He did not remember ever seeing her as visibly upset as she was this morning. He had been her boss now for only a short time, but he had worked with her before. He tried not to make a spectacle of her mood, and made small talk, joking around as normal. He finally brought it up, and asked if everything was ok. She explained how some bad situations were going on in her life, and just the stresses were all catching up with her. He knew all too well how that could be. He wanted to fix all of her problems, but knew he couldn't. So, instinct took over, and without thinking he reached for her, and just pulled her close to offer a hug.
Apparently that was all it took. She broke down, sobbing onto his shoulder. He just held her, and stroked her hair. Oddly enough, he didn't feel awkward or anything. He really cared for her, she was his friend. Finally, she seemed to be calming down. She pulled away, and wiping her eyes, tried to apologize.
"I am sorry sir. This was really inappropriate. I don't need to be bringing my problems to work with me. I won't let it happen again sir."
"Nonsense," he replied. "You are a friend, and a trusted employee. This is not one of those normal uptight stuffy corporate places. Here, we take care of our own."
"Thank you sir," she said. "And thank you for the hug. I really needed it."
The rest of the day went without incident. Her normal duties kept her quite busy, and she was able to take her mind off the problems for a little while. He kept peering out from his office at her, just to make sure she was ok. He smiled to himself when he saw her busy at work.
The end of the day came, and they both packed up to leave. As they reached their cars, she walked over to him, and gave him a hug.
"Thank you again, sir. You have no idea what things have been like, and I really just needed someone to care. See you tomorrow!"
With that, she got in her car and drove away. He was still standing in the parking lot a minute later in shock. The first time, the hug was out of instinct. He just wanted to make her feel better. This time, she came to him. And his mind instantly raced about how good it felt to hold her.
She got to her house, and noticed it was empty. Her boyfriend was gone, but there was a note on the table. It said that something had come up at work, and her boyfriend had to go back, and it may be a while. She was disappointed, but tried not to let it ruin her night. She put her things away, and began to unwind. She felt the need to pamper herself.
She walked to her bathroom, and took out some small candles, setting them around the tub. She lit them, and turned the lights out. She turned on the water, and began to let it fill. She looked at herself in the mirror, as she began to undress. She was never extremely confidant in her looks, but tonight she was feeling something different. Naked, and in the dark, she stared for a long time. Her hands touched her face, and then slid down her chest. Then she remembered the tub, and stopped the water. She climbed in and laid back, just feeling the warm water on her body. Her mind and body began to feel relaxed and at peace. Then it started to feel better. It was then she looked down and noticed her hands had begun touching her body, from her stomach, down to her thighs. Just massaging and caressing. She lay back again, and this time closed her eyes, and all of a sudden saw a flash of her boss. For an instant it was his hands touching her. She gasped and sat up. "Where did that come from?" she asked herself.
She finished bathing herself, and then got out, blowing out the candles and putting on a bath robe. She climbed into bed, and turned the TV on. She woke to the sound of her alarm clock. She hadn't slept that much in months. She felt refreshed, and relaxed, and ready to begin the day.
She pulled into work and, seeing her boss' car, flashed back to what happened the night before. She quickly got nervous. What would happen when she saw him? Would she panic? Would he somehow know? She pulled herself together, and went inside. She put her lunch in the fridge, and smiled at him as she walked by his office.
"Good morning, boss," she said. He smiled back, and replied with the same. She then sat down to begin her day.