Office Romance

It has always been said that workplace romances are dangerous...

Chapter I: Discovery

"Dammit!" Marie said, struggling to comb her hair after getting out of the shower because she was out of detangler. She put on body lotion and stared at herself in the mirror. She had never been married, but thought about someone who would love her and how it would feel. She thought she was pretty, and the only thing she didn't like about herself was her 32A bust size. "I wish I were bigger," she thought. In her mid-20s, Marie worked for a construction company. One of her favorite hobbies was yoga, and she and a few co-workers went to yoga class on Monday evenings.

She thought, "What should I wear today?" Which reminded her it was Monday, and she needed to take her yoga pants with her. That day at work was very uneventful. Working in the accounting department, there wasn't much going on. She went to yoga that evening. The secret to yoga is to clear your mind and focus, but she couldn't. All of her thoughts were about Brent.

Brent Miller was a burly man, the construction manager at the same company she worked for. He was five years her senior and was in charge of all the construction crews. She looked forward to Tuesdays because that was the day of the progress meeting. Brent would be there dressed in his jacket and tie. His six-foot-two-inch frame towered over her, and she would imagine being in his arms and how secure it would be. She would sit across the table from him, riveted by his voice and his powerful presence. He was so ruggedly handsome and intelligent, with beautiful blue eyes and an incredible jawline. His muscular, hairy arms and chest intrigued her, and she was attracted to everything about him.

She would only glance at him because she didn't want to be too obvious, and she thought, "Damn, if only..." She would doodle during the meeting, writing her name "Marie Miller." A girl can dream, right? Although her job at the company did not give her much opportunity to be with Brent, she would make up excuses to come over to his department, making up some story about an accounts-payable problem. But she could hardly ever get one-on-one with Brent, because of his personal assistant, Darla.

Marie always found Darla to be so annoying with her impossibly high heels, tight skirts and cloying perfume. Her nickname in the office was Plunge, because she always wore a plunging neckline. But secretly, Marie was jealous of her bust size. There was even talk in the office about Darla being fake in the bust, but no one could tell for sure.

Brent wore the most subtle cologne. But Marie would have rather smelled the scent of him hot and sweaty. She even offered to do his laundry for him once, since he lived alone, just so she could take his sweaty work clothes home and spread them out on her bed. She imagined crawling in bed under them and falling asleep savoring his scent. Brent had gone through a nasty divorce the year before, and was rebuilding his life. Marie dreamed that she could be part of that new life. Not a day went by, when she didn't think about him.

One Friday afternoon, he invited everyone to dinner at the sports bar. There was a very exciting game on that night. Marie wasn't so much into sports, but she was really into Brent. When she got there, he was sitting next to Darla, who was dressed for the occasion that evening, complete with her low-cut blouse and her twins hanging out. Marie glared at her. Darla was sitting where she wanted to be, next to Brent.

Darla had the total package, Marie glanced at her and felt inadequate. Dinner was typical for sports-bar fare, and even though Marie didn't drink very much, when she did, it really affected her. Beer after beer went down so easily, her staring and thinking about Brent. Soon she was too intoxicated to drive, and Brent offered to drive her home. An offer she gladly accepted.

Perhaps it was the beer, or perhaps it was the feelings that she had kept inside, but when they arrived at her apartment, she leaned over and kissed him.

Brent pulled back and said, "What was that for?"

She said, "It was for dinner, the ride home, and for keeping me safe." Suddenly, their eyes locked, and instantly Brent knew her feelings. She felt his fingers running through her blonde hair, Brent pulled her closer and deeply kissed her. It was even more incredible than she ever could have imagined.

With the scent and the feeling of his hands, she felt so safe and secure in his arms. Marie wished that feeling would last forever. She briefly thought about inviting him inside, but instantly she remembered that they were co-workers--this was completely inappropriate. She got out of the car and said goodnight to Brent. That night, she lay in bed thinking about him and let her hand wander. Her body shuddered in ecstasy.

