The business of minding steel




1.

As I reminisce here at my retirement party I think back on the good and bad
experiences of my long career with this division of the company. I am
continuously drawn back to thoughts about one specific coworker and the
traumatic events that occurred with her that changed my life. It was twenty
years ago but whenever I think about it the emotion still shakes me up as if
it were yesterday. All the mixed feelings come flowing back into my mind so
clearly that I get excited, anxious and angry about it all over again! The
future looked so bright for me back then with fifteen years of competent,
capable and hard work and at the company. I had attended night school at the
local college and had worked my way up to senior manager of the eastern
division. The division director Ken Shinsky would be retiring soon and I
believed I was the favorite to replace him. I was truly blessed having a good
future at the business, a beautiful young wife and great health. I was quite
proud about what I had achieved and thought it was impressive for a man of
thirty seven years old. I thought I was the man ...

I had actually become accustomed to being considered the big man around town.
Not only because I was six feet tall and a muscular two hundred twenty five
pounds but also because the company was the only large employer in the area.
So as the number two guy at it, I got lots of respect and admiration both in
and out of work. I was recognized at most places I went around the area and
given priority because of my position. That was the way things had always been
around town. The boss was treated as the boss in and out of work. Everyone
around the town knew and respected the leaders of our company. My stature was
similar to that of the mayor's. I used my status years earlier to win over my
beautiful wife Anne. She loved my power both physically and as the lead man.
Seven years younger than me, she was admired by all for her model good looks,
bright smile and great figure. She was the epitome of feminine loveliness and
the homecoming queen when she graduated high school and college. As the big
man around town, I was able to use my position and status as leverage to win
her.

I remember vividly the day everything began to unravel. I kissed Anne that
morning while she was still lying in bed. Just a sheer silk sheet covered the
amazing form of her naked body. My kiss stirred her and she said smiling. "Why
don't you climb back into bed with me big man ... ?" I said "No, I'm sorry, I
can't, this is important today. I need to be at headquarters first thing this
morning". With that, I smiled, admiring her figure once more before heading
out the door. Today was the annual board meeting for division directors in the
city where our company was founded and headquartered. My boss Ken the division
director was on vacation. I figured this was a grooming exercise being put on
by our senior managers at headquarters for the day when I eventually take over
the top spot. Entering the large dark wood paneled board room I felt right at
home. I noted that it was filled with so many familiar and some new faces. I
made my way around the room before the meeting and said my hellos to many of
the senior managers that I had become so friendly with over the years. Each
division director would have to give a presentation to the board on their
group's performance and present their goals for the coming year. I went up to
the podium second after the western division director finished his
presentation and as I made my mine I was interrupted.

The young woman introduced herself as Lauren Steel. I had heard about her from
some of my friends at headquarters. I was told that she was in her
mid-twenties and had started at the company as a summer intern and had quickly
made herself indispensable. In just under two years she had moved her way up
to a mid-level manager position at Headquarters. She was known as a very hard
worker and was very bright. She was a top graduate from a big name business
school. She had attended the school on a fully paid academic scholarship. I
found out that Ms. Steel was substituting at the meeting for Charles Regan the
central division director. She raised her hand, I paused giving my
presentation and she said "I'm sorry to interrupt but I believe that your data
is incorrect!" I asked "How so?" To which she replied "I do not believe that
you correctly appreciated the carrying cost for your supply chain vendors over
the time period shown on the table". Not trying to embarrass her but assuming
that she was just a na##ve upstart I replied "OK, I'm sure there must be a
misunderstanding and I'd be happy to review it with you later". The board
chairman suggests that this might be a good time for a break and we could
resume again in about 20 minutes. As the break was called Ms. Steel came right
over and sat down next to me and began to explain that she had gone over all
the reports in detail for the meeting today and found mine to be in error. She
said that she checked everything twice to be sure she was correct. She
reviewed the spreadsheet data and explained to me how she came to her
conclusions and showed me the mathematics and justification to prove her
points. I explained to her that I had only briefly reviewed the reports with
my specific group heads before I made the trip so I didn't know all the
details. I could hardly believe it, but it looked like she was right ...
further, she pointed out several other inaccuracies on our report that I'd
need to correct. Embarrassed about the whole situation, I agreed to make the
changes ... When the meeting reconvened I humbly announced that "Ms. Steel was
in fact correct with her assumptions and that there was an oversight on our
end and we would rerun the figures given the new formulas she provided and
send copies to all those in attendance". I completed my presentation and
fortunately it went along well enough without any further interruptions or
questions from the board and I quietly returned to my seat at the table.

Next Ms. Steel confidently stepped up to the podium. She was about 5' 8" tall
with a slim but sturdy build. She had blond hair and was well dressed in an
attractive black skirted business suit. As she stood out in front of me
wearing a pair of pump heels she looked almost 6' tall. I could not help but
notice her very well developed calf muscles. I daydreamed for a bit about
them, being a bit jealous because I have had to work very hard at the gym to
develop my calves and this twenty-something has been blessed genetically with
this amazing set ... She presented the central division's performance data and
plan. Her presentation was very engaging with tons of specific detail and her
ideas are quite innovative. She suggested substantial cost and expenditure
savings using her new ideas. Still a little bothered because she blindsided
me, I quietly question to myself if her findings and conclusions were correct
but she cited a tremendous amount of detail and research on how she arrived at
her conclusions. Also, when she was similarly questioned from the board
members it was obvious that she was correct and not bullshitting. They were
all very impressed with her. The rest of this memorable day was spent as the
annual board meetings always had been, catching up with old friends at
headquarters and later getting together with those same friends for dinner and
some drinks before heading home.

2.

About six months passed without me thinking too much more about that meeting.
My boss Ken as expected announced his retirement. Weeks after Ken's retirement
announcement I was asked to report to headquarters for a meeting in the
boardroom. Frank Dow a member of the board that I have known for many years
welcomed me at the office and invited me into the boardroom. I believed this
would be my coronation, the meeting in which they would offer me the
director's position. I was seated at a table with five of the board members
and the CEO. They started out talking about how they appreciated my many years
of service with the company and how my contributions have been impressive. But
then their focus shifted to how difficult a choice it was to choose the new
director and how they had decided that they would not be selecting me, but
have selected Ms. Steel to be the eastern division director. They then tell me
that they hope I'll welcome her and continue to tell me that they believe she
is brilliant woman and they needed to make this move because she was being
pursued to take a similar position with our competition. Also, they talked
about how lucky we are that the organization will be able to keep her ... They
went on about how they have been trying to bring in a top notch woman at the
director's position for quite some time but they could not find the right one.
They also tell me that although she is young and new to the company she has
shown herself to be very knowledgeable and an extremely quick learner. They
conclude with how she brings new ideas and has helped us utilize technology
and software to make sizable improvements in other areas of the business. I
was floored ... It was a real effort for me to remain seated and keep my
composure in the boardroom. I accepted their decision but it would take me
quite a while to get over this blow. I couldn't believe it! I was not happy
with this decision at all! I thought to myself that I was going to fight this
insult. I would show them just how wrong they were seeing what this girl was
all about and exposing her as the fraud I thought she was. I had worked 15
years in anticipation of this day and because of this upstart younger woman it
had all just slipped away ...

