They say that when you've fallen 9 times, you just have to get up that tenth to make it, but Anna was tired of drudging herself up time and time again and needed a break. The environment in her all-women workplace was wearing on her and she knew it was time to look for something new, so she finished out her workday to keep whatever shred of a good relationship she had with her boss alive, and went in to give her notice.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's just a formal note to show that I'm giving my two-week notice. I've enjoyed working here, but it's time for me to move forward."
Her boss opened her mouth to respond, closed it, then slowly smiled. "You know, we were looking at downsizing anyways; if you're wanting to leave, just leave today."
Anna hadn't even thought of receiving that answer. How did she lose control of the situation so quickly? "You know, I do still have several projects open that I would like to finish before I leave, so if I could just finish out the month..."
"I'll have one of the other girls take care of them, just go pack up your desk."
Anna nearly laughed from the shock of it. The emotional turmoil that hit stunned her speechless and froze her in her place. Her boss looked up from her desk and rose a brow, "Good luck to you."
'Good luck to you?' Anna thought. 'I've worked here for six years and all I get is a good luck to you? Why the hell have I stayed so long?' Trying to keep her face neutral, Anna gave a curt nod and headed to her desk before realizing she had nothing to pack her belongings in. Sighing and heading to the storage closet, she ran into Mark - the lone man in the pack (who fit in simply because of his orientation) - and gave a half-hearted smile.
"Honey! What's wrong??" Mark's choir-boy face fell as she briefly surmised her situation. "Oh babe, don't you worry. I have a friend who's looking for a girl to fill an empty place at his shop...just call this number," he grabbed her hand and scribbled a name and number on it, "and tell him I sent you. You'll get the position, no question."
Anna leaned in and hugged him tight before pulling away, smiling. Multiple promises to stay in touch and go out for drinks the following weekend followed before she found an empty box in the closet and strolled back to her desk, humming happily while she packed up her desk and walked out the door.
*****
She was confident, but nervous. The job wasn't in the best part of the city and the pay could have been better, but it was a job and it would pay the bills. She strolled into the shop - a restaurant supply depot, wearing her favorite interview outfit: dark charcoal slacks with smartly ironed lines down the front, a quietly hued magenta shirt with a ruffled bib, and a matching charcoal boyfriend blazer. Gaining directions to the manager's office from a shop worker, she trotted up a flight of stairs and turned a quick corner to the left before tapping on the door.
"Come in." The voice was deep, husky even. Her subway-hopping to get to the shop was made completely worth it when she pushed the door open and saw him. He stood to greet her and she noted his height - a good foot over her; he had a few extra pounds on him, but was in great shape - his arms sculpted from hours of heavy labor; his hazel eyes caught her dark brown ones and for a moment, it was as if time stopped and neither could look away.
She cleared her throat and found her voice. "Rob, yes? Mark sent me."
"...Mark? Mark Hussman?? Ha! How's he doing these days? He told you we grew up together, yeah?"
They spent the next few moments chatting about Mark and the position he held with her previous company before settling in for the 'official' interview. The chemistry between the two of them filled the room and she didn't have to wait for him to say so to know she had the position. With questions concerning hours, benefits, and salary behind them, he stood once more - a gentlemanly act she appreciated - and stuck out his hand.
"So, see you Monday then?"
She took his hand, calloused and rough - a working man's hand - and smiled. "I'll be here."
"Wonderful; I'll show you to the door." He swept his right hand to the side, pointing towards the exit while using his left at the small of her back to gently guide her. There was nothing sexual about the act, but the pressure from his fingertips and palms was distracting, and she didn't see the cable snaking out under a large cooler. She tripped gracelessly, arms flailing, mouth open - but no sound escaping, and she knew she was going to hit hard, when she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms around her waist, catching her fall and slightly lifting her off the ground in the effort. Jerking to a stop, breathing hard from the panic of the near-fall, she turned towards him. The pace of his breathing matched her own, and his arms around the small of her waist had inadvertantly pulled her closer to him when she turned.
