When she saw the package on her desk at work, Marie thought at first her boyfriend's name would be on it.

It was nicely wrapped in a box, with a tasteful ribbon on it and she'd looked for a card attached to it.

Of course she didn't find it but she knew it had to be Chad's way of reminding her that she'd agreed with his plans for a romantic weekend at the fanciest hotel in the city. They'd been dating for six months and she'd not been in a rush to jump into bed with him. But they'd been doing some serious making out lately at her place or his before she said goodnight, which surely meant that it was time for that next step.

It might help if Marie had ever taken it with any guy but she just hadn't found anyone she wanted to get that serious with until she met Chad. Most guys would have given up after two, three dates and certainly after a couple months if their girlfriend didn't put it out. But he had kept asking her out and seemed patient with her slow pace so far. Still, she felt an increasing urgency to put aside her reservations and just take the plunge with him.

So that's how the plan to spend a romantic weekend at the posh Mission Villa Hotel came up. The city's oldest and only five star restaurant, it would take a couple paychecks earned by Chad to pay for it but after reading the brochures she knew it'd be worth it. Three restaurants, a day spa and sumptuous bedrooms, in fact he had wanted to book a suite but it looked too expensive.

She told him she didn't need much, joking that besides the bed what else mattered and that had sealed the deal with him.

When the gift appeared, she thought it was awfully sweet of him, as she opened it up at her desk. Besides her, only Elise the secretary had been in the office as her boss Gunthor De Luca hadn't arrived yet from a breakfast meeting. She'd been interning with him during her summer break after her first year at college and really enjoyed the experience though she stuck to doing mostly clerical work.

It didn't hurt that her boss's physique had turned out to be as formidable as his business acumen. He couldn't really be called handsome, a word that just seemed inadequate when it came to the six foot man who filled out his business attire in a way that made her tingle in some places. Not that it had anything to do with her feelings for Chad, a totally harmless admiration for a man who'd turned many a woman's head. He exuded a rawness that men like her boyfriend clearly lacked but clearly a guy like him, out of her league.

Just as well, because she needed someone more her pace, someone like Chad and this weekend, they'd become lovers.

She called Kiki after opening her package and looking at its contents. Her friend worked at an office in the same building and spent most of her time typing up invoices. So she had spent her hours working that job letting her imagination run loose.

"So what'd Chad get you?"

Marie pulled out a negligee, sheer black with lace trim and some matching panties, which looked barely there.

"I guess it's something for this weekend."

"Aha when your boyfriend of six months finally gets to do the dirty deed."

Marie felt like rolling her eyes sometimes wishing she'd never told her best friend she still hadn't ever had sex. But they'd been at Kiki's house watching bad reality TV over some tequila and when she drank, her lips loosened. Since then, Kiki had been giving her mostly unsolicited advice on how to get that albatross out from around her neck.

"Details…"

Marie stroked the fabric of the lingerie and it felt expensive. Did Chad blow another paycheck to ensure that their weekend would be extra special? She sighed, at this romantic streak he'd started showing. There'd been a dozen red roses the previous day, with the invitation to the hotel engraved on a simple but elegant card.

So she didn't know her lover to be as well as she thought but this surprise about him had been pleasant.

"It's just what a woman wears when she's going to have sex," Marie said, "It's very pretty but it must have cost a lot."

"So you have a boyfriend who likes to splurge on you," Kiki said, "Must be nice."

It was, and Marie couldn't wait to wear it for Chad, to feel it cling to her body in a sensuous way. Marie had to wait until she'd turned 18 to fully appreciate her curvy body in a world where most of those deemed beautiful were slender and elegantly boned. But Chad had found her attractive, certainly if he was going to make love to her in such a romantic setting.

"It's lovely," Marie said, "I think I'll call Chad and tell him how much I love his gift."

Kiki laughed.

"Why don't you wear it to his workplace and show him?"

Marie tried not to blush at her friend's suggestion but she couldn't imagine doing anything so bodacious but she could certainly tell him.

Chad picked up the phone on the third ring so he must not be too busy.

"Hi Marie, how's work?"

She leaned back in her chair, fiddling with her dark hair, which flowed past her shoulders.

"Okay. My boss still hasn't arrived but I've been busy."

"That's great. Listen do you think we could maybe take a rain check for tonight?"

She remembered then that they had planned to go to dinner and a movie after they both finished work.