On Monday morning a few weeks later our new director Ms. Steel arrives.
Looking more like a cheerleader than the new boss with her long blond hair
pulled back in a ponytail, Lauren Steel brings all of the staff into the
conference room and standing up on a chair, talks about herself and where she
envisions the division going in the future. Smiling and making jokes, she gets
laughs and works the room. She is very, confident and seems to have them sold.
I must say she is a very good speaker, charming, engaging and convincing. She
takes questions from the group and answers their questions very thoroughly
with lots of detail. She seems to have them believing that she cares and they
seem very receptive and welcoming to her ideas. After the meeting she breaks
off with smaller groups of people and answers more of their specific questions
and gets to know them all more personally. After the group meeting I mingle
with the employees as well. I start to cleverly plant the seeds of doubt about
her abilities with them. I suggest that she may not be up for the task because
she is inexperienced young woman that talks a good game but may not be able to
deliver in the real world ...

Later that day Ms. Steel stops in my office to talk. She closes the door,
removes her jacket and crossing her legs, sits down in front of me. She begins
"Ray I'm sure you are more than a little upset about being passed over for the
director's job. I empathize with your pain but I'm also sure that senior
management made the right choice in me and that time will show it! I work very
hard and as director and your direct superior I am going to demand a lot from
you. I will require your assurances that you will not try to undermine my
efforts here at the division. So until further notice I'll need to review all
of your decisions before giving you my permission to move forward in making
them final. I need to know that you are 100% focused on my goals and mission".
Looking at her I nod in agreement. "Good!" She says. Meanwhile I'm thinking to
myself that there is no shortage of confidence in this gal! I daydream about
putting her over my knee and giving her a good spanking. As I do she catches
me admiring her calves. With a knowing look of disapproval she adds "Also Ray,
one other thing I wanted to make clear. As I am a pretty young blond and only
24 years old society has a tendency to disregard my thoughts and opinions
because of stereotypes. I will prefer to keep things very professional in the
office environment. I need it to be quite clear to everyone that I'm the boss
here and that I have everyone's absolute respect. So I'll require you and
everyone else to always address me as Ms. Steel. Using my first name is too
casual. I will need you to set the example of respect for the rest of the
staff. Now I wanted to get to know you. Why don't you tell me a little bit
about yourself?"

I think to myself that I really don't want to get to know her or talk to her
about anything. Respect is something that is earned. But now is not the time
to bring this up so I go along and talk for a while more about our work, how
many years I have been with the company ... the director's job ... my wife
Anne ... vacations we have both taken ... family ... the suburb where I live
and my love of the gym and weight training. Ms. Steel asks me a lot of
questions about myself. She says that she looks forward to meeting Anne
someday and tells me that she is also looking to buy a home in the area
because she is currently living at a hotel. She says that she'd like
contemporary style house with a pool. She suggests that maybe I could help her
out by identifying the best neighborhoods. She also mentioned that she is
looking to join a gym nearby to exercise in her free time too. I recommend my
gym not really thinking she might actually take up on the offer someday.

In the following months the work does become very demanding. Ms. Steel
implements her software and process changes at the company and requires that I
work 10 hours a day but in fairness she is logging 14 hours a day herself and
sometimes works all night. At times when I express my frustration about one
situation or another she would reminding me "I will ask you to work harder
than you ever have before Ray but I will always require more of myself!" I
just think she is an annoying and a workaholic. I wonder when she finds time
to sleep or eat. But I must admit that she has proven herself to be a very
effective. Sometimes I will try to explain to her how things have always been
done at the division but she doesn't want to hear it. I must admit that she
amazes me with her quick thinking, memory and her attention to detail. In a
short time she knows how every group functions better than the individual
group leaders. She finds things to improve upon where I never would have even
thought to go looking. She has reviewed every detail and every procedure we
have in every group at the entire division. In a short time she has managed to
improve many processes and streamlined many more procedures. That being said I
still think she is hyperactive and this bold young lady does still annoy the
hell out of me. She needs to learn her place! The staff seems to like her well
enough because the changes she has introduced make their jobs easier and the
divisional profit have also soared which make her very popular at
headquarters. When she walks through the halls, she is treated like a
celebrity as our gullible employees rush up to greet her or follow her down
the hallway saying "Good morning Ms. Steel! How are you today? Do you need
anything? Can I ask you a question about this? Great work on this project ...
Thank you for correcting this or that for me" I must admit that she has been
very successful in her short time here at the division but I still believe she
will falter and when she does I'll be ready to step in and take over ...

3.

During this busy time Ms. Steel has moved into a large contemporary home with
a big pool just two blocks from where Anne and I live and has just recently
joined the gym where we have had a membership for many years. One afternoon
she stopped in to talk to me in my office. She closed the door, removed her
jacket and sits putting her feet up on my desk. "Ray, my changes have been a
great success here! HQ is very impressed with the work being done here. It
would have taken much longer to get these things done if you weren't so
helpful. I'm going to allow you to go back to working 8 hours a day again
effective tomorrow." I think to myself "You're going to allow me. Who do you
think you are?" but instead I reply appropriately "Thank you Ms. Steel that
will be great!" She adds "I hope you are getting used to the new structure
here and my style of direction?" "Also I should tell you that I am going to
start working 8 hours a day again too!" She says "The division is functioning
nicely now with the improvements I've made and I've gotten so skinny because
I've been focused entirely on work. I need to get myself back into shape. Did
you know that I trained 6 days a week when I was in college?" "I had no idea
Ms. Steel!" I reply. "Yes, I was in amazing shape! It should all come back
quickly. I just need to work at it a bit. So you'll be seeing me at the gym
now too ... "She says smiling, she gathers up her things and walks out of the
office saying "Have a great night!"

