After Hours

Sorting the boxes on the dolly, he pulled out the one he needed and walked down the carpeted hallway. No light on in her office this time. He stepped through the doorway and hit the switch.

The scent of her perfume mingled with the unmistakable aroma of fresh sex. But she’d cleaned away some of the evidence, stashing the crumpled papers out of sight somewhere so the desk looked neat and official with its calendar blotter and telephone positioned just so. The nameplate hadn’t been returned though. She’d known he’d be in here replacing her phone with a new one, but she hadn’t known then that he’d already discovered her name.

Walking around behind her desk, he glanced at the calendar blotter. She’d scribbled Benjamin leaves and a flight number and time on Monday. Her handwriting was almost as bad as his. Then she’d drawn an arrow across the week, ending with Saturday, when she’d written Benjamin home with another flight time and number.

So Shane’s arch rival was named Benjamin. Obviously the guy used the whole thing, all three syllables. Damned pompous. Wait a minute. One of the office lines on the receptionist’s phone had been labeled Benjamin. The guy worked right here with Eileen.

Shane left Eileen’s office and went through the suite flipping on lights and checking nameplates until he found the lair of Benjamin Hobbs, official adversary. The guy had a massive black desk chair and a desk big enough for Ping-Pong. Old Benny could have major desk sex on this baby, if he were so inclined. Shane was betting that he wasn’t.

Prowling the perimeter of the room, Shane took inventory of bookshelves with glass doors, English hunting prints, a framed license to practice law in the State of Arizona and a framed diploma from Harvard. The hunting prints were a cliché, but the Harvard sheepskin was impressive.

Aw, geez. On the far wall was a picture of a guy shaking hands with the governor. Had to be Benny. Yep, he’d even had the governor autograph the picture for him. What a suck-up.

Shane took the picture off the wall and studied his competition. Benjamin Hobbs had a symmetrical row of very white teeth, perfectly barbered blond hair and a nicely tailored suit. Plus he had at least a passing acquaintance with the governor. This was the kind of man women loved to bring home to momma. Shane wondered if Eileen’s mother was thrilled with the prospect of a Harvard lawyer in the family.

Shane had a business degree from ASU, and although he had a good bottom line, he was still essentially a tradesman. Harvard Law School trumped that by a long shot. Then he reminded himself that despite dating Mr. Great Catch, Eileen had walked into the reception area tonight wanting something more.

He’d do his damned best to give her that something more, which meant coming up with a few dynamite sexual fantasies, starting with the rooftop. He had no idea how he’d conduct this campaign and stay up with everything at Mercury, but he’d have to find a way.

After all, it was only for three days. Once he’d eliminated Benny from the scene, he might be able to ease into a more normal dating routine with Eileen. Or not. Because there was nothing routine about this woman.

AFTER A PEPPERMINT-SCENTED bath, Eileen crawled under the covers of her queen-size bed and slept more soundly than she had in months. It was as if her body had sighed and said finally. She dreamed of many orgasms.

Usually she slapped the snooze button a couple of times when her clock radio clicked on, but this morning she scrambled out of bed the minute she heard Shania Twain at 5:00 a.m. What woman could sleep in when she’d decided to spend the whole day without underwear?

She’d made the decision while soaking in her small apartment tub the night before. Sure, she could dress normally and then sneak into the office bathroom to change out of the underwear before going down to meet Shane. But she was in this for the fantasy, and that seemed like the wimpy way.

If Shane could come up with the rooftop suggestion, she could darn sure go through the day without underwear. No way was she going to blink first. This was the most excited she’d been since the time she’d been waitressing at the Violet Oasis and Michael Keaton had walked in. Not in his Batman costume, of course, but still….

She wolfed down some Cocoa Puffs and a cup of instant coffee while standing at the kitchen counter in her Maxine sleep shirt that said Attitude Is Everything. A girl needed her strength for sex on the roof. Fun with sex. She’d always believed it was possible, and now it was happening.