"You busy tonight?"

A pause

"Yeah the boss has me working late on a project," he said, "If I want the promotion, I'll have to prove I'm willing to put in the time."

He'd been doing a very good job of that for the past two weeks but she knew that the hotel room he'd booked must have set him back.

"Okay, we'll do it another night," she said, "I'm excited about this weekend."

Another pause.

"Sure thing, me too," he said, "It's been a hectic week and I can't wait to unwind."

Neither could she especially in this brand new way. But then she heard some footsteps pass by her office and she realized her boss had arrived.

"Chad, I'd better go. I'll talk to you later okay?"

She clicked off her phone and returned to reading through some files. Most of what she did involved reading files and entering data into her computer, perhaps drafting some report drafts. But really not very complicated, she needed the internship for her resume after she graduated and submitted job applications.

Gunthor stuck his head in the room.

"May I talk to you for a moment?"

Most definitely, she thought. They didn't spend much time together because he was busy even when here but she'd enjoyed the information he'd passed on to her about the business he'd started from the ground up after earning a degree at Stanford and an MBA at USC.

She smiled up at him from her desk.

"Sure."

He walked into her office dressed in one of his dark suits that molded to his body though a bit tight around his shoulders. She knew he favored outdoor activities that kept his body razor sharp but he also knew every concert venue, restaurant and theater in L.A.

"I wanted to take some time to tell you what an incredible job you've been doing here," he said, "So far you're the best intern who's ever worked here."

His words made her feel quite heady, the praise coming from a man like him. Well-respected if somewhat feared in the business world.

"I was thinking of a way to show my appreciation for your diligence and work ethic," he said, "I'll have to come up with something."

A thrill filled her then because she couldn't help herself. Sometimes during slower days at work, she'd sat there wondering what it'd be like if he were her lover. Not that Chad had anything to worry about; idle curiosity about another man didn't pose a threat to what they shared. He had dark brown hair and eyes just as dark, enough stubble to at least be contemplating a beard. His shoulders stretched his jackets and he was solidly built, from his chest to his muscular legs.

She wouldn't be the first woman to look at her boss as something to admire but not to touch. He looked like much more than she could handle anyway.

"It's a pleasure to be working here," she said, "The experience is its own rewards."

He smiled at her.

"True but I'll think of something," he said, "I promise you'll like it."

He left to return to his office and she just watched him go, admiring how his slacks molded to his ass. Totally meaningless, she reminded herself, why couldn't a woman even one with a boyfriend admire a great looking guy?

She tried not to let it become more than that. Besides she was really enjoying Chad's romantic streak.

The next morning, she saw another box, a thin one on her desk. In golden wrap this time and she picked it up admiring it. She smiled to herself, thinking that Chad was really outdoing himself with this gift giving even though when they were together like at dinner last night, he never mentioned what he'd been doing.

All one big secret until the great unveiling this weekend when she'd become a woman in his arms.

His woman….just those words filled her with anticipation. She unwrapped the box and when she lifted its lid, she frowned.

Not upset with what lay inside the box, but surprised. She knew what it was when she saw it. She'd just never been picked up one in her hands like she did now. As she picked up the phallic looking object made out of some soft, yet rigid material, she almost blushed.

It's not like she didn't know what it was for, she just never imagined herself using one let alone receiving it as a gift. Chad had really been showing a side of himself that he never had with her this week. She picked it up and wrapped her hand around the shaft. It didn't come with any instructions but she thought she could figure out how to use it.

It's not like she never touched herself enough with her hands. Then she heard footsteps in the hallway so she put it in the box and shoved it beneath her desk. Elise walked in with some more invoices for her to catalog.

"Nice morning isn't it?"

Marie nodded, thinking that it had looked nice this morning.

"You've got a birthday this week?"

Marie looked at her puzzled and then remembered the deliveries including the sex toy tucked in a box nearby.

"They're from a…friend."

"Some friend. Those flowers were gorgeous, from the best place in the city."

Marie hadn't known that but everything she received had looked like it had cost serious money and that's what puzzled her a little.

"And then a box came in for you this morning," Elise said, "So what did he get you?"

"He?"

"You know it's got to be a guy."

Marie nodded quickly.

"Oh yes my boyfriend. He's planning a special getaway for us this weekend at the Mission Villa."