That's her! I say to Anne the next morning at the gym. Ms. Steel is already in
the gym when we arrive at 5:35 AM. The place opens at 5:30 AM. She is looking
a little out of place in the area known as the pit. This is the area in the
gym with all the heavy free weights where all the serious lifters congregate.
Anne and I walk over and I introduce them and we exchange our greetings and
pleasantries. When we get back to the far side of the gym Anne says "She is
tall and thin as you described but she seems strong. When she shook my hand I
really felt her grip, it hurt a little". We watch her train in the pit on the
other side of the gym. We both look her over and note what exercises she is
doing while making judgments about her back and forth. I tell Anne "She's
never going to build any muscle the way she runs around all day. She burns up
all her calories in work. She doesn't know what she's doing in here. She is
going to hurt herself" We finish doing our exercises and complete our morning
workout after about an hour and wave farewell to Ms. Steel as we leave the
gym. She is not surprisingly still working in the pit.

This routine continues throughout the winter. Ms. Steel is there every morning
and greets Anne and me and she tells me in work that she goes back to the gym
in the evening as well for a second workout session. Despite being so busy she
remains very energetic and positive in work and at the gym. She tells me she
is eating more and better. She trains hard and has quickly become friends with
the serious power lifters, bodybuilders, and trainers she has met in the pit
at the gym. For whatever reason they seem to gravitate towards her as the
employees do back at our work. She has become a pit fixture at the gym and has
made a name for herself for her work ethic and the noticeable results that
seem to be coming from it. At the gym I ask my old friend Jessie who is a
bodybuilder and trainer there to tell me "just between us two guys" Does Ms.
Steel know what she is doing? He responds "Yeah that one's the real deal. She
is dialed in, really smart about training and nutrition. She works really hard
and heavy. She really knows how to build it right!"

As the warmer weather arrives in our town people start to shed their layers of
clothing. The same is true at our gym. Anne has always had a thing for my big
muscles. One morning Anne comments about Ms. Steel "Wow, look at all her
muscles! She has really grown over the winter huh!" I'm not surprised because
over the winter I have watched Steel work in the pit and watched the weights
she is lifting steadily increase. In work she has traded in her business suits
for larger fitted ones to accommodate her newly developed physique. I also
noticed that sometimes she wears sleeveless tops and short skirts and I see
the attention that our employees will give her when she does "Looking great
Ms. Steel! Wow, look at those muscles! Woman of Steel! You look fantastic ...
" The next morning at the gym as we walk over to greet her in the pit Anne
quickly walks ahead of me looking very impressed with Ms. Steel and says. "Wow
Lauren you look so strong! I'm so proud of you!" I tell her that she is doing
a great job too and Steel replies "I know it! It has really come easier for me
this time around. I'm planning on entering a bodybuilding show at the end of
the summer. I told you I weight trained in college and won several
bodybuilding shows didn't I?" Surprised, I reply "No I did not realize you
were doing shows!"Ms. Steel asks "Have you ever considered doing one Ray?" I
answer "No not really, I just enjoy training and being strong and fit" To
which she replies "I do too but for me I really enjoy taking on a challenge
and conquering it! That's my thing, I love winning and that is why I do it
all". Thinking back I did remember that she told me she trained in college but
I was really surprised to hear that she had won several shows too. I add "I
had no idea you were so athletic!" She says "Oh yes, I thought I told you all
these stories Ray? I was the title IX poster girl. I was an all-star in sports
in high school and set several records. I had full college scholarship offers
in place for either swimming or track. But, I decided that it would be in my
best interest to take the third offer for an academic scholarship instead!"
This was surprising news to both Anne and me. We were both impressed. Maybe
Ms. Steel was not as one dimensional as I had thought she was ...

The long hot days of summer arrived and we started seeing Ms. Steel around the
neighborhood more often. She would often run by our house on weekend days and
on some of the weekday evenings. She would stop and chat for a while with Anne
or me if we are outside. I had come to the realization that she really was a
nice person, very pleasant and enjoyable to talk to but I am still hung up on
what happened with the director's job and what I considered to be her
excessive confidence. She was very bright and seemed to know tremendous
amounts of detail about different subjects we chatted about, I just wished she
would tone her boldness down a little bit. I just didn't think that she acted
how a young lady should act. If she was a 24 year old guy then I could
understand the bravado, but not from a woman. I probably felt this negativity
too because she was tough on me at work and I was still having trouble
accepting her as the boss. She had become good friends with Anne but I am
still guarded around her when we spoke in and out of work.

When we went to the gym the in the morning now Anne would immediately head
over and give Ms. Steel a big hug and chat with her for a while. Sometimes I
would have to wait in the lobby because the two of them were Chatting in the
locker room before we'd leave the gym for work in the morning. I complained
about the waiting once and Anne told me smartly "It's OK, Lauren says she
gives you permission to be late if she is talking with me about
something!"Anne told me that Lauren was offering to train her too. I asked
first "How come you get to call her Lauren and I have to call her Ms. Steel?"
Anne answered that "She wants you to continue to call her Ms. Steel as a sign
of respect for her and also so you don't accidentally forget when you are in
work." I said "I am not a moron!" To which Anne replied "Ray it's not a big
deal, she is the boss, just do as she asks". I said, secondly "I've been
training you for years now why would you consider training with her?" Anne
says "Well Ray, just look at her progress over the winter! It hasn't even been
a year for her training here yet so clearly she is doing something right." We
look across the gym to see Ms. Steel dead lifting in front of the squat racks
in the pit. We watch the bar bend and her upper body muscles ripple as she
does a heavy rep. We feel the vibrations in the gym floor as she drops the
weight completing one rep after another. Anne adds "Plus men and women are
different and maybe she better understands my body and how I can get the most
out of my training". With each passing day I'm getting more and more annoyed
with our Ms. Steel! I still want my director's job back that I think she stole
from me! I haven't stopped my whispering campaign against her in work either
but I am finding fewer and fewer receptive ears ...

Anne is really fond of her new friend Ms. Steel. Instead of walking over to
her and chatting with her on this morning Anne waves to her and starts waving
her towards us. Ms. Steel starts walking towards us and I ask "What are you
doing?" Anne answers "Well Lauren and I talked last night and I told her you
weren't too crazy about her training me so she said she'd come and join us to
train sometimes and maybe give out some pointers". I said "Really, and you two
decided on this for me?" Anne answered "Oh Ray, stop being like that anyway
here comes your boss..." "Good morning" Ms. Steel says "What are we training
today?" I reply "I had planned on squats and biceps" Ms. Steel says "That
sounds great! That will work for me too! So let's head down to the pit and get
started" We all walk to the squat rack and I throw a big plate on either side.
I figure Ms. Steel will be able to squat this but not for as many reps as me
and then she'll go away... She asks "Should I go first?" I answer "Sure, have
at it!" As Anne and I look on she centers up under the bar gets positioned and
lifts the bar off the rack. She drops down deep. Her ass is almost touching
the floor. I quickly get behind her thinking she has too much weight on the
bar and she is stuck, but she drives up out of that position. As she is doing
it she says "Good form! I'm getting the full range of motion on the warm up
set Ray." I watch as she very slowly and very deeply does 12 reps. Next, I do
my set of 12 reps albeit not as slow, low or deep as Ms. Steel had done. We
remove the plates from the bar and Anne does her set with no additional weight
loaded onto the bar.

