Peter and Chloe

Author's note: This could go into a number of categories. It seemed to me that First Time was probably the best fit of any of them. As always, your feedback and constructive criticism are appreciated.

*****

Peter Jacobson was sitting at the dining table, slowly scooping cereal into his mouth. High school ended the week previous and now he was faced with an uncertain future. He knew that he was destined for college; he just wasn't sure in what. He had an interest in architecture as well as engineering. But then he also had a knack for business. He had been worked as an intern at a local investment firm as part of one of his classes. He impressed the owner enough that when the internship ended, they hired him to work part time. Unfortunately, the owner ended up passing away unexpectedly and the business closed.

"Have you thought any more about what we talked about last night?" his mother, Sylvia asked as she came up behind him.

Turning to see his mom, "A little. I guess I can go talk to her and at least find out more."

"That's the spirit" she said rubbing the top of his head as she went into the kitchen.

Sylvia's best friend, Brianne, ran her own accounting firm in town. Sylvia and Brianne have been best friends since junior high school when Brianne moved into the neighborhood. Sylvia, an elementary school teacher, married her high school sweetheart, Aaron, after graduating from college. Brianne, on the other hand, never married. She was engaged once, but found her fiancé in bed with his assistant. Since then, there have been a number of different men in her life, but never one that captured her heart.

Sylvia leaned against the counter and looked at her son. He looked a lot like his father. The big difference between them is that unlike his father, Peter was not very outgoing. She knew that he had never had a girlfriend or even went on a date. She knew that the kids in school thought of him as the class nerd.

She also knew that he at least liked girls, even though he has never been with one. Peter accidently left his computer monitor on the wrong web site one day when she went to put his mail on his desk and accidently hit the mouse. The screen came alive to a picture of a nude woman in a tasteful setting. The interesting thing about the photo was the apparent age of the woman. She looked to be about her age. The idea that her son looked at porn was not upsetting to her. She and her husband enjoyed a little porn themselves now and then.

With her arms crossed in front of her, holding a mug of tea, "So, when is your appointment with Brianne?"

Looking at his mom, "Um, tomorrow at nine. I think."

Raising her eyebrows in mock surprise with a smirk on her face, "You think?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I have the information in my room."

Shaking her head, 'for someone as smart as him, he sure in lackadaisical at times.'

"Just don't forget it and don't be late" she admonished him.

"I won't" he replied, smiling at his mom.

The next morning Peter pulled into the parking lot a few minutes before his appointment. With a deep breath, he got out and walked over the building, located the office number of the accounting office and went up the elevator.

The door was right across the hall when the elevator opened. Entering the offices, he approached the girl at the reception desk. She appeared to be about his age. Her hair was tied up in a bun on the back of her head; he thought she was really pretty.

He thought so even more when she looked up him and smiled "Can I help you?"

"Um, yeah, I'm here to see Ms. Nichols," Peter said in a quiet voice. He was entranced by the girl in front on him. She was conservatively dressed with her blouse was closed almost all the way to her neck. Sleeves came off her shoulder just a little and showed that she was nicely tanned.

The girl stood, "You must be Peter," extending her hand, "my name is Chloe. Nice to meet you."

Peter showed proper decorum and kept his eyes fixed on hers. As much as he wanted to take in her appearance, he knew that looks in the wrong places at the wrong time can cause a lot of problems.

He shook her hand, "Nice to meet you too."

Chloe came around the desk and Peter caught a glimpse to see that she was wearing a plaid skirt that came to her knees. Her legs had a little glimmer from the nylons that she was wearing. Looking back at her face, she just smiled some more. He wasn't sure if he had been caught or not.

"Come, follow me and I'll show you to Brianne's office" Chloe said, waving her finger at him.

He followed her down a short hallway and stepped into an office. Standing just inside, she announces their presence, "Brianne, Peter is here to see you. And right on time, I might add."

"Thank you, Chloe."

Chloe asked before leaving, "Can I get either of you anything?"

Brianne waved her empty cup, "Would you be so kind?" she said to Chloe, "Peter, you want anything? Water?"

"Uh, no ma'am. I'm good."

