To Boldly Go Ch. 03

I'm aware that in real life, this entire story would be a massive HR nightmare. Issues of fraternization, fornication on company property, so many things that would just not be okay in practice. Just throwing that out there as one necessary suspension of disbelief that may be needed on the part of some readers.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

"So, what did you want to show me?" Alan asked as they left the laboratory wing of Hatchstone Standard.

"I have the latest drawings from Amelia, she gave them to me before heading off to the waiting room." Lucille said by way of explanation as they walked through the nearly empty hallways, passing only a few of the night custodians as the remaining occupants of the offices. "They look pretty good, as her work usually is, but I didn't know if you wanted to take any of them home to review, see if we can get the new footrests sent to fabrication tomorrow."

"Not a bad idea, that would certainly help us move the timeline up a bit." Alan nodded. "I'll also be submitting the paperwork tomorrow to get one of the working zero-g toilet prototypes as well." The talk of drawings and his previous work was helping him considerably in getting his mind off what they'd just witnessed a few minutes earlier.

"Excellent." Lucille nodded as they reached her desk. "Here, I've made copies for you, I've got my own. Amelia still has the originals."

"Thank you." Allan took the offered folder and flipped it open, taking a quick glance as Lucille placed her own set into her folio bag.

"No, estas jugando?!" Lucille suddenly muttered under her breath and began digging through one of the pockets of the folio.

"Everything okay?" Allan asked, concerned.

"My car keys. They aren't where they're supposed to be." Lucille shook her head in frustration.

"Uh oh," Alan frowned, thinking for a moment. "If they were in there, maybe they fell out the last time you opened it to retrieve something?"

"Possible. Maybe the control room." Lucille said, shutting the document bag. "I can't think of anywhere else I had this open today other than this desk."

Alan nodded. "I need to file a few things in my office, it should only take about 5-10 minutes. If I don't see you in the lobby, I'll assume you found them, okay?"

Lucille smiled at him. "Thank you, I appreciate that. Hopefully see you tomorrow."

________________________________________________________________________

Alan waved goodnight to the security guard as he exited the office space. Lucille was waiting in the lobby, looking somewhat flushed.

"No luck I assume?" Alan asked.

Lucille shook her head. "No. I didn't find them." she let out a sigh of frustration. "I've got a spare set at home, so this isn't the end of the world, but not how I wanted to start the week." She looked past him at the security booth. "Think he'd let me use the phone to call a taxi?"

"Well before you do that," Alan dug into his pockets for his own car keys. "How far away do you live? Maybe I can save you the trouble and the fare. If it's not too far away I might be able to get you in the morning as well."

Lucille smiled in genuine gratitude. "I'm only about 10 minutes away, it's just off main street by the supermarket, if you know where that is. If it's really not too much trouble I would appreciate it."

"Of course." Alan nodded, holding open the door for her as they walked out of the lobby into the cool evening air. "Happy to help."

There were only a few other vehicles left in the parking lot as they approached his car.

"Is that a Tanaka compact?" Lucille asked as he unlocked the door for her to get into the passenger side. "How are you liking it?"

"It's been pretty good," Alan replied, walking around and settling into the driver's seat. "Haven't had any complaints maintenance wise, and it gets me from point A to point B."

"I see, not one of those guys who needs a hot rod ride then," Lucille raised an eyebrow playfully. "Usually don't see guys trying to pick up dates in an import like this."

"It's got great gas mileage!" Alan laughed. "Besides. If a woman is gonna judge me just for my car, then she's clearly not worth considering."

"Oh I wasn't judging you." Lucille shook her head as they exited the parking lot. "Honestly it suits you. You're practical, not overly concerned for appearances, and you care about what matters most."

"Thank you, I think?" he replied.

"Yes, that's a compliment." Lucille nodded. "And I'd put up a fight if any woman talked smack about you. You're a good guy."

Alan felt a slight flush on his face. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. And I wanted to let you know, by the way, how much I appreciate everything you're doing at work" Lucille settled back into her seat as they moved onto the main road. "I can tell this is affecting you in more ways than one."

