"Too salty?" I enquired, laughing at his obvious displeasure at my joke. I didn't at that stage have a clear idea what I was going to inflict on the poor little man next, but fortune smiled on me and, unknown to him, misfortune beckoned once more for Mr Loverman.

As we trooped back into the conference hall for the afternoon session, Mr Loverman again doing his impersonation of a chimpanzee with piles, I perused the delegates list to take my mind off the squirming form of my minion. With a start, I saw a name from the past, Edward Leigh. Edward and I had known each other for a long time, and although we had never been intimate, we had always been very friendly, in an overt, flirtatious manner. I had always imagined that, given the right circumstances, he and I could become very closely acquainted. And, I suspected, the right circumstances had just emerged. Triumphantly, I tapped my pen on my complimentary delegate pack and smirked over at Mr Loverman. Weakly, and with a pained grimace, he returned my smile and adjusted his bulk once more.

I could scarcely contain myself until the afternoon tea break, and I have no recollection what the speaker was talking about, so wrapped up was I in my own plans. As we emerged back into the main hall for the break I fancied Mr Loverman was trying to avoid me, but I tracked him down, lurking behind a particularly hideous bamboo in the reception area.

"There you are," I called brightly. "I wondered where you'd escaped to. How's your plug doing?" I continued in a loud voice, ensuring that the half dozen or so people hanging around would hear. They would have no idea what I was talking about, but such was Mr Loverman's state of self-conscious humiliation he wouldn't realise that. True enough, his pasty face reddened and he looked around in alarm.

"Well?" I continued, irritated by his silence. "Does it need adjusted? Is it in place deeply enough?"

"Yes, Miss, it is," he whispered.

"Excellent. Now then, I've got a little mission for you." Noticing his alarmed face, I soothed his nerves. "Nothing difficult, honestly. Nothing like earlier. I just want you to give someone a message for me." He looked relieved, but still cautious, as well he might. "You can see him over there." I pointed back into the main hall, where Edward Leigh was leaning against a pillar and drinking a cup of coffee. "Tall chap, light coloured hair, handsome. Well, compared to you anyway. D'you see him?"

Mr Loverman nodded. I took out one of my business cards and gave it to him. "Take this and give it to him. Tell him 'Mistress Harriet requests the pleasure of your company in Room 201 at 5.30pm.' Have you got that?"

He nodded.

"It's a lot of words, isn't it? Repeat it back to me to make sure you've got it." Mr Loverman repeated my message and I sent him off on his mission. Remaining hidden, I observed his progress across the room and watched him approach Edward. He had no idea, of course, that Edward knew me, and would no doubt be in a state of trepidation about the stranger's reaction to this peculiar request. I watched as he handed over the card, observing Edward's curious glance and Mr Loverman's embarrassed demeanour. Edward nodded and slid the card into his jacket, and I turned back to the conference room, satisfied.

Five-thirty came, and Mr Loverman and I sat impatiently in my hotel room. Right on time, there came a knock on the door: good old Edward, ever reliable. I sent Mr Loverman to open it and settled back in the chair.

"Good evening, Edward," I murmured seductively.

"Good evening, Harriet. Long time, no see. How are you?"

"Wonderful, thanks. Drink?"

"White wine, if you have any."

"You know me, Edward. Never go anywhere without a supply of chardonnay. Mr Loverman, wine please." Mr Loverman, waiting patiently to one side, cringed as I used his demeaning soubriquet in front of the stranger. Edward, to his credit, took it in his stride. There was a brief hiatus, filled with small talk, while Mr Loverman opened the wine and poured two glasses. I took mine and indicated with a small wave for him to stand against the wall until called.

"So," said Edward, sipping his wine. "A bit of an unususal invitation, to say the least. 'Mistress Harriet requests the pleasure' indeed. What's with all this?"

I smiled coquettishly and swung my legs onto the chair, tucking my feet under my bottom. "Just exactly what it says. Mistress Harriet requested the pleasure of your company. And here you are, as invited."

"And who's Mr Loverboy?" asked Edward, gesturing to the crimson shape in the corner.

"Mr Loverman," I corrected, "is my supervisor, but in every respect I am his superior." That statement electrified the room. Edward momentarily lost his cool and looked stunned, while Mr Loverman stood mortified, his head bowed, not daring to make eye contact. Edward didn't seem to know how to respond to this turn of events, so I continued.

"Mr Loverman worships me and does anything I ask him. He knows I'm good to him, and he knows it's in his interests to obey me." Edward was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, and I was pretty sure he had an erection. Well, that was good; I had plans for it later on.

"Isn't that right, Mr Loverman?" I purred, stroking my fingers up my bare shin.

There was a silence.

"Mr Loverman?" I asked decisively, the tone of my voice, and its implications, evident.

"Yes, Miss," he replied. His head bowed even lower and he was wringing his hands in evident discomfort. This was taking things to a new dimension as far as he was concerned. There was the time when we were interrupted by the cleaner and his lowly status had been discovered, but this was different. This time his humiliation had been deliberately engineered by me, and it was in front of another man. That made it all the more humbling for the poor little dear.

"Christ," said Edward. He looked staggered, and I sensed he didn't really believe me, so I decided a demonstration was in order.

"Would you like me to show you what I mean?" I asked him.

"Yes, okay," he replied. He was trying to act suave and in control again, but his repeated sips from his wine glass exposed his uncertainty.

"Mr Loverman, strip!" I barked. The peremptoriness of the instruction took them both by surprise and there was a momentary pause. Then, as Edward looked on in amazement, Mr Loverman began to undress. He peeled off his shirt and trousers, slipped off his socks and finally slid down his underpants, revealing an erect cock. Red faced with embarrassment, but making no attempt to conceal himself, he stood naked in front of us.

"As you can see," I commented, pointing to his hard dick, "he really gets off on being treated like this." I nodded towards the sideboard. "Mr Loverman, bring me that red ribbon again. If you're going to have an erection, you can have it all strung up again, just like last night. By the time Edward and I are through we'll have shown you enough to keep you nice and stiff all night long."

I looked at my two men, Edward and Mr Loverman. Both blanched. This was going to be a fun evening.