Author's note: Julie works with Rob at the same office and wants to discover the man underneath the dishevelled exterior; her sister Janet first meets Rob when he's made changes to his appearance.
As this story starts around Christmastime, I know I'm two weeks late, but it was either post it now or wait another 11 months, so sue me. In any case, I hope you enjoy the story and I'd like to inform you that the sex is only at the end of the chapter, so please be patient.
This is a work of fiction and any semblance to actual people or places is purely coincidental.
xxxxx
Julie looked across the room at the man working at his desk. Behind the glass walls of his office, Robert Hayes' eyes were glued on his computer's monitor, focused in, as they always were, on his work. Hideously ugly horn-rimmed glasses framed otherwise striking blue eyes, while his unkempt hair and beard decidedly gave him the look of a homeless man. Some men worked on getting the messy look going for their hair; Rob was definitely not among them - his curly mass of dirty blonde hair was a forest of disarray all on its own. His clothes also suffered from a lack of thought or consideration, as he often wore the same tie and wrinkled shirt to work several times a week. His whole attire was baggy, since he had recently lost weight and now everything was about one size too large.
Much of the reason for his complete physical disarray, Julie learned through the gossip wire, was the fact that he was still recovering from a break-up that left him completely heartbroken. She had had her job at the office for about ten months now, so she was able to witness Rob's quick downward spiral. His fiancée left him at the altar a year ago after a five year relationship, saying he was boring and never tried anything adventurous; she thought she was still too young to be tied down to someone like him for the rest of her life. Rob had always greatly enjoyed his work, but after his break-up, he poured himself into it: he became the first to come in every morning and the last to leave at night, as if his life outside work was too much for him to bear.
On this particular night, Julie sat looking at Robert as she began packing her stuff up to leave. It was Christmas Eve and here they both were, still working their asses off at the office. Unlike Robert, she derived no enjoyment from her work, but it made ends meet and helped pay off her student loans. The reason she frequently stayed as late as Robert did was to rise up in the ranks: sexism was a very harsh reality that she had long ago realized and if she had to work harder to get somewhere in her career, she was prepared to do it.
So here she sat at her desk, exhausted after a long day's work and staring out the window at the snowflakes slowly tumbling their way down towards the street some twenty stories below, wishing she was someplace else, but realizing she didn't really have anywhere to be.
Suddenly, Robert stood up and began methodically packing his briefcase, as he always did. She saw something beneath the exterior of this dishevelled man, like a diamond in the rough that was waiting to be discovered. She quickly put on her coat and timed her exit to coincide with Robert's.
"Hi, Julie," Rob said with a smile, when he saw her.
"Hey," she replied with a smile of her own. "Merry Christmas, by the way. Any plans for tomorrow?"
"Ha ha, no." He smiled, ruefully this time. "Oh, by the way, I got you a little something..for uhhh... all your hard work this past year."
"Oh, you shouldn't have!" Julie replied, surprise clearly evident on her face as he began taking out a medium-sized, gift-wrapped box out of his pocket. "I didn't think to get you anything myself."
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing big," he said, quickly trying to downplay it. "I hope you like it, though."
When she opened the present, she gasped as she saw what it was: a copy of the most recent book by her favourite author – she had wanted to buy it, but the cost had deterred her and she had decided to wait for the library to get it. It was such a thoughtful and perfect gift for her that Julie nearly burst into tears as she held onto the book.
"Oh, Rob!" she exclaimed in joy. "It's perfect! How did you know what book to buy?"
Rob smiled widely at Julie before explaining to her that he always saw books from the same author lying on her desk. She had no idea he had ever paid any attention to her, as he always seemed to be stuck in his own little world. She was deeply touched and flattered that he had actually noticed her. She decided that tonight was the night she would try to scratch the surface of the man that was Robert Hayes.
"You have to let me thank you – let me take you out for drinks."
"Oh, no," Rob said at once. "I didn't expect anything return. It was my pleasure to give a little during the holiday season."
She softened at his kindness, but she was resolute in her decision.
"Fine, then give me a chance to also be a bit charitable on Christmas Eve of all days. You don't have anywhere else to be, do you?" she asked, knowing with steady certainty that he most likely did not.
