The Office

[Fiona]

The rules in this new office weren't as strict as her previous job, but they were still enforced with an iron fist. Personal touches dotted each cubicle, whether photographs tacked to the walls or cups emblazoned with "World's Best Dad"; a few people even kept little potted plants. It was a better environment for work than many places she'd been before, and had played a major part in Cremia's interest for the position.

She'd been there for approximately a month, learning the ropes and meeting people, and all had seemed well. Of course, this changed about a week or so into her employment when she met her employer for the first time. She'd thought him terribly attractive, and attempted to quash that sentiment. Only now did she realize how little success she'd had in that venture.

Cremia swallowed her nerves, eyeing her boss' door apprehensively. What if he disapproved? Would she be fired? She had barely been meeting rent for a while now, which meant she really couldn't afford to be fired. Deep inside though, she knew it would irritate her and her work would suffer if she didn't tell him. It might result in her being fired either way, so it was better to bite the bullet and hope for the best, surely?

She straightened the pencils on her desk, smoothed down the front of her skirt, and stood up. The office was fairly empty now, given it was getting rather late. Most people left as soon as the "official" work day ended, while she'd made it a habit to stay behind and avoid the rush. That much was a small comfort now; it meant there were less people to stare at her as she approached the suddenly ominous-looking door that separated the workers from their employer.

Knock, knock, knock on the door.

She pressed her weight against it, peering round the door with a guilty expression on her face. "Good evening, sir... I was wondering if I could talk to you about something, it's… sort of important." She slipped inside almost without waiting for his response, twisting softly at the bottom of her shirt as she stood and faced him. She could feel her cheeks burning.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake looked up from his computer, midway through an email to one of his superiors about the quarterly reports, finding Cremia in the doorway. He had barely gotten to know her, having her shy away from him almost immediately after meeting her. Blake had just chalked this up to being shy, which only made it all the more interesting to find her asking to speak to him alone, after hours nonethless. "Sure, you can close the door behind you if you wish, if it's that important." He gave her a once over as she closed the door, and indeed, she was one of the better looking girls in the office, though her timid behavior only seemed to amplify her attractiveness. However, being the boss, Blake diverted his thoughts, knowing that his position didn't take well to inter-office relationships.

"Everything ok Cremia? You seem flustered?" He asked, gesturing towards the 2 chairs that sat in front of his desk, inviting her to sit. He sipped at his lukewarm coffee, doing moreso out of habit than desire for caffeine. The day was almost over, and soon he could head back home and sleep. He sat back in his chair, smoothing out his slacks as he listened to Cremia and what she had to say.

 

[Fiona]

He was being pleasant enough, she thought with some relief, stepping forward to take one of the seats. She couldn't help but fiddle with the hem of her skirt as she tried to organise her thoughts into some semblance of order. This had seemed so much easier when she rehearsed it earlier on today, but then she'd been practising with inanimate objects, or in mirrors, rather than with another person. She glanced up at him once, then down at her lap.

"No, things are fine, mostly…" She could feel her heart starting to pound in her chest as his eyes flitted across her, and tried to rebuke herself internally. "I just… well, I sort of have a confession to make." Her fingers slipped from the hem of the skirt and onto the stockings, tugging at the material.

"I've noticed myself being sort of… well. Ah…" She trailed off, feeling a blush climbing over her cheeks. "It's really inappropriate but I'm sort of attracted to you. Actually very much so." Her words were coming out clumsily. She was meant to be better with words than this; it was part of her job, for heaven's sake. "…I'm trying to say I think I like you." She wanted to bite her tongue as soon as the words were out, cheeks positively catching fire as she admitted it.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake looked on with slight amusement as Cremia stumbled over her words, fiddling with her outfit as she tried to plow through her dialogue. Her face seemed to reveal brighter and brighter shades of red with each syllable, getting closer and closer to the moment of confession. Blake remained quiet, not wanting to interrupt her and potentially break down her fragile confidence, though as soon as she began, he knew what it was. He hadn't been working for very long, but he wasn't a stranger to confessions. This one, however, was different. Most of the others involved alcohol, and generally had led to quick sex in a janitors closet or the copy room. But here was the new girl, acting like she was some sort of teenager all over again asking her first boyfriend out. It was cute, but seeing her honesty and bravery added to the mutual attraction he shared.

