The attractive woman glided through the door to the offices of Solutions Incorporated as if she were on roller skates. Every gesture she made was the epitome of grace. Her clothes were obviously expensive designer brands and of the highest quality. Despite the fact that her clothes were of a conservative business cut, she looked sexier than most women in lingerie. She carried a small stylish purse that attracted attention only because it didn't attract attention.
Seated at the receptionist's desk, Claudia was hard at work doing nothing. The mad rush of college students looking for easy solutions to their problems had abated significantly. Upon hearing the door open, she looked up at the woman and instantly decided that she didn't like her. It is almost a law of nature that more than one attractive woman in a room at one time tends to eliminate any chance of peace. In a frosty voice, Claudia asked, "May I help you?"
In a very cultured silky voice, the woman answered, "I have a two o'clock appointment with Magus. Please let him know that I am here."
Claudia glanced down at the appointment book to verify that there was actually an appointment. She said, "Darla Darling."
"That is my name."
"What kind of name is Darla Darling?" Claudia asked thinking that no parent would ever curse their child with that kind of name.
"It is my nom de guerre," Darla answered. She actually sounded a bit French when she said it.
That was a new one for Claudia and she had no idea what it meant. She said, "If you'll wait over there, I'll see if he's available."
"Send Miss Darling in here," Magus said from within his office.
Rather than immediately heading into Magus' office, Darla leaned over the desk and traced a finger along Claudia's jaw line. In a voice that practically purred, she said, "I can guarantee you two thousand dollars a night if you will work for me."
"What?" Claudia asked unable to believe what she had heard.
"Some men really go for that cheerleader look. For that matter, so do some women," Darla said with a predatory smile.
"Women?" Claudia asked wide-eyed.
"I could partner you with another woman who works for me and you would have men lined up from here to the moon," Darla said.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"I guarantee two thousand dollars a night. Think about it." Darla turned and glided into Magus' office leaving a stunned Claudia behind.
Magus came out from behind his desk and extended a hand for Darla to take. In a soft voice, he said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Darling. I saw a picture of you several years ago and I thought that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. May I say that you are even lovelier in person?"
"I hope that I'm not so beautiful that I make you uncomfortable," Darla said while placing her hand in his. Her voice was so steamy that it could have been used to remove wallpaper.
Magus smiled at the comment. He released her hand once manners dictated that it came to an end. Looking her in the eye, he said, "Miss Darling, you could never make me uncomfortable."
The sound of Claudia making gagging noises filtered into the office.
"I have to say that it is such an honor to finally meet you Magus. I have heard so much about you," Darla said. Her voice sounded like honey.
"I hope that none of it was bad," Magus said.
"All of it was exemplary," Darla said. Claudia snorted.
"Please have a seat," Magus said gesturing to a chair.
"Thank you, Magus. I had heard you were a true gentleman," Darla said.
There was a squawk from the front office when Magus asked, "Would you care for tea or coffee?"
"Neither. I fear that this is not a social call. I am here because I'm in need of the services of Solutions Incorporated," Darla said.
Magus went over to the door and paused to listen to Claudia mumbling, "He says beautiful women make him uncomfortable. Miss Prissy comes in and he's falling all over himself to be nice to her. He even offers her coffee or tea. He won't even let me in his office."
Smiling, Magus closed the door before returning to his chair. He said, "In that case, I suppose that we must get the distasteful business of payment out of the way."
"I am quite familiar with the practice of settling the matter of payment before services are rendered," Darla said. She smiled at him in a manner suggesting that Magus was equally familiar with the practice outside his business.
"Is this consultation associated with a personal or business situation?" Magus asked. He opened a folder with some information in it.
Darla said, "I fear that this visit is of a business nature."
"If I am not mistaken, you have fewer than twenty employees," Magus said after glancing down at his notes.
"You are very well informed, Magus," Darla said nodding her head at him.
"Thank you, Miss Darling. I pride myself on getting access to information that others might find virtually impossible to locate," Magus said. "My standard fee for a business of your size is that the first consultation will be a thousand dollars and unlimited direct access to the owner of the business for those occasions when I require the goods or services the business provides."
