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The Women's Job - It's Confidential - Chapter Four
🕑 Added 2022-09-08 14:20:41 +0000 UTCOTHER CHAPTERS | ALL STORY LIST
Dana woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. She stumbled to the bathroom and, after several attempts, was able to open up the bottle of Tylenol. She took two pills and washed them down with a glass of water.
She thought about what she had confessed to Tess the previous night. She wasn’t worried about Tess telling anyone; she knew Tess had probably heard more shocking confessions. She had to admit that it felt good to share the secret that she had been carrying around since that night back in college.
Dana slipped on her robe and slippers and walked slowly to the kitchen. Her head throbbed, and she couldn’t believe that she had drunk so much brandy the previous night. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as she made herself a pot of coffee.
Rain was beating off the window, and it looked like the promised storm had arrived. It would be a good day to stay inside and work on her presentation, she thought.
After what seemed like an eternity, the coffee was ready and Dana filled her mug. She held the mug under her nose and soaked in the aroma. The first sip tasted so good, and even though Dana knew it was too soon for the caffeine to take effect, she did start to feel more human.
She walked over to her front door and without thinking, opened it up to retrieve her morning paper. She was caught off guard as one of her neighbors walked by.
“Good morning,” stated the man. He was dressed in foul weather gear as if he was about to go for a run. She recognized him as a man who had just moved in down the hall a few weeks ago. She didn’t even know his name.
“Hi,” she replied softly.
“I don’t think we’ve met, I’m Mike McDonald,” he stated, extending his hand. He was a stocky man, very athletic looking, with dark brown hair and a goatee. He also had very bright blue eyes.
“Dana Matson,” she replied. She noticed how he shook her hand, obviously accepting her as a woman.
He smiled back. “Pleased to meet you, Dana; are you new here too?”
Dana thought about what to say for a second. “I’m just here for a while, this is my brother’s place,” she replied.
“Ahh, okay, that makes sense, I had always thought a man lived here. Well, nice meeting you, Dana, see you around,” he stated as he walked towards the elevator. “Have a nice day.”
Dana smiled back. “You too.”
She closed the door behind her. Great, she thought, she had hoped that she wouldn’t have to interact with any of her neighbors while she was Dana. Now she was known to the guy down the hall. And what did he mean by seeing you around? Was she reading too much into his small talk, or did she now have to worry about another man hitting on her?
She sat down at her kitchen table and scanned the paper while she drank her coffee. At least he was attractive, she thought.
“Stop that!” she stated aloud. Okay, you finally admitted to someone that you once had sex with a man, but that doesn’t mean that you should be actively dating, she thought. Maybe she was reading too much into what Mike had said, then again, it was how Dylan once hit on one of the women who had once lived in the building. Life was getting more complicated by the minute, she thought.
Thankfully, the hangover was gone by midmorning, and Dana was able to throw herself into her presentation. She was studying the latest specifications when her phone rang. It was Mr. Wade.
“Good morning, Dana. I was just calling to see how you’re doing,” he said.
She smiled at the fact that he called her Dana. Obviously, he had been talking to Tess.
“I’m doing well, thank you. In fact, I was just going over the latest specs for our new fans,” she replied.
“Somehow I thought that’s what you’d be doing. I think they’ll be the turning point for our presentation. They’re twenty percent lighter than our last model,” he said.
“Actually, according to the latest data, they’re twenty-six percent lighter,” said Dana.
Mr. Wade laughed. “Just checking,” he said.
“I thought it was a test,” she replied.
“I have the fullest confidence in your ability to present our contract. I’ve talked to Tess, and she’s very pleased with your progress,” said Mr. Wade.
Dana suddenly knew what was coming.
“I’d like to meet with you today, if possible,” he continued.
“Of course,” replied Dana.
“I’m in my office right now, and I’ll be here until three; can you come in?”
Dana knew this wasn’t really a question. She looked at her watch. “I can be there in ninety minutes.”
“Good, looking forward to seeing you, Ms. Matson.”
Dana figured this was just a test to see if she was progressing as well as Tess had reported. She picked out an outfit that was feminine, but casual. She didn’t want to look as if she was going to work. The good thing was that not many people went into the office on Saturday, so it would be unlikely that she would run into anyone she knew.
