He waited until he was home and floated the idea of dinner.
“Well you can’t really say no, can you?” Amber responded to the question.
“No, not really, but it would be poor form not to ask you!”
“And that’s part of why we’re still married,” Amber teased him.
“So like, if it’s here do I get to come?” Brandi asked excitedly? She’d recently turned eighteen and knew the party meant there’d be plenty of free booze on offer.
“Absolutely not,” Amber replied. “I won’t even stay here.”
“Awwww Mum!” Brandi protested
“Those parties get out of hand. The one time I went I spent the whole night fending off unwanted advances even though the guys knew I was married. There’s no telling what they might try with a young woman like yourself there.
Both parents missed the look on Brandi’s face as she considered what it might mean. She quickly reverted to a pout at the thought of missing out.
“I guess I’ll have to see if Candy will have me over.”
“Good idea,” Amber replied.
“So I’m going to be left flying solo in my own home?”
“Oh you’ll live. Just think about the hot young interns you can perve on when they get pissed and swim in the pool.”
“Mum!” Amber decried, shocked.
“Oh shush, I know what goes on and your Dad’s not denying it either!”
— +++ —
Joe returned to the office the following day and let Jack know they’d be happy to host the party.
“Awesome news Joe,” Jack declared with a grin. “I’ll get Mandy to go over the details with you, she knows the ropes because she’s set it all up for years.
Joe went back to work and soon found a meeting drop into his calendar for Christmas Prep with Mandy. He wasn’t disappointed. Mandy was a thirty five year old brunette with a well-toned figure. She hadn’t married and according to office gossip, had something of a sexual appetite, though not many got to find out about it; certainly not anyone that was married as far as Joe knew. Like many executive assistants, she knew how to bust balls and a lot of the men in the office were almost afraid of her, but Joe just treated her like anyone else and was treated respectfully in return.
The meeting was pleasant and apart from Joe taking his time to admire the younger woman’s figure, aided by an almost sheer white blouse that made no secret of the black bra beneath, it was mostly about Mandy telling him what would happen in the week before the party and on the night of the party.
“Right, so it kind of sounds like we should move out for the week if the cleaning and preparation is going to be that fastidious. I feel like we’ll wreck things before the party starts otherwise.”
“Oh definitely. I mean most of the execs just move to their beach home or something for the week when its their turn to hose, but if you don’t have an alternative, the company will put you up in a hotel.”
“Damn, I never realised how much went into these things!”
“Well Joe that’s why I’m here, to just make things happen without anyone stressing too much.”
“I’ll be sure I never forget it,” Joe answered before returning to his desk to continue writing up the report he was working on.