Joe's Melody

1. The Phe·nom·e·nal Melody

1. The Phe·nom·e·nal Melody

Joe arrived at Melody's stylish interior design office, impressed by the sleek modern building and expansive windows that offered views of the city skyline.

As he stepped off the elevator, Melody's perky assistant Crystal greeted him with a warm smile and escorted him down the hall to Melody's office.

When Crystal opened the door, Joe saw Melody intently studying fabric swatches at her desk, clearly deep in concentration.

She glanced up when she heard Joe clear his throat and beamed at him, immediately standing to give him a friendly hug before gesturing for him to take a seat on her plush white sofa.

As Joe settled in, Melody explained she had pulled some initial samples to get a feel for his style before they headed to furniture showrooms.

Joe admitted he had envisioned Melody would simply take him shopping right away, prompting an amused chuckle from her - "Oh, that comes later!" First, she wanted to understand his aesthetic tastes, comfort preferences favored color palette, and the overall vibe he envisioned for his new penthouse.

The two chatted animatedly for nearly an hour as Melody's questions teased out Joe's nascent design ideas.

Finally, feeling comfortable in her stylish office, Joe decided to test the waters by flirting with the attractive designer.

Laughing lightly at his advances, Melody gently placed her hand on his thigh and teased that they should focus on work first before mixing business with pleasure.

Joe couldn't help but smirk at her tactful yet flirtatious response, playfully resting his hand atop hers. Though tempted, he knew Melody was right - they needed to nail down his design concept before getting distracted by their obvious chemistry.

Joe looked around at Melody's office decor. Melody's desk and Apple computer are underneath a huge skylight, and there is a large white sofa for when the stress of work gets too much. A huge bouquet sits atop a marble table while books and ornaments line mood-lit shelves.

Joe points to the mood-lit shelves. "I love your office, especially those lit shelves," Joe told Melody.

Melody smiled. "We can add those anywhere in your place from the kitchen to the closet," Melody said.

Joe nodded. "Oh, you're doing my closet too?" Joe asked Melody.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm doing every inch of that penthouse including the owner," Melody said with a wink.

Joe felt a shiver run down his spine at her words. Joe grinned to himself, excited for what was ahead. "So, the quicker you get this done, the quicker you get to do me," Joe said.

His heart raced as a bright smile spread across her face. "Well, yes," Melody said.

Joe was mesmerized by Melody from the moment he laid eyes on her. As they sat there, Joe couldn't peel his gaze away, admiring her smooth skin and cascading dark hair, and the way the clingy black dress she wore accentuated every curve of her shapely figure.

Their meeting may have started professionally enough, but the conversation soon flowed freely between them. Before either realized, two hours had flown by in each other's pleasant company.

"I've taken up so much of your valuable time today," Joe said apologetically. "Have you even had a chance to eat lunch yet?" Joe asked Melody.

Melody smiled and shook her head no. "That's very thoughtful of you to offer to take me to lunch," she replied, standing up gracefully to retrieve her purse. "There's a great little bistro I know downtown. Come on, we'll take my car," Melody said.