The dilemma of course was that he was in the position of power over her, and such relationships were frowned upon, as it generally led to favoritism as well as an overall divide in the workplace. As Cremia finally gave the confession, her cheeks flashing scarlet, Blake cleared his throat to reject her sadly, but as he opened his mouth, the words stuck. He found that, as he saw her blushing in emotion at him, that he too much wanted her for himself to turn her away. Blake knew it was inappropriate, but at the same time, she seemed like she was different from the others that had come wanting him. Instead, he said softly, "Cremia, you and I both know that I should reject you here and now, and potentially fire you for trying to get with your boss 1 week after meeting him." Blake let the words sink in before continuing, "I should, but it seems there's something about you that I can't refuse. However, for us to be able to do anything, it'll have to be in secrecy. Any knowledge of a relationship between us could be detrimental to both our careers. You understand this, yes? If we make anything of this, there's a chance if caught, that we'd lose both our jobs." Blake looked at her, measuring her reaction, seeing how committed she was, wondering if he just scared her off. If so, probably for the best, but he secretly hoped this wasn't the case.

 

[Fiona]

She'd been rather bracing for the rejection, and it didn't seem to be coming outright. She'd been scrambling for anything to say in response when he spoke up, his soft tone confusing her for a few long moments. She blinked at him curiously as he paused for effect, cocking her head ever so slightly to the side. After a few seconds of silence he continued on, apparently convinced his point had gotten across; she nibbled at her lower lip nervously as he spoke of carrying out matters in secrecy. She'd known, of course, but it was a different kettle of fish when it was presented to her like that. She mulled over the words, eyes closing.

Do you really want this? To try and strike up a secret relationship that might end up getting you in trouble? She bit down a little harder on her lip, stealing a peek at Blake.

Yes. Yes, I do. I don't care if it's risky, I still want it.

She smiled shyly at him, meeting his eyes for what seemed like the first time since she'd wandered in. "I understand… I'm good at keeping secrets." She paused, another thought coming to mind. "Besides, even if it weren't… well, you know. I think people would still gossip and generally stick their noses where I'd really rather they didn't…" She flushed again, though this time her gaze didn't waver.

She flicked a few strands of brown hair back from her face, trying to cover the blush and slightly lost look in her eyes with the action. She had no idea what to do next; she had been so certain of rejection she'd not planned for anything else. She squirmed restlessly in her seat, unconsciously waiting for the instructions she was so used to receiving with regards to almost everything in the office.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake looked at her as she mused the decision, chewing at her lower lip in order to keep her thoughts focused. Such a cute girl, and Blake was for once happy that he easily attracted girls. This one was unlike any other he had encountered, which only drew him in more. Everything she did seemed to make him want her more, and he had to know how far it went. His mind began racing as she agreed, promising to keep it wrapped up between them. Her gaze was fierce, a stark contrast to her otherwise nervous and fidgeting behavior.

"Yeah, we'll have to toe the line pretty close, but I think it's worth every bit of it." He flashed her a rare genuine smile, not the false ones he gave the others at the office. Rustling into the pocket of his slacks, he fished out his keys, the metal rattling softly against one another like wind chimes. He offered them to her, "Here, take these and wait in the car. I doubt anyone will notice you getting into my car, and the windows are tinted so no one should see you inside. I have a few things to wrap up here, and I'll meet you in the car when I'm done. That is of course if you're ok with coming to my place to talk a bit more?" Blake gazed with startling blue eyes, having been under the assumption that she would immediately say yes. It hadn't occurred to him that maybe she wanted to take it slow. His fingers went back into his pocket, pinching into his thigh as he hoped he hadn't made a mistake. This was the first girl that he had really ever shown mutual attraction for, and he'd be loathe to dash it away now.