It was Saturday of the following week. And Brent phoned her for the first time ever. He asked her to go to dinner, and her heart leaped. Her heart was pounding, and she quickly answered yes. But she had nothing to wear. Her meager income kept the lights on, but that was about it. It had been a long time since she had gone to have dinner with anyone. She looked through her sparse closet for something to wear that night, and after trying on several outfits, she found one that she could wear and a pair of shoes that would match.

So many things were going through her head at that moment. "What was he expecting? Will I make a good impression?" Knowing that she could never compare herself to Darla, she just hoped she would be what he had expected. Brent had said on the phone that he would pick her up at 6:30pm. She showered and shaved her legs and everywhere else; got dressed, brushed on a little makeup, and waited for Brent.

Brent and Marie had a beautiful dinner together. He reached his hand over the table, and she placed her hand in his. It was the most incredible feeling in the world. She looked into his eyes over a mostly-eaten plate of prime rib. He paid the check, and they left. They held hands the whole way home, and she thought she was in heaven. When they got home, she invited him in. Yes, they were co-workers, but she had already crossed the line. Brent sat down on her couch, and she sat down beside him. He began to deeply kiss and caress her. The feeling of his rough and calloused hands turned her on so much. She felt his hairy arms and chest and was completely aroused.

However, she thought it was going too far. She wondered in her mind, "Would he be angry with me if I asked him to stop? Would he stop? Would I disappoint him?" A hundred things ran through her mind, and when she asked him to stop, Brent got up off the couch. That was one quality of Brent's, that she admired very much; his respectfulness.

They said their goodnights and she got ready for bed. She felt her underwear wet and sticking to her. She wanted to change underwear, but decided not to bother, since she was going to bed. After stripping off her soaked underwear she crawled into bed. Marie reached for her vibrator in the nightstand, and pressed it inside her, against her G-spot. She reached down and let her fingers dance in her aching wetness and thought about Brent. She could stand no more. She turned her head to the side and pulled the pillow to her face, and felt the waves of intensity wash over her, making her body shudder. She moaned loudly into the pillow and fell asleep almost instantly.

One day, a few weeks later, she was at yoga. But her thoughts were not on yoga, they were on Brent. She became so aroused thinking about him, and the next yoga pose was on her knees where she would lean forward and put her head on the mat, extending her arms. She parted her knees thinking about Brent. She was fantasizing about him being behind her, making passionate love to her. She wondered which position was his favorite. She parted her knees further almost in anticipation and that drew her yoga pants tighter. The pressure was amazing. Her thoughts went to her future with Brent.

She imagined a beautiful wedding and a beautiful wedding band. She imagined having his children. She imagined the little house with the white picket fence. She didn't care about material things, Brent was all that was important. She was falling in love. Her emotions were all about him. She had been in love before, but it hadn't worked out. She prayed and hoped against hope that this relationship would last forever.

The following week, Brent slipped Marie a note. The note said, "Marie, I would love it if you would go out with me for dinner." He said he would pick her up on Friday at 7:30pm. Luckily, Marie had bought a short LBD and some cute black heels, just in case this occasion would arise. She just hoped that it would look good for Brent.

Marie suddenly remembered, "I have to paint my toenails to wear those shoes," looking for a color that Brent would like, and chose a rose pink.

She looked forward to being with Brent and could not wait. The days of that week could not have passed more slowly, and Friday seemed like forever. Casual Friday finally came, and it appeared that Plunge was on the top of her game; with her super-tight, ripped jeans, low-cut, plunging t-shirt and high heels. She smelled like a French whorehouse with all the perfume. She hated how Darla appeared to flirt with Brent, she felt as though her territory was being violated. Darla sneered at her and Marie thought to herself, "Did Darla know?" She didn't have to wait long to find out.

Darla came to her cubicle and put her fists forcefully on her desk. "I know what you are doing," Darla said. "Brent belongs to me and we're dating, and you are just his side dish."

Marie was so stunned, she couldn't speak. She believed her because she thought Brent really wanted Darla, and not her. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Her whole world just crumbled around her, and she spent the rest of the day with her head in her hands, silently sobbing. All of her hopes and dreams crashed to the ground as wreckage, as she thought about what Darla had said.