Brianne smiled and nodded to Chloe who left to fill Brianne's empty mug.

She came around the desk and motioned for him to take a seat. She took another seat across from him. Peter had known Brianne his entire life. As he got older, he grew a greater appreciation for her figure and her looks. He never understood why she wasn't married. He thought she was one of the best looking women he had known. He had a thing for legs and had always thought that they were her beast feature.

Pulling her skirt down over her stocking covered knees and crossing her legs, "So, your mom tell you about what I was thinking?"

Brianne mentioned that was thinking about hiring someone to do some of the mundane tasks that the accounting office needed. She had Chloe to take care of the mail, answer the phone, and take care of the filing. But she needed someone who could help out with some of the computer work that was needed, updating client files, take care of some of the business of making sure bills were sent, receivables were collected and accounted for. Sylvia knew that her son didn't have anything lined up for the summer and also knew that he was well respected at the investment firm. With that, she suggested her son and went into detail why. Brianne knew that he had an internship, but didn't understand the scope of his work. It became a no-brainer for Brianne to have Peter come in and talk.

"Yeah, she did" he answered. Even though she was a long-time friend of his mother, he was still feeling nervous, given that it was an interview; at least of sorts.

"And?" she prodded him further.

"Well, she said that you need someone to kinda take care of some things. Pay bills, record receipts, data entry."

Nodding her head, 'This boy needs to have more confidence.' She had already decided to hire him, she'd have to help him with his confidence if he was going to get anywhere in life.

Looking at him for a second, she then spent several minutes explaining all of the tasks and duties that she wanted to have done. It wasn't the most glamourous job in the world, but it was things that needed to be done and she needed someone that was reliable that could do it.

"So, is this something that you'd be interested in doing?" she asked at the conclusion.

Peter nodded his head 'yes'. Even though it sounded like what others might consider a mundane job, he was anxious to get some real experience in an office like this. He figured that the experience in taking care of some of the day to day operations would look good on a résumé in the future.

A few more minutes were spent discussing the hours and wages. She anticipated that he would be working 25 to 30 hours per week and the wage was more than Peter anticipated.

Patting her hands on her knees and standing, Brianne extended her hand as Peter stood as well. "Welcome aboard, Peter. I think this is going to work out well."

Peter shook her hand, "Thanks, Ms. Nichols. I won't let you down."

Shaking her head, "I'm not worried about that. Your mom told me about your internship. And please, call me 'Brianne'.

Peter raced home, excited about the job. He was going to earn much more than he anticipated earning. It would allow him to put enough away for school as well as have a little left over to get his car fixed and painted. He also thought about being able to be in the presence of Brianne. He'd never turn that opportunity down.

*

Peter was at the CPA office door promptly at 9AM the following Monday. Chloe was already there and had opened up the office. She smiled at him when he came in, "Good morning, Peter."

"Er, hi Chloe" he replied.

"Ready to go to work?" she asked. She was standing in front of her desk wearing a short skirt. Unlike the last time he saw her, this time her skirt ended several inches above her knee. Peter noted that she was wearing nylons. Her hands were clasped in front of her as she looked at him for a moment anticipating an answer.

"I am" Peter answered simply.

Noting his nervousness, Chloe smiled a little more and touched his forearm, "Well, let me show you where you'll be working."

Peter followed her down the same short hall as the week before. Chloe stopped at the first door and pointed. "This is Andrea's office. She's been with Brianne since they opened the practice. You'll like her."

Peter looked into the office to see piles of folders and papers stacked on her desk and a work table.

"She's going to need your help first. As you can see, she's not the neatest person and Brianne promised her some help in getting organized" Chloe said as she patted his shoulder, indicating that he was that help.

With a nod of her head, she continued down to the next door, "This is Brianne's, as you know. And across the hall is Darcy's. As you can see, she's just a little neater."

Peter looked in to an office that looked like it was hardly used. Unlike Andrea's, this one was clear of piles except for a short stack on her desk, obviously stuff she was currently working on.

Following Chloe to the end of the hallway, he saw Chloe open a door to yet another room. "This is where you'll be working."