 

[Fiona]

She could have sworn his smile made her heart pound a little faster. She hoped against hope he hadn't seen it in her face as she reached out timidly for the keys. They clinked softly when she took hold of them, fingers barely grazing past Blake's as she did so. She averted her eyes when he fixed her with a look of his own, feeling as though she couldn't keep eye contact and control at the same time. It probably looked worse to stare into his chest, but it made her feel less self-conscious.

"Sure, I don't mind. I probably have a lot of misconceptions about you that you might have to straighten out, anyway… No time like the present, after all." She spoke quietly, as though someone might hear her even though the vast majority of the staff had long-since left. Pushing herself back to her feet, she smiled at him briefly before moving to leave.

You know, going home with someone you've only known for a little while might not be such a good idea, her mind informed her as she wandered out of the building. What if he doesn't want to talk, and wants to 'talk' instead? Will you still do it? She shook her head, trying to dislodge the annoyingly justified words from her mind. The locks clicked as she opened the car on the driver's side, then slipped round to the passenger seat and stepped in.

Well, if you're ignoring words then…

Her mind flashed her a rather vivid image of herself and Blake tangled together in the back of the car, clothes hanging off them, hair mussed and breath coming in short bursts. Cremia squeaked at the mental snapshot and tried to force it in a panic from her mind, leaning against the window to cool her fiery cheeks. Her eyes closed as she tried to eject the image, without much success.

So much for keeping a clear head when dealing with him.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

As Cremia left his office, Blake couldn't help but smile, his night turning from mundane and monotonous to monumentally interesting and exciting. He had a rushed sort of date, at his own house nonetheless, and it was with an attractive woman to boot. Blake sat there fantasizing for a few minutes, wondering the various things that could end up happening, most ending in nice, hot, passionate sex, before he remembered he still had work to do. Looking flustered despite no one about, he sped through the remainder of his work, sending out emails in an electronic blur. Logging off, he left his office, finding it to be empty as usual. Blake was used to being the last one out, but having something to go home to was new, and definitely an improvement.

He walked up to the driver side of his car and opened it up, seeing that indeed Cremia had waited for him, sitting patiently in the passenger seat, resting her head against the cold car window. As he sat down, he closed the door, turning to her, "Sorry about the bit of a wait, I got, um, distracted." Blake found it curious that his normally smooth talking self was beginning to fumble for words, as if Cremia's shyness was somehow contagious. He gave a small, slightly nervous laugh, before sliding in the keys and turning on the ignition, the car rumbling to life. "My place isn't too far from here, we should be there in a bit." As Blake pulled out, he found himself struggling slightly to come up with conversation, used to the girl pressing him with all sorts of questions. Now it was his turn to lead the dance, only he was suddenly unsure of himself. All he had was an attraction that couldn't be placed into words, and for the first minute or so, drove in silence, desperately trying to say something other than what was on his mind: "Should I wait to fuck you in the bedroom, or will anywhere do for you?"

 

[Fiona]

Blake sat down alongside her, seemingly stumbling over his own words as he did so. That was a fairly new advancement, she thought, finally lifting her head from the cool window to smile at him tentatively. He sounded almost nervous, surprisingly enough, and she could only guess it was because his work front was rippling away in front of her. The car coughed into life and a pregnant silence fell in the car, Cremia glancing from her hands in her lap to the road outside, briefly snatching a look at Blake's face and seeing odd uncertainty written there.

The blush crept slowly further and further as she took quick, furtive glances at him, not exactly helping her poor mind. She'd come to the conclusion within minutes that her brain would give her little to no rest and accepted the odd, fragmented flashes of lewd mental images. She squeezed her knees together, nibbling at her lip and shimmying forward to the edge of her seat.

