Coworker Kari: stripped, wet and lathered
"Kari?"
She turned at her desk, away from the old-model computer that frequently gave us both fits. Her eyes found mine and she was listening. "Yes?"
"That's β that's something I should probably say to you," I said. "Do you mind?"
Her light eyes turned quizzical. "What do you mean? Go ahead. What?"
Kari had been talking about her shorts. The same ones she had on. A sexy, too-small pair of mini-shorts, just barely covering her upper legs and certainly contouring around everything she had in back. Minutes earlier, she had actually talked to me about them.
"Aren't these great?"
she said, pulling at the fabric ends over her thighs.
"They stretch, but they look like denim."
She stretched, too. Frequently, workplace or no. In her tank tops, which fully revealed her shoulders and the color of her bra, judging from the straps, all Kari had to do was bend over slightly and I could see an inch of her bustline. Didn't she at least feel air going down there? Wasn't she aware of a clear line of sight between my eyes and the space between her . . . you know . . .
I was embarrassed to admit it. But as far as I could tell, working there alone with this short-haired brunette whose office apparel included not only the tank tops, but shorts and sandals, she might as well have been seducing me.
Especially when the boss was out, who seemed never to notice her skimpy getup.
Which was why I was broaching the topic now. Surely Kari would listen.
I carefully thought of my words before I said them β "them," meaning, "an entirely different set of words than what I'd thought."
"Well," I said. "Like, the way you dress. You know?"
Kari knew. I may have detected her eyes rolling as her hand went up. "Wait. Wait. You don't have to say anything more."
Blowing me off.
"I'm just letting you know," I said, my face flushing. "It doesn't seem appropriate."
The whole room seemed to jolt, for some reason.
I blinked, still watching Kari's reaction. She just sat there, as if thinking, her eyes turned away. Then she faced me again. "Don't get so embarrassed," she told me brightly. "But it's
not
my fault if you get distracted by what someone is wearing. This is what I want to wear, and it's not my fault."
I wasn't sure what to say. "Okay." I exhaled and pretended to study one of the many papers taped or puttied to the wall.
"I mean . . ." Kari was still defending herself. "I can't help it what others think. It gets hot down here and I'll dress how I like."
Hot down here.
"It sure does," I mumbled.
In the corner of my eyes, Kari leaned forward. She had heard. "What?"
I faced her. "Nothing."
"What did you say?"
Again I sighed, and looked away. "Nothing."
"Something about the heat."
So she wouldn't give up. I looked at Kari. "I said that it gets even hotter down here when you're here," I said to her, my voice tinged with irritation. "Wearing those skimpy little things β do you even know how guys' minds work?"
Kari scowled. "I think I know a little. How
do
guys' minds work?"
I was ready to defend
myself
now. "Well, you tell me β you seem to think they'd be just fine with someone half-naked right in front of them."
"You think I'm half-naked?"
Even her saying the word made me hotter. "Sort of . . ." I answered. "Yeah. Okay, maybe, yes."
Slowly Kari stood, her scowl giving way to confusion.
"What then?" she asked me. "If I'm right here in front of you, you're . . ."
Where was this going?!
". . . You're thinking about what I would look like if I were . . ."
Don't say that!
I shook my head. "Okay, just β stop right there."
Kari did stop. Her expression looked concerned. She was at least a foot shorter than me.
Her brown eyebrows furrowed. "You're actually thinking about . . . you know . . . seeing me completely undressed or something?"
"N . . . no." Of course I was lying.
And Kari didn't believe it. "Then what's your problem?" she asked.
Again I sighed, still annoyed by her behavior. The room burned with heat, crawling across my skin, just from being a few feet from her. "Okay." I breathed out the word, then thought of more. "Being completely honest here. Yeah. When you dress like that, I can't help but picture getting you completely undressed.
I can't help it.
All right?"
Kari stood there, her eyebrows raised, not responding.
I swallowed. Kari blinked. Then she smiled. Smiled sweetly.
"Do you really want to?" Kari asked.
Now it was my turn to fall silent.
"Don't . . ." I managed. "Don't do that."
My brain seemed to turn. Did she actually
want
to. Yes, she did. Would
I
do this? Not possible!
Other
people did this, not me! This kind of thing only happened to other people! But here she was, this gorgeous, petite, brunette girl in mini-shorts and red tank top . . . asking if . . .
"Would you like to have sex with me?" Kari asked.
I felt betrayed by her and yet let in on her vulnerability, seduced β all at once.
"Kari," I whispered.
She stepped closer, not breaking eye contact. "It's been a long afternoon," she intoned. "Believe it or not, I've already done this once. Several years ago."
I never had. Only in my imaginations.
Kari tried to shrug. But she shivered.