After a bit of a reprieve, the oppressive heat wave returned, coupled with sustained record-breaking humidity. Once again, rolling brownouts and blackouts were announced as being possibilities, and Eric and I were both concerned, because if he lost Internet access, he essentially could not work. Such a situation would not be too bad if it only lasted maybe an hour or so, but much more than that and it would greatly impact his productivity.
"Why don't you work at the library?" I suggested one evening over dinner. "We've been assured that the back-up power supply has been repaired and a critical part replaced, so that the library can still be fully up and running for four hours if we lose electricity."
Eric clearly was considering that as he ate. "I suppose that would work. Will I need to do anything special though to get Internet access?"
"There's free Wi-Fi in the main lobby, but since you'll be on the phone a lot, you should be able to use my network login info and be connected in one of the private study rooms. In fact, the top floor is rarely ever used, so that would be the best place for you to be so that no one would bother you."
"No one but you, right?"
I shared his grin.
As if on cue, the electricity suddenly went out, but came back on a few seconds later, as if giving us all a warning.
*****
One of the nice things that Eric did like about working from home was that he could wear comfortable clothes. There was no need to wear a tie or dress shoes. He did not need to wear long sleeves and slacks during the oppressive heat wave. Instead, he could wear shorts and a t-shirt... if he even wore that much.
However, since he was planning on working at the university library, he dressed comfortably yet respectably, wearing sandals, shorts, and a nice short-sleeve shirt. In fact, he reminded me somewhat of some of the grad students, especially carrying his laptop in the shoulder bag.
On arrival at the library, I alerted my supervisor about my big brother's plan to work there for the day, and possibly over the next few days as well until the heat wave abated, and she was fine with that. In fact, she even gave Eric a special username and password for the network -- until that moment, I had not known that the library had a set of rotating network logins for single-day usage, although they were really intended to be used by non-campus people doing presentations in the library's meeting rooms.
After clocking in, I went with my big brother up to the top floor, and we went directly to the private study room the furthest away from the stairwell and the elevators. I spent a few more minutes with him as he set up the laptop and ensured that he could access the network, then gave his cheek a quick kiss, intending to return downstairs.
Before I could reach the door, however, Eric stopped me. From behind, he wrapped his arms around me, his hands on my breasts, squeezing, fondling. I froze, for I was in plain view of the window -- if someone else was indeed on the same floor, I would be very easily seen, and while I did not mind that my big brother was feeling me, I did not want anyone else to know that he was more than just a big brother to me. Fortunately, his manipulation of my chest only lasted a few seconds, before he released my breasts and kissed the top of my head, but it was enough to make me want to spend the day with him, just sitting at the table and watching and listening to him work, and it took all my willpower to give his hand a quick squeeze before I left him to his duties while I went to fulfill mine.
At lunchtime, we ate in the shade of the same tree where I had so often eaten lunch on my own. Instead of talking via cell phone with my big brother, he sat next to me, his laptop bag prominent between us as if to reassure anyone passing by that he and I were "just" big brother and little sister. As we ate and chatted, however, I noticed several women and even one guy eyeing Eric with obvious interest, and I truly felt honored just to be in his presence and on the periphery of such positive attention.