"As you well know, I run a service business. Will you be paying for those services?" Darla asked. It had only taken her a fraction of a second to get into a mindset appropriate for negotiating.
"Of course I will. I'm in the business of providing solutions; not creating problems. Few businesses can survive if they are forced to give away their goods or services. We shall negotiate a fair and reasonable price in the event that I should ever call upon you," Magus said.
"I must assume that you'll be quite specific in detailing your requirements vis a vie the services requested," Darla said.
"Indeed. I shall state exactly what I want. There shall be no chance of misunderstanding," Magus said.
"It is such a pleasure dealing with a man who knows exactly what he wants," Darla said seductively.
"It is always a pleasure dealing with a woman such as you," Magus said in an equally seductive tone of voice.
"What is the payment schedule for subsequent consultations?"
"We add a zero for each successive solution," Magus said.
"Your terms are agreeable to me," Darla said. They also matched what she had been told before coming to visit Magus. She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope containing a thousand dollars. She discretely set it on the desk and said, "Shall we get to the reason I am here?"
Sliding the envelope off to the side, Magus answered, "That is a most excellent suggestion, Miss Darling. Please tell me about your problem."
"Someone wants to use my business to blackmail my clients," Darla said. For the first time since arriving, her voice conveyed real anger. Under that gentle polite façade was an iron will.
"Do you know the identity of the blackmailer?" Magus asked.
"No," Darla answered. "I had considered using a private investigator, but immediately dismissed the idea."
"That was a wise choice. A private investigator would have identified the blackmailer, but he wouldn't have solved your problem without creating more problems for you," Magus said.
"Exactly," Darla answered.
"I'll need some information from you," Magus said.
"My business requires a significant degree of discretion. I will let you know if I object to any of your questions," Darla said.
"I'm sure you will, Miss Darling," Magus said.
For the next forty-five minutes the pair of them discussed her problem. In the process, Magus filled an entire notepad with notes, observations, and possible lines of investigation. Darla was more impressed by what he didn't need to ask than by what he did ask. It was an amazingly thorough interview.
At the end of their discussion, Magus rose from his chair and offered her his arm. He said, "Allow me to escort you to the door, Miss Darling."
"Thank you, Magus. You are indeed a gentleman of the old school," Darla said taking his arm.
Magus walked her to the reception area. He said, "I would like to mention that I do have a need for your services."
"Would you like it if I sent over one of my ladies?" Darla asked. She glanced over at Claudia to see her reaction.
"Yes," Magus answered. "I believe that I would enjoy spending this evening in the company of Margo White if she is available."
Upon hearing the name, Darla turned to examine Claudia for a moment. Finally, she said, "I'll make sure that she is available for you, Magus. Is there some reason for choosing this evening?"
"Phil is taking his girlfriend out this evening and I have a need for company of a particular kind."
"Igor has a girlfriend?" Darla asked.
"Yes. He's dating my receptionist," Magus answered glancing over at Claudia. He was impressed that Darla knew his nickname for Phil.
"Ah, that explains so much," Darla said.
"What does it explain?" Claudia asked letting her curiosity get the better of her.
"I had wondered why Magus allowed you to work here. Men like him do not feel comfortable around women like you. They prefer women like me," Darla said.
Icily, Claudia asked, "Why do you say that?"
"You are an extremely beautiful single woman. It is obvious that you are looking to grab a smart man and get married," Darla said.
"And you are not looking to get married?" Claudia asked. There had to be a biological clock ticking there.
Darla said, "Exactly. I am not in the market to get married. I work in a different, but closely related market. The emphasis is on the word -- work."
"Let me just say that from my perspective, the world needs more Darla Darlings than Eleanor Stroms," Magus said.
"You are so good," Darla said. The quiver in her voice suggested that she had an orgasm.
"Thank you," Magus said.
"You will enjoy the company of Margo White. Not only is she an exquisite beauty, but she's very smart and is able to converse on a large number of topics. She's a business major with a minor in international law," Darla said. She looked over at Claudia and shook her head.
"I know," Magus said.
