "I know I've been pushing you away and avoiding the issue, but this isn't the same thing. I just need some time."

I looked at her and frowned. My instincts were to pick her up, carry her to her bedroom and try to make all her worries go away, but I knew that solution was what I needed to feel better, not Bethany. She needed time. The only problem was that the time she wanted was away from me. I was frightened at what she might decide without me present.

"Okay," I sighed, but then added, "Just remember we are talking about love here. You can't just use your brain. You've got to listen to your heart too."

"I'll see you in the morning," she said, standing and leading me to the front door. I wasn't sure she even heard my last statement.

"Bethany," I said, forcing her to look at me as she held the door open.

"Yes?" she asked. I leaned toward her and gave her a kiss.

"Just remember that I love you," I said just before turning and leaving. It was very difficult to do.

* * *

"Well, so far so good," Bradley said with a smile. It was Friday night and he and Judy were enjoying their second night out. There was a bottle of wine on the table already half finished.

"Surprisingly so," Judy agreed, taking a sip from her glass.

"You still seemed surprised that everything is working out," Bradley observed.

"It's still too early to tell," she replied, but then shrugged and added, "But it does look good."

"You sound like my father," Bradley laughed. "I've never seen him so pessimistic before!"

"He's just still mad at Joe and Bethany," Judy smiled.

"Yes, but sometimes I think it's more that he's afraid that mother's little plan will actually work," Bradley said, sipping from his own glass. They were already done with their meal and were waiting on dessert.

"Isn't that the goal?" she asked with a frown. "To get Joe to take over the company and have him and Bethany work out their issues? Those two are meant to be together."

"Well, yes," Bradley agreed. "But then Father has to retire again. He won't like that!"

"But your mother will," Judy grinned, but then her face grew serious as she added, "I still can't believe it!"

"What?" Bradley asked. "That we're even attempting this silliness? Or, that it seems to be working?"

"Both!" Judy replied. "I can't believe that your father agreed to it and that you actually came out here to help out. I also can't believe that Joe and Bethany haven't seen through it yet!"

"As to the former," Bradley shrugged. "I wasn't lying yesterday. My parents seldom do ask me for anything. It seemed important to them."

"You're a good son," she smiled.

"Actually, I'm not all that good of one," Bradley argued. "I also agreed because I wanted to see you again." Judy shook her head in disbelief, but then avoided the subject. She was still coming to grips with the fact that Bradley was actually interested in her. All that time working together and she had no idea!

"I expected one of them to realize the truth by now," Judy said, turning the focus of the conversation back to Joe and Bethany. "How can they possibly think your father would leave the company in such a state?"

"They're distracted," Bradley shrugged. "First, they're still fighting through whatever relationship issues that caused them to quit in the first place. Second, they came back on their own. We didn't have to follow mother's initial plan and call them in."

"I always thought that was the weak link of the plan. Joe and Bethany are just too smart to fall for it," Judy said.

"I'm not so sure," Bradley frowned. "You'd be amazed at what people will accept when they want to. Point in fact, Bethany's silly little 'hostile takeover' plan."

"That was ridiculous wasn't it?" Judy laughed.

"Please!" Bradley said, joining her in her laughter and refilling their wine glasses.

"Still, I keep expecting them to figure it out any minute," Judy said once they stopped.

"They might, but then again, there's that third little distraction," Bradley smiled. "They're buried trying to figure out what to do with Karl's area."

"I know," Judy smiled. "Did you see them today? They are both dynamos when it comes to diving in and addressing issues."

"Not only that, but they really do work well together," Bradley smiled. "It was a great play on your part suggesting Bethany when Joe asked for someone to help."

"Thanks," Judy said, but then added, "But you know, I'm not sure I made the suggestion because of the plan or because it simply made sense. She is the right person for the job."

"Yes, she is," Bradley said, losing his smile.

"What?" she asked, reading his expression.

"It's nothing really," he replied, but then continued. "Just remind me that I owe Bethany an apology once everything calms down."

"What for?"

Bradley looked at Judy carefully. He knew that he was already half in love with her and had been for years. The other half could easily follow. He didn't want to do or say anything that would scare her off, but he was who he was and she needed to know him if they really had a chance.