Next Ms. Steel reloads the bar and grabs a second set of big iron plates and
slides them on either side. "Are you ready for another set Ray?" She asks. I
am curious about what will happen next but just answer "Sure" Once again she
centers up under the bar, gets positioned and lifts off the bar. She drops
down to just about horizontal this time. I don't bother getting behind her
this time. I'm actually hoping she has too much weight on and she'll fall over
and embarrasses herself. But she drives it up and surprisingly gets 12 reps
with near perfect form too. As she does the reps we watch her leg muscles flex
and swell in the mirror. Anne taps me on the arm giggling and asks "Are you
seeing this?"When she is finished I ask "What are you weighing now Ms. Steel?"
She says "I weight about 145 lbs" I say "Well that's a great job then!" As I
set up for my set of squats Ms. Steel takes Anne off to the side and I hear
her say "So when you do your squats Hun, make sure you don't arch your back
and you that bring your legs down close to horizontal with the floor at the
bottom. Otherwise you are cheating, and if you cheat you won't get any
stronger". I wonder if she is actually saying this as a message to me because
I tend to arch my back and don't go down as deep as her on the squats. I
center myself up, lift off the rack and start down, trying to avoid criticism
by not arching my back and go all the way down. This technique change feels
awkward and heavy to me. As I do the reps my quads are starting to shake,
cramp and burn. I usually can do more than this but I only manage 8 shaky reps
before my legs start failing. I feel Ms. Steel slide her body in behind mine
to spot me. I note how good her body feels against mine ... Then I feel her
drive me up and together we lift the weight up and back onto the rack. I stand
there at the rack looking back at myself in the mirror disappointed and Ms.
Steel asks "What are you weighing now Ray?" I answer "About 225 lbs" She looks
down and away smiling and says "Great job!" After that Anne says "Girl power!
Score one for the girls" and gives a big squeeze to Ms Steel's muscular
shoulders.

Dejected I help remove weights for Anne's squat. Anne does her squat with the
bar and small weights on either side, also trying to not arch her back and go
all the way down as Ms. Steel had instructed. She gets shaky on her form too
by the sixth rep. Ms. Steel slides her body in behind Anne's as she had done
with mine earlier and helps her lift the weight up. I watch Anne lean back
into her and see the look of pleasure come over her face. They both are
smiling and together they do six more reps. As they slowly re-rack the weights
Anne turns toward and looks in Ms. Steel's eye's and softly says "Thank you".
There moment is interrupted by me as I clank on the big plates. I don't like
what is going on here! As I load plates Ms. Steel tells me with a smile "Put
on three plates this time ". I think OK she is going to show off for Anne, and
must be going for a high single lift now because this weight is more than
double her bodyweight. Again she centers herself up under the bar and gets
positioned and lifts off the bar. The bar bends and bounces noticeably to
either side of her as she drops down. One, two, three, four, five reps we
watch in the mirror as her leg muscles flex and swell tremendously. Every
muscle in her body is flexed and clearly visible through her tightly pulled
clothes, six, seven, eight, nine ten. She racks the weight with a huge clank.
Anne and I look on speechless ... After a pause while we both process what we
just witnessed I slowly step into the rack to take my turn. I already know I
can't lift this weight. "Do you want to give this a try?" Ms Steel asks. I
don't but I cannot say that so I respond "Yup" Anne and Ms. Steel look on as I
slowly set myself up and attempt to lift the weight but my body shakes and
aches just lifting this much weight up and off the rack. I am frozen with fear
of collapsing. I'm afraid to bring the weight down to even attempt it and have
it crash down on top of me! I re-rack it. I cannot do one rep.

"Why don't we switch it up and work our biceps for a while!" Ms. Steel says.
"I would like to do some chin ups if that is OK with you?" Truthfully, I feel
like the life and energy has been sucked out of me at the squat rack but
reluctantly I agree. I think that this is reminding me of the board meeting
when she tried to upstage me ... Although I'm tired, I will not give up and
let her embarrass me more in front of my wife. I reason that generally women
don't have the upper body strength that is equal to men anyway ... She was
prepared to out lift me on squats today but now way is she as strong on this
exercise. Anne is not even strong enough to do chin ups so she grabs some
dumbbells for curls and stands in front of the mirror beside us at the bar.
Steel asks me "Should I go first or would you like to go?" as she ask this she
removes her shirt and pants to reveal just a sports bra style top and a pair
of micro sized shorts. She looks incredibly built and pumped and this unnerves
me too. Looking into the mirror Anne's gaze is locked on Steel's body as she
prepares to start. I say "You should go first." She climbs up the rung on the
side of the equipment grabbing the overhead bar and starts doing her pull ups.
She quickly does 10 repetitions showing no signs of slowing down as she heads
toward 20. Anne stops what she is doing and walks over standing next to me
behind her as Ms. Steel approaches 30 and continues going towards 40. I admire
Steel's thickly muscled back and small round ass as Anne says loudly "You are
amazing Lauren!" as Steel completes 50 reps and then stops. Dropping down as a
cloud of lifting chalk blows up in the air Ms. Steel says "That's enough for
now!" Her arms are noticeably swollen with veins as thick as pencils running
up them into her shoulders. Anne reaches out and grabs Steel's arm with both
hands as they walk off joking to the side of the overhead bar. I'm pissed
about how Anne is acting and will not go down without a fight here as I step
underneath and grab the bar and start doing my set of pull ups. I can tell by
the sixth one that this is not going to be my day. The squats earlier wiped me
out leaving me feeling weak and demoralized. I struggle a bit but manage to
finish my 12 pull ups. Showing my growing anger and disgust I comment to Ms.
Steel "Well you know I weight about 85 lbs more than you so I guess that
wasn't too bad. If I weighed 145 I could do a lot more too!" Steel smiles and
reacting to my anger says "Well that weight didn't seem to help on the squats
but you are right. This probably wasn't too fair seeing you weigh so much more
than me". She walks to the accessory rack in the center of the pit and puts on
a weight belt with a chain attached. She walks back to us with the chained
belt around her waist and holding a big plate in either hand. She says "These
two will bring me up to 235 and make it all fair!"We watch as Steel strings
the chain through the hole in the middle of each of the big weight plates.
Anne laughs out loud concerned, saying "No way! You've got to be kidding me!
Don't hurt yourself Lauren". Steel asks me to place a stand underneath the
overhead bar so she can reach it and requests that I remove it once she starts
gets going on pull ups. I position the stand and she steps up onto it while
awkwardly holding the weights. "Ok, here it goes!" she says as she pulls up
and I pull the stand back. While hanging she readjusts her hand width and for
a second I happily hope that she will fall off! I watch as her biceps strain
and swell while she pulls herself up, then again and again. Anne counts off
"3, 4, 5, 6, and 7" Anne turns to me while counting and asks "Have you ever
seen anyone like her?" I remain speechless. Steel's progress slows as I here
Anne count "8, 9, 10, 11" With a strained high pitch voice Anne calls out "Oh
my god 12, 13, 14, 15!"