Their faces were no more than half a foot apart and her mouth parted slightly as she watched him unconsciously lick his lips. 'He wants to kiss me,' she realized with a mental gasp. There was nothing she wanted more than to push him back into his office and kiss those perfectly shaped lips for hours on end, but she didn't want to be 'that' girl. Snaking her arm up to his chest, she gently pushed away.
"Thanks."
The spell seemed to snap for him when she spoke and he blinked hard a couple of times before giving her a slight smile. "Any time."
"Monday then?"
"Monday."
*****
Monday morning, a half hour early, she walked through the doors. She knew that while there were a good dozen men working downstairs with deliveries, she would be working upstairs with Rob, and had brought coffee for the both of them. Tapping the door lightly before walking in and holding the coffee up for him to see, she smiled and said, "Didn't know how you liked it, so I just got us both black...figured we could doctor them up here."
He grinned, the smile reaching his eyes. "I like my coffee like I like my women - light and sweet." She giggled and walked out of the office to the fridge to fix the coffee to his liking before settling in at her new desk - which was set not even two feet from his own. Looking at the stacks of paper that had accumulated since the last person had held her position, she took a deep breath.
"Soooo...which of my services are you looking for today?"
She had asked the question in a light-hearted, joking tone, but he glanced over with a look in his eye that caught the breath in her throat. She swallowed hard and drew her hand over the desk, showing off the mass of paperwork.
"Invoices...data entry...filing...etcetera."
He smiled. "Let's start with invoices and move on from there."
They quickly settled into a rhythm, working well with one another, the months passed quickly, and for the first time in her professional life - she was happy. The tension between the two of them continued to mount, though, twisting them deeper down, until they were cracking sexual jokes and sharing stolen looks on a daily basis.
One day, while working on a quote for a customer, she looked over.
"Rob...this cafe asked for a ten-inch baster - but I don't think it'll be enough."
"God, Anna! Ten inches isn't enough for you?"
She chuckled as he winked at her, "Oooh, I'm good with ten inches...I just don't think they are."
He paused for a moment and she assumed he was considering which item to offer the cafe as an alternate until he spoke, his tone lower than usual.
"Could you grab me a coffee?"
She was surprised, but immediately smiled and stood. "Of course."
Walking out of the office, she poured a coffee for the both of them, lightening his and keeping hers black, before heading back in...and nearly running smack into his chest. "Oh!I'm so sorry! In my own little world here." She started to laugh until she looked up and caught his eyes. The laugh cut short in her throat as she watched him slowly take the mugs out of her hands and set them on the desk behind her.
"I hope this isn't too forward, but..."
He leaned forward slowly, so slowly, and kissed her lightly. She was shocked out of reacting, and as he began to pull back, she saw he looked a bit sheepish and realized he had taken her lack of response as a "no". Wrapping her right arm around his neck and pressing her left to the middle of his back, she pulled him back to her, and kissed him deeply. She could feel his surprise through his kiss, but he recovered quickly, and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly to him as he kissed her over and again, stopping only to lightly suck and nibble her bottom lip. The kiss deepened and she opened her mouth to him; their tongues sparred and she felt his insistence as he slowly began to get a bit rougher with her - one hand now locked around her wrists while he kept the other cupped around her cheek, holding her to him.
He broke the kiss and pulled back, looking into her eyes, seemingly looking into her, and stepped so close to her that she was forced to take a step back. This was obviously exactly what he wanted as he did so several more times until the backs of her knees bumped into the couch. Her head turned to look at the couch, then back to him, searching his face, pleading him silently to not stop. He cocked his head slightly to the side, smiled, and with a slight push to her shoulders, she fell back onto the waiting cushions.
She assumed he would step between her legs for her to lick and suck him and was all too willing to comply, but when she reached for his belt, he batted her hand away.