Darla said, "There is a matter of the requirements placed upon the evening by both parties."
"I would be satisfied with sharing a quiet dinner at six o'clock, watching the sunset from my garden, and engaging in an evening of conversation about business and international law over drinks. Would ten thousand be sufficient compensation for such an evening?"
"You are a most generous man, Magus," Darla said.
Magus said, "A woman of such intelligence and beauty as Margo White should be well rewarded for spending an evening with a man like me."
"You are too modest, Magus. It is likely that Margo is going to remember this evening with fondness for the rest of her life. I know that Eleanor Strom would love to spend the rest of her life with you," Darla said. She looked sad for a second and then said, "Although I fear that a relationship between Eleanor and you would not be a happy one."
Magus said, "I agree. That is why I prefer knowing you, Miss Darling."
"I fear that I am not available for private evenings. I am too engaged in dealing with the personnel issues demanded by my business," Darla said.
"That is why I requested Margo White. I would have much preferred your company this evening," Magus said.
Claudia was staring at Magus wondering if he had been replaced by a pod person. Based on everything she knew about him, he should have been cowering in his office instead of flirting with Darla. By his own admission, gorgeous women made Magus uncomfortable. No one in their right mind could ever consider Darla as anything except stunningly beautiful. There wasn't a ring on her finger so she wasn't married.
"You are a most remarkable man, Magus. I must leave now. I think we both have work to do."
"Have a nice evening, Miss Darling," Magus said. He took her hand, leaned over, and kissed it.
"I know you'll have a nice evening, Magus," Darla said. She glided out the door of the office. Magus watched her leave appreciating the way she moved.
"I don't like her," Claudia said as soon as the door closed behind Darla.
"I do," Magus said stepping towards the door of his office while keeping an eye on her.
"Why?" Claudia asked.
Magus entered his office before answering, "She is perfect for me because she's not available."
"That makes sense," Claudia said. "Who is Eleanor Strom?"
"That is the name that Darla Darling will resume using when she retires from business," Magus answered.
Thinking about the recent conversation, she said, "That's so sad."
"Enough about that; I need you to call Igor and get him here as soon as possible," Magus said with a hint of excitement in his voice. He rubbed his hands together. "I've got a problem to solve that requires some brawn."
"I'll call him."
"Send him right in when he arrives. I don't want you to keep him out here for ten minutes while you are playing kissy face with him," Magus said. "It is positively disgusting."
"It isn't disgusting; it is love."
"Nonsense. Phil gets absolutely stupid when he is around you."
Bristling, Claudia said, "Do you want to know what stupid is? Stupid is paying a woman ten thousand dollars to spend an evening with you."
"It will be worth every penny," Magus said. He went back to his desk and reviewed the notes he had taken during the conversation with Darla.
When Claudia finished calling Phil, she turned to her computer and starting typing. After a few minutes she found the website for which she was searching. Speechless, she stared at the image on the screen for almost a full minute. Finally she muttered, "Oh my God."
Having arrived without her noticing, Phil looked over her shoulder to see what had grabbed her attention. Curious, he asked, "Does your sister know that there's a picture of her posing nude on the web?"
"I don't have a sister," Claudia growled.
Phil looked at the page a little more carefully. He said, "Her name is Margo White and she's an escort here in Boston for the Darla Darling agency. Wow, Darla runs a really high class operation. Margo probably costs three thousand dollars a night."
"I don't ever want to hear another word about that woman," Claudia said through clenched teeth.
"Which woman, Margo or Darla?"
"Either one," Claudia answered.
"You and Margo do look a lot alike. Fix her hair a little differently, get her a little breast augmentation, and she could be your twin," Phil said.
"Don't say another word," Claudia said.
"Did you ever think about being an escort? I bet men would pay a fortune to spend the night with the two of you," Phil said jokingly.
Claudia screamed out in frustration and anger.
Concerned by her outburst, Phil asked, "What's the matter?"
"Once again I am forced to admit that Magus is right."
"What is he right about this time?" Phil asked.
"You do get stupid when you're around me."
"Hey!"
"Go talk to Magus."