As Steel drops off the bar to the floor my eyes simultaneously drop down too
... As removes the heavy weights from the chain on her waist Anne watches her
too looking elated. I continue to stare down at the floor trying to think of a
way to disappear. Free from the weight belt Steel looks over and asks "Do you
want to congratulate me for beating you fair and square now?" Anne replies
before I can answer "I do!" Anne walks up behind Ms. Steel placing her head on
her shoulder and wrapping her hands around her sweaty muscled waist and
pulling her body close says "You amaze the phuck out of me Lauren! Is there
anything you can't do?" Witnessing my wife fawning over my boss and not
knowing what to do I grab for Anne to pull her arms off and scream "Hands off
of her! You're my wife stop acting like a phucking dyke!" I grab Anne's arm
and as I do I feel Steel's hand grabbing my arm and her other hand under my
chin gripping my neck. She drives me back into the wall. Pinned, I look around
and see the entire gym is watching us. Ms. Steel tells me "Don't you ever
raise a hand to a woman!" I try to free myself from the grip she has on my
neck but she has leverage and she holds me tightly up against the wall. I say"
phuck you! That's my wife and you don't tell me what to do with her!" Ms.
Steel replies "you need to apologize to her and me for your behavior then get
the phuck out of here before I kick your ass!" I struggle some more trying to
remove her hand but she's got me solidly pinned. Finally I submit saying "OK,
I'm sorry ... "

Beaten and embarrassed I leave the gym immediately with my head held low... As
I walk out people in the gym look at me with disgust and clap for Ms. Steel
and her efforts to protect Anne. Anne says to me as I leave that it is best
that she stays with Ms. Steel to let things cool down. She tells me not to
worry that she'd get a ride home from Lauren later after they have showered. I
tell Anne that evening that I don't want to train at that gym or with Ms.
Steel anymore. Anne says that I am old fashioned and I need to change because
the world is changing. She says that I need to get used to the world in which
a female can be a males superior. She adds that she doesn't know why I need to
act this way because Lauren likes us both so much and she is so nice and there
is so much she can teach the both of us ... We argue for quite a while that
night with Anne's premise being that I'm a dinosaur in my thinking and mine
being that I'm just sick and tired of being upstaged by that woman! Without a
clear winner or loser we eventually just fall asleep ...

4.

Since the incident at the gym I have try to avoid Ms. Steel as much as
possible in work. Her ego seems to have inflated with her muscles. She has
grown more comfortable as boss woman and has started taking liberties with me.
I feel she is disrespecting me, treating me more like her personal assistant
at work. Now she has Anne questioning my abilities at home too. Ms. Steel is
always too busy with HQ stuff now. She has instructed our staff to send all
routine division management correspondence, reports and phone calls to my
attention. She has instructed me to take care of the day to day stuff bringing
only the important decisions to her so she can review them and make the final
decisions! Apparently, unbeknownst to me, headquarters has been giving her
special assignments from different business areas to review and give opinions
on. Several board members were at our site for a Friday meeting reviewing one
such special assignment with her when I accidentally entered the room. She was
standing at the conference table surrounded by board members as they all
attentively listened to her explain her thoughts on something. Ms. Steel's
head popped up and she said "Oh hi Ray! You have perfect timing! I'm starving!
These poor people must be starving too! Let us give you a lunch order?" I was
so embarrassed! I did as she requested and took the order but I was going to
her office to set her straight after this meeting ...

Later that day I walked into her office to find Ms. Steel working at her desk.
I quickly walked over and stood right in front of her desk pointing my finger
at her and loudly said "We need to get a few things straight Miss!" She looked
up from her monitor, looked me up and down, took off her glasses and put one
end in here mouth. She sat there for a few seconds looking at me and smiling.
Then she dropped her glasses gently on the desk and walked back behind me and
closed and locked the door. She then slowly strutted back to her chair looking
me over and smiling the whole way, sitting back and reclining into her chair.
While looking quite comfortable with her arms folded behind her head and
smiling at me she said. "You were saying Ray?" I say "You need a lesson in
business etiquette young lady" while continuing to point my finger at her. I
am a senior manager here and although you out rank me there is a level of
respect that my position affords from everyone!" She laughs slightly and says
"Ray quite honestly I out everything you! Your role at this organization is to
serve me! That was a very important meeting that I was having in there. I was
explaining changes that will make this company a leader in the industry". She
is wearing one of her sleeveless dresses again today. As she is sitting there
she flexes her biceps behind her head. My eyes must have popped out because I
couldn't help but notice their size ... She says "You like these don't you?
You want to feel how powerful these can be? Will I need to show you up again
Ray?" This distraction totally breaks my concentration and causes me to lose
my thought. "I'm so angry right now!" I scream.

