Dominating Iris

Amanda Fox

Amanda Fox leaned on the picture window in her office and gazed at the Manhattan skyline as she sipped her mug of latte. Her eyes rested on a rooftop not far across the street, and noticed a young couple making out by the pool.

The guy started peeling the woman's dress off until she was completely naked. She laid down on the tile and spread her legs out before him as he took his clothes off. Then he knelt down between her parts and devoured her with his mouth. The woman arched her back and squirmed in obvious ecstasy. Amanda gasped.

The scene inflamed her. She quickly stepped back from the window and felt the sudden wetness that pooled between her legs. She longed for that touch.

Although it tempted her to watch as the live event unfolded, she had other things to focus on at work. She turned her back from the window and breathed out a lung-full.

The company just announced her nomination as Aglow's next CEO. It overwhelmed her. It had only been three years since she joined the company, but she'd climbed the corporate ladder faster than anyone had expected.

The prospect of heading one of the top companies in the beauty industry elated her, but her competition — Agatha Pierce, one of the company VPs, was someone who had been with the company longer than she had. It was a tough contest.

Her relationship with Agatha had been acerbic since she started at Aglow. During meetings, the woman would attack every proposal she laid on the table with contempt. She made her look stupid or incapable. Amanda never attacked back, but always gave a sound argument to shut her down.

She knew that to win the position, she had to prove to the board she was worth their votes. How she could persuade them — she had no idea.

Her thought bubble popped when Joan, her assistant, rushed in. "Miss Wang is here," she said, out of breath.

"This early? I thought the meeting is at four?"

"Yes, but she just called, and wants you at her office. Like... right now." Joan grinned.

Aglow's founder and CEO Valerie Wang seldom called for anyone at her office. She came to the office only to attend meetings and left immediately after. Nobody went to her office for a casual chat because they had to take a lift that required a security key card handled by Wang's security detail.

There can only be one reason for the summons. Damn, she's going to put me on the hot seat.

Without another word, she strode out of her office straight to the elevator hall where a tall woman in a black suit waited for her.

"Good morning, Amanda, I'm here to take you to Miss Wang's office," she said.

"Good morning, Mia, I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"Nope, you're right on the dot, Amanda. Here we go." They rode in, then Mia scanned the key card and pressed the button for the eighty-eighth floor.

The lift opened to a brightly lit foyer with tall vases filled with a cornucopia of flowers and greens — lilies, roses, orchids, and those with names she couldn't spell, but a whiff of the blended scents energized her.

Valerie Wang's office occupied the entire floor. The large open space showcased an eclectic collection of chairs, sofas, and chaise lounges partnered with sides and coffee tables — like a luxury hotel lounge. A collection of paintings hung on its walls with light fixtures that can rival the Museum of Modern Art.

Amanda sat on a china blue printed sofa while she waited, but before she sat down, Valerie Wang's voice boomed behind her. "Come in here, Miss Fox."