Audit Surprise Ch. 01

To the reader:

This is chapter one of a three part story. I tried to write each chapter so they're stand-alone stories but reading them in order would be best.

I've decided to post chapter one and wait to see the comments before doing anything else. If the comments are bad I won't bother to post the other two chapters. If they're okay then the next chapters will be out shortly.

Thanks to jo for editing. As usual, any grammar, spelling, typo errors you find are my fault. I made changes after the story was edited, so I may have put some back in.

© 2013 by the author.

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Most people think my job is boring. I spend my day looking into the financial health of businesses, non-profit groups, government agencies, and wealthy businessmen. I'm a CPA and head of a group that does audits for a number of clients around town. Usually when the IRS is breathing down the company's respective necks, we get the call and spend anywhere from a few days to a few weeks making sense of their books. Most times it's rather cut and dry but once in a while we find a surprise or two. Today I got the biggest surprise of my life, but the audit we were conducting didn't have anything to do with it, it had to do with what I saw outside the window.

For the last three weeks my little team of investigators and I have been holed up in the offices of The Landmass Development Group pouring over just about the worst customer-built accounting system I've ever encountered. Landmass called us in because they're under investigation by the state Inspector General's office for mismanagement of contracts and fraudulent invoicing of costs for several road and bridge construction projects. This is the second time the state has accused them of financial wrongdoing and the second time we've audited their books in an attempt to pull their butts out of the fire. However this time I'm not sure we can perform the miracles they want.

My team consists of three of the best computer people I've ever had the privilege to work with. Red is the informal leader of the group with Yan and Jackie taking point from time to time. The things they can do with computers are amazing and they can find the proverbial needle in a haystack no matter how deep the pile. We will put everything in Landmass' accounting database under the microscope and match every transaction against company paperwork. My three 'geeks,' as they call themselves, will find anything and everything questionable or out of line. Also in my group are two of the most tenacious accountants in the business, Adrianna and Mandy. Both women have the attitude that the client's files are like their own children, theirs to do with as they see fit. Most of the time they're easygoing and pleasant but whenever the situation calls for it they can be downright ruthless. Don't lie to them or try to hide something from them and don't ever talk down to them. But hitting on them would be the worst thing anybody could do. Both are married and have loving families and anybody who thinks they would put that in jeopardy might just end up on the floor looking up at the ceiling. I've asked them to not break any arms or legs where a slap across the face would do, but I'll support them whatever happens. All five members of my team have earned my respect dozens of times over for their work ethic and their dedication to the job at hand. I expect them to make quick work of Landmass' mess.

So what do I do? I manage the work, interface with the client, and write up the final audit findings report. Yep, you're right; I sit on my butt all day long looking like I'm doing something while my team does all the hard work. I wrap it all up at the end and give the client the bad news. I estimated Landmass' audit to take about three weeks.

During our stay we used lavish offices, each with windows that look out over the city, all the computer equipment we asked for, and even two secretaries to do our bidding. We even have our own coffeemaker. I guess Landmass' management felt they had to be extra nice to us so we got the best of everything. My office is at one end of the corridor on the 21st floor, everybody else's at the other end. I got an office belonging to one of the managing partners who is on extended medical leave. It looked like something out of a 1930's movie: Dark wood paneling everywhere, lush carpet, bookshelves with all the great books, a giant antique globe, awards and plaques and trophies galore, a huge antique brass telescope, even a giant stuffed marlin. The mahogany desk and Edwardian chairs and leather couch reminded me of the furnishings of the Oval Office in the White House. It was all way over the top. I had a sense of how the Landmass management spent their money.

During one of my periods of inactivity my mind started to wander. I leaned back and started staring out the window. Across the street was another of the giant chrome and glass high-rise office buildings that dotted the business district. From my desk I couldn't make out any of the people in their offices. The glass had a shimmering surface that reflected the sunlight. I assumed if I couldn't see them then they couldn't see me either. I smiled. I smiled because I just realized that right across the street was the offices of Enterprise Research and Development. My wife Sheryl works for Enterprise as an Account Executive. I'd been in her office a number of times and got to know a lot of her coworkers. Most were pretty good people but there were a couple I didn't like too much. But I didn't have to work with them, Sheryl did.