Ms. Steel stands up from her desk and walks very close right in front of me.
Her dress flaps open slightly showing off the cleavage of her firm breasts
standing straight out on top of thick slabs of chest muscle. "I know you are
too afraid to be angry with me but probably just a little scared and confused
about everything going on! Maybe you are just angry with this situation you
find yourself in? Maybe you are too old and don't understand how the world has
changed? It isn't a world where women blush and lower their heads, turning
their eyes away when a man looks at them anymore. We can compete and take what
we want now! You don't just get the big job because you are the man at the
office or because you have worked here the longest like you did in the old
days!" I look down quietly listening and thinking to myself maybe I took this
a little too far today? She continues "I have outperformed everyone else my
entire life and I work my ass off still. I outperform you in every way every
day! The world doesn't care what gender I am. I get results and it just so
happens that I'm a younger than you and woman. As I should, I get rewarded for
that! Learn to deal with it! I won and you answer to me! I'm the boss! Is it
starting to sink in? Let me summarize this one more time for you. I am your
superior, younger, smarter, better, stronger and prettier too". As she smugly
struts back around her desk "You have an outdated way of thinking. You need to
change it. You are living in the past, I am making the future. I've been
beating guys like you for as long as I can remember, and that is a long time
because I'm smart as phuck! You can support and serve me and I'll reward you
if it is possible or you can oppose me like you have been doing, in which case
I'll kick your ass like I have been." She walks around behind me again and
says in a soft voice "It's your choice Ray."

She returns to her reclined seating position in the chair throwing her feet up
on her desk and saying "Anyway, You can pout about it later. I have some great
news!" "I have been named the companies executive of the year!" "They are
flying me out next week to give me the award then I'll be taking a much
deserved vacation."I continue to look down quietly but I am seething inside
now. "Aren't you going to congratulate me?" Quite full of herself she asks.
Still looking down, I softly say "Congratulations!" "Now" she says "Before you
apologize for screaming at me earlier I want you to explain to me why you are
still trying to undermine me behind my back to the staff" Looking around, I
blow out some air making a sighing sound and say "I'm sorry, I'm just upset."
She replies "I really didn't get the feeling that you mean that ... " "I want
you to sincerely apologize to me for how you have been acting!" I look at her
and say "You can't be serious! I really have no excuse for the gossip but you
screamed at me too" She replies "This apology is to teach you again how to
respect a woman as superior and I am telling you that you will do it!" I say
defiantly "I will not do it!" She replies while admiring and rubbing her hands
across her thick diamond shaped calves. "You don't need to be embarrassed here
Ray. I won't tell anyone else, I'm very professional. The office door is
locked and it is just us two here ... " "You will do it or you know I can make
you do it" We stare intently at each other for quite some time. I can tell she
is serious. She raises her eyebrow as she stares at me. I go through all the
options and outcomes in my head and realize that that the only one that ends
with me keeping my job and my house is to do it as told ... "Will you give me
your heartfelt apology now?"She asks. I cannot believe this is happening but I
look down and say "Ms Steel, I'm so sorry for gossiping about you and
screaming at you earlier" She says "Good job! Look on the bright side. At
least I didn't make you get down on your knees and beg me to keep your job.
You will now stand there for five minutes and think about how you disrespected
me and how lucky you are that I didn't discipline you further! I swear to god
if Anne wasn't one of my best friends you would be cleaning out your desk
right now or cleaning yourself up after getting your ass kicked!" It is the
longest five minutes of my life as I stand there like a school kid at with my
head down while the principal, Ms. Steel continues to work at her desk.
Finally after what feels like an eternity, I hear her speak the words "You can
go now."

At the house one evening several days later Anne comes in after being on the
phone in the other room for quite some time. "I heard Lauren got executive of
the year?" I reply "Yay" she jumps up saying" I'm so proud of her! Aren't
you?" I answer "phuck her!" Anne says "Look, she told me about the little fit
you had at work the other day but she doesn't hold any hard feelings against
you. She just said you are still probably having trouble adjusting to her
being your superior and embarrassed about her proving she is stronger by out
lifting you at the gym the other day. Why can't you just let things go and
laugh about things more like she does?" I look up asking "So you two are
laughing about me behind my back?" Anne replies "No we weren't laughing at
you! We were laughing about men in general. That you are stuck in the past,
having to be all macho and masculine all the time and not able to accept a
woman being smarter or more powerful or successful than they are ... You know
the gap has been closing for years between the genders and now it really
doesn't exist. Women grade better on average in schools and Lauren has more
than proven that we can be just as strong or fast as most men" I role my eyes
frequently as Anne continues to talk and leave the room saying "OK Susan B.
Anthony, this conversation is over I'm going up to bed!" Anne replies "You
know by disrespecting Lauren you are disrespecting me too!"

5.

Being back at work while Ms. Steel is out on vacation is heaven. It is exactly
what I needed! I can finally exhale and relax and do my things my own way. The
pace is slower today and I don't have to report back to the boss on all the
details of operating the division. I have gotten up the courage to return to
the gym too. Anne and I have still had to see her at the gym in the mornings
but this week it is tolerable! This morning as we get to the gym Anne walks
over and gives Ms. Steel the usual big hug but also delivers a big kiss on the
cheek and congratulations her for being chosen the executive of the year. Anne
told me that Steel is making final preparations for her bodybuilding
competition which is coming up real soon. They continue to chat and laugh for
a while. I see Ms. Steel flexing her arm muscles and watch Anne put both hands
around one arm and try to squeeze it, then they laugh some more ... Ms. Steel
then pulls up here shirt and shows Anne her abdominal muscles. Anne puts her
hand over her mouth laughing then touches and rubs them, then jerks her head
back slightly putting her hand over her mouth laughing again. She looks over
at me and back to Ms. Steel then laughs some more. She then gives Ms. Steel a
second even bigger hug and a second big kiss on the cheek and quickly walks
back over to where I am. "She looks really amazing doesn't she?" Anne gushes.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone in that kind of shape in person before!
Her muscles are so big and rock hard!" I give Anne a long cold stare. With
that she says "Whoops, I think I'll be quiet now!" I look up and see Ms. Steel
waving at us. We reciprocate and wave in return, Anne with a big wave and me
with a smaller less enthusiastic wave ...

My Steel free week at work is quickly coming to an end. I get a call from Anne
around lunch time and she asks if it would be OK with me if she went out for a
girl's night out? I ask her who is going out and she says Herself, Ms. Steel,
two other women we know that are trainers at the gym. I tell her "You know how
I feel about that woman!" I ask what they have planned for the evening and
Anne says that they will probably get some dinner and drinks and go dancing
and probably finish the night at the pool at Ms. Steel's house adding. "She
has an incredible pool. You've got to see it! She actually wants us to come
over for a pool party this weekend if that is OK with you?" I ask her "How do
you know what Ms. Steel's looks like?" After an awkward pause she answers
Well, I'm over here right now. We are sitting out in the sun. Lauren is
working on her tan for the show and we are making our plans for tonight right
now". In the background I hear Ms. Steel say "Hi Ray!" Then I hear them both
laugh ... I say "OK' I'll see you when you get home".

