Free Fringe Benefits by SL Carpenter

FRINGE BENEFITS
    (An April Fools For Love story)
     
    S.L. Carpenter
     
    Copyright 2015 S.L. Carpenter
    Cover Art by S.L. Carpenter
     
    (Previously released elsewhere as “Slippery When Wet”, this story has been extensively re-edited and revised for this edition.)
     
     
    Dedication
     
    This story is dedicated to everyone who has supported my odd sense of humor over the years. The editors who had to make me sound less mental, the readers who read and laughed at my stories and mainly my family and friends whohave to deal with me on a daily basis.
     
     
    - - -
     
     
     
    Negotiating fringe benefits can be a lot of fun…
     
     
    Linda sat frozen while Steve massaged her shoulders. His fingers tore at her tense muscles like rigid shards of glass. His voice cut through her. “I can’t wait for this trip. I reserved adjoining rooms.”
    Stacy walked up. Seeing the distress in Linda’s eyes she asked, “Hey, what’s going on? You all packed, Linda?”
    Steve walked away, pulling his hands from her shoulders and Linda sighed deeply, her eyes closed tight and the tension obvious.
    “If that bastard tries anything I’ll rip his dick off and feed it to my hamsters. He just gives me the creeps. Thanks for coming on this trip, Stacy. I’d hate to have to be alone with him longer than necessary.”
    “No problem. Hey, I needed a break from work anyway. You want me to castrate him in his sleep for you?” Stacy winked at Linda. Stacy didn’t care for Steve and he hated her. Stacy was a little firecracker of a woman and Linda loved her “no bullshit” attitude.
    After Linda’s promotion to manager, Steve became her supervisor. Linda busted her ass to get where she was and dealt with his growing harassment instead of causing waves. She knew she shouldn’t, but figured she could handle it.
    It was the end of March, and Linda, Stacy and Steve were going to Los Angeles to lay the groundwork for a merger with a firm in Northern California. It was a great opportunity for her and no fat-ass prick was going to mess it up. Even though these meetings were going to run over April Fool’s day, she wasn’t going to fall for some idiot’s bad joke just so he could get a quick feel or a peek at her naked body.
    - - -
    The car ride was uncomfortable for Linda. Stacy drove and she rode shotgun, looking out the passenger window, but Steve sat on the edge of the back seat, sticking his head between the headrests and trying to look down her top. Thank God it was only a two-hour drive. It was warm out and the traffic sucked as usual.
    “Stacy look…muscle beaches.” Wiggling her eyebrows, she winked at her. “I love San Diego.” Linda blew kisses out the window while wiping drool off her mouth. They can’t see me but who cares .
    “I hope this merger goes through smoothly.”
    Steve piped in, “Yeah, hopefully I’ll have you ladies working under me again…if you know what I mean.”
    Stacy and Linda looked at each other, rolling their eyes. “Whatever,” they said in unison as Linda turned up the radio. The new Santana song played and she closed her eyes, trying to relax in the traffic.
    A glaring flash made Linda squint then open her eyes, she saw a kid smashing his face against another car’s window, sticking his tongue out. “Eww, that kid’s gross .” She laughed and poked Stacy, “Hey check this out!”
    She pushed her nose up, and pulled the corners of her mouth back, baring her teeth. Then she wagged her tongue to the side and snorted back at the kid. The little boy clapped and waved at her.
    The three of them laughed at Linda finding her inner child.
    - - -
    Getting out of the car they stretched and bent to loosen the tension in their muscles from the long drive. Stacy walked to Linda’s side of the car and rubbed her rear end. “Damn my ass hurts, I hate driving!”
    The hotel clerk brought out a cart for the luggage. “I’ll take care of those bags for you ladies,” he said, loading the cart. He stared