Most of all, she was angry at herself for letting Brent use her, and to be referred to as a 'side dish'. She was devastated and ashamed of herself, and considered quitting her job on the spot. There was no way she could ever deal with her co-workers' ridicule. She called Brent when she got home and canceled their date. When Brent asked why, she said, "I don't want to talk about it." Brent was confused. But she knew there was no way she could compete with Darla. That night, she cried herself to sleep, as the world seemed to collapse around her.

Chapter II: Consequences

The next morning, she felt as though everything in her world had been shattered. She was having her morning coffee, and her sadness turned to anger. Not for Brent, but towards herself. She wondered, "How could I have been so stupid and naive?" She was thinking about where she would go from this point. Most of all, she was angry at Darla. She had taken away everything that was important in her life. Her life lay in ruins, and she thought about quitting her job on Monday morning.

She was startled by her phone ringing, and it was Brent. She had no idea what to say to him, and so she ignored the call. Brent called again, and she once again rejected his call. She noticed on her phone that there was a voicemail from Brent. He had asked that she call him back because he was desperate to talk to her.

She knew that she had to call him, and tell him the truth. She picked up the phone and called him, and as the phone rang on the other end, she had no idea what would happen. When Brent picked up, he had a shocked tone to his voice. He wondered what was going on. She told him that Darla had said the two of them were dating, and she was nothing but a side dish.

"What?" Brent said loudly. "I'm not interested in Darla. I'm interested in you!" Brent said. "We are not dating!" She had made several advances but he had rejected them because he wasn't interested. He went on to say that Darla had been passed around a lot in the office.

Her anger and sadness turned into confusion. Had Darla lied to her? A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, and she wondered if Darla had just lashed out in a jealous rage because she wanted Brent. "I can't stand the perfume that she wears!" Brent exclaimed. "Have I ever smelled like her?" Marie thought about this, and realized instantly that Darla was a lying and conniving bitch.

Brent asked her out again that next day. He promised to set everything straight. Marie agreed and said that she would love to go shoot pool with Brent and talk. Marie loved to play pool. They went to the pool hall and talked about Brent's relationship with Darla, and Marie was satisfied that there was nothing going on there.

Her anger for Darla was seething. She imagined all of a sudden that she had almost thrown everything away because Darla had been lying to her all along. After they played pool, they drove home separately. Marie went home and felt as though she had so many things to figure out. Marie just needed to think. She laid in bed and thought about everything that had been said. She had so many things going through her mind.

Brent asked her to go out again on the next weekend, and she happily agreed. A hot bath and a quick dry off, she shaved her legs, thinking about Brent. She chose a thong and a demi-cup bra. She slipped into her new LBD and looked at her reflection. Everything in place, she brushed on makeup and eyeliner and anticipated Brent's arrival, donning her new strappy heels. She anticipated being with Brent, and looked forward to every moment with him.

Soon Brent arrived, and when he saw her, he said, "Wow, you look beautiful!" His compliments sounded like music from heaven. He kissed her and opened the car door for her. They sat side by side in a booth at the Italian restaurant. She had never felt like she belonged anywhere, not like this. Her mind wandered, staring at Brent and breathing in his scent. Dinner finished, they drove home.

Marie once again invited Brent inside her apartment and he sat on the couch. She felt a new purpose in her life, pleasing and taking care of Brent. There could be no one else. She sat down beside him and he began to kiss and caress her. Her hands began to wander, and her greatest fear was that Brent might push her away.

She slowly worked her way downward, feeling his hardness, and got on her knees between his parted legs. The anticipation was unbearable, and when she undid his belt and unbuttoned his pants she saw him completely. She hesitated, looked into his eyes and then wrapped her lips around his incredible hardness.

The taste of Brent, the scent; it was more than she could handle. Her wetness down there was pulsating. Brent would give her subtle cues as to what he liked, his favorite was for her to take her tongue and caress the ridge on the bottom. She unbuttoned his shirt, and ran her fingers through his chest hair and caressed his nipples. She had found his 'on' button. She felt his body shuddering, and his legs stiffening. She knew it was about to happen.