Peter stepped in and found several file cabinets lining one wall. A desk and a computer sat along another wall. He anticipated working in a small stuffy cubby hole so he was pleasantly surprised to see a decent desk, what appeared to be a comfortable desk chair, a work table and a couple of chairs. And it had a window. It looked out onto the parking lot below, but it was still a window.

"Wow" was his only reaction.

"Sorry, it's not as nice as the other offices" Chloe offered.

"This is great. Really" Peter rebutted. "This is better than I envisioned."

Chloe pointed across the hall, "Over here is our break room. I always keep the coffee fresh." Chloe added in a lower voice, "Brianne just hates stale coffee." Leading him into the room where there were a couple of soft chairs, a small sofa some would call a love seat, along with a table and chairs. "There's pop, water, juice in the fridge. Just tell me what you like to drink and I'll make sure that we always have some. Unless someone has their name on something, help yourself to anything in here."

Peter nodded, "It's okay, I'm not picky."

Chloe smiled at him, "Just let me know, okay?"

Peter looked around one last time as Chloe led him out of the break room and back to his work space. Chloe leaned over the desk to grab a sheet of paper, which caused her skirt to ride up just a little, enough for Peter to notice. "Bri made of list of things that she wants you to start on this morning" she said as she handed the sheet to him. "She won't be in until just after lunch. I'll help you get started."

Peter lost track of time as he immersed himself in the list of things that he needed to work on. Most of it involved getting himself familiar with the filing system and the computer system. He had been set up with an on-line course on QuickBooks. As he had worked on the same program during his internship, a lot of it was review for him.

He was intently focused on the computer screen, putting together a spreadsheet when his train of though was interrupted by a knocking sound. Turning to the source of that sound, he saw Brianne standing there.

It took him just a split second to take in her appearance. Unlike the previous week, her hair was down around her shoulders; her blouse had a frilly lace around the neck and the top. It accentuated her tan quite nicely, he thought. What caught his attention the most was the black skirt that stopped just above the knees and revealed a pair of legs in black nylons, ending in a pair of low heels.

"I see that you didn't waste any time" she said as she stepped into the room and sat down in one of the chairs. "Chloe said that she looked in a couple of times and you didn't even notice" she noted as she showed a little bit of a smile.

"Well, uh, I wanted to get started" he offered as a reply.

"I'm glad. But I do want to warn you that you do need to take breaks now and then. I don't want you burning out" Brianne instructed.

"Yes, ma'am. I will."

"Have you met Darcy or Andrea yet?"

"No, I haven't. They weren't here when I came in and I haven't really left the room since I got started."

Standing up, "Well, let's go. I want them to meet you." She made her way to the door, looking over her shoulder to make sure Peter was following her. "Chloe tell you that Andrea is going to need your help?"

Peter followed Brianne into the hallway and nodded his head, even though she was turned away, "She did."

"Good."

Following Brianne to Darcy's office, Peter was greeted with a striking looking woman who had an Asian appearance. "Darcy, this is Peter. He's starting today and is going to take that load off my desk."

Darcy stood up and came around the desk. Like Brianna, she wore a skirt that ended just above the knees and nylons that were a neutral color. "Pleased to meet you Peter." She smiled as she took the boy in, "I'm glad that you're here. I've been after Bri to hire someone." Looking at Bri and then back to Peter, she said in a conspiratorial voice, holding her hand to her mouth as if to not be overheard, "She's a great accountant but can be a little lax at keeping her own records up to day, among other things."

Brianne pursed her lips and nodded her head, "I see."

Peter wasn't sure how to react just yet when Brianna looked at him and shrugged her shoulders, "She's right."

Brianne turned to leave the office and Peter turned to follow her. Darcy told him as he was leaving, "Welcome Peter. I'm sure you'll like it here."

Peter turned just as he was leaving the office and looked at Darcy who had her hand on her hips and a smile on her face. "Thanks." He took in one last look before leaving. He figured she would occupy his thoughts for a while.

Stepping into Andrea's office, the pair stood there for a few moments as Andrea typed away at the keyboard, a pencil clenched between her teeth. They could hear her muttering under her breath. Peter looked at Andrea and then around the office. The office resembled Andrea. Peter noted that her hair looked like someone had run both hands through it and mussed it up. He wasn't sure if that was how she always looked or just that moment.