"Judy, what do you really think of me?" he asked, not really changing the subject. He was just trying to ease into the answer.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, slightly embarrassed for some reason.

"I want you to be honest and tell me what you really think about me. The good and the bad."

Judy met his gaze and opened her mouth ready to avoid the issue when the dessert arrived. She remained silent until the waiter left. She could feel Bradley's eyes on her the entire time. He really wanted an honest answer. The smart thing to do was to follow her first instinct and change the subject, but something in his expression stopped her.

"Bradley," she began carefully. She was blushing. "I think you're handsome and smart."

"But..." Bradley prompted, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"There are no buts," Judy replied with a shrug, causing Bradley to smile warmly.

"That's kind of you to say, but of course there are," he said. "I'm not particularly ambitious and never really have been. In fact, at times I'm down right lazy."

"I don't agree," Judy argued. "I mean about being lazy. I've never thought of you as that."

"But you agree that I'm not ambitious," he smiled. She didn't want to say anything to hurt his feelings, but she wouldn't lie either.

"There is nothing wrong with not being ambitious," she said. "First of all, you've never really had the need."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a frown.

"Bradley, your parents are reasonably well off and have been your entire life," Judy replied. "You've gotten just about every thing you've ever wanted. That doesn't provide a strong need for you to be particularly ambitious."

"Oh great!" Bradley groaned. "You're calling me a spoiled brat!"

"Absolutely not," Judy argued. "Spoiled, yes, but a brat, no."

"There's a difference?" he asked sarcastically.

"Definitely," Judy replied in a tone that left no room for argument.

"So, I'm not ambitious and I am spoiled," he sighed. "Anything else?"

"Well, yes," Judy said in annoyance with a shake of her head. "You could do with a little more self confidence."

"Ouch!" Bradley said, no longer looking at Judy. He wouldn't be asking her out again. It was probably pretty pointless anyway.

"Bradley," Judy said. She grabbed his hand across the table when he didn't respond. He finally looked up at her. "You aren't your father and you don't have to be."

"Yes, but everyone likes him," Bradley argued.

"Certainly, he's outgoing and charismatic," Judy replied. "But no more than you could be if you wanted."

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"Bradley, I wasn't kidding before," Judy answered. "You are handsome and smart. You also have a good sense of humor when you choose to show it."

"But I'll never be like my father," he said glumly. Judy looked at him in surprise.

"Don't you think it's about time that you stopped using him as a measuring stick? You're almost forty. Besides, your father is not perfect either."

"He makes mother happy," he replied.

"Maybe, maybe not," Judy shrugged. "But keep in mind, I'm not your mother."

"Are you saying you don't want to marry a man like my father?" he asked in amazement.

"Are you crazy?" Judy snorted. "I don't know if I'll ever get married, but it certainly wouldn't be to a workaholic like him!"

"But he's..." Bradley began.

"He's a good man, but he's not what I look for in a man," Judy interrupted.

"So then, what do you look for?" he asked.

"Well," Judy said, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Someone who will be there for me. Someone I could grow old with. A man who wants to settle down and have a family including a house, a yard, two or three kids and a couple of pets."

"Anything else?" Bradley smiled.

"Yes," Judy grinned. "I want to find a man who will be home for dinner every might and likes to stay in bed on Saturday instead of going out and playing golf with the boys. I want someone who wants to play an active role in my life and the lives of our children."

"I don't want a man who works twenty four hours a day and has no time for vacations. I want someone who wants to see the country. I love the outdoors."

"Anything else?" Bradley asked again. This time he was grinning.

"Yes, one more thing," Judy replied, sounding serious. "I want a man who loves me for who I am." Bradley stopped grinning, but didn't lose his smile.

"That's pretty specific," he said. Judy shook her head once and blushed again. She was as surprised at what she said as Bradley.

"What does this all have to do with Bethany?" she asked, returning to the original issue.

"Oh," Bradley said, remembering his earlier point. "Only that I've always been jealous of her relationship with father. She was always the daughter he never had and honestly, she's a lot more like him then me."

"Bradley," Judy said. "Your father cares for Bethany a lot, but that will never interfere with his feelings for you."

"I know that now," Bradley replied, but then shook his head and added, "Actually, I think I always knew it, but it took my time away from them both to realize it."