Dana wore a red turtleneck sweater, a slate gray skirt, and black boots. She debated wearing slacks but decided that by wearing a skirt, she would demonstrate that she was ready to meet Savannah Connell.
She fixed her hair and applied her makeup. Overall, she was pleased with her appearance. She grabbed her bag, slipped on her raincoat, and headed out the door.
Dana was relieved to see that there were only a few cars in the large parking lot at Wade Industries. She parked her car and headed inside.
Dana headed immediately to Mr. Wade’s office and was slightly surprised to see that Mrs. Taylor was at her desk.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Matson, Mr. Wade is expecting you, please go right in,” she said. “By the way, you look wonderful.”
Dana couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Taylor.”
Dana walked into Mr. Wade’s office. He was sitting behind his desk reading a report. He was dressed very casually in a flannel shirt and blue jeans.
“Please have a seat, Dana,” he stated. He looked up from his report and inspected her. “Very impressive, I’m very pleased.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wade,” replied Dana, as she sat down.
“I suppose you’ve guessed why I asked you in here today,” he said.
“I assume I passed,” she replied. A slight smile grew on her face.
“With flying colors, Dana,” he replied. “I knew when I selected you for this job that you’d be perfect.”
“Thank you,” replied Dana.
“Now, let’s talk about the presentation. We just got some updated information on the specifications that Connell is looking for,” he stated. “Oh, before we begin, would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, please,” replied Dana. “Black, no sugar, please.”
Two hours later they had finished their meeting. Dana had several files of information to study and integrate into her presentation.
“We’re installing the new fan motors into the jet that you’ll be flying out there in,” he stated.
Dana nodded. She was sure that with the importance of this sale, everything would be checked multiple times, and that it would be operating without any problems by the time she left the following week.
“You’ll be staying at a suite hotel the first few days. If Savannah likes your presentation, then you’ll be staying on her estate. She has some very nice guest quarters there, or so I’ve been told,” he replied with a grin. “I don’t think that I would look good in a dress.”
Dana laughed. “I’m sure that Tess could do wonders with you.”
Mr. Wade roared with laughter. “I tell you what, Dana. If you get this contract, I just may let her do that!”
Dana left his office feeling better about the presentation. Mrs. Taylor greeted her with a smile.
“I hope you get the contract. I’d give a week’s salary to see him in a dress!” she whispered.
Dana giggled. “I’ll do my best.”
She drove directly home and began to integrate the new information into her presentation. Working also allowed her to forget about the new feelings that were surging through her mind and body.
Around seven, she decided to stop for the evening. After scanning through her pantry and fridge, she decided to go out for dinner. She grabbed her coat and bag and headed out.
She ate out fairly often and decided not to go to one of her regular places; one close encounter was enough for the day. There was a bar and grill that she had wanted to try that was just a few minutes from her apartment.
The hostess told her that they were running a special on appetizers, but only if you ordered in the bar. Dana figured why not, and she really didn’t want to sit alone at a table in the main dining room.
She sat at the bar and ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio as she looked at the appetizer menu. Everything looked very good, so she decided that instead of ordering dinner; she would just have a few of the appetizers.
The bartender was named Mac and was very friendly. He strongly recommended the scallops. Dana nodded in agreement and made them her first choice. The first taste told her that he was right; they were delicious.
She scanned the bar and found that it was mainly filled with couples. While she felt a little uneasy about sitting alone, at least she wouldn’t have to deal with men hitting on her.
Sitting alone, she had time to think about everything that was going on in her life. She was about to go for the biggest contract in her short career, and that was the least stressful thing in her life.
She thought about that night back in Indiana when she was picked up by Jim. It was an incredible evening and she wondered how her life might have gone if it hadn’t turned out to be a one-night stand. She smiled at the fact that this was the only one she had had in her life.
“Is this seat taken?”
Dana turned around and saw Pete standing next to her.
“No, hi Pete,” she stammered.
He smiled and sat down next to her. “Sorry to have startled you; you looked like you were lost in thought, Dana,” he said.
Dana nodded and reached for her glass of wine. “You could say that. What are you doing here?”