Elise's mouth just fell.

"Get out of here," she said, "That's the fanciest hotel in L.A."

Marie didn't know it was at the top of the list but knew it was quite posh. Maybe Chad had gotten a raise he hadn't told her about yet.

"I wish I had a boyfriend with such expensive tastes."

Marie almost protested to Elise that Chad wasn't like that at all at least as far as she knew. But he'd never gotten her expensive gifts before now. Then a thought hit her, was this just so she'd be more willing to hop into bed with him this weekend? Was this his way of ensuring that she wouldn't have second thoughts and cancel?

After all, that had happened a couple of times already. Once when he had plans to take her to a cabin in the mountains, the other to a condo belonging to a brother in Palm Springs. She just hadn't been ready to take such a big step in their relationship either time and had begged off.

Elise sighed.

"Well back to the grind," she said, "Nathan from accounting is taking me to the club on Sunset tonight so that should be fun."

Marie nodded because it was expected of her. Her mind still swum with these gifts that had just shown up unexpected, having no idea that Chad would woo her the week leading up to the grand event.

She looked up and it was nearly time for lunch. She had plans to do some window shopping on the way to a small café where she'd pick up a half sandwich and some of the French soup that was on special. The stack of invoices which were completed finally looked larger than the ones left to be reviewed so she grabbed her purse to get up to tell Elise she'd be back in an hour.

Then she ran into Gunthor who had been in his office, the door closed most of the morning.

"Where you off to," he asked.

"Lunch, just down the street," she said, "I got most of the work done already."

That pleased him.

"Good but I'm heading out to get a bite to eat myself," he said, "How would you like to join me?"

She blinked her eyes. The boss was asking her out? No wait, just for lunch and to be polite.

"I…"

"Come on it'll be fun," he said, "I was thinking of trying out the Golden Lobster."

One of the most pricy eateries in the city, she thought but really she couldn't accept.

"You'd be saving me from eating by myself," he said, "It'll make me look good to be seen with a pretty young lady like yourself."

She felt her skin flush a bit and so she finally nodded.

"Okay, let's do lunch."

They walked to the elevator and when it opened, he followed her in his hand brushing the small of her back.

The restaurant was even better on the inside than it appeared on the outside. They'd walked a couple blocks down the street together and when they passed through the front door of the restaurant to the hostess, they were quickly led to a booth in the back.

"So you like working for me?"

She thought that a rather loaded question so early in their lunch. She had no idea that was just an icebreaker so she just nodded.

"You're a very quick learner Marie," he said, "Do you always pick up new skills that easily?"

She smiled at the compliment.

"Well I'm getting a degree and I did graduate near the top of my class in high school."

He considered that and then rubbed his hands together.

"Would you like some wine?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"For lunch…?"

He chuckled at her amazement.

"Just one glass," he said, "Not enough to notice the difference. They have some nice vintage here in their cellar."

So she nodded and the wine bottle and two glasses came quickly enough. She noticed that he got immediate service from those who worked here. After he poured her a glass, she sipped it carefully because after all, it was barely noon.

"So what do you do when I'm not working you hard?"

She almost qualified that statement for him but then she realized he seemed truly interested in her answer.

"I run, sometimes in local races…"

He nodded.

"Yes you like quite fit."

Her mouth curved in a smile.

"I also like to like to go out to concerts and plays," she said, "L.A.'s got a great showcase of talent."

"Do you go alone?"

She sipped her wine feeling a bit warm and heady, after just a few sips. She put the glass down.

"I have a boyfriend, Chad, he works as an accountant a few blocks away," she said, "We've been going out a few months."

"Does he take good care of you?"

She furrowed her brow, thinking that to be a rather forward question.

"I…I think so," she said, "I don't need anyone to take care of me."

He pursed his lips.

"Every woman does…no matter how independent she thinks that she is, nothing wrong with that. So does he do that for you?"

She felt a hint of irritation at the personal nature of his question but she answered it.

"Well he's busy a lot with his work," she said, "He's trying to get a promotion right now."

"So he had to put that extra time in," he said, "taking away from everything else."

"Well…we were supposed to go out a couple times and he had to cancel."

Gunthor flashed a look of what she thought to be disapproval.

"Do you mind that he works so hard?"

She shook her head quickly.

"I don't…and I can't see why it should concern you if it did."