They fell silent for a while and ate their desserts. Neither knew what to say and both were deep in thought. The check came and Bradley paid it.

"Thank you for dinner, again," Judy said as they exited the restaurant.

"No, thank you," Bradley said with a smile.

"So, where are we going tomorrow?" Judy joked as they made their way to Bradley's car.

"I have to eat dinner with my parents tomorrow," Brad frowned. "Father is getting a little stir crazy at home."

"I'm surprised that they didn't really go on vacation," Judy shrugged.

"I think father expected to have to be back in the office before now," Bradley grinned. "I think mother finally got him to agree to go away next week."

"Your poor father," Judy laughed.

"Hey, why don't you come to dinner with me tomorrow?" Bradley offered quickly.

"No, thank you!" Judy cried. "I'm still not sure how smart it is for me to be dating the boss's son. What would your father say?"

"His exact words were, 'It's about time!'," Bradley laughed.

"You told him?" Judy said in disbelief as they got in his car and drove off.

"Are you crazy?" Bradley asked. "He's been calling me three times a day to see what's going on in the office. He makes me give a blow by blow description of any conversation I have with either Joe or Bethany."

"And you just had to tell him about our dinner plans!" Judy snapped.

"Well, they did come up during a conversation with Joe and Bethany," Bradley shrugged. Judy shook her head, but eventually shrugged.

"I guess it makes sense in the long run," she mumbled. "I'm not one to keep secrets."

"Good," Bradley smiled. They fell silent for the short trip to Judy's condo. Bradley got out of the car and escorted her to her front door when they arrived.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider dinner tomorrow?" he asked.

"No thank you!" Judy said succinctly as she opened the door to her place.

"Well, then," Bradley said, somewhat out of character for him. "How about breakfast?"

"What?" Judy said looking at him in disbelief. Bradley smiled and pulled her toward him. He kissed her soundly on the lips. Judy's surprise only lasted a moment, but she was stunned by the strength of her response to his obvious desire.

'So much for his needing more confidence!' she thought to herself as she opened her mouth slightly. Bradley took the invitation and brushed her lips with his tongue. Judy moaned softly.

"You know," Bradley said as he broke the kiss. "You never asked me what I was looking for in a woman." Judy blinked twice to try and regain control of her emotions. It was a long time since a man kissed her like that.

"What?" she asked. Bradley smiled.

"Why, you of course," he replied and kissed her again. Judy felt herself melt in his arms. The rational part of her faded into the background until she felt one of his hands caress her breasts.

"We can't do this..." she began. She was going to say 'out here', but she stopped herself when she realize that they were both now in her condo. She didn't remember moving inside!

"Why not?" Bradley argued, thinking she was simply saying that they couldn't do this at all. "I know it's only our second date, but we've known each other for years."

"Okay," Judy gave in with a smile. She had no intention of passing up this chance. She had always liked Bradley. Besides, his kiss had lit a fire inside if her that only one thing could quench.

"Really?" Bradley asked in surprise.

"I'm going to hold you to the breakfast part," Judy replied, taking him by the hand and leading him to her bedroom. She smiled when she saw the stunned look in his eyes.

In her youth Judy wasn't exactly 'easy', but then again she wasn't a prude either. It was only later after a failed engagement and that last fiasco with a live-in boyfriend that she stopped dating. It just wasn't worth the pain.

That was almost two years ago and with the exception of one guy she met while drunk and on a business trip over a year ago, she hadn't been with anybody since. It was silly really, but with the problems at work and her past experience it just didn't seem worth it. She was too busy reacting to what life threw at her.

She still remembered her last birthday. She had turned thirty-five and it hit her badly. It was the day she woke up and really reviewed her life. It was also the day that she decided to stop being such a defensive bitch to Joe and start doing the right thing for the company instead of backing that jerk Karl.

She never regretted her decision, not even after Joe and Bethany both quit. Not even their departure would turn her back into that unhappy person she was before. She refused to allow it. Over the last few months she lost the weight she gained over time and took up some of her old college hobbies like hiking. She felt good about herself again. For the first time in a long time, it felt good to be alive!

"Come here," she said to Bradley seductively. She was sitting on her bed. He was standing by the door. "Unless you want to leave?"