Alan coughed nervously. "Lucille, I don't quite know how to respond to that, if I'm being honest."

Lucille shrugged. "Alan, we're off the clock. Let me be blunt." she glanced at him. "I've known you for years, and consider you a close friend. You've always treated me the same as any of the other engineers, you spoke up all those times that Jenkins was being an ass, and you're trying so hard to be a gentleman during this project. I could tell it was getting to you today, seeing all those chochas on the video monitors though. Be honest with me. When was the last time you had a girlfriend?"

Alan gave a short laugh. To hell with protocol, but he considered Lucille a close friend as well. "It's...honestly been a while. Work has taken up so much time, my last serious relationship was several years ago."

Lucille nodded sympathetically. "I'm the same way. I honestly don't know if I'm the kind to settle down for just one person. I've spent so much time focused on my career, and school before that, haven't ever felt like I had the energy to work on a real relationship." she shrugged. "And being single has its benefits, you know? Certainly makes holidays cheaper."

"Fair point" Alan nodded in amusement. "And...yeah, thank you for the save back there, actually. I didn't realize it at the time, but when you shoved that book in my face, you were trying to get my mind off things weren't you?"

Lucille nodded. "I understand men can't hide it like we can. So happy to help." she looked out the window, contemplating things in silence. After a few minutes she realized they were getting close to the supermarket. "You're going to turn right up here, then turn into those townhomes, with the green sign."

Alan nodded. "Got it, which number are you?"

"Number 184." Lucille replied, gathering up her folio that rested by her feet as he pulled into the parking spot in front of the unit. "My neighbor has a spare key so I should be okay to get in." she paused, then looked at him as he unlocked the car doors. "Alan, hold on a moment."

Alan blinked in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong." Lucille shook her head. "Just a crazy thought I had." taking a deep breath she looked at him. "I'm going to ask you this once. If at any point you want me to stop, if you think I'm being stupid, just say so, and I'll drop it, won't mention it again."

"What are you talking about Lucille?" Alan asked, confused.

"Look. I told you back there that I don't have the energy for a relationship. But that doesn't mean I don't have needs." she shrugged. "And from what you told me, it's been a while since you've been with anyone, which can't be making the situation at work any easier on you. So maybe we could help each other out?" she looked at him, her dark eyes shining behind her glasses.

Alan stared for a moment. "...What did you have in mind?" he found himself asking, much to his surprise.

"Like I said, I still have needs. Every now and then I find someone to have a night of fun with." Lucille smiled. "Normally I wouldn't ever consider asking someone from work, but you're someone I think I can trust, someone I know isn't going to brag or spread rumors. Plus, you're kind of cute in a geeky way." she laughed. "The way I see it, when you have building pressure in a machine, the pressure needs to be released, or there's going to be a problem right? I'm suggesting that tonight, I help you release some of that pressure," her eyes flicked downward towards his lap. "And you help me get a good night's sleep by leaving me satisfied in bed."

Alan sat silently for a moment. "I can't say that I expected this, but..." he said slowly. "I have to admit, that's very tempting." It had been a while, and everything Lucille was saying had the ring of truth to it. "I guess my only concern is, does this make things weird going forward at work?" he asked "I also don't want to mess up our friendship."

Lucille rolled her eyes. "As if they aren't weird right now. We're watching random women peeing, to state the obvious. If you're worried about things between us though, I promise you. I'm not going to be treating you differently. If anything I think we're both going to be able to focus on the job better if we get this out of our system. And we'll both have a good shared memory together."

Alan nodded. "Okay then. Yeah." he took a deep breath. "Let's do it, then. Though," he glanced at her. "I uh, don't have any protection on me so if you don't mind me quickly running to the pharmacy..."

Lucille smiled back at him. That he cared enough to mention protection meant that her evaluation of him had been correct. "Don't worry about that." she tapped her lower abdomen with one hand. "I've got an IUD in here, so unless there's some disease you're not telling me about, I think we can have our fun without worry. I know I'm clean, by the way."

"Oh well then," Alan shrugged. "Nothing on my end that would be a problem so..." he trailed off awkwardly. "You uh, said you needed to get keys from a neighbor?" he asked, switching the subject abruptly if just for a moment to collect himself. Was this really going to happen?

