I had worked for this company for almost 6 months, and I'd never felt as invisible as I felt now. I worked as a receptionist for a medium sized business. Answering phones, sorting mail and copying documents didn't sound too glamorous and it wasn't, but it paid the bills and gave me the flexibility to come and go, and the insurance that I needed for being a single parent. I was content in my job and performed most of my daily tasks with little or no brain power. The less stress the better because when I got home it took all of my energy and attention I had to keep up with my 5yo son.
I loved being a parent and loved my son, and thought my life complete, until a month ago when HE started working here. He was our new sales rep for the western region. At a little over 6 ft., with thick dark hair that looked finger combed into a messy array that somehow stuck up in all the right places. He had an average build, maybe even a little soft in the middle, but it was his eyes that first drew my attention. They were a dark stormy grey, lined with thick black lashes that seemed to look straight to your soul. They seemed flash with deep emotion, humor, anger, frustration, concern, and passion all within a split second of each other. And when they looked at me, something deep within me shifted, stirred, and warmed. And lately, although no one else seemed to notice me, he was looking a lot.
I never thought myself a beautiful woman, but I wasn't ugly either. A little taller than most and since motherhood, my hips were a little larger than I liked. I had stopped really paying attention to how I looked just glad that I managed to dress everyday in something that wasn't covered in sticky hand prints. I usually wore dress pants, or a skirt with a blouse or sweater. My hair was always in a neat bun or French braid that reached right past my shoulders, more because of lack of time to style it rather than trying to look professional. His gaze made me feel like I was wearing nothing at all. My nipples would tighten every time he walked by and smiled, and my legs grew weak if I had to deliver papers or a message to his office. I knew it was just a matter of time before I made a total fool of myself by tripping, or spilling something all over his reports. And it looked like today was going to be my lucky day.
It started out as any other day; I was dressed in a straight skirt that stopped a few inches above my knee, with a light weight sweater that I thought made me look soft and huggable. Being adventurous I decided to wear shoes with 3" heels. I always got to work a little earlier than everyone else, starting the coffee warming up the printers, checking the companies voice messages, looking at my work list for the day. As I settled into my routine others started to arrive. Most people just nodded as they passed, and were barely civil until they had at least one cup of coffee in them and today was no exception. I found myself glancing at the door wondering when he was going to come in. The time passed with me making the copies for the day and taking messages. I had a stack of messages for him, mail and a report I printed marked "Urgent". I gathered all of these together, switched the phone to voicemail, and headed to his office, hands full, feeling steady on my feet only because he hadn't arrived yet.
I flipped the light on with my elbow when I entered his office and glanced around. This was the first time I had been in here without him sitting at the desk usually with fingers busy on the computers keyboard, and phone to his ear. I put his messages, mail and report on his desk and almost turned to go, I should have just turned and walked out but being a woman I couldn't resist snooping just a little. After all even Oprah admits to going through people's bathroom drawers when she visits and whats good for Oprah...
I looked over his desk, which was remarkably organized and clean and wondered what this told me about him. Maybe he was OCD, anal, controlling, or maybe just very thorough. His large broken in leather chair looked comfortable and inviting, but held an air that spoke of a confident and potentially powerful man. I couldn't resist sitting in it for a minute and taking in his domain. Looking over his desk again from this angle I noticed the one thing that looked totally out of place in his manly office. I reached for the overly decorated pencil holder stuffed with pens and smiled. It was a soup can covered in orange felt, decorated with glued on beads of every color, blue rickrack, and fuzzy little pompom balls, with the words "Worlds Best Unkle" with the "K" being backwards. Again being the curious woman that I am, I tilted the can slightly to look at the bottom, hoping to see a name of the child that made this masterpiece. That's when things went wrong. I wasn't paying attention and every pen, pencil, and paperclip dumped out of the can and came crashing to the floor with a loud clatter on the plastic floor mat under his desk. Swearing a little louder than I planned, I slipped under the desk and started to pick up the mess.
I was about half way through cleaning up when I heard voices coming down the hall. I recognized the squeaky Minnie Mouse voice of the office manager laughing a little too loud and the deeper voice of him. Instead of doing the smart thing and standing, or at least letting my presents known, I panicked and slid further under the desk, not my smartest moment. I heard them come into the office and was momentarily grateful that he didn't immediately sit down at his desk. Instead he stood just inside the doorway talking to squeaky voice and I could tell by his words, he was trying to get rid of her. I heard her say something in a hushed voice about wanting to talk to him in private and my heart almost stopped when they both came inside the office and shut the door. I could hear him approach his desk and I scooted as far under as I could as he came around to sit.
As soon as he was seated he glanced down and not only saw the scattered pens and pencils, he also saw me. I put my finger to my lips and begged him with my eyes not to give me away, the corners of his lips twitched slightly and he scooted in his chair. As I mentioned, I'm not really a small girl and this left me wedged tightly under the desk. He spread his legs to give me a little more room and that movement forced me to nestle right between his thighs. I wasn't sure at first if this was intentional, but when I glanced at his crotch that seemed mere inches from my face I noticed a hump forming. I almost laughed and was almost irritated at the same time. The office manager was now speaking, trying to make her Minnie Mouse voice sound sultry and sexy. She was saying something about wanting to meet up later and have drinks. He made an excuse about working later, but she wasn't giving up that easily. I tried to sit still in my tight quarters, pressed in between his thighs wishing I had worn slacks instead of the snug skirt that was riding higher up my thigh, when I felt his thigh shift and rub against my breast. I almost gasped out loud at the contact, and my nipples tightened immediately. I was almost certain he could feel them pebble under my sweater. I noticed one of his hands drop to his thigh, and slowly move to cup my breast, feeling its weight in the palm of his hand. His thumb brushed gently across my nipple and it responded by getting tighter and added a bonus of warmth in the pit of my stomach and lower.
Minnie Mouse was trying to get him to agree to a lunch date when I decided that two could play at this game. I slowly reached my hand up and ran a finger along the obvious bulge in his slacks. I could feel his thighs tighten slightly, then relax and spread to give me more room. His hand that was kneading my breast, was now slowly gathering up the material in his hand until he could reach the flesh beneath. I heard him decline Minnie's invite to lunch and explain that he didn't date co-workers. I wanted to laugh at her advances, but just then his nimble fingers found my very sensitive, very tight nipple and started to roll and pluck at it sending zingers right down between my legs. His fingers stilled slightly when I noticed that Minnie had propped one hip on his desk and leaned in to tell him it wouldn't be just a date. He scooted closer to the edge of his chair to make sure I was well hidden, and once again with a slight iciness in his voice declined her invite.