"I'd have to be gay or dead to leave now!" Bradley joked. Judy raised an eyebrow when he didn't move.

"Which is it?" she teased with a grin.

"Neither," he smiled. "I'm just memorizing this moment."

"I've got a camera if you want to use it?" she offered. Bradley raised an eyebrow. Judy wasn't quite what he expected, but that was okay.

"You're a bit wilder then I expected," he said as he finally made his way over.

"You have no idea," Judy smiled. She wasn't always like this, but she was in the mood to be a little crazy for the first time in a long time. A lot of the reason had to do with the man in front of her. It was a while since someone as handsome as Bradley showed real interest in her. Oh, there were plenty of men who wanted to bed her, but that was different. "Shall I get the camera?"

"Maybe another time," Bradley said, amazed that he meant it. He was normally pretty conservative. Judy had a way of bypassing it with a look.

She stopped him from joining her on the bed. He frowned until she directed him to stand in front of her. Judy bit her bottom lip in anticipation as she unbuckled his pants.

"Very nice!" she smiled when she released his cock from his pants. Bradley grinned. He knew his dick wasn't particularly thick, but it was pretty long. In either case, Judy seemed pleased.

She took the head in her mouth and playfully bit down on it. It wasn't really hard, but it wasn't something you could ignore either.

"Easy! Or this is going to be a shorter night then I think either of us would like," Bradley said, a little nervously. Judy looked up. Her blond hair was framing her face.

"Don't worry," she smiled seductively. "I'm not going to hurt him." Bradley couldn't help himself. He moaned. Judy's smile grew and she went back to his cock.

Bradley reached down and caressed her breasts as she tongued his dick. Judy unbuttoned her top and removed it and her bra without letting his cock slip from her mouth.

She looked up and smiled lustfully at him once she was done. She reached for his hands and moved them back to her breasts. It quickly became obvious to Bradley that her nipples were extremely sensitive. He playfully pinched then and his cock popped from her mouth.

"Oh yes!" she cried. "That's nice!"

"I want you!" Bradley nearly growled, surprising himself.

"And you'll have me," Judy smiled. "Eventually."

"Tease!" he snapped with a grin.

"Maybe," Judy shrugged. "But it's been a very long time for me and I want this to be perfect!"

She then proceeded to take Bradley's cock back into her mouth, only this time she didn't stop at the head. She slowly slid the entire length into her mouth and down her throat. Her gaze locked with Bradley's the entire time.

"Oh shit!" he cried when he felt her tongue touch his balls. He groaned and came. Judy pulled back slightly, but she didn't break contact with Bradley's cock. She drank his cum down.

"Tasty!" she said, wiping her mouth once he was done.

"My turn!" Bradley actually growled. He lifted her small frame and tossed her onto the bed face first. Judy didn't get upset. She simply took off her skirt and underwear and then got on her hands and knees.

"You want me like this?" she asked. Bradley blushed but nodded in agreement.

"If you don't mind," he said, mesmerized by her soft curves and sexy position. Judy looked back over her shoulder and smiled.

Bradley mostly used only the missionary position with a woman, but he was as horny as he could ever remember being and he had a feeling that he could do anything he wanted with Judy. She'd let him know if she didn't like something. It was the freest and most real he ever felt with a woman.

"I'm going to make your beg me to stop!" he growled, bending forward and spreading her thighs.

"I sincerely hope so!" Judy grinned.

Bradley could see the wetness glisten from the soft blond thatch of hair between her legs. He leaned forward and tasted Judy for the first time. They both groaned in satisfaction. He used his tongue to bath her pussy and Judy loved every minute of it!

"Oh yes! You have a wicked tongue!" she cried. Bradley tried to drive it deeper into her pussy, but it was impossible. He could reach her clit, but it was at an odd angle, mostly because Judy kept arching her back.

He moved without realizing what he was doing. Suddenly he was lying on his back under her. Judy's thighs were on either side of his head and he now had full access to her clit.

"Move up!" Judy cried after a while as she moved off of him. She was panting wantonly. Bradley wanted desperately to make love to her, but she wasn't ready yet. He did as he was directed and Judy climbed back onto his face. This time she sat up and held onto the bed's backboard. Bradley could see the swells of her breasts as she squeezed his head hard between her legs.