"Yes, yes, I do," Lucille nodded, opening the car door. "I'll be right back then we can head inside."

Watching her walk briskly to an adjoining townhome, Alan blew out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. This was completely unexpected. But he had to admit, it wasn't unwelcome. And maybe she was right. Maybe all they needed was one night to get it out of their system, then everything would be easier going forward. A few moments later he spotted her returning, and he turned off the car, stepping outside to join her. "Is it okay for me to park here?" he asked, suddenly being cognizant of the assigned parking space signs.

"It's my spot, and I'm certainly not going to call the tow truck on you." Lucille shook her head in amusement as she turned up the stairs to her own townhome. Unlocking the door, she pulled it open and stepped inside.

"Bienvenido a mi casa, amigo." she said, flipping on the light next to the front door.

"Nice place." Alan replied honestly. Despite knowing her for over 5 years, he'd never been here before, as Lucille typically kept to herself outside work. It was small but comfortable. The main entryway opened into a large living area adjacent to a full kitchen and eating area. A doorway opposite revealed a stairway leading upwards, and the open door of a powder room could be seen off the living area. He saw Lucille open one of the kitchen cabinets to pull out a stoppered glass bottle and two narrow glasses.

"Care for some tequila?" she asked, uncorking the bottle and pouring herself a small measure.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." he nodded, accepting the offered drink. Taking a sip and rolling the taste around his mouth, he looked at her intently. The outfit she'd worn to work today was proper as always; A chocolate brown jacket over a white blouse and red neckerchief, with a knee-length skirt that matched the jacket. It complimented her olive complexion well, and the dark hair that stopped just past her shoulders was incredibly alluring in the soft light emanating from the living room. For the first time in the years he'd known her, he allowed himself to entertain thoughts that were far less than professional.

It wasn't that he had never looked at her physically; she was absolutely an attractive woman. She was, for lack of a better term, nearly perfectly proportional. Neither her bust nor her rear end were unusually large or small, and she was only slightly shorter than he was. He'd always stopped short of wondering what was under those professional clothes, however, and now it seemed that limit was going to be broken completely.

Lucille herself was having similar thoughts. Alan was pretty much what you expected when you thought of an engineer. Neatly parted short brown hair, square framed glasses, always wearing a company waistcoat over a button-down shirt with a tie and trousers. The glasses obscured startlingly blue eyes, something she had noticed before. Privately she thought that if he ever got contact lenses, he could be far more than just "geeky cute", as he was always clean shaven and wasn't in bad shape. Recently however her thoughts had turned to what she'd noticed during this newest project; if her suspicion of what she'd seen during the tests was correct, he was above average in more than just intelligence. Draining the remaining tequila from her glass and setting it on the counter, she stepped over and put one hand on his hip, looking up at him.

"Still good for this?" she asked, one last check before she let her thoughts get carried away.

Alan finished his own drink and set the glass down next to hers. "Yeah. I am. I've just never done this before, you know? The one night thing with a friend, I mean, I'm hardly a virgin..." he laughed as he caught himself.

Lucille smiled. "Just go with it. The first time can be awkward, but you'll remember what you're doing quickly." she tilted her head back and closed her eyes expectantly.

Taking her lead, Alan stepped in to embrace her, the scent of her perfume replacing that of the tequila. Leaning down he kissed her gently, one hand on her hip, the other at the nape of her neck.

She returned the kiss with a firmer one of her own, one hand exploring the feel of his back while she pressed her hips into his. Not bad at all, she thought, as she felt something stir in his trousers against her lower stomach. Breaking the kiss, she looked at him over her glasses flirtatiously. "That's a very good start, but I think we should take this upstairs before we get too carried away."

He grinned. "By all means, lead the way." She was right, this was going to be fun.

Following her up the stairs, he watched the sway of her ass as she climbed. Reaching the top, she turned into a room with a queen sized bed. It was very neat he noted, glancing around at the simple vanity and hamper next to a set of matching dressers. A door leading to what he assumed was the master bathroom was located next to a sizable closet.