Back in the bedroom, she ran through a few calisthenics. She hadn’t been interested in exercise since the senior George Bush had been president, but now she was thinking about her body image as she never had before. After a short workout, she jumped into the shower for a quick shampoo and another pass over her legs with the razor. The whole concept of getting ready for sex thrilled her. If she had a man like Shane around all the time, she’d invest in regular visits to a spa for waxing, massage and seaweed wraps, just because he would appreciate the results.

Benjamin had told her he thought spa visits were a waste of time and money, which sounded very grown-up. Levelheaded was what her mother had called Benjamin, which was a supreme compliment. In her mother’s world, nothing was more important than that.

As her only child, Eileen had worked hard to live up to her mom’s expectation that she be levelheaded, too. Law was a levelheaded profession promising good income. In fourth grade she’d dreamed of running off to Hollywood to be in the movies, but then she’d discovered what a messed-up personal life most movie stars had.

Eventually she’d concluded that it wasn’t Hollywood she wanted, but the chance to live in a fantasy world once in a while. She considered it a failing, though, and had worked very hard to project levelheadedness. She’d succeeded for years. Shane might be the only person in the world who knew something about her reckless side, although Suz and Courtney were beginning to suspect, what with the white-water rafting and the skydiving gig.

Sorting through the jumble of things in her dresser drawer, she decided on a black lace garter belt and black patterned nylons. When Shane had said to skip the underwear, she didn’t think he meant the seductive stuff. Soon she was standing in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom wearing only the garter belt and stockings, and getting turned on by the idea of Shane seeing her this way on the rooftop.

Phoenix in September felt like late summer anywhere else, so she chose a lightweight black suit that didn’t need a blouse underneath. Once she’d buttoned the jacket, she studied herself again in the mirror, trying to determine whether anyone could tell she had no bra on. They couldn’t, she decided, unless they were extremely nosy and looked at her for a long time. The people in her office were too busy to be nosy. She’d be fine.

She believed that until she got behind the wheel of her five-speed Toyota and discovered how it felt to zip down the 101 wearing no panties. The word risky didn’t even begin to describe it. Stimulating was a more apt word. As she adjusted to the sensation of working the clutch and the brake pedals while the breeze from the vents swirled up her skirt, she became giddy with the naughtiness of it all.

Good thing nobody was at the office yet, and she’d have a couple of hours to get used to sitting at her desk without underwear. Or maybe there would be no getting used to anything. As soon as she unlocked the door to the suite of offices and turned on the lights in the reception area, her attention went straight to the spot where she’d found Shane kneeling the night before, almost as if she expected to find him there again.

The wheeled dolly with its load of boxes was gone, but she couldn’t look at the new phone on the receptionist’s desk without remembering…everything. Taking a deep breath, she marched to her office. If she didn’t get the information into her computer and printed out by nine, she’d be toast. She had to block Shane out of her mind and get cracking.

Unfortunately, that required pulling out the notes that had become crumpled and smeared during all that wild sex. With a groan she plopped into her soft leather desk chair, which immediately reminded her of her panty-free state. Maybe this was why Benjamin didn’t indulge in fantasies. Fantasies played hell with productivity.

She had a new phone, too, courtesy of the man who could give her multiple orgasms. She picked up the receiver, telling herself she was checking for a dial tone when all she really wanted was to curl her fingers around something he had recently touched.

As she breathed in the smell of fresh plastic, which shouldn’t have been an aphrodisiac, a small scrap of paper fluttered to the desk. Still holding the receiver, she picked up the paper and turned it over to read the scrawled message. See you tonight.

Okay, so he had terrible handwriting. So did she. But he’d left a little note for her. She’d always longed for a guy who would leave her little notes. A man with a ton of obligations, like Benjamin, for example, wouldn’t have the time. At least that’s what she’d told herself. Maybe a phone installer did have the time.

See you tonight. Oh, yes, he would. She squirmed in her chair and replaced the receiver.

The buzz of the phone made her jump. It was definitely her line ringing, so it had to be somebody she knew, somebody who might be making use of the equipment he’d installed the night before to drive her crazy first thing this morning. Lust eddied through her as she picked up the receiver again.

