She had seen him around the office. Darren South didn't stand out the way the other guys around the office did. He was a little older, a little balder, and for some reason a little more unforgettable. There was just something about him, she thought.
"Hello? Shawna? Are you there?"
It was Tracey from accounting. They had just finished eating lunch when Darren had come in for coffee. He said hello to each of them by name, and Shawna swore there was a hint of flirt when he said hers.
"Yeah, sorry. I zoned out a bit there," she said with a laugh. "Where were we?"
"I don't know where you went," Tracey said smirking, "but I bet I know who else was there."
"You shut your pretty little mouth," Shawna said and slapped Tracey's hand playfully. "I was thinking about...um...Nepal for your information."
"Bullshit you were," she replied. "I don't blame you one bit. Darren's a pretty good guy. Everyone likes him around here. I'm more of a Kyle girl myself."
"Kyle's nice to look at, but having a conversation with him is kind of painful," Shawna replied.
Tracey laughed and asked playfully. "Whatever do you mean?"
Tracey was in her mid 20's and pretty. She was good at her job and worked hard, but her taste in men was still rooted in biceps and hairstyles. Shawna was divorced from just such a man after too many loveless years together and was just now getting herself put back together.
"He's all yours, my dear," she said. "I'm out of his age range and not interested in hearing about how much he can bench press."
"Mmmm," Tracey replied. "Momma like!"
They both laughed at that. Tracey was her best friend at work, and if the truth be known, her only friend at the moment. Shawna's divorce had been a little messy, and she lost a lot of friends that weren't really her friends at all. She was currently in the market for some better ones.
Later, as Shawna was finishing up her day, Darren popped his head into her office doorway.
"Hey, Shawna," he said with a smile and that tone of voice that made her tingle just a little. "I'm glad I caught you before you left for the day."
She smiled back at him, lost just for a second in the subtle grip he had on her. "I'm glad you did, too," she said, too emphatically perhaps. "What's on your mind?" She asked.
"That's something for another day," he said flashing her a look that disappeared in less than an instant but set her heart racing. "Can you find me the invoices for Northwest Steel from the last three weeks, please? I can't find some pieces they are sure they delivered."
For a moment, she just stared at him. His shirt was clean, ironed, untucked, and rolled up at the sleeves to expose his forearms. He wore thin framed glasses just slightly askew, making him seem intelligent even before he opened his mouth and proved it. His jeans were clean, but not an expensive brand. His shirt was just short enough for her to see he was doing alright in the parts department.
"Shawna?"
Jesus! Off again to fantasy land, and this time totally checking out his package. Nice one, Shawna. Real professional.
"Yes. Of course," she stammered. "Northwest. Sorry, I left for a second. It seems to be happening a lot today." She could feel her cheeks burning and she looked at her computer to avoid looking into Darren's striking light brown eyes.
"Thank you," he said without mentioning her staring problem. "I know it's late, but I would appreciate it if you could find them before you go."
"No problem," she replied. "It won't take me long."
"I knew I could count on you," Darren said. "Don't tell anyone, but you're my favourite." He gave her a wink and left her office, leaving behind a faint memory of his cologne and cascade of feelings in Shawna.
As she looked up the invoices Darren asked for, Shawna waged a little battle in her mind. Had he meant what he said about being his favourite? No, of course not. He was joking. Or flirting..? I wish he was flirting! He wouldn't want me. My ass is too big and he has all these pretty little twenty somethings to choose from. Isn't he married? Oh, and good job staring at his bulge right in front of him. Real subtle, Shawna. Real subtle. That's probably why he said that. He didn't want you to feel like an idiot. God, what is wrong with me?
She found the invoices and sent them to the printer down the hall. She gathered up her jacket and her lunch bag, shut off her computer, and changed into her boots. This office complex was on an active and busy construction site, so no muddy boots were not allowed once you got past the first set of double doors. The office staff were required to put protective covers over their boots for the walk to and from the inner doors.
She heard the printer kick into gear and start pumping out her invoices. She made her way to the printer before it finished and took a few moments to gather herself before she went to Darren's office to drop the papers off.
Ok, Shawny, just relax. Forget about all that favourite stuff and your obvious stare earlier and just play it cool. Remember what the books all say; act confident until you feel confident. Darren's not interested in you, he was just being nice. That's ok. Not everyone has to like you. Just go in there, drop the papers on his desk, and say goodnight. Easy.
She gathered up the papers, checked to make sure they were the right dates, and headed down the hall to Darren's office with her head held high, shoulders back, and full of fake confidence.
She gave a quick knock on Darren's open door and peaked around the corner. He was siting at his desk looking at his computer screen and glancing down at some pages on his desk. He looked up at her at the sound of her knock and her resolve melted.
"Thank you for this, Shawna," he said. "I hope I'm not keeping anyone waiting for you at home."
"No one but Chester," she replied, stepping into his office to hand him the invoices. She could smell his cologne again and it made her nose happy.
"Chester?" Darren asked as he stood up to accept the pages from her.
"My cat," Shawna said.
Darren smiled and she could feel her stomach flutter. "Mine's Pedro," he said.
"Pedro. Nice!"she said.
He came around his desk as he took the invoices from her. "I won't keep Chester waiting any longer. I'm sure he misses you as much as I would if I were him."
Now that was flirting. Had to be. And that wicked little grin. Wow, that's quite a look. What is it with this man?
He was close to her now. She could smell him, hear him breathe as he looked her in her sparkling blue eyes, and he held her in a stare of his own. "Wear a blue shirt tomorrow," he said firmly.
It wasn't a request, she knew that. She also knew her heart raced and her nipples hardened as his voice barged into her mind.
"Ok," she said quietly.
"Goodnight, Shawna," he said in his usual tone. "Thanks again for getting these for me. You can go now."
Shawna hesitated for just an instant before turning to leave. "Goodnight," she said, her voice shaking. She was breathing heavy and a little unsure of her feet, but she managed to walk out of his office and out to her car.
What the hell just happened? Why was she so out of breath? She sat in her car and gathered herself for a few minutes.
That was flirting for sure. For sure, for sure. Flirting and something else...what was that? Did he give me an order to wear a blue shirt? He's not my boss, he's just a material coordinator. Why a blue shirt? Do I even have a blue shirt I can wear? I have that golf shirt with the white trim on the collar. It's pretty tight on my boobs though. Wait, what the fuck am I even worrying about a blue shirt for? I'll wear whatever I want. Who the fuck does he think he is telling me what to wear? I'm wearing a black shirt tomorrow because fuck him.
"Nice shirt, Shawna," Darren said the next day. "I like the white trim." He finished stirring his coffee and left the lunch room.
"Don't look now, but someone has got their flirt on," Tracey said.
"Shut up!"
"And the way he looked at you in that shirt..." Tracey continued. "It does look amazing on your boobs."
"Thanks, I think," Shawna said dryly. "I'm glad you like it."
"It's pretty obvious Darren likes it, too. You should talk to him," Tracey said.
"I'm sure he was just being nice," Shawna replied. She wasn't about to tell Tracey about why she wore that shirt, partly because she couldn't explain it herself. She had chosen a black shirt from her closet as soon as got home. Poor Chester was beside himself that he had been ignored when she walked in the door.
All night she had stewed about the blue shirt. She wasn't about to take orders from some ego maniac. She didn't have to do as she was told. She was a 41 year old woman for fuck sake, not a child. Still...