Kat.
I felt a pang in my stomach, as I struggled to decide what to do. I really wanted to go see her, follow the sound of her playful voice, and see what she was up to this late at night. But a part of me knew it was a bad idea. A terrible idea, even.
“Oh, Jonaaah.” She sang the second half of my name, and I knew I was in trouble. My feet moved without permission from my brain, and soon I was just a few paces away from the doorway. I sucked in a worried breath and tried to make my feet turn to the left so that I could high-tail it to the elevators and get out of the building. It really did feel like I was in a horror movie, trying to get away, only the thing I was running from wasn’t a man-eating demon. No, I was running from my own powerful, uncontrollable feelings of lust that had taken over my body and would surely soon take over my brain.
“You coming in or what?” Kat asked. I couldn’t see her, the light wasn’t on in the break room, but I knew she was just around the corner.
“It’s late,” I said. “I was just about to leave. Vic will be wondering where I am.”
“At least come and say goodnight to me first.”
The request seemed so innocent, so inconsequential that I didn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t appease her. I stepped into the break room and reached to flick on the light.
And there she was.
Wearing a checkered black and white coat that I saw she had on when she walked into the offices that morning, right before I had ducked into my office and hoped she hadn’t noticed me.
“Hi there,” she said.
“Uh, hi,” I said. “And, uh, goodbye. I really do have to go.”
“So soon?” she said. “That’s too bad.” She drew her fingers down the collar of the coat, opening it slightly so that I could see the bare skin of her collar bones.
She was naked underneath.
I felt my pants tighten slightly and I looked away. “Katherine, what are you—”
“Shhh.” She brought a finger up to her luscious, dark red lips, and my attempts to keep my eyes off her failed.Had she been wearing that lipstick earlier?“My name is Kat.”
“Okay, well, Kat, this is so ina—”
She took a step towards me and started to undo the buttons of her coat. The whole thing was open by the time she was right up against me, and I could feel the heat coming off of her body. It took great effort for me to keep my arms pinned to my side, my hands away from her smooth skin.
“I know you want me, Jonah. And I want you too. So, what are we waiting for?”
“I—I can’t. I’m your boss, and you’re so much younger, and—”
She slid her hands up my chest and around my neck. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” Then she pulled me down and into a kiss.
And just as our lips met—
My eyes flew open, and I woke up for what felt like the second time that evening. My face was on the desk, but no memo got stuck to my cheek this time as I sat up.
It had been a dream
.
Oh thank God!
I was flooded with relief, which was followed up with a small tinge of disappointment. But no, the disappointment was fleeting, and I ignored it, because it was objectively a very good thing that Kat and I hadn’t actually kissed. And it was an even better thing that she hadn’t appeared in the break room wearing nothing but a coat and high heels.
Nothing happened,I thought and smiled.
And nothing will happen, I have to be sure of that.
I checked my phone and saw that it was getting late, and I needed to pick up Vic in half an hour. I gathered my things, threw my coat on, and left my office. As I passed the break room, I noticed it was dark, and for a moment I paused and peered inside.
No one was in there, I heard no noises, but as I looked, I remembered the sound of Kat’s voice as she shushed me in the dream, and my pants,in real life, felt like they were half a size too small all of a sudden.