She deliberately pitched her voice low, wanting to sound like a woman who was not wearing panties. “Hello?”

“Hi, sweetie!” her mother sang out. “Do you have a cold?”

Eileen sat up straight and tugged at her skirt, as if her mother had walked into the room and Eileen had to hide the evidence. “Absolutely not, Mom! Just need some more coffee, that’s all!” She swivelled her chair to her computer stand and switched on the monitor. There, now she felt more normal, with the program loading. A computer worked whether you were wearing underwear or not.

“Well, now you sound better,” her mother said. “I worry that you don’t get enough sleep, and I’m sure you’re not eating right. That’s how you deplete your resources and cripple your immune system, you know.”

“I had breakfast this morning.” As usual, seconds into the conversation with her mother, she felt like a seven-year-old again. She brought up the screen she needed and started typing in her notes in an effort to feel more like an adult. She wondered how many adults still ate Cocoa Puffs. Probably lots.

“Glad to hear you had breakfast. Most important meal of the day. Listen, I’m calling there because I tried your apartment and got your machine. I figured you’d gone in early to catch up on work.”

“You called my apartment at six-thirty in the morning?”

“I had something to say that couldn’t be said over dinner.”

“Mom, about dinner… I—”

“Never mind that now. Your father’s out on the patio doing his Tai Chi, so you and I have a little privacy, which was my plan.”

Alarm shot through her. “Is anything wrong?” Maybe she’d never get over that feeling of panic whenever her mother wanted to speak to her privately.

“No, goodness, no. Sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to talk to you about moving in with someone, living with each other, cohabiting, as they say. I wanted to tell you to go ahead.”

Eileen’s eyes crossed. “Are we by any chance talking about Benjamin?”

“Of course we are! And I finally figured out why you haven’t moved in with him. I mean, Courtney lived with that musician for six months last year, although heaven knows what she saw in him, and Suz is—”

“It’s not like I do whatever they do, you know.”

“Well, no, but by this age, I’m sure you’ve considered it, and I know why you’re holding off.”

Because I have to have some fantasy sex first. “Why?”

“You’re afraid we’ll disapprove.” Her mother sounded very proud of her conclusion.

“Mom, that’s not why.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course it is.”

Eileen thought about contradicting her again, but then she realized that she could end up having to explain what the real reason was. Not a good idea.

“See there,” her mother said. “Your silence speaks volumes. So here’s the deal. I’m fine with it, and I’m going to smooth the way with your father.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“I think I do, just to make sure he’s ready to accept it. We don’t want any nasty surprises, like him suddenly turning into a traditionalist who demands a wedding first. Once your father’s on board, you can invite us over for dinner.”

“Th-thanks.” In reality, her dad had influenced her decision not to move in with Benjamin, but not in the way her mother thought. Eileen suspected she was more like her dad than her mom, which meant she needed to sow her wild oats before committing to a man. Otherwise she could end up ten years down the road having an affair and driving a red sports car.

“And there’s the economic advantage,” her mother added. “It makes no sense to pay rent on two places, and I know your lease is up soon. So that’s why I say, go ahead. Don’t let us hold you back.”

“Okay. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom.”

“I have every confidence in you, sweetie. As for Benjamin, I’m sure he has his eye on holding office. He’d be perfect for that, and no telling how far he might go.”

“True.” That had been another thing bothering Eileen. She would hate being a politician’s wife, and Benjamin had hinted he had those ambitions. She hadn’t said how that idea affected her, because unless they were living together, she really shouldn’t offer an opinion.

“Well, your father’s finishing up his exercises, so he’ll be back in the kitchen any minute. What would you like for dinner tomorrow night?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t make it, after all. Something’s come up.” She controlled a giggle. Something had come up, all right. And she could hardly wait to watch it come up again.

“That’s okay. We can move it to Friday night. I know Benjamin won’t be back until Saturday, and I hate to think of you eating alone so much.”

