Sex Sells Ch. 01

Denise stared at the job listing.
Something about it caught her eye. The name of the company, of course. "Fantasy Enterprises" -- what the heck was that all about? "Salary and commission" and "elite clientele". That could mean good money. To Denise, this listing looked a hell of a lot better than the average sales job at the Galleria. At least there was "opportunity for advancement." She clicked on "Apply Now" and started entering her contact info.
Denise needed a job. Desperately. She'd been working her way through school at the University of Texas, Dallas. She had one more year to go before she got her degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She had a great paying job until about a week ago when her jerk of a manager starting putting the moves on her. She confronted him and they had a parting of the ways. Now her tuition was coming due in less than a month.
She needed to get hired somewhere and fast.
The next day, she got an email from Fantasy Enterprises. She was told to show up at Norma's on Davis on Saturday at 9am. Odd time and place for a job interview, she thought. Norma's was an old-style diner with country breakfasts and comfort food. If nothing else, maybe she'd get a decent meal out of it.
Saturday morning, Denise stood in front of her mirror and finished putting on her makeup. She was wearing a skirt and a crisp cotton blouse that showed off her figure. She was supposed to meet a Jerod Montgomery -- probably the hiring manager or maybe the HR person -- she figured a little sex appeal wouldn't hurt. Denise was an unusually attractive young woman -- tall, blonde, with long legs and a killer body. Her face was model pretty with discerning blue eyes that didn't miss a lot. She didn't like being thought of as just a pretty face, but she also knew she should leverage the assets she's got.
When she got to the diner, it was five minutes to nine. Better early than late. Stepping, she looked around for a man sitting alone. In the back, a man in a tan suit signaled to her. As she approached the booth where he was sitting, he stood to greet her. He was African-American, tall and in good shape, with a full head of salt and pepper hair. She figured he was in his 40's or 50's. She found him very good looking -- a Silver Fox.
"Denise?" he asked in a low voice.
"Yes," she answered, "you must be Jerod."
"Have a seat," he said amiably. "Have you had breakfast?"
"Actually no, I haven't," she replied.
"Then I recommend the pancakes. Or the biscuits and gravy."
He signaled for the waitress.
Denise watched Jerod closely. He was cool, confident, but not in an arrogant way. He was more of the debonair type.
"Coffee?" he asked with a smile.
"Sure," she said.
Once the waitress had set them up with coffee and place settings, Denise cut to the chase.
"So, I have to tell you," Denise said, "this is a first for me. A job interview over breakfast?"
Jerod put down his coffee cup.
"Let me explain. I take my business meetings at restaurants because Fantasy Enterprises doesn't have an office. I run the business out of my home and in the field. To reduce overhead."
"And the rest of the team?" she asked. "Do they work at home too?"
"There's no team. There's just me. I'm the owner and sole proprietor."
"OK," she said. "And what exactly is the product?"
"We'll get into all of that," he said as the waitress appeared to take their orders.
Over breakfast, he spent time explaining his background and asking her questions about hers. His manner was so easy going and casual, it didn't feel like a job interview at all. More like a conversation you'd have with someone over a meal.

Denise learned he had retired from an R