Sheryl's office is on the 20th floor and just off to the left out my window. I got up and walked to the window to see if I could find her room. It took a few minutes to figure out which set of windows was hers but even though I found them I couldn't make out anything on the other side of the glass. That's when I looked to my right and saw I was standing next to the giant brass telescope. I went to my door and closed it before returning to the telescope. After fiddling with its knobs for a couple minutes I got it focused and found Sheryl's office. I could see her clearly now. I looked at the front of the instrument and saw a bluish filter that I assumed acted like a polarizing agent like those sunglasses that remove the glare from a sunny beach day. To the naked eye the building's glass windows looked like shimmering gold mirrors. Looking through the telescope with the attached polarizing filter, they were just clear glass. I looked through it again and saw my vision of loveliness sitting at her desk staring at a computer monitor. There sat the most beautiful blond haired woman I've ever had the privilege to hold in my arms, the love of my life for the last nine years. After a couple more adjustments on the old scope I was able to zoom in to where I could almost read the words displayed on her computer screen. I smiled again thinking how much industrial espionage occurred just by looking over someone's shoulder as they worked. Maybe this was how Landmass got the drop on some of their competitors. Maybe I'd mention it to my team and see what they think, not that we can do anything about it.

I zoomed back enough so that Sheryl's office windows filled the scope and stood there watching her work. My mind drifted to places and times other than where I was. I thought of Sheryl. I saw her clearly in my mind. I saw her standing beside our bed at home smiling down at me with her wide, beautiful smile. I saw her clearly as she slowly removed her long black silk negligee, the one I bought her when we were in Paris last year. I saw her moving to the end of the bed wearing only black panties and black stockings smiling down at me, her blond hair cascading down over her shoulders topping her magnificent breasts like snowcaps on the Rocky Mountains. I called her breasts my Grand Tetons and loved to watch them bounce up and down as she walked around the house wearing only one of my t-shirts. What I loved the most was to lie on the bed as she rode me cowgirl style and watch her breasts bounce and sway and make imaginary designs above my face. I loved everything about Sheryl. There wasn't anything about her that wasn't perfect. Her sparkling blue eyes were perfect, her soft pale skin was perfect, her legs, bottom, breasts, belly, toes... Everything about Sheryl's body was perfect. And everything inside Sheryl's body was equally as perfect. She was intelligent, funny, caring, honest, and best of all she loved me. But I think I loved her more.

I stood there watching my wife work and realized I was sporting a pretty decent erection. Just looking at her and thinking about the times we made love made me hard and anxious to get home. God, I loved that woman.

My phone rang yanking me back to the boring real world of the Landmass audit. I panicked momentarily thinking about the condition I was in but knew no one would see me on the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey boss," said Mandy. "You want to join us for lunch? Red found a little café across the street that might just turn out to be our new favorite place. How about it?"

"Thanks Mandy but I've got a number of phone calls to make. If you can bring me back a sandwich and a soda I'd appreciate it. Tuna salad would be good. Maybe tomorrow."

"Okay, just remember to come up for air once in a while and go home at a reasonable hour."

"No problem there. Thanks Mandy."

I exhaled and felt the last bit of my erection disappear. Looking around at my temporary desk I saw nothing that couldn't wait until tomorrow. I went back to the telescope to look some more at my beautiful wife and fantasize about the good times. This time I saw she wasn't alone. Leaning against the edge of her desk was a man I remembered from their Christmas party, Brad something or another. He was one of the people I cataloged as someone I didn't like too much. He seemed to spend a lot more time with Sheryl than I was comfortable with. Sheryl just blew me off and said he was one of her bosses and she had to play up to him if she ever wanted to get ahead in the company. I wasn't happy but I didn't think any more about it.