There, that was blunt and when those words left her mouth, she almost took them back but too late for that. Instead of getting upset, Gunthor just chuckled for a moment.

"Let me reassure you," he said, "There will be plenty of time for him to have…outside interests. After all, if I were him, I wouldn't want to be away from a woman like you too long either."

Did she just hear him right? He looked at her then differently, his dark eyes probing the look of confusion on her face.

"Did you find my comment offensive," he said, "I'm not sorry I made it. You're a very beautiful young woman."

Her mouth felt drier.

"Thank you," she said, reaching for her wine.

"I hope he fully appreciates what you have to offer," he said, "Can't let a woman like you spend too much time alone or some other guy will take advantage of your neglect."

Now warmth filled her whether from the wine or his words.

"Really..?"

"Most definitely," he said, "You're so lovely Marie. No man in his right mind could resist."

Their food arrived including the Salmon and pasta she'd ordered and they settled into eating but his comments remained with her.

Chad had to work late again so Kiki had invited her over for more tequila and bad television. But the two just decided to cook up some fajitas and take them to the back porch, with jazz wafting in the background.

"He sounds dangerous."

Marie put down her fork.

"What do you mean with that?"

Kiki just threw her a look which meant she wasn't kidding.

"He just made a pass at a woman who's already in a relationship."

Incredulousness filled Marie and she just shook her head.

"No, he was just being nice."

"Men like Gunthor don't know how to be nice," Kiki said, "Don't get me wrong, they can be fun as hell as long as you know it's a tiger you're playing with."

"I'm not playing. I work for him. He took me to lunch to be nice."

"Did you talk about work?"

Thinking back, no they hadn't, but after he'd complimented her, they'd stuck to small talk until he paid the bill.

Kiki poured them each another glass.

"How do you know he doesn't want more from you than just work?"

Marie just looked at her like she were crazy.

"Meaning…"

"God even for a virgin, you're incredibly dense sometimes Marie."

She bristled at Kiki's assessment.

"You're crazy. A guy like that, besides I think he's married."

"Does he have a ring?"

"Well no…but Elise mentioned it a couple times," she said, "Some socialite I think from a prominent family."

Kiki sighed.

"Oh that's great he's looking for some pussy on the side."

Marie shook her head. Kiki could make a sailor blush and she was just getting warmed up.

"You don't know that."

"Okay, maybe he takes all his interns to lunch and warms them up with compliments about how their boyfriends shouldn't be leaving them alone."

"I think he just felt sorry for me."

Kiki chuckled.

"That's not pity, that's opportunism. He's thinking about making a play for me. Trust me on that."

Marie just shook her head.

"He knows I'm with Chad."

"Before he made that dig at your boyfriend about not spending enough time with you?"

Marie thought about what Kiki was saying that Gunthor might have designs on her. But that had to be impossible. Even if her boss had a wandering eye, there were plenty of other women out there, prettier and worldlier than her to take to bed. He wouldn't be hitting on some intern in his office whose knowledge about what would happen there couldn't fill a shot glass.

But then she allowed herself to wonder what it'd be like if what Kiki said were true. What if Gunthor had his designs on her, how would she handle it?

When part of her wanted to handle him? No that had to be the tequila talking because after all, she had a boyfriend who had planned a romantic weekend with her. She couldn't be thinking about her virile boss sliding himself between her thighs to possess her, staring at her face in that disquieting way of his.

"Well he's wrong," Marie insisted, "Chad and I are going on our first getaway together."

Kiki frowned.

"He's sure showing a more bent side of him than he has so far," she said, "What's with giving a vibe? Have you used it yet?"

Marie just looked at her friend not answering.

"Why not," Kiki pushed, "Have you ever used one?"

Marie had but damn that was personal to share with anyone that she'd once purchased a pocket rocket and had worn the poor thing out just to get the edge off. She might have never bedded a man but it didn't mean she didn't think about it a lot. BOB came in handy when she needed to curb her lust.

She wouldn't need it this weekend.

Kiki just continued on, her mouth totally loosened by the liquor.

"I mean I have a whole collection of them, different sizes, different shapes and shades."

Marie clearly hadn't had enough tequila to feel relaxed talking about sex toys, because if she did that, she'd have to admit she got herself off.

"You look like you could use a good orgasm."

Marie just shook her head.

"I get plenty…"

Kiki's eyebrows rose in challenge.

