The Penske files
Sharon heard an unexpected noise in the cubicle areas outside her office. Who could be around here at this hour on a Friday before a three-day weekend?
Through her office window she saw a tall figure walking through the rows of cubicles. The person stopped, and then made their way toward her office. In a moment Daniel, a marketing assistant, appeared at her office door.
"I thought I saw the lights on in your office. What are you doing here so late on such a nice Friday evening, Sharon? It's a three-day weekend, too."
"Hey, Daniel. I'm trying to get this Penske proposal ready by Tuesday since Ann's on vacation. Thought I'd plow through it now, so I don't have to come back and work on it tomorrow. I want to enjoy the whole weekend," she replied. "And what about you? What brings you back to the office so late?" she asked.
"I was out having a couple of beers with friends after work, then I realized I'd left my backpack here. It's got my gym clothes in it and that's where I'm headed next. I almost didn't make it into the building before they locked the doors."
"Going to go work off those beers, huh?" she asked with a smile.
"Gonna try," he said, grinning.
He looked more closely at her and scowled. She still wore her corporate gray skirt-suit and white top, though she'd kicked off her shoes.
"You look tense and tired, Sharon. Are you sure you wouldn't rather come back tomorrow and finish that proposal? It's late, and you said earlier you'd gotten here at seven o'clock."
"I've thought about it," she replied. "I should at least take a break. I've only been doing simple stretches here at my desk. My eyes sting from looking at the computer screen so long.
Daniel looked thoughtful and hesitant.
"Well, I recently started going to massage school. I should give you a couple pointers for working at your desk."
"Really?" Sharon exclaimed. "Then you're just the person I want to see!" She thought for a moment. "I hope that doesn't mean you'll be leaving us, though."
"No worries there, it's just something I want to do to help people. And the extra money wouldn't hurt, either. It'll be a side gig," he replied.
Sharon paused.
"I hesitate to ask this, but would you mind rubbing my shoulders a bit?"
"I was thinking about it," Daniel said, smiling. "It would give me a chance to practice on someone who's not a classmate. It's inappropriate I guess, though β I mean as co-workers."
Sharon was Daniel's manager and vice president of marketing. She had interviewed and hired Daniel. Why not? she asked herself. After all, some high-tech firms offer free shoulder massages to their employees. Consider it "executive privilege."
Sharon gave a short laugh and said "Look, we've been working together for over a year now. I have no misgivings about having you rub my shoulders."
"Well, okay then," Daniel replied.
He stepped around to the back of her chair as she leaned forward a bit and rubbed her shoulders and upper back.
"Yeah, you're pretty tense. You should do some de-stressing exercises if you're going to be working at a desk this long," Daniel said. "I'll show you them before I leave."
"Yeah, I know I should take better care of myself," Sharon sighed. "I wanted to pump this out, though."
Sharon felt the tension and stress disappear under his skilled hands. She sighed. Sharon became more relaxed, and worked hard to suppress a moan.
"They're teaching you well at that massage school," Sharon said.
It felt so good. She wished Brad weren't gone-she could use some physical attention.
Daniel continued the massage for another minute.
"Where did your boyfriend go? Didn't he go on a trip?" he asked.
"He's gone on a motorcycling trip with a few of his buddies. They're driving the River Road from the source of the Mississippi to its mouth in New Orleans. Then they're going to Mardi Gras. They're making it a 17-day trip. Not my thing. He calls me every night."
"Wow, that sounds like an awesome trip. When did he leave?"
"A week ago Monday."
Sharon didn't want these good feelings to end, Daniel's touch was heavenly. She'd had a hard week anyway, besides Ann being on vacation.
Daniel was a nerdy hipster type who dressed a bit too funky for a corporate environment. In his spare time Daniel was an artist. He blended photography with painting, with occasional female nudes. Sharon had seen some of his work. His pieces had a sensuality to them but the sensibility of Jackson Pollack. Sharon tried to put together all these incongruities about Daniel. A hipster in a corporate marketing environment, a gym rat, artist, and-masseur? What an eclectic guy!
Over the desk
Daniel stroked her hair for a few seconds, then gave her hair a gentle tug to signal an end. Sharon felt a familiar tingle inside her from the hair pull. She sighed, still hunched over her desk, wondering if he knew that the hair pull was "a move." She didn't think it was his intention, but it had aroused her senses.
"Okay, we'll stop here. You don't seem as tense now," Daniel said.
Sharon paused for a moment, wondering more about those "executive privileges." It wasn't so much that she missed Brad, Daniel's touch had turned her on. Even though her body was more relaxed, her mind raced with indecision. Should she come onto him? Screw Brad, he wasn't going to last long in her life anyway; too much of a macho guy. But, there was the obstacle of manager-employee relations and its possible repercussions. She shifted in her seat and felt the tingle again.
"No, I think I've still got some tension left in me," she said in a quiet, hesitant voice.
Slowly, she sat upright in her chair and turned to face him. Daniel had started to walk away.
"Enjoy your weekend, Sharon!"
"Wait. Don't go yet, Daniel," Sharon said.
He turned and looked at her.