"Do you have any live-ins I need to worry about, by the way?" she asked, more to break the silence and try to distract herself than anything. Her voice shook slightly and she almost cursed the moment she spoke; while her body language was a fair give away in the first place, that would make it horribly obvious her mind was elsewhere. "I'd imagine I have to be a secret from other people too, and not just the office?" A little less shaky that time. Her fingers were worrying at the seat she sat on now, flexing against the material.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake glanced over at Cremia as she broke the silence, and he wished he could kiss her for doing so: it had been driving him mad to try to come up with something to say. It was only until he answered that he realized exactly what she had asked, and the implications it was laden with, "Nope, I live alone. Not that I mind, roommates can end up being quite annoying, especially when you bring friends over." He flashed a wink at her before focusing on driving, the lights from the street causing the car interior to lighten and darken at regular intervals. He tried to chide himself for expecting sex the first night, but his sense of honor and chivalry was no match for the lust that lay inside him; it had been too long since he had had a good time. He felt a stirring in his pants, his lust getting the better of him, and he now had to sit awkwardly; his slacks not giving him much space to work with.

 

[Fiona]

She nodded at the words. "I'm on my own too for now, but I'm trying to find a roommate… I mean they might be annoying for having people over, but I feel lonely in there on my own," she rambled slightly. "I mean… I've never really been on my own 'til now, so it's kind of… Mm." She smiled awkwardly, shifting uneasily once more as the lights flashed past. Arousal was attacking her in quick waves, spiking up and down.

You need to take a breather, Cremia. Shouldn't be so worked up already, I don't care if you've been fantasizing over him for a while, you need to calm down or you'll be a hot sweaty mess before the end of the night… Her mind was a fickle thing, seeming to take great glee in giving her fantasy fodder, observing the effects and then rebuking her for them. She tried hard to ignore it, speaking up again instead.

"I had a corny movie and ice-cream waiting at home in case you decided you didn't want to risk anything, but I'm awfully glad I don't need them quite yet," she joked, throwing another blushing smile at him.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake nodded as she talked, her voice a welcome break in the silence that had filled the car from before. They were nearly to his apartment now, and soon he would have her all alone in his room. He tried to think of what to do after getting her inside, but the only things he could think of involved stripping her clothes off and seeing how many places they could fuck before one of them got tired. Blake shifted in his seat, pulling at the front of his slacks in an attempt to ease the discomfort. He would feel quite foolish if he got inside and found she didn't want anything. If he thought the silence was awkward now he'd be in for a large surprise.

"Well, at least having no roommates means no one will ask where you were tonight. Provided you're ok with spending the night?" Blake asked, essentially begging her to sleep with him. He might as well had asked if she wanted to fuck, and Blake knew that her answer determined the whole outcome of the evening. If she said no... well, perhaps he could settle for just small talk and alcohol, though he'd have to be sure he didn't drink too much; he could get a bit fearless with alcohol running through him.

 

[Fiona]

The implications of his question registered and Cremia's eyes widened as she turned to stare at him in surprise. She caught the movement as he tugged at the front of his slacks, the blush darkening. It was a small comfort to know she wasn't the only one on edge, but some part of her mind shouted at her to keep her wits about her. Don't agree immediately, it cried to her. She bit her lip softly, averting her eyes and trying to answer the question with care.

"You seem a bit quick, for someone that only learned I like them a little while ago," she said jokingly, the damp panties she wore making her painfully aware all the while that she was being quite the hypocrite. "We'll see how it goes, how about that?" Not an outright no, and she had a feeling it would turn into a rather emphatic yes before the night was out, but it should be enough to stop him becoming over-confident or flippant about the situation for now at least.

All the same, as she glanced him over, not quite as doe-eyed now as she had been moments before, she felt tension building in her. She couldn't help but think it might be nice to get into his home only for him to crush her into the wall and smother her with kisses, but that sort of thought only served to torture her already addled mind further and she tried to push it from her head. Her hands clenched into her skirt, the material bunching between white fingers.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake nodded, chiding himself for acting like some horny teenage. Surely he was better than that? His past actions said otherwise, but he put it past him quickly, deciding it'd do him nothing to mull over a rash decision. However, he almost felt that he had to have her by the end of the night, a feeling that Blake was unaccustomed to. After that near mishap though, he was definitely going to try to be a bit more subtle about it. Though a no would probably not set things very well for their secret relationship.

