So that evening I brought her to the conference room floor. I had made it up in my mind that if she saw what I saw I would pursue her more diligently. But when we got there she surprised me.
“How beautiful is this?” She said in a hushed voice as if we were kids sneaking off from the group at the school dance to some unused room on another floor. We stood there for a few minutes and I felt her hand slip into mine.
I pulled her toward me and in that secret darkness, in that quiet special place where all the city was laid out in front of us I kissed her. I felt her response as she kissed me back. Things could have progressed that evening I’m sure, had I not stopped it.
I pulled two chairs up to the window and we sat next to each other, still holding hands.
“So, I’m in big trouble now.” She said.
“Why?”
“I’m sure somewhere; someone would say that kissing the boss is not the way to get a head at your job.” Her voice had become a bit sad.
> “Natasha, you don’t have anything to worry about. Really, you don’t.”
She looked at me in the darkness and I could see the silhouette of her face.
“I don’t know what I’m doing.” She whispered. “But I think I need to be honest with you about something.”
“You’re married?” I guessed, hoping that was not it.
“No.” She giggled.
“You were once a man?”
“Oh, my gosh no! Did that happen to you? Because no one would bring up such a possibility unless it happened to them.” Now it was me laughing out loud.
“No. And I’m sorry to interrupt. Please. Go on.”
She took my hands in hers and pulled me a little closer.
“These past couple months you’ve made work so incredible. I enjoy my job and I am really amazed at how this business works. You’ve taken the time to explain everything and Denise, well, she scares me but in a good way. Like my mom still scares me. I love her but I would never cross her, you know.”
I nodded my head trying to predict where this was going.
“But the truth is that I’m not married or engaged or even going steady with anyone. But, I am seeing other people. I’m single, Marty. I can go out with other men and judge who I have the best time with and well, you are still my boss. Don’t you find all this weird?”
“I find you weird.” I said, seeing her smile in the glow of the lights below us. “But right now I’m not your boss. I’m Marty Reid. And I’m not with an employee. I’m with this beautiful, amazing woman named Natasha Morgan who has been like a breath of fresh air in my life.”
We sat quietly for a few minutes.
“I think I better be honest with you, too.” I said firmly.
“You were once a man?” she asked.
“Very funny.”
“I’m sorry, you just sort of held the proverbial door open for me to walk right through it.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now be quiet.”
She laughed again.
“I am a very successful businessman. This work is more than just my job. It is years of history in my family. Some of it good. Some of it not so good. It has been the top priority in my life for years.” I swallowed hard not quite sure what I was saying but feeling the need I had to say it. “This place is my whole life and it will always come first.”
She was quiet.
“So…”