Andrea finally turned and looked at the two people at the door. "I'm sorry. How long have you been standing there?" she asked, sticking the pencil in her hair.

"Just a minute" Brianne replied. Stepping into the office, "I want you to meet Peter." Turning towards him, "This whirlwind is Andrea."

Like Darcy, she stood up and came around the desk. Unlike the others, Darcy was wearing a pair of tight fitting jeans and sandals. Her top was a simple shirt that was snug across her chest. She stuck her hand out to him, "Welcome, Peter. Bri says that you're going to help me get caught up and this mess organized?"

Peter shook her hand and then looked at the various piles of folders and papers before looking back to Andrea, "I'll try" was all he said.

Andrea and Brianne smiled at each other before laughing and then both turned back to Peter. Brianne commented "Andrea is a great accountant. She just needs a little help now and then."

The remainder of his day was spent trying to make heads or tails of the various folders and asking questions of Andrea. At one point he was afraid that he was asking too many questions but Andrea was just grateful that someone was helping her that she always seemed to be willing to stop. There were a few times where she got up and came over to the work table that he was at and stood next to him as he asked his questions. He found her perfume to be intoxicating and could feel his heart beat a little faster as she stood at his side. It didn't help when her hand touched him. Nevertheless, he heard everything that was being said and started making order out of the chaos.

He had not realized how much time had passed until Brianne stuck her head in the door, "Andrea, are you working this poor boy to death on his first day?"

Andrea stopped and looked at the time, "Oh shit. It's five already?" She turned to see Bri and Peter looking at her. "I'm sorry, Peter. I kinda lost track of time."

He smiled and said, "It's no problem. I kinda did too."

"Go. This is going to take a few days to do."

Peter set the folders in his hand down on the table, "you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Go. You probably have other things you want to do. Your girlfriend probably wants to see you too."

Peter shook his head, "No. No girlfriend."

Andrea looked at Brianne who shrugged her shoulders and then back to Peter, "Well that's a shame. Stud like you should have one."

Peter could feel himself turn red and wasn't able to respond.

Brianne saw his discomfort and chuckled, "Peter, stop by on your way out."

He turned to look at her, grateful for the distraction, "Sure."

After turning off the computer and lights in his work area, he knocked on the door frame to Brianne's office, "You wanted to see me?"

Looking up from the paper she was writing on, she smiled and stood up, "Yes, come in." Coming around the desk, she pointed to a chair, indicating that he should sit down.

Peter sat down and watched as she sat down, his eyes looking at her legs and the darkness under her skirt where they disappeared as she crossed her legs.

Brianne noticed where his eyes were focused and smiled inwardly. She had noticed Peter eyeing her on a number of occasions over the last couple of years. It gave her a little bit of a thrill knowing that she excited a young man such as Peter. "So, how was the first day?"

Taking a deep breath, he smiled and replied, "Good. I was able to get started on the computer system. Oh, and I got started a tracking spreadsheet to manage some of the items that QuickBooks doesn't do."

"Nice," Brianne replied, impressed that he had grasped things so quickly. "Anything you need, anything I can help you with?"

Thinking for a moment, he looked at her, "No, I'm good for the moment. We may need more cabinets for Andrea's stuff though."

She laughed, "I anticipated that. I've already ordered three more. They should be here by the end of the week."

Casually rubbing the top of her knee, she asked, "Do it again tomorrow?"

Peter caught the movement of her hand before returning his attention back to her, wishing it was his hand that was there, "Same time?"

Standing, "Same time."

"I'll be here."

Brianne watched him as he left her office, 'Andrea's right, he should have a girlfriend. He's got a decent build. If he'd just change his haircut and pull his shoulders back.'

*

It took the rest of the week and the three filing cabinets, but Peter was able to get the mess in Andrea's office organized and filed. It was just before noon on Friday when the two stood side by side at her office door and admired how neat in looked. Turning him around to give him a hug, "Thanks, Peter. I would have never gotten it done by myself."