I watched for the longest time. I saw nothing but Sheryl talking to her boss. It looked like normal business activities so I didn't give it another thought. The man stood up and turned to leave. Sheryl leaned back in her chair and the man returned. I thought he was leaving but obviously he didn't. He only shut Sheryl's office door, dragged a chair over next to Sheryl and sat down. They were sitting side by side behind her desk when Sheryl lifted her feet and put them up on his knees. She had taken her shoes off. Her bare stocking feet folded over the man's knees. He reached down and picked up one foot and started massaging it. I could tell by how she let her head fall back on the back of her chair that she was really enjoying the foot rub. My heart started beating a little faster. I thought I was the only one who ever gave her a foot massage. Now I watched as one of her bosses ran his hands over them. He switched feet and rubbed and squeezed the other. Sheryl's head was still lying back on her chair. His hands moved from the feet to her ankle and he continued the foot massage, but higher. Then he moved to her calf. I could see her long exquisite legs in the hands of a strange man and felt my heart speed up again. Now using both hands he rubbed both calves at the same time occasionally lifting up her knees and sliding his hand under her thigh.

"Jesus Fucking Christ, what's going on?" I said out loud.

The man was now rubbing Sheryl's legs all the way up under her skirt. He even moved her knees apart. From where he sat he must have been able to see everything she had to offer. At no time did her head ever move. She looked like she was enjoying every bit of it. Suddenly she jumped and her head came up. She said something to the man and he looked to the side. When he turned back he was smiling but at no time did he ever stop rubbing her legs. My heart was beating faster and faster. Sheryl scooted around in her chair and leaned back. The man had his hands all the way under Sheryl's skirt at that point. When he pulled his hands out I could see he had hold of Sheryl's pantyhose top and was peeling her pantyhose down to her ankles.

I about blew a gasket. I pulled away from the telescope and started pacing the room. I didn't know what to do. My mind wasn't working but my heart was beating a mile a minute. Finally I saw my cell phone on the desk and grabbed it. I returned to the telescope and saw that now Sheryl was leaning back in her chair with her legs spread wide apart with her skirt up around her hips. I could clearly see the blond bush between her legs and the man's fingers moving in and out of her pussy. The look on his face was one of lust. I could just see Sheryl's face and she wore the biggest smile. I'd seen that smile a lot of times when we made love and now she was smiling as some guy from her office finger fucked her. I thought my heart would explode from my chest.

I pressed Sheryl's office number on my cell phone's speed dial. Sheryl's head turned toward her phone and I saw her reach to answer it. The man never slowed down.

"Hi honey," she said sweetly. "This is a nice surprise. What's up?"

For a moment I was speechless. Here I was talking to my wife on my cell phone and watching through a telescope as she lay back in her chair with her legs spread and some man pushing his fingers in and out of her pussy. Her voice never gave a hint of anything going on.

"Honey, is everything okay?" she asked when I couldn't make a sound.

"I... I...I just called to tell you how much I loved you," I finally managed to get out.

"Aw, that's so sweet," she cooed. "I love you too."

"Yeah, I was sitting here staring out the window and thought how much I missed you. I can't wait until tonight and have you in my arms again."

"Honey, that's so sweet. I can't wait to be with you too. Look, I'm a little busy at the moment. Can I call you back after lunch?"

I saw that she was now lifting her bottom off the chair and his fingers were pumping in and out faster and faster. From the expression on her face she was close to an orgasm.

"Sure, why don't you go back to what you were doing and call me when you're finished. Enjoy yourself. Bye."

I watched as she hung up the phone. Then she did something I would have never in a million years expected. She raised her middle finger and pointed it at the phone. She was saying 'Fuck You' to the phone, and to me. She grabbed onto the arms of her chair and stiffened up. Her face displayed the orgasm she was experiencing at the hands of another man while I stood across the street watching like a perverted voyeur. My heart stopped beating. My world ended. The last thing I saw was Sheryl standing and straightening her skirt and kissing the man who just gave her an orgasm. I fell to the floor, at least I think I did, because when I opened my eyes again Mandy was kneeling at my side and looking down into my face.

"Boss, what happened?" She asked all worried. "Adrianna's calling 911. What's going on?"

"I don't know," I mumbled. "I think I passed out. I... I don't..."

"You just lie there and relax," she interrupted. "The paramedics will be here shortly."