He tried to gently push her head away, but she stayed right down there, and looked up into his eyes and nodded her head quickly several times. Marie was anxious to taste him, and she took him as deeply in her mouth as she could. He gasped quietly, and both felt an orgasm together. She felt his hot sweet saltiness hitting the back of her throat. Her body shuddered and so did Brent's. She savored the taste of his orgasm and then swallowed. She fell asleep in Brent's arms that night on the couch, her thong soaked. It was the only place that she ever wanted to be.

Friday nights became movie night for Brent and Marie. She would come over and he would order pizza. They alternated movie choices, Brent was into into action movies, but Marie liked romantic love stories. It didn't really matter because she would seldom make it through the movie. She looked forward to Friday with Brent. Marie would lay on the couch with her head on his chest, listening to the hypnotic rhythm of his heartbeat. Her hips and thighs would be restless against him. Brent would gently caress her, and she would drift off to sleep in his arms and all of her troubles melted away. Soon it was Monday, which she dreaded.

Now it was time to deal with Darla. Marie clenched her fists and got her courage up and walked over to Darla's cubicle. Marie was in an uncharacteristic, possessive, and jealous rage. She put her fists on the desk, looked at Darla, and said, "You stay away from Brent. He belongs to me!" Marie said this as forcefully as she could. "I don't like the way you flirt with him, so stop it!" She savored the satisfaction of that moment.

That day, she went to yoga with her co-workers, Caitlin and Christy. After yoga, they pulled her aside and asked her about her relationship with Brent. She wasn't embarrassed, because her feelings for him were strong. She said it was wonderful. Her co-workers surprised her by telling her that the best thing that she could do would be to break it off. She could not believe she was hearing that from people who she thought were her friends, and it unnerved her. She had never told them about her and Brent, so Darla must have been busy telling everybody in the office about what was going on between the two of them.

That night her mom called, and wanted to know how she was doing. She said she was doing fine, and everything was going good. She hesitated a moment, and then said, "Mom, I've met someone." Her mom was so excited to hear that news. She had waited for a long time for Marie to meet someone. She said, "His name is Brent, and he is the most perfect man I have ever met." Her mom asked her where they had met. She told her the whole story about how they worked at the same company, and how he made her feel.

Her mom sighed and said, "Dear, those relationships seldom work out. It might not be such a good idea to pursue him." Her mom was genuinely concerned for her and didn't want her heart to be broken again, since it took her so long to get over it the last time and move on. Marie was a little taken aback by what her mom said. If anyone would have shown her support, it would have been her mom. She felt alone and isolated. All she knew is that she would stick with Brent to the bitter end, hoping there would never be one.

The next Wednesday at work, Brenda stopped by Marie's cubicle. She and Marie had a really good relationship. Although Brenda was a lot older than she was, they had a lot in common and enjoyed each other's company. Brenda surprised Marie by asking her if she could stop by her office in the HR department. Marie wondered what it was about, when she shut the door behind her in Brenda's office.

"I've heard about you and Brent Miller," Brenda said. "Although relationships between co-workers in this company are not prohibited, they are strongly discouraged because relationships between employees can cause a detrimental effect on team cohesiveness." Marie's surprise turned to shock when Brenda said, "The best thing for you to do is to break off your relationship with Brent." Brenda also said that she was a valued employee, and the company couldn't afford to lose her. Brenda began to ask, "How long have you and Brent dated? How do you feel about Brent?" When Brenda asked her the question how far had their relationship gone, Marie got up.

She resisted the urge to give Brenda the finger and say, "Fuck you!" She left Brenda's office in a tear and headed back to her cubicle. She stared at her computer screen and wondered if this was her last day of work. But she would never give up her hope of a life with Brent. She really didn't care about losing her job. It didn't matter. She would live in her car, as long as she had Brent--that was all she needed. She was angry at her coworkers, expecting her to break off her relationship with Brent so easily. At this point, it was impossible.