Willing to go that Extra Mile

Pausing at the door, I poked my head in Miss Manse’s office and saw the woman behind her impressive desk, pouring over some paperwork. Somehow she sensed my presence without looking up and motioned me in with a beckoning wave.

Entering the office, I took the same chair I had sat in earlier in the day.

Checking the expensive watch on her wrist, she looked at me and offered me a smile. “Putting in some extra time, good man, I like that, shows character,” she commented, nodding approvingly. Score a point for Lew.

“Thank you ma’am,” I reply humbly. Brownnoser, keener, whatever, this woman had clout and could open doors I couldn’t even see yet. Yeah, at the end of the day it had the potential to pay off in spades.

“I told you my daughter is in the city didn’t I?” she asked, nodding, “anyway, I’m up to my penciled eyebrows in goddamn work and I need to be in a meeting for the next couple of hours. I’ll consider this a personal favor if you could somehow find your way to, how do I say this delicately, keep Sadie’s silly ass out of trouble for the next few hours.”

Babysit the enraged ball of teenage angst who had affectionately called me insect? “Me?” I asked politely, trying to keep from frowning. Why me?

“It’s not ideal and I wouldn’t ask if there was another option considering this incredibly short notice,” she said angrily, bringing her hand down hard on the top of the desk with a resounding clap. It was so loud, the sound of the impact made me jump.

Turning my head back toward the door before looking back at her, “Noreen is still here,” I offered.

She snorted, “Last time I asked Noreen to keep an eye on Sadie, they both wound up pierced and tattooed,” she replied, eyes narrowing. “Listen, keep her out of trouble and I’ll talk to Marcy and make sure we put a little something for you on payroll, call it a stipend, or bonus whatever. What do you say?”

What could I say? No? Hardly. What was I going to do anyways? Go home, grab a bite and tug one out. Hell, this was an opportunity to score some massive brownie points with the big boss herself. “So what is it you want me to do to keep her busy then?” I asked, doing my utmost to appear enthusiastic without it being weird.

“Keep her busy, I’ve made some dinner arrangements, after that, take her to see some the touristy stuff maybe go see a play, a movie, whatever. Wait, Noreen!” she yelled, voice thunderous.

She appeared at the door, “Ma’am?”

“Get Lew here one of those expense cards will you?” she asked.

Noreen disappeared.

“Use the card, take her shopping, don’t worry about cost,” she said. Noreen returned with a plastic credit card imprinted with Nefariori’s logo and handed it to me.

“Thanks,” I say, smiling up at her.

She nodded at me and smiled before looking at Miss Manse, “Anything else before I go?’ she asked.

“In the morning, inform Marcy to code Lew here on payroll under special services, otherwise I’ll forget,” she advised.

I tried to imagine what Noreen had gotten tattooed on herself, whatever it was, it wasn’t visible.

“No problem,” she affirmed with a smile.

Miss Manse smiled and nodded, “Good,” she approved.

My very first day of interning and I was going to be babysitting the boss’s daughter, sounds like the plot to a bad eighties porno.

Noreen nodded, “Anything further?”

“Thanks, you can go,” she said, still smiling at her as she made a shooing motion with her hand.

Noreen turned and walked away, the smile on Miss Manse’s face widening, “She has got the most amazing little ass on her and you’ll never guess what she got tattooed on it,” she chuckled.

I wanted to look, I really did, but thought it might make me look like the degenerate I truly am. The ink was on her butt? I was curious before, now I had to know, “Um, what?” I queried casually.

She laughed, “The cutest set of lips all in red,” she shared. “Kiss my ass.”

Kiss that ass? I knew at some point during my internship, I was going to have to see that because that was an ass I could kiss all day.

Miss Manse stood up, “You were just on your way out right? You’re good to go?”

Not sure what she had in mind, “Yeah I guess,” I replied getting to my own feet and straightening out my suit jacket.

“Good, we’ll take the lift up to my penthouse and I’ll properly introduce you to Sadie,” she said, moving out from behind the desk.

“So just for tonight?” I inquired, trying to make certain I understood the task.

She grinned, “Uh huh, and consider yourself already on the clock,” she answered, dropping a hand on my shoulder and moving me toward the office door.

At the elevator, I thought we would be going down, instead she used a key card and we went up. What I hadn’t realized was that the entire 66th floor was actually her private penthouse residence.

“So that I understand your intent, you want me take your daughter out tonight and make sure she gets tucked in alright?” I asked, just wanting to make sure.

Miss Manse laughed, “Sounds pretty straight forward. Simple right?” she replied.

Sounds simple. Why do I get this feeling? When the elevator doors parted on that floor, it was greeted by opulence, tasteful without being ostentatious. It was astounding. Famous works of art decorated the walls, fancy Persian rugs, glass encased displays, each containing a valuable looking objet d’art. I wish I was cultured enough to have been able to tell who created the works, but that’s not me. “Wow,” I said, simply amazed. It looked like a museum.

Seeing the boggled look on my face, she laughed, “C’mon,” she said, pulling me deeper into her lair.

“It’s about,” I heard the familiar voice of her daughter say, then she appeared, wearing the same tattered jeans and a snug red t-shirt with a white set of wings patterned on the front. Her eyes shifted from her mother to me, “Who is this plug?” she asked, frowning.

Plug? First insect, now plug? Quite the smart mouth on her, but holy cow was she insanely hot.

“This is Lew, he’ll be your escort for the night,” Miss Manse replied authoritatively.

She looked at me like I had just stolen her most prized possession or murdered her cat, “Escort? This guy?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Hi,” I said, put on my friendly smile and extending my hand.

Looking at it, she made a noise and rolled her eyes and shook her head, “This is total shit!” she exclaimed. “I don’t need a goddamn chaperone!” she snarled.

I was beginning to get the impression this was going to be a very trying next few hours for me.

“It doesn’t matter whether you like it or not, Lew is going to be your shadow until I get back. And,” she held up a finger, “you will play nice,” she stated emphatically.

“Nope,” she replied, crossing her arms.

“Yes, otherwise I will dispatch you back,” she warned.

“That’s not fair! I hardly ever get to come here,” she retorted, anger mixing with sulky in her tone.

“Those are my conditions,” she declared.

She looked at me again and rolled those spectacular green eyes and let out a noise bordering on the edge of disgust and exasperation, “Fine,” she relented in a way that told me she was probably going to do everything in her power to try and ditch me.

“I’ve made reservations at Tony’s and Jeffrey has the car waiting, so why don’t the two of go there first,” she encouraged.

Turning to the remarkable head of Nefariroi, “I appreciate the trust you’ve placed in me ma’am, I’ll pay my own way,” I offered.

“Nonsense, if there is anything you need, anything at all, just use the card and get what you need, it’ll be fine” she assured before turning to her daughter, “Sadie, honey, you should get changed into something a little less pedestrian.”

She looked down at what she was wearing and shook her head, “What’s wrong with this?”

“Sadie,” she admonished, “Tony’s.”

Turning, she stomped away, “God, you’re such a pain,” she voiced before leaving the room.

Miss Manse turned to me, “See, I think she likes you. You’ll be fine,” she assured with a gregarious smile.

That was her version of like? I would hate to see if she hated me. What the hell was I getting myself into?