That night I get takeout food and bring it home and fall asleep in front of
the television. It is three o'clock in the morning when I snore myself awake.
I look around the house and find that Anne is not home yet! I decide to walk
the two blocks to Ms. Steel's house to see if I can see any life stirring over
there. As I arrive I note that her house is much bigger than ours. It is set
back from the street and in a U shape with all the rooms having sliding doors
facing the big pool. Not entering through the front door I have to walk
completely around the back of the house and enter from the wooded side in the
rear. I look in the only lighted room and see Anne lying naked and out cold on
top of the sheets on a big bed in the room. I am really bothered thinking that
Anne may have drunk herself unconscious. Although I know it's wrong, I let
myself in. I try to wake her up and as I do Ms. Steel walks out of the
adjoining bathroom completely naked with a tilted head patting her hair dry. I
am standing there in her bedroom right in front of her shaking Anne. She is
not startled at all and nonchalantly stops patting her hair but continues to
stand there naked. Her body is tanned and shaved clean and she looks
absolutely spectacular! She is still moist with goose bumps from her recent
shower. She is physical perfection, looking like she was carved out of marble
by one of the renaissance masters, perfect breasts, six pack abs, and every
muscle full, big and thick in perfect proportion. As a man I am both jealous
and in awe of her physique. It is far superior to mine but in a shapely
perfectly feminine form. I just stand there with my eyes wide and my mouth
hanging open as air slowly escapes deflating me. Ms. Steel says "We danced and
she drank all night long, she passed out on the bed when we got back here.. I
guess it was just too much for her tonight".

Anne finally wakes up and noticing she is naked pulls the sheet over herself
then smiles at me and then looks over at Ms. Steel standing naked. Ms. Steel
slowly reaches for her robe while looking herself over in the mirror saying
"Well it is nothing you won't see if you come to my show anyway! So how do I
look Ray?" Looking at her I feel weak like someone just punched me in the
stomach. I'm totally emasculated. She is my superior in every way. I respond
with gibberish ... Still looking at her reflection in the mirror she says
laughing "Well I guess that means good! Do you still feel embarrassed about me
as boss and being younger, a woman, smarter, and stronger than you are?" She
flexes different muscles in the mirror in front of me and then puts on her
bathrobe ... I am awestruck! "Not so bad for a girl huh? I think I'm ready for
the big show." she says then asks "So this is my bed, will Anne be staying or
going tonight?"Anne drunkenly responds "I want to stay here with Lauren!" I
feel a new sensation of acceptance of Ms. Steel's position come over me as I
finally accept her superiority. The company did make the right decision with
her. I was and am just a grown up frat boy that felt entitled to something she
deserved more than me. Anne also seems to prefer her company to mine and why
shouldn't she? She is amazing! With this new found understanding of my place
in the world I respond "Whatever you think is best is what we will do Ms.
Steel!" She smiles at me looking pleased by my answer.

"Well, I know what Anne wants, so I think it is best that she stays. Why don't
you stick around for a while there is something I want you to see!" Steel
smiles and removes her bathrobe sliding into the bed next to Anne. I watch as
Anne cozies up beside her in the bed and gently kisses and rubs her hands all
over Ms. Steel's gorgeous muscular body. In her drunken daze Anne has
forgotten that I'm even in the room with them as she kisses every inch of
Steel's body. She kisses and licks those perfect breasts, her ripped washboard
abs, until her head finds its way down between Ms. Steel's muscular thighs.
Anne buries her face in her Va g.. Ms. Steel looks up at me as she does and
pulls the sheets back to expose Anne between her thighs feverishly licking and
sucking her with an intensity I had never seen before. Steel lies on her back
and looks at me smiling while she pinches her nipples and rubs her hands up
and down her flexed eight pack abs muscles. I know I cannot protest because
Ms. Steel will kick my ass. A beaten man, I let Ms. Steel have Anne while I
watch thinking she deserves her more than I do anyway. She has taught me a
life lesson about female superiority. My p_nis grows rock hard as I watch. Ms.
Steel notices this as she sits up and gasps as Anne continues her licking
saying "Ray, you should get going now. Tomorrow is the pool party; you can
come over..."I say "Yes, if you want me to." Between gasps and groans she says
"OK, why don't you get going home now. You can come tomorrow around noon!" As
I walk away with my boner pointing the way out I here laughing and moaning
from the bedroom. I am so turned on by watching their two gorgeous bodies mesh
together that I step into the bushes behind Ms. Steel's house and I M_bate. I
walk home questioning what will happen next for me but appreciating the warm
night and time alone with my thoughts.

6.

It was a hot sunny day and I think it will be good to go for a swim in her
pool. When I arrive at the pool party I scope out the crowd. There are many
people there from our gym and a few of Ms. Steel's groupies from work as well
as folks from the neighborhood ranging in age from 20 to 40 years old. I find
Ms. Steel standing over Anne sitting who is sitting amongst a group of people
in lounge chairs. Steel is fully tanned and oiled up and in the smallest
bikini. Everyone there is busy trying not to get caught while admiring her
figure. She greets me and says while walking me toward the food table "Let's
get you something to eat and drink and get you comfortable! Did you sleep well
last night?" I respond "Yes, I just woke up before it was time to come over
here." To which she replies "Great! I wish I could say the same but Anne was
on me all night long..."

Some people from the gym are arm wrestling at a table by the pool. Ms. Steel
says loudly over the crowd "I am still unbeaten but I'll admit that there has
been one draw! Isn't that right Jesse?" Our friend Jesse from the gym laughs
saying "I beat you fair and square you didn't slip on no oil!"To which Steel
replies motioning up and down at her body "Look at me. I'm covered in oil. I
slipped!" If you are lucky, I'll let you have a rematch later!" Jessie laughs
and falls to the side of the chair while holding his ribs. Still caught up in
the joking while standing over Anne, Ms. Steel asks me if I want to arm
wrestle her? I decline saying "I hurt my shoulder the other day" But in truth
it is because I know I'll lose and I don't want people to see her beats me
again. I ask her and Anne if I can go get them a drink. Ms Steel replies "That
would be wonderful Ray ... When I return to the pool I find that they are
missing. I head into the house and look around, not seeing or hearing anyone
in the kitchen I head down the hallway and hear noises coming from Ms. Steel's
bedroom. I catch them in the act! I open the door but they just continue with
what they were doing. Ms. Steel is still completely oiled up and is standing
in front of the mirror admiring her perfect breasts. Anne's face is once again
buried between her legs and her hands are reaching around the back squeezing
steel's butt. Steel glances up in my direction and says in a matter of fact
way "come in or stay out but close the door". She adds "Anne wanted to come in
from the sun for a while and I was getting pretty hot too!" When she finishes
we'll be back out with everyone". I watch them for a while and become hard
myself. Anne is relentless as she goes after Ms. Steels Vag. As Steel gets
close to O __ she stands up on tippy toes which gives me a chance to look at
her oiled and flexed calves. Unable to control myself any longer I grab my
cock and start beating it off. I come almost immediately and all over the bed.
Ms. Steel notices between her orgs looks back at me and says "I sleep in that!
You will need to wash those sheets.Now get out for a while so we can finish!"