“I was at a book signing around the corner,” he replied. He waved for the bartender. “The usual, Mac.”
The bartender nodded and poured Pete a glass of Scotch over ice.
Dana smiled slightly. “I’ve never known anyone who could order ‘the usual.’ That’s so cool.”
“I wrote a lot of my first book here,” stated Pete. He looked around at the half-full bar. “About this many people bought it too.”
Dana laughed. “I read that book; it was wonderful.”
“Thanks, I guess I should be happy that I have a cult following,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have just one book make the bestseller list.”
“You will,” replied Dana.
They talked for a while about his latest book and how the book signing had gone. They also split an order of beer battered halibut.
“So, how’re things going with you?” he asked.
“I leave a week from Tuesday,” she replied.
“How long do you think you’ll be gone?” he asked.
“If everything goes well, maybe a month,” she replied.
“And you’ll be… um, dressed the whole time?” he whispered.
Dana nodded.
“Damn, that sounds like the making of a great book,” he stated.
Dana laughed again. “I can give you my teacher’s number.”
Pete shook his head. “Not for me, I would make a terrible-looking woman. You, on the other hand, are stunning.”
Dana was taken aback by what he had said. She tried to think of a reply.
“I mean it, Dana; you’re a lovely woman,” he said.
“You mean I look like a woman,” replied Dana softly.
Pete cracked a smile and shook his head. “You heard me right the first time, Dana.”
Dana suddenly felt her face flush. That old feeling was back with a vengeance.
Pete leaned over. “I touched a nerve, didn’t I?”
Dana nodded. Her eyes locked onto his, and she couldn’t pull away.
“I’ve been thinking about you since you first called me up to your apartment. I’ve seen you come and go a few times, and you look too natural for this to be a disguise,” he continued. He reached over and slipped his arm around her waist. “Do you like that?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“I like women like you, Dana; I always have,” continued Pete. “I just can’t believe my luck that there’s now such a lovely one right in my building.”
It was happening too fast for Dana. She wanted to say something, anything to slow it down, but at the same time, she craved the attention that Pete was giving her.
“Would you mind if I kissed you?’ he asked softly.
Dana shook her head slowly; her eyes were still locked onto his.
Pete leaned over and gave her a slow, deep romantic kiss. It wasn’t rushed or sloppy with a mad passion, but the type that a hero kissed the heroine in a 1940s movie.
Pete pulled back. “How did you like that?”
Dana let out a contented sigh. “That, that was nice, really nice.”
“You deserve to be treated like a lady,” he whispered.
She found herself at a loss for words and could only smile back at him.
“Would you like to go back to my place for a drink?” he asked. “Don’t worry, Dana, I’m not going to take advantage of you or anything like that; I just think this conversation would be better in a more private setting.”
This is happening too fast, thought Dana. But she was now being carried down the rapids of passion, and it was too late for rationalizing. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Pete nodded and waved for Mac. He paid the bill, and they walked out together.
“I knew there was a reason why I walked here tonight,” said Pete as they walked arm in arm to her car.
Dana sat on the leather couch and looked around Pete’s apartment. There were beautiful paintings on the walls, mainly watercolors of landscapes. They all looked like they were by the same artist and looked like they were scenes of Puget Sound. Pete poured her a snifter of brandy and then walked over and sat down next to her.
“These paintings are gorgeous,” commented Dana. She took the glass from Pete. “Thank you.”
“My sister painted them. She lives out on a small island in Puget Sound. She gave me these a few years ago, just before her art took off,” said Pete as he sat down next to Dana. He lifted his glass to Dana’s. “Cheers.”
She smiled and then took a sip. It was very fine brandy, and its warmth felt wonderful on a cold wet night. “This is wonderful,” she said. “It sounds like you come from a talented family.”
“Our parents allowed us to explore our muses. Surprisingly, Dad was a shipworker and Mom was a nurse, but they encouraged us as we grew up,” said Pete. “They’re both retired and now live up near the Canadian border.”
“My family lived in Chicago,” said Dana. “I wonder what they’d say if they could see me right now.”
“I’m sure that they’d understand,” said Pete. “So, is Dana here to stay?”
