s*x Chained

Chapter 1 Dream Love. She loved that song, and would sing the lyrics when she played it over and over again on her ipod; although, she only mouthed the words so as not to disturb those working around her. Of course, with the ear phones in place, she kept the sound to a minimum in case the phone rang. But very few people bothered to bother Natalie “Nat” Blanchard, and only when her output was needed. Most of the time, she sat for eight hours in her cubicle and typed up those various reports the others needed, day in and day out, three hundred and forty-two days per year. In all of her seven years with Ohio Valley Mutual Association, Nat had yet to take a sick day. She usually brought her lunch and ate at her desk. Once in awhile she took her lunch hour and went to run errands, and then stopped for a quick bite at Bikel's Deli & Diner. There, she always ordered one of two entrees – the lean roast beef sandwich on marbled bread with a side of potato salad and a garlic pickle. Or the pastrami on rye topped with shredded lettuce and melted provolone cheese, and a side of the macaroni salad. As she ate alone, Nat either kept her gaze set on the table or she studiously read a cheap romance paperback novel. No one, not even Mr. Max Bikel, had bothered to strike up a conversation with her in all the time she frequented the deli. Sometimes, on her way home from work, she stopped there for a quart of milk and orange juice, some bagels and cream cheese for breakfast. Everyone remained polite if not disinterested in Nat Blanchard. She couldn't blame them; she always considered her a little brown mouse, and assumed everyone else did as well. She rented a third-floor studio apartment in an old converted house on Juniper Street, living there ever since she ventured into the city to earn her way in life. That had been seven years ago, and she had never given her landlady, Mrs. Melman, a moment's concern or afterthought. Dutifully, the rent was paid at the first of every month. Since Mrs. Melman did not allow pets, Natalie kept stuffed animals instead; especially Vashti, the silk-gray Persian with the diamond collar who sat on her twin day bed. Since Nat kept mainly to herself, the other female co-workers rarely bothered to ask her to such employee get-togethers as birthday parties and baby showers during the lunch hour, or even bothered to ask her to come to lunch with them. Office gossip passed over and around Nat as she typed her reports with proficiency and accuracy and listened to her music. Occasionally, she picked up bits and pieces to keep her informed as to the way the corporate wind blew. If she did have one friend and ally, it had to be Ellis Averill from two cubicles down. Like Nat, Ellis didn't feel she really fit into the general office camaraderie. Most people ignored her as they did Nat; although, poor Ellis had more deficits on her plate, up to and including a serious weight problem and a less than scintillating personality. Ellis, too, preferred to eat at her desk; though sometimes during nice weather, she would invite Nat to sit in the park and have their lunch there. Most mornings, Nat found a crawler or éclair on her desk, a present from Ellis who usually brought a bakery box to work—not to share with the others during breaks, but to eat entirely by herself. One morning, as Natalie settled herself in her office chair, her friend slipped into her cubbyhole with a bear claw and news. "We have a new accounts manager," Ellis informed her. "The buzz is he's a doll and nice to boot. In fact..." she bent closer. "They say he's such a hunk that the girls are taking bets to see who seduces him into bed first." “What's his name?" Nat asked casually as she stirred sweetener into her coffee mug. Not that she really cared, but a new manager might brighten things up a little. The other account execs were not much to look at or even worth bothering about. Most were married, balding, portly and back stabbing. "His name is Christian O'Connell," Ellis informed her friend. "He comes from the Cincinnati office, but it's not because he was demoted. Rumor has it he's here to shake things up a bit." When Nat didn't respond with more questions, the short, plump woman prepared to return to her own environs and her bakery box; but a stir of voices and movement from the entrance made Ellis pause. Brightening, she nudged her friend. "Here he comes! Christian O'Connell!" With hands clenched on the arm rests, Nat rose from her chair and tried to peer over the office partition with wide hazel eyes. She took in a breath when she spotted the new accounts manager. Ellis hadn't lied. The man was gorgeous. Not much more than thirty, Christian possessed nicely chiseled features, coffee-hued waves, a little chin dimple, and eyes that came in a vivid blue. He wore his Oxford shirt open beneath a knit vest and topped with a crisp suit coat. His dark slacks offered perfect creases; and even though Nat couldn't see, she knew he walked in expensive polished loafers. As Nat already figured, the man had an instant fan club around him, his entourage a trio of the best-looking and single women in the office. Look at them fawning over him already, like love slaves around a hunky god, she thought with a wry smile. She didn't have to bet odds that blond and beautiful Merrill Strang would nab him first. The woman made sure to dig her claws into any eligible man who passed through the hallowed halls of Ohio Valley Mutual. She already served as the assistant to the corporate financial officer, Darren Muench; and if the water cooler gossip could be believed, she also worked overtime as his personal masseuse. Of course, that never stopped Merrill from climbing up the corporate ladder when fresh management meat appeared. "From what I hear," Ellis went on, "he hasn't been assigned an assistant yet. Who knows? Maybe you or I have a shot at the prize." Nat shook her head. "I doubt it very much. Guys like Christian O'Connell surround themselves with beautiful things." Expensive, beautiful things, she wanted to add. "Oh well, we can always drool and ogle." With that eager sentiment, Ellis gave her friend a mumbled good-bye and returned to her own workspace.