Keeping the car in low gear, I drove through the silent streets, windows down, enjoying the night. A soft breeze blew, bringing the smell of fall to me. The streetlights shone on every corner, lighting a path through the quiet town. Taking turns at random, I rolled through the town watching the dark storefronts, not seeing a soul. It was strange to wander through a town this late at night when nothing was moving. Not that this town was a busy one during the day, but still odd to see it so lifeless. Like a well-maintained ghost town.
As I rounded another corner, I noticed, up the street, a light on. Even from blocks away, it was obvious that someone was still up and about. Curious, I parked the car and walked towards the large building. Windows covered the front of the building. Most had the shades open, revealing offices behind. Some were neat and tidy, while others had papers and notes scattered about. The last window had the blinds pulled, and light leaked between them as someone moved around inside.
Standing in the silent dark, I watched for a minute to see who was inside. Nothing moved for a moment, then a shadow passed over the shades. Keeping watch, I waited. Behind the shades I caught glimpses of a figure sitting behind a desk. Only scant details were available. Silken legs. Long dark hair. A light-colored blouse. I caught a glimpse of her face, and something deep inside of me tightened. My stomach knotted up. Then the blinds parted.
A single hand pushes the shades apart, and an angelic face peered out into the darkness. Dark eyes, underneath narrow eyebrows slipped from side to side, looking for something in the dark. I stood still, wondering if she could see me. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun. A stray strand played across her brow. Her slender form was backlit and radiant in the light. The knot in my stomach tightened as she looked right at me. Her eyes narrowed, and I felt as if she was peering into my soul. Perhaps she liked what she saw as a slight smile played across her face. Then the blinds slipped back into place.
My heart hammered in my chest; my hands grew clammy. The thought that crossed my mind was simple. It was not fair that she was inside, and I was out. Some greater equation of life was out of balance, and my world was spinning off axis. The only solution was to go into the light...
I turned on my heels and walked to the main entrance of the building. For a heart-breaking moment, I pondered what I would have to do if the doors were locked. Would there be another way in? I could not let a simple locked door stand between me and the glorious light. I knew nothing of picking locks, but could I learn? I looked around and spied no rocks nearby with which I could break the glass. And even if there were, I would hate to startle the young woman with the breaking of glass. The fortunes must have been gazing upon me, as the latch slipped, and the door opened with a soft sigh.
Beyond the dark glass of the doors, the main lobby was a checkerboard of white and black marble. Potted plants lined the stucco walls. To the left I saw a security door, and directly ahead was the main part of the building. Another set of doors, another possible lock. My mind spun, but I strode forward hoping that fate was still on my side. The handle turned with the silent grace of well-oiled joints.
The primary office of the building was a dark cave of cubicles. Their silent walls stood testament to the work that would be done in them during the day. The first couple that I saw had little piles of paper gathered in neat stacks. A simple phone, monitor, well-used keyboard, and mouse. There was also a small jar of pencils, pens, and markers near the monitor. A calendar was tacked to the wall just above the desk with hand-written notes across many of the dates.
A stray beam of light played across the surroundings coming from my left. Turning, I saw a glass door leading into an office. Blinds had been drawn across it, hiding the insides of the room. There was no noticeable movement going on inside. As there was no other light on in the entire place, it seemed obvious where I must go. Before I realized what was going on, I was standing in front of the door. My heart thundered in my chest, making such a racket it was no small wonder that she was not standing at the door asking what all the noise was. My hands were cold, and clammy, and I could feel a sheen of sweat breaking out on my back.
I started to reach for the doorknob and stopped. Doubts racked my mind. My hand halfway to the door, I stood like an idiot not sure what to do. What would I say? What if she asked me to leave? What if she calls the police officers? What if she thought I was a burglar, had a gun, and went to shoot me? This was a mistake. What was I doing there? Perhaps I would be better off going back to my car and getting back on the road. The light though, I had to step into the light. That blessed radiance. Even if she asked me to leave, I had to stand in the light and look upon her face one more time before I left. Such a thing of beauty could not be passed up. It was like looking at a magnificent work of art, when one is given the opportunity, it is not something you can just walk away from. I closed my hand on the doorknob and turned. The door swung open before me, and I stepped forward into the light...
The first thing my eyes locked onto was the large cherry wood desk in the middle of the room. Sitting sideways to the window, it would offer a beautiful view into the city beyond, if the blinds had been open. Small, neat piles of paper were stacked on the desk. On the left side sats an adding machine, with a roll of paper coming out of the top. In the middle a monitor and keyboard sat, slightly pushed to the side to make room for the papers in the middle. A small green can held pens, highlighters, and sharpies in numerous colors. Beneath the clear mat I could see the edges of a calendar poking out from underneath the paperwork stacked on top of it. To the right side of the desk, I could see a stack of yellow insertion pieces of paper and what looked like stacks of checks. Also in the room was a table with a large printer on it. Another desk, though not as noteworthy as the first. Along the wall to my left was a large filing cabinet. The rest of the room paled in comparison to the figure behind the desk.
Her dark hair was silky and shone in the light, pulled away from her face into what was once a tight bun. Time had worked it loose, and a few stray hairs hung down. One across her clean forehead, danced above her eyes. Her makeup was light letting the natural beauty of her face shine through. She was wearing a tight, lacey blouse that showed just a hint of cleavage, narrowing down to her waist. She glanced up from her paperwork, a small pen slipping from her fingers.