I closed my eyes and all I could see was Sheryl pointing her middle finger at the phone. I started to cry. I felt Mandy's hands holding mine, but still I cried. I couldn't stop.

Some time later I heard a commotion at the door and people talking. When I opened my eyes again I saw a fireman. He put a blood pressure cuff around my arm and pressed the button. He was listening to my heart beating and put an oxygen mask over my mouth and nose. He also did a number of emergency evaluation things that I'd only seen on television.

"Hello Mr. Hughes, can you tell me what happened?" The fireman asked.

"I was just looking out the window and everything went black."

"Have you been under any stress or anything like that? Your blood pressure is extremely high."

"Well... Yes, uh, no. I..."

"How do you feel now?"

I couldn't tell him I felt like I wanted to die, so I lied. "I'm okay. I guess I should have taken my doctor's advice and started taking that blood pressure medication."

"Sir, if you can sit up, I'll take your pressure again."

He did. It was still high. After a couple minutes I was able to maneuver over onto the couch, with help of course. I told the fireman I didn't want to go to the hospital. He took my blood pressure one more time and it was down, but still high normal.

"Sir, do you think you'll be okay now?"

"I'll be fine. Thanks for coming. I'll just call my doctor and tell him what happened. Thanks for helping."

They left. I relaxed on the couch with Mandy holding my hand the whole time. I forced myself to put on a brave face and smiled a little smile at Mandy.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked.

"I don't know. I think I'll just take the rest of the day off."

"I don't think so!" From the other side of the room came the voice of authority, someone I've never disagreed with before. Adrianna was standing by the window with her hands on her hips scowling at me. "You're not going anywhere until you tell us the truth. We're your friends Marty. Now spill."

Red, Yan, and Jackie were standing around my desk looking concerned and a bit bewildered at what Adrianna said.

"I... Nothing happened. I just passed out that's all. I..."

"BULLSHIT MARTY!" Adrianna yelled. Then she slowly lifted her hand up and pointed at the telescope. "What did you see?"

All the sadness came rushing back. I started to hyperventilate.

"Marty, relax," Mandy whispered in my ear. "Whatever it is, we're all here for you. It'll be alright."

"No it won't," I mumbled. I started to break down again but fought hard to control my emotions. I started shaking. That's when I felt four arms around me. Adrianna joined Mandy on the couch trying to make my world whole again. I just sat there shaking and staring down at the floor.

"Red, get some ice and some bottled water, maybe some sodas too," Adrianna ordered. "Yan, put the 'In Conference' sign on the door. Jackie, get some extra chairs. We're going to have a team meeting."

A few minutes later with the door closed my team and I sat around in a circle with me on one side on the couch and Mandy and Adrianna with their arms still around me. Mandy was pumping me full of ice water.

Adrianna leaned forward and turned my head to face her. She spoke softly, like you would to a child. "Okay Marty, no bullshit this time. What did you see?"

I spilled my guts. I told them everything and didn't leave out a single disgusting detail. At the end I wanted to cry some more but was just too exhausted. I just sat on the couch looking down at my hands thinking about my totally destroyed life.

"What do you want to do Marty," Adrianna asked using her gentle motherly voice.

I thought for the longest time. I loved Sheryl with every bit of my being. I didn't want to lose her, hell I would die if I did. But what I saw through the telescope was a game changer. Whatever I thought about Sheryl and our lives together, specifically our marriage was now totally under review, everything from the past was in question. I know what I saw and it hurt like hell, but what does it all mean? What's going on? I didn't know what to do without knowing everything about everything. I looked around at my team, my friends and started to talk.

"Guys, I've got a problem, a big problem, but don't want you to get involved. I..."

"Blow it out your ass Marty," Jackie shot at me. My little Emo girl computer geek stared back at me with her over-dark eyes. I was never a fan of piercings and tattoos but Jackie convinced me over and over again that in spite of her arms filled with drawings of snakes and dragons, 12 earrings, a diamond stud in her nose, a gold ring in her eyebrow, and a gold bar through her tongue, and who knows how many others hidden elsewhere, she was by far the most rational and caring person I've ever met. I sat there stunned because she's never said anything stronger than 'darn' the entire time I've know her.