A Hundred Visions and Revisions

Short Story: Strictly Business

"Give me some good news." I slammed my coffee cup on the desk and chucked my bag on the chair. 

Linda grimaced and held out a sheaf of papers, "Not this morning, Mr. Conners is out for blood." 

I rolled my eyes, dabbed at the coffee stain on my lapel, and headed into Michal Conner's office with my clipboard tucked under my arm.  

"Good morning Mr. Conners!" I chirped closing the heavy door behind me. 

"Stanford is closing two factories and are cancelling five orders. Big orders." Mr. Conners practically threw a folder at me. "See if you can convince them to give us at least two contracts." 

I glanced down at the folder but I knew Stanford account front and back. "What's the matter Michael?" 

He looked up at me and ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. Pieces stuck up on the top of his head and his eyes raked over my body. "What's on your shirt?"

I walked around the desk to perch on the corner. Michael put his hand on my thigh to anchor me in place. I dabbed again at the stain. "Some moron on the subway dumped his coffee on me." 

Michael reached for the buttons. "You should probably take it off..." 

I swatted at his hand. "Michael, it's nine o'clock in the morning." But I slid my leg along his teasingly. 

He leaned back in his chair, his thumb tracing circles on the fabric of my skirt. "We're in trouble, Cass." 

"Because of the Stanford account? We can pick it up from their competitors. You know the ones- the teddy bear logo-" 

Michael just shook his head. "No. They're reorganizing the entire company." 

"Lay offs?" 

"Don't worry, you're safe." He slid my skirt up an inch still making circles on my thigh. "I told them how invaluable you are to this office." 

"So what's the problem?"

He slid his hand further up my skirt and nudged my legs apart with his knee. "My wife." 

I raised an eyebrow.

"She- uh- she  wants a- she applied for-" Michael stopped and again ran a hand through his hair, his other hand stopped on my thigh. "We're transferring to L.A." 

My heart thudded painfully. "Did she find out? About us?" 

He smiled and his thumb started moving again on my leg. "Did she find out that I'm spending a lot of time with my personal assisstant during one of the most economically critical times in our nation's history?"

I think I surprised both of us when I slid off of the desk and into his lap. "When do you leave?" 

"Next Tuesday." Michael lifted my face to his and kissed me.