Dana shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I mean, this has happened so fast, I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
“So you didn’t, um, dress before this week?” asked Pete.
“Just a couple of times, but not since college,” she replied. She then told him a brief version of what had happened. “I guess I repressed those feelings by throwing myself into my studies and then work. It was surprisingly easy to do. When the job was offered to me, I never gave it a thought; I thought those ideas were out of my head, obviously, I was wrong.”
“You seem very much at ease,” said Pete.
Dana nodded and took a sip of her drink. “You’re not the first to point this out to me, Pete.”
“You never had thoughts of being different while you were growing up?” asked Pete.
“Maybe, but then again, I was very wrapped up in my classes. While your parents allowed you to explore your creative side, we were expected to excel in our classes. My parents are both professors at Northwestern. I have three brothers and sisters; all had 4.0 GPAs. I was expected to do the same. Being different wasn’t exactly encouraged.”
Pete nodded.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, we weren’t just bookworms, we were in a variety of class activities. You know, I have more free time now than I ever had in high school. I actually started using a date planner in the seventh grade.”
“Yikes! Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever used one,” said Pete.
“It seemed normal at the time,” she replied.
“But you never dressed or thought about dressing?” he asked.
“No, I never dressed, and well, as far as thinking about it, I did a few times,” she confessed.
“Only a few times?” he asked.
“I tried not to be distracted,” she replied.
“But what about when your sisters dressed you up; did you ever want to try it again?”
“I don’t know,” she replied. “I was too wrapped up in excelling and pleasing my parents.”
“If this is getting too personal, tell me to shut up; the last thing I want to do is upset you,” said Paul.
Dana shook her head. “No, you’re just the second person that I’ve talked to about this, and it feels good to talk about it.”
“Okay, but feel free to tell me to stop,” said Pete.
“I will,” replied Dana.
“So, did you always want to be an engineer?” asked Pete.
“I always thought it was my idea,” she replied. “I like my job, and I’m damn good at it. Don’t get me wrong, but I never really thought about doing anything else.”
“So, you wouldn’t have thought of transferring to a liberal arts school and studying 19th-century literature?”
Dana broke out laughing. “Please! My parents would have killed me, also my brother and sisters would have jumped all over me if I even brought up something like that.”
“Is that why you took a job out here?” asked Pete.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean, you could have got a job back there, right?”
Dana nodded.
“And let me guess, your sisters and brother live back there, right?”
Dana nodded again.
“So, something made you, or make that inspired you to take a job out here,” continued Pete.
“You think that I took the job to get away from my family?”
“You tell me,” he replied.
“I love my family,” she replied defensively.
“I didn’t mean that, Dana. I just mean that some part of you knew you needed to get away. I also think that the woman you’re becoming would have come out eventually, if not now, but sometime in the future. You know, I can barely imagine you as a male anymore; you seem so much more alive now.”
“Really?” asked Dana.
“Yeah, I always thought that Dylan was too uptight.”
Dana laughed.
“Look, I’m not trying to talk you into staying as Dana; it’s your life, and it’s a monumental decision, but this may be a chance to let out all those repressed feelings, and I’m not just talking about your feminine side.”
“I see what you mean,” she replied. “Tess, the woman who has been helping me, told me that I should start seeing a therapist she knows.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea; you have a lot to sort out,” said Pete.
“I take it you’re not about to take advantage of my confusion, right?” she asked.
“Don’t get me wrong, Dana, I’d love to take you to bed, and I know that it would be wonderful for both of us, but the last thing I want to do is to add to your confusion,” said Pete.
“You’re a real gentleman, Pete,” said Dana.
“Yeah, it’s one of my major character faults,” he replied.
Dana shook her head and then leaned over and kissed him. “You’re very sweet.”
“However, just so you know, when you’re ready, I’ll be here. I think we’d make a wonderful couple, and I’d love to support your growth into the woman you’re destined to become,” he said. He then began to kiss Dana again. “I’ll walk you back up to your flat.”
“Thank you; thank you for being so understanding,” she replied.
They walked up to her apartment and kissed one last time. Dana walked in, closed and locked the door. Life was definitely becoming more complicated but in a good way.