I go and wait in the bathroom for a while. Later, I peek out and find them
still going at it hard. Ms. Steel has her fingers up in Anne's Vag and Anne is
admiring and rubbing her muscular arm. I step back into the bathroom saying
"I'm sorry for interrupting!" I wait in the bathroom listening to the two of
them until I hear Anne let out a throaty scream and then it grows all quiet. I
wait a minute or two more then enter saying "Excuse me is it OK if I come in
now?" I find them sharing in the afterglow. Ms. Steel is fixing her hair and
bikini and Anne is lying back on the bed working hard to catch her breath.
Steel says to Anne "Be careful, he blew all over that bed!" Anne says pointing
"I'm OK, it's all over on that side." Steel then looks at me and says "You
need to pull off those sheets and get them in the washer right away!" I
respond with a "Yes Ma'am." A comment which I note gets a little smile from
her. I pull the sheet off and get them into the washing machine as Ms. Steel
directed me down the hall.

After I get the wash started I came out of the house to find everyone standing
around Ms. Steel by the pool. She has big news and was standing on a chair
which was quite a site considering she was still all oiled up and in her
little bikini. She told everyone that she had been offered and accepted the
CEO position at the company. Frank Coleman the current CEO had taken the same
job with our competition. With this news everyone who had gathered around her
started clapping their hands and took turns giving her a high fives or shaking
her hand. I thought to myself oh great, now she can terminate me without even
checking with anyone higher! She owns my whole world now! This young woman
could chose to fire me, kick my ass or take my wife from me if she wanted to
today ... I needed to stop being such a pain in her ass and start trying to
make amends. Steel had real power now and I needed to start working hard on
showing her that I respected her! When things settled down I went over by the
pool to ask Ms. Steel if I could to speak with her privately. She took me into
a spare bedroom in the house and closed the door. I immediately dropped to my
knees and kissed her hand and congratulated her on the CEO new position. I
held her hand against my cheek and I told her that I was an idiot and was so
sorry for not recognizing earlier how special and wonderful she was. I told
her that the company had absolutely made the right choice in her. Then
dropping my head down in front of her just above her feet without being able
to help myself I started sobbing saying "I'm so sorry Ms. Steel I've done
nothing but oppose you and I am begging your forgiveness. I know you could
fire me or pummel me or take Anne. I'm weak, stupid and pathetic next to you
... Please have mercy on me ... " As my tears dripped onto her feet Ms. Steel
responds. "Well Ray, It sounds like you are really and sincerely sorry for
what you have done in the past. I don't understand why you ever challenged m
power. But you did and I never back down from a challenge! Eastern division is
just a stepping stone for me but you had to be the big muscle man that was
trying to beat me so I had to respond and show you that you couldn't ... Anne
just fell in love with me and how I show you up... She is just so gorgeous
that I couldn't resist it when she started coming on to me... I'd never been
with another woman before and I completely enjoyed being with Anne. I will
never forget it. We made amazing, hot and unforgettable love together but I
won't be asking Anne to join me when I leave. I'm going back to Headquarters
now because I feel I need to fulfill my destiny and you will be appointed the
new director. But, I'm still planning to spend tonight with Anne to celebrate
my promotion with one more hot night! Tomorrow I'll break the news to her and
tell her that she can still make passionate love with the director but now it
will be you instead of me. I believe you and Anne will get over this and stay
together. I hope you have learned something about stereotypes and respecting
women. You live in a female led world now Ray! I'll be selling this place
because I have to leave in three weeks. I'll do my bodybuilding show because I
put in all the time and effort training, then I'll pack everything up and I'm
off to the city! Until then you can work on making it up to me. There is a lot
of housecleaning to do around here ... You will make a nice houseboy! How are
you coming with those bed sheets?

That next weekend Steel won her bodybuilding contest winning her age group and
the overall title. Anne was broken up but over time she did get over her.
Later that month in top business magazine Ms. Steel was named in the top five
of the 30 brightest young CEO under 30. I found out through gossip with my
friends at headquarters that in her new position as CEO Ms. Steel was being
paid ten times as much as me. I thought to myself "She's worth it!" At the
next directors meeting I walked into her office to say hello. As I entered I
closed the door behind me. Steel was looking out the window over the city
skyline. I said "excuse me Ms. Steel I thought if you weren't too busy I'd
come by and say hello." She turned to me and said "How dare you interrupt me.
On your knees bitch!" after an awkward few seconds I got down on my knees.
Steel smiled and laughed saying "I was only kidding with you, I can't believe
you did it!" I thought you'd just laugh, Stand up!" She gives me a big hug and
I melt in her arms. I feel safe and secure in arms. She says "I do appreciate
that level of respect though." We both smile and I nervously say "You feel
skinny again!" To which she responds "Yes I stopped bodybuilding. But don't
you worry I can still kick your ass big guy. I'm doing some whole body
training now but I really don't have much time because I'm working long days
again ... "Ms. Steel's assistant popped her head in and out reminding her of a
pending appointment. Steel says "I think about Anne and you often" I respond
"Thank you, we do too, about you ... " She says "I have to run but it was so
nice to see you!" Then she quickly slips away out the door ...

That was the last time I saw here one on one. In the next few years she led
our company to a dominant position in the industry. Through her leadership we
forced the company that CEO Frank Coleman went to out of business. Our stock
values soared under her leadership. A few years later she left the company and
started her own in a different industry. She sold that one for a huge profit
years later and started several other companies which she also sold for big
profits. I think she is retired now and living on dividends. I read in the
gossip papers now that Ms. Steel is one of the richest and most powerful women
in the free world. She is a household name and stories about her often appear
in business journals and gossip magazines. The latest couple of stories said
that she was dating a young actor. But the second one had her with heiress at
an entertainment awards event. I am always on the lookout for the stories
written about how wealthy and successful she is or the occasional French
Rivera bikini photo and article showing how amazing she still looks for a
woman of her age. I'll never forget how I learned about minding steel ...