Eileen had a sudden insight. Her mother wanted her to get married so she’d have company. Apparently she thought Eileen couldn’t possibly be happy living alone, because her mother wouldn’t want that for herself. “Friday night won’t work, either.”

“Oh? Why not?”

She couldn’t believe she was really clearing her calendar for fantasy sex with Shane. “I have a big project I’m working on, and I need to devote my evenings to it so I’ll be finished by the time Benjamin gets home.” There. That was the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even if she hadn’t offered any details.

“Oh, sweetie, I can see that Benjamin’s rubbing off on you. You’ll be a partner before you know it, with that attitude.”

Now she felt guilty for deliberately misleading her mom. “I’m not sure about that. But I do need to concentrate on this project.” And after that I’ll be the model daughter you always dreamed of. I promise.

“That’s fine, sweetie. We’ll plan to have you and Benjamin over next week. How’s that?”

“Perfect.” Benjamin loved going to her parents’ house. Her mom treated him like royalty. Eileen found it kind of sickening, but Suz and Courtney constantly reminded her that if your parents liked your boyfriend, that was a huge plus.

“Here comes your father. Gotta go. Bye-bye.” The line went dead.

Eileen put the receiver back in its cradle and stared at the phone. Everybody, even Suz and Courtney, thought she was so lucky to have the attention of a man like Benjamin, a guy who might even be the frigging president some day, and who wouldn’t be excited about that?

Eileen felt like the one out of step, the one who must be seeing things wrong. But once she had a chance to take all Shane had to offer for the next three nights, she’d probably be cured. It would be like the experiment she, Suz and Courtney had conducted last year, to eat nothing but gooey doughnuts for two whole days so they’d never want another one.

That had sort of worked. The craving had gone away for a long time, but now it was creeping back, at least for Eileen. Last week she’d almost bought a raised glazed. Three, instead of two days of doughnuts might have done the trick though, and she was looking at three solid nights of sex. She’d never had that much sex in her life. By Saturday, she’d be totally sick of rooftop rendezvous plans and whatever else Shane might come up with.

She wasn’t sick of it yet, though. Not even slightly.

THE WHOLE DAY Shane was juggling his work and trying to get an available rooftop, he kept thinking about prom night. He’d had this kind of anticipation then, too. He’d lost his virginity on prom night to a girl who’d also been a blonde. They’d gone steady after that, and, like a lot of seventeen-year-olds, Shane had thought having sex on a regular basis meant you were in love.

When she’d gone off to college in California and met somebody else, he’d discovered it hadn’t been love, after all. He didn’t kid himself that he’d fallen in love with Eileen, either. But the possibility was there, given enough time. She’d be easy to fall for.

He could already picture taking her home to meet his folks and how excited they’d be for him. Work had kept him from his family, too, and he wanted that to change. With Eileen in the picture, all things seemed possible.

Anticipation hung in the air as he sat in the no parking zone outside her building at five minutes to six. For the second night in a row he’d turned off his cell and his pager. Yes, he felt twinges of guilt and wondered if he’d lose any customers. George Ullman had sounded a little brusque this morning when Shane had called him back.

But he forgot all about his customers when Eileen came through the glass door in her professional little black suit. His usually calm heart started beating the bongos. God, she was beautiful, her cascade of blond hair gleaming in the late afternoon sun. With her sunglasses on and her briefcase slung over her shoulder, she looked every inch a lawyer.

But as she walked toward his van, he thought he detected an extra little jiggle under her jacket. If she’d done it, if she’d really come on this date without underwear, he might fall in love with her tonight. He grinned. A guy would be insane not to fall in love with a woman who would take him up on such a suggestion.

He jumped out of the van and came around to open the door for her. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself.” She smiled at him and set her briefcase and purse on the floor of the van.

He caught a whiff of her orange blossom perfume as he helped her up into the van, and, bam, he started getting hard. “I didn’t think about your car,” he said. “Is it okay to leave it in the parking garage? I’ll pay the extra charge.”

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