Note: This series of Working Late was published a few years ago from my original account of Tallulah82. On my return, I've edited to republish now. I hope you enjoy it.
*****
It had taken just two weeks for Amelie to make her mark. It wasn't her first job as a PA, but it was one of the most challenging to date. The reputation of her new boss, Mr Wallis, had preceded him and she knew she'd been lucky to land the position. In truth, she'd been a bit surprised. She'd been even more surprised to learn that her predecessor hadn't been as organised as anticipated, especially working for someone who was regarded as determined by his peers. Within ten days, Amelie had dragged the administration up to par. But as professional as Mr Wallis was, he also remained detached. Nine weeks had now passed, and she'd become firmly established in her role and it frustrated her that he still hadn't acknowledged the improvement in the running of his office. But likewise, she was also professional and so their calm, aloof interactions continued.
**
With corrugated cups from the local coffee shop in each hand, Amelie pushed open the large glass door with her hip. The Monday morning buzz in the lobby greeted her as suits clustered at all three lift doors. The security guards laughed with the receptionists but kept a careful watch. One by one, the lifts arrived, and the noise dropped. Pleased at her timing, she waited patiently for the lift to return.
Only a handful of people were gathered by the time the doors slid open again. Smiling at the suited man closest to the operating panel, she asked him to press the button for the sixteenth floor.
As they rode, Amelie lost herself in mentally preparing for the day. She didn't notice the man's sweeping glance. She dressed only for professionalism. From her functional ponytail, to the skirt suit, to her black heels. She'd never been a slim girl, with her generous arse and full breasts, but as long it balanced out, it rarely bothered her.
She didn't, however, realise how much the fitted skirt suit accentuated her curves. With growing greed, the man drank in her apparently nude legs. He took an educated guess to nylons. As she shifted her weight, he watched the hem of her skirt move just above her knees.
As Amelie continued in her own thoughts, he followed his own. He considered whether she would be wearing tights or stockings. The thought of seeing her bare skin between the top of a stocking and the line of her panties had him stirring. He tried hard not to act like a pervert with his fellow colleagues and for the most part, he succeeded. But now and again, the combination of curves and nylon took control. It was the delicate covering that teased; that both revealed and concealed. The silkiness that clung to the curves, begging to be peeled away. Fantasies were already clouding his mind and he wondered if he should initiate a conversation, make a connection. The lift stopped. Amelie threw him an absent smile and stepped out. The doors closed behind her and took the disappointed man away.
She made her way along the wide corridor to the office. Her workspace lay in front of Mr Wallis' office, as if its protector. Normally, the door to his office was kept closed but this morning it stood ajar. The baritone voice carried through the gap. The pauses between his words indicated that it was a telephone conversation. Despite Amelie often being present during calls, his tone warned her against any type of interruption. Instead, she took the opportunity to unload her belongings at her desk and asserted that his coffee could wait.
She sighed as she considered the gift bag she'd placed on her desk. She'd heard on the office grapevine that it was his birthday today and that his mother appeared at his office on this day to lunch with him. Amelie had bought previous her bosses' gifts, and so this purchase had felt almost a natural reaction yet looking at the bag now, she wondered if she should bother. Their working relationship had been the most formal she'd ever experienced so far and now the gift felt out of place. She slipped the bag into her top drawer.
Minutes ticked by, and the telephone conversation continued. She couldn't keep waiting for Mr Wallis to finish. She had to start her day, and that included collecting the usual pile of paperwork that would be sat in a tray on his desk.
Amelie seized the coffee she'd bought for him. She'd begun buying their coffees on a whim in the first week. A good impression. He hadn't objected to it, so she'd continued to start their working day with the delicious option rather than the office version.
Keeping her eyes diverted, Amelie entered his office. As she placed the coffee on his desk, Mr Wallis fell silent. Reaching to collect the work, she couldn't resist the temptation to look at him. His eyes were fixed on her hands as she gathered the papers. Her heart thumped, firing a rush of nervousness, while her fingers fumbled against the edges of each sheet until, eventually, she managed to seize them into a single wad. A flush heated Amelie's cheeks as his eyes continued to watch her fingers clench the papers. A voice in her head spurred her on to exit smoothly and silently.