Despite the answer, as he looked over at Cremia, he noticed that she seemed somehow more comfortable around him, as if the question somehow set her at ease. Had she been worried about whether he wanted her or not? It wasn't just a matter of her not wanting it, otherwise she would've strictly said no. Blake reasoned that at least part of her wanted to, but he had to quickly catch himself; he had just said he'd be more subtle. Pressing her against the first wall they came across once inside was the exact opposite of subtle. Blake sighed, having mental arguments with himself, part of him a prude old man who valued setting a strong relationship first, the other a horny teenager who just wanted a good time.

Luckily, the car ride came to an end as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex, finding his spot and pulling into it. He turned off the car, unbuckled and exited, waiting for Cremia to do the same before locking the car. "If you'll just follow me, it's only up the first flight of stairs, not that far." As they climbed, the tension seemed to grow between them, as neither knew exactly what would transpire once the front door closed behind them.

 

[Fiona]

She was put at ease for now by the nod, though whether it was agreement or simple acceptance she couldn't tell. Blake pulled the car into a parking space, sighing softly to himself as he unbuckled and stepped out of the car. Cremia bit her lip, wondering for the second time if this was really a good idea; he seemed to be conflicted about her answer and that in itself frayed her nerves a little. All the same, she nipped out after him and shut the door as quietly as she could.

He led her up towards the apartment; she followed about two paces behind him more in a show of obedience than for the fact she needed led. Her mind raced up ahead of her, flashing images at her. Snippets of them laughing, kissing and tangled up together, as well as a few rather less appealing images wherein he seemed to be forcing her somehow. Desire and worry smashed against each other in a struggle for dominance within her. A harassed expression passed over her face, accompanied by a flustered, girlish blush.

She glanced at him sideways, pausing as he fumbled with the keys for the door. Surely he was too nice for that though? She thumbed at the clutch bag she'd brought with her, feeling for the comforting shape of her phone. No, he wouldn't do that. She hefted out a sigh of her own, rubbing one hand into her hair, mussing it up in a relatively useless attempt to relax herself a little.

The main problem, she decided, was that she was overthinking things. She'd have no option but to relax down when they were inside, and ideally actually talking or at least doing something other than sitting quietly together.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake finally managed to get his keys situated, sliding the correct one into the keyhole and turning, unlocking the front door and letting them both inside. He flicked the light switch, illuminating the room in pale yellow light. The apartment was modestly furnished, slightly disorganized as mail was strewn across the lone table outside the kitchen, countertops littered with dirty dishes from past meals. "Sorry about the mess, not used to having company over," He chuckled, seemingly a bit embarrassed by the disorganization put on showcase by his own house.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Perhaps a glass of wine?" Blake offered as he took off the coat of his suit, leaving him in just the button up shirt he had worn underneath, along with the tie. Normally he'd probably be in his boxers already, but the presence of someone else prevented him from his usual late night routine. As he began pouring himself a glass of wine, he looked up at her to study how she was handling being in his house. At least, that's what he had looked up for, but instead he found himself just staring at her, eyes just content to watch.

In his moment of trance he had forgotten he was pouring wine, spilling some across the countertop and his slacks. Recovering, he cursed and stopped pouring, fetching some paper towels to wipe up the mess quickly. He hoped she hadn't caught him staring; he already felt fool enough for having spilled wine on himself, he didn't need her to also know the reason why he had.

 

[Fiona]

She hadn't really expected much different from what she saw when they entered, oddly enough. There was a massive part of her mind corrupted by sitcoms and other assorted god-awful programmes that had braced her for a potentially messy house. Perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, she mused, watching Blake as he made his way across to pour them out drinks. She was too late to wave the apology away by the time the words registered, so she settled for an embarrassed-looking smile and a "sure, sounds good" to the offer of a drink even as she tiptoed further into the room.