"All this to yourself?" he asked as she removed her jacket and placed it on a hanger in the closet.

"Yes, unless of course I have company." she smirked back at him over her shoulder as she untied her neckerchief and hung it up next to the jacket. "Though that doesn't happen often."

"Well, then I'm honored." he replied, walking up behind her and placing his hands on her hips before kissing her right behind her ear.

Lucille shivered at the touch. "Dios mio... such a gentleman" she murmured as he led her over to sit at the foot of the bed, kneeling to slip her shoes off.

"Would you like help with these?" he asked, running his hands over her calves through the hose she wore.

"Si, por favor." she nodded, following his lead as his hands traveled upwards over her thighs to gently scoop her back into a standing position, lingering for a moment on her ass before attending to the zip on the side of her skirt. Steadying herself with both hands on his shoulders, she bit her lower lip as the zip descended, exposing the lacy high-cut panties she wore under the sheer pantyhose.

Allowing the skirt to drop to the floor, Alan worked slowly and carefully, rolling the waistband of her pantyhose down over her legs. The scent of her arousal was already apparent as close as he was to her, and he knew his own excitement was going to be on clear display as soon as he stood up. This time though there was nothing to be embarrassed about; on the contrary, Alan hoped she liked what she found! Standing back up, he cupped her rear end as he kissed her again, before starting to work on the buttons that held her blouse together.

Lucille moaned in anticipation at his kiss, her own hands working to undo his waistcoat before tugging at his tie to loosen it. It was refreshing to have someone taking their time for once; previous lovers had gone straight to the chase, practically ripping her clothes off to get at the treasures within. While occasionally this was something she enjoyed, if she was being honest with herself, tonight she was happy to savor everything. Feeling the last button of her blouse come undone, she allowed him to slip it from her shoulders, the garment joining her skirt and hose on the floor next to the bed. "Like what you see?" she teased, tugging at his belt buckle as she eyed the clearly visible bulge directly beneath it.

"I think that's apparent." he laughed at the pull, shrugging off his waistcoat in the process. "Seriously though, you're beautiful." he ran one hand down the side of her chest, toying at the side of the matching bra she wore as she undid the buckle of his trousers. Holding still as she worked the button and zip, he allowed her to pull them down as he started to work on the buttons of his own shirt. Stepping out of the trousers as they reached the floor, a sudden sensation at his groin made him humm with pleasure.

"Oh this will be a good night." Lucille purred as she fondled his cock through his briefs. "I had hoped I wasn't just seeing things earlier today."

"I mean, it's more how you use it, isn't it?" Alan laughed as her hand explored between his legs to feel his sack. Getting the last button of his shirt, he allowed it to join the rest of the pile as she stood and pulled his undershirt up and over his head on the way up.

"That's true, yes." she looked up at him. "But if you're as meticulous here as you are at work, I think you'll do just fine." she leaned back on the bed, looking at him over her glasses again. "Glasses on or off, by the way? I know some guys like the look."

"Well I want mine to stay on for just a bit longer at least." Alan replied, eyes roving over her body. "I'm practically blind without them, and I still want to see all of you clearly."

Lucille laughed. "I'm the same way, although, if I get close enough it's less of an issue. But if you want to see all of me then..." she reached behind herself to undo the clasp on her bra. "I suggest you continue what you were doing just a few moments ago."

Alan happily obliged her, sliding the straps of her bra from her shoulders to reveal two pert peach-sized breasts capped with dark brown areola, nipples already protruding from desire. "Wow Luce..." he breathed, cupping one gently and running his thumb over the aroused bud.

"Mmm..." she sighed contentedly as he caressed her chest, feeling his other hand exploring the curve of her behind, fingers teasing the waistband of her panties. Wrapping one hand around the back of his neck, she pulled him in for another kiss, moaning as she felt the hand on her ass squeeze insistently. She gasped as he moved downward, planting a row of kisses down the curve of her chin, across the hollow of her neck and into her cleavage. "Si...asi..." she moaned as she felt his tongue on her breasts, gently teasing each one in turn, her hands running through his hair in encouragement.