"Oh…okay when was your last one?"

Marie thought about it and she knew she'd have to lie. She could never tell anyone about what happened in the elevator when it had gotten stuck that one time during the brownout.

She'd been returning from lunch one afternoon during one of the hottest days since she'd started working there. The elevator lurched to a stop, the lights went out and she couldn't get the phone to work So she just stood and waited.

One hour went by…you'd think someone would notice her missing and then suddenly she heard voices.

"Hey Marie, you stuck in there?"

Finally she'd be rescued from this cramped, stuffy box until someone sounding like Elise broke the news to her.

"It's going to be another hour to get you out," she said, "Maybe longer. The crew's got a couple others to free first. The CEO of a major publishing company downstairs is stuck on the second floor."

Okay so they were doing it by importance and since she was the intern, she'd be last. She'd hated being inside there by herself and her tension kept building to where she felt she'd try to break herself out.

Relax…she told herself and then she remembered her best way for doing that. And just like that, she'd closed her eyes and inched her hand slowly up underneath her dress into her panties.

She'd broken out in a sweat already but it only took some stroking by her fingers between her legs for the wetness to start dripping on her fingers. She leaned against the wall of the elevator, pressing against it as she intensified her caresses. Teasing her clit at first, she finally rubbed it gently at first as the sensations began to build up inside of her, layer by layer like a whirlpool of ever increasing currents.

Her fingers moved inside her panties, slipping through the folds of her pussy, slippery in her arousal. She stifled a cry as she thrust one finger inside of her, feeling the muscles clamp down on it. It's not like anyone would hear her and she could scream if she wanted to without anyone knowing. That sent a thrill shooting straight through her as she moved her finger in and out of her, rubbing against her throbbing clit in passing. She knocked her head against the wall, her legs splayed open and her skirt pulled up as she rode her hand.

She surrendered to the rocking motion her body made as the tension built up even more inside of her, flirting so many times with exquisite release that she came so close to the edge. The thought that anyone could open the doors and see her standing there with her hands in her panties charged her actions even further. She had to reach the end before discovery.

Because if her boss knew what she was doing in his elevator, he'd fire her for sure…her last thought before she exploded, and the pleasure that shook her body robbed her of words, except one.

The name of the man who'd flashed in her mind before she came. It wasn't the name of her boyfriend.

She still felt giddy at the memory but embarrassed because if Chad knew that she'd not been thinking of him when she got off in the elevator, he wouldn't be happy. He'd feel betrayed just like she might if he jacked himself off imagining another woman doing it for him.

"Earth to Marie," Kiki said, "You still there?"

Marie nodded returning to the present and a world that didn't know her delicious secret about how she'd spent the brownout.

"So what are you packing for your weekend?"

Marie had thought about that but figured they wouldn't be spending all their time in bed so she'd need some other clothes.

"Just the usual. Some casual, maybe a dress for a night out and maybe a book if I'm at the pool."

Kiki looked so disappointed in her.

"That's all?"

Marie smiled.

"Well it's not like I have to pack lingerie," she said, "I got that nice outfit from Chad."

"True, I thought he would have picked white for the occasion," Kiki mused, "but sheer black means he plans to be very naughty."

Marie smiled even wider.

"I sure hope so. I know the first time is supposed to not be so great but I'd like it to be good for him."

Kiki rolled her eyes.

"Oh come off it," she said, "It's not that bad. And once he gets it inside, it'll be better."

Marie didn't worry too much about what it'd be like. It'd hurt a little bit and then eventually it'd get better as they became more familiar with each other.

"What about protection?"

Marie shrugged.

"I'm on the pill," she said, "I'll be ready."

As she crashed in Kiki's spare bed after drinking two more shots of tequila, she knew she'd be ready for this weekend. She'd known Chad for a while enough to feel comfortable with him.

She needed this time with him, she needed to get this first time behind her to be the girlfriend that he needed to keep him happy.

But she wished that it'd be filled with more pleasure than she knew would be the case. She wished she could writhe on the bed, with orgasms coming so quickly she didn't know where one ended and the other began. But she had to have realistic expectations for their first weekend together.

It would be followed by more pleasurable ones. That thought would get her through the awkwardness of losing her virginity. Yes, if she could just make it fun for him.

But in the morning, Marie would find that her whole world had turned upside down when the next gift arrived.