She could feel his eyes on her even if she was too preoccupied to actually look at him right now, sending waves of self-consciousness through her. After a few short minutes the sound of something spilling across a countertop made her glance up at him. She stifled a smile with one hand, and then paced quickly across the room to his side, forgetting her place for a moment or two as she moved to help.

"I'll do it. You should probably go change those, wine stains pretty easily…" She lightly tugged on the paper towels to remove them from his grasp, fingertips brushing softly across his with the action. "Besides, they don't look like the most comfortable things in the world." She made a general indication in the direction of his slacks with one hand, trying to avoid following her own gesture with her eyes. That was hardly something she could get away with.

"…ah…" She murmured, staring down at her hand as she mopped the spill away. Realizing she'd just muscled in as soon as there was something she could do that seemed helpful. "S-sorry. Used to being told to deal with that sort of thing, pretty much habit now…"

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake felt himself being swept to the side as Cremia moved in almost immediately after he started to clean up his mess. He wasn't used to having a woman around, especially in his house, and for a moment he stood stunned as she took the paper towels from him and began to clean up for him. She worked quickly, mopping up the wine as she began taking charge, telling him to change. He felt a bit embarrassed, feeling like a kid in front of her. However, it seemed like she realized this shortly afterwards, apologizing softly to him for taking over his kitchen.

"No, no, it's fine, I don't mind." He assured her, trying to set her at ease as he mopped up some of the wine on his lap. "I'll go in the back and change, I'll be a moment." He left the kitchen, leaving the mess to her, and went back into his bedroom, having a similar clutter as the rest of the house. He pulled off his slacks, standing in just his boxers as he dug through his dresser for something else to wear. The spill had tempered his mind and its wandering, the front of his boxers no longer tenting. He pulled out a pair of comfortable dark jeans, deciding that sweats would make his arousal too obvious, knowing that it was likely to happen again.

 

[Fiona]

"…Idiot." Cremia smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand and regretted it a few seconds later, though the pain that rocketed into her head at least cleared the waters a little. She sighed and finished up clearing the area, then deposited the paper towel into the bin. Her fingers caught up the wine glass and she had drained more than half of it in a few quick gulps. Her tolerance was rather low, so hopefully she'd loosen up at least a little with this.

She wandered back across to the couch and slumped down there, sinking back into it and reaching down to slip off her heels. She wriggled her toes as the shoes hit the floor with soft twin thumps, glad to be free of the monstrosities. Blake would probably be back through soon; she couldn't imagine it'd take anyone too long to change, and while it was hardly polite to make oneself at home she doubted he'd want to go through the hassle of trying to relax them both down. She'd already made things awkward, there was no need to keep them that way. She bit down on her lip as she gazed into the glass she held.

She'd relax, but there was no knowing how much.

 

[Mainstream Hipster]

Blake came back out from his room, clean pants already on. He looked into the kitchen to see the mess had been dealt with, no liquid remaining on the counter or floor to remind him of the spill. Taking his own glass as well as the bottle, he took both into the living room where Cremia sat, placing the bottle on the table as he took a seat beside her, sipping at his own glass. He looked at her own glass, surprised to find it already half gone, but didn't think much of it, figuring that she enjoyed wine more than she let on.

"Thanks again for cleaning up the mess. I feel bad for having had you clean it up, but I suppose it made things easier. Still, can't be fun to be cleaning up after someone after a long day of work, can it." Blake joked, drinking more, letting himself loosen up, knowing that right now, he wasn't her boss. Instead, they were two people trying to make more of their feelings, trying to become something more than just a fleeting crush. He leaned back into the couch, looking at her with a soft gaze, holding his glass and occasionally drinking from it as they conversed. The mood was warm, and the sexual drive that had existed in the car was a mere memory now. Instead, Blake was focused on Cremia as she spoke, simply enjoying her company.