"No..." he answered hesitantly, then decided to try a different approach. "But I don't think it would be appropriate to go out with a colleague, even if it is only for drinks."
"Are you trying to imply I'm hitting on you?"
"No!" he quickly replied and started blushing. "It's just that –"
" – office romances are forbidden. Yes, I know, Robert. Listen, I only want to go out for drinks with a
friend
, to thank him for his terrific gift."
She immediately regretted her choice of her words, but they did seem to put Robert at ease. Finally, he replied:
"Alright, but only for a couple of drinks."
She hooked her arm around his with a triumphant smile and they descended in the elevator in silence before entering into the frigid December night.
***
Robert saw Julie shiver as they exited the building and instinctively hooked his arm around her shoulders to bring her into his warmth. It was something he had always done for his ex-fiancée and he immediately realized his mistake. While trying to correct it, however, Julie just grabbed his arm and put it back where it was, pleading as innocently as she could, "But I'm cold." Rob had no reply to that and just shut his mouth.
When they entered a nearby bar that Julie directed them to, they found it to be nearly empty, no doubt due to the fact that it was freezing outside. They took seats at the bar, ordering a couple of pints of beer, and then removed their coats, allowing Rob to admire Julie's impeccable body from up-close.
She was dressed in black slacks and a white cashmere sweater that hugged her body in all the right places, while her hair was done up in a neat bun. As soon as they got comfortable, however, she undid the bun and let her flowing light brown hair cascade across her shoulders. The close proximity only made Rob further awestruck by her beauty.
He quickly caught himself, though, reminding himself that this was not a date and he didn't want to make things awkward between them.
"So, do you come here often?" Rob asked.
The alcohol was disappearing rather quickly, as it was helping to warm up their bodies.
"Once in a while. I like it because it's quiet and the beer's cheap."
He laughed at that last comment, enjoying her pragmatic view of things.
"How's the food? I'm not actually hungry right now, but I could see myself coming back here another time." He appreciated the cozy atmosphere of the bar created by the subdued, albeit colourful, lighting.
"Terrible, just like all food in bars. What did you expect?"
This drew another chuckle from him, as he couldn't help but agree with her statement.
"Well, at least it's as cheap as the beer," he said, pointing at the menu overhead.
"Not really. The portions are tiny – this place is pretty much only good for the booze."
As if on cue, she signalled the bartender over to refill their depleted glasses. They thanked him as he left.
"You know, I actually prefer beer from a can than from the tap," Rob remarked.
"No way!" Julie exclaimed at once. "How can you even say that! Beer from a can's tastes like metal, while draught beer has that woody, natural taste to it."
"Nonsense," Rob rebutted. "I bet you couldn't tell the difference between the two in a blind test – people just say that the containers give it a different taste, but in reality, it has more to do with the temperature the beer was stored in and how it was packaged."
Julie just shook her violently, saying, "Fine, I think I hear a challenge – one which I will easily and mercilessly win." She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.
He just grinned, the alcohol starting to get to him – he never handled it too well. Loosened up, though, he realized the whole dynamic had changed between them and they were no longer coworkers forced to act professionally like in the office.
"So what are the wagers?" he continued playfully.
"Hmmm..." she thought it over. "How about a kiss?"
Rob nearly spit out the beer he had in his mouth and Julie giggled as he started choking slightly. He was still sober enough to recognize the tease, however, and decided to go along with it.
"Seriously, though, I've already been lucky enough to share drinks with such an attractive woman as yourself – I can't ask for anything more."
She blushed at the compliment, then replied, "You're not so bad yourself, you know. If you just got rid of those geeky glasses, went to the barber's, and shopped for some clothes that fit, I'm sure that women would be crawling all over you."
"I'll make sure to jot down the list," he replied lightly, though secretly he was somewhat hurt by the backhanded compliment; he knew he shouldn't be, though, as he hadn't been taking very good care of himself over the past year.
For a long time, he and Julie just sat together and kept chatting, opening up more and more as the beer continued to flow freely from the taps. Before either of them realized it, it was Christmas morning and all the patrons still remaining in the bar let out a hearty cheer of "Merry Christmas!"