Back at her desk, Amelie heard her boss continue talking. Releasing her caught breath, she wondered if she'd made a mistake and if she was going to be berated for entering. But the door had been open. But he'd stared at her. Well, at her hands. Concern gave way to something new. An intrigue. Something stirred within her as she replayed the scene over and over. But each scene had her hands moving elsewhere. Releasing the papers, skimming over her skirt, cupping her...
Amelie laughed to herself, shaking her head. Ignoring the warmth between her thighs, she teased herself for indulging in such cliché fantasies. It wasn't the first time she'd placed a boss in her fantasies, who hadn't. But those daydreams were firmly kept to her bedroom at night with her toys. She'd always been able to compartmentalize reality and daydreams until now, and she wasn't about to mess up her life now.
Mr Wallis' telephone call lasted a further ten minutes after which Amelie was summoned. Grabbing her notebook, Amelie returned to the main office and took her usual place in the empty chair in front of his desk. She prepared herself to be scolded for invading his office earlier.
"Good morning, what's on the agenda for today?"
Amelie smiled politely, regardless that he'd not looked away from his computer screen yet. Mr Wallis snapped his attention from the screen to her. His intense stare met her determination to not break the contact. She could have sworn that his eyes narrowed a fraction, but he'd already returned to his screen. Heart pounding, she kept her chin held high and continued to wait for the backlash.
"We have a problem. One of our major backers has been taken over and they're now re-evaluating their commitment and level of contributions. We need to pull together a completely new report, effectively a new bid. We need concrete evidence including targets achieved, financial reports and future projections. We must submit the report by next Monday morning but that's not all," Mr Wallis ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back in his leather chair, returning his gaze to her, "a couple of years ago one of our old rival businesses collapsed when this happened to them. Their other backers heard, some panicked that the change could mean that they were going to be targeted for heavier commitments, and when it appeared that the company was looking unstable some pulled their funding altogether. It was a mess for them. What started as a ripple created a wave for them that drowned them. I will not let that happen here. We need to be in contact with all of our backers, reassure them and create contingency plans to protect them."
Amelie was too busy scribbling furiously that she didn't notice the silence until she caught up. Looking up from her pad, she found Mr Wallis staring at her again.
"I need to ask you to stay late this week, possibly two weeks. You'll be paid overtime of course..." Mr Wallis paused, and Amelie guessed that he was unused to being in a position to ask for something, "I know this is a big ask on such little notice, and you'll have commitments..."
"No, no," Amelie shook her head, "I'm fine. No commitments, at least none that can't wait. I can work as late as you need me to, for whatever you need."
As she spoke, his eyes fixated on her lips. Amelie's throat dried. The moment froze. Subconsciously, the tip of her tongue wet her lips. Blood roared in her ears, making her unsure if she'd heard him gasp or if she'd imagined it. A faint noise from behind the door snapped him back into focus. Clearing his throat, he turned back to the computer.
"Thank you, it will be appreciated, that's all for now," he dismissed.
**
The morning flew by and it wasn't until Mr Wallis' mother flounced into the office that Amelie realised how many hours she'd been buried in work. After a polite introduction, Mrs Wallis disappeared into her son's office. Settling for a working lunch, Amelie alternated between typing and taking a mouthful of her limp ham sandwich. Fifteen minutes later, Mrs Wallis re-emerged, followed closely by her son.
"Again, I'm sorry I can't join you today," Mr Wallis kissed his mother's cheek goodbye.
"I understand, darling," Mrs Wallis patted his cheek and smiled, "you can make it up to me when this nightmare is over. I won't say don't work too hard, but I will say take care of yourself and try to get some rest."
He smiled at his mother as she left. Amelie had been keeping her head down, deliberately withdrawing herself as much as possible. Following his mother's departure, Mr Wallis had continued to remain. Amelie looked up to see him watching her.
"Is there anything you need?" she smiled.
"Need?" He almost growled before clearing his throat and tearing his eyes from her face to look at her lunch instead. "What is that?"
"My lunch."
"It looks disgusting."
