Warming the IcePrincess Pt. 01

At the snap of the switch, I heard a very soft tear choked plea, "Jane?" coming from just a few feet away.

More softly and calmly than I really felt, I announced, "I'm reaching for you now Claire, hold still."

With my left hand, I groped in the darkness and true to form, with the rest of my luck today my hand found its way straight to Claire's full soft breast. For a fleeting second or maybe two, I froze there as my brain processed what my fingers were touching but I quickly slipped my hand upward reaching for Claire's shoulder before taking a small step forward. I was right in front of her now and she reacted with the speed of pure panic, drawing me into a fiercely tight embrace. I was shocked by the desperation I could feel coming from the woman I always saw as so very cool and controlled in the office was now a complete nervous wreck. I tried to soothe the trembling "Ice Princess" and wrapped my arms tenderly around her.

"Shhhh, its O.K. now, I'm here with you," I said repeatedly while caressing her soft curls until I felt her relaxing very slightly. After a few minutes of this she clamed enough to lay her head on my shoulder.

I promised her softly, "I won't leave you until the lights are back on, O. K."

I was rewarded with the slightest nod against my shoulder. Breathing a bit easier now I knew with at least a little confidence that things weren't going to get any worse, but of course they did. Without the constant need to reassure Claire, my active imagination was free to wander, and oh my god did it.

The smell of Claire's perfume and softness of her hair were the first assaults on my senses, the situation hit me like a thunderbolt and I reeled with the conflicting emotions roaring through my mind in the total darkness. I became immediately conscious of my breasts pressing firmly into Claire's and with that errant thought, my libido kicked into high gear. My nipples began tingling and stiffening, I silently prayed that she wouldn't notice. Wanting to avoid any difficulty between us later, I tried to create at least a bit of space between my body and hers.

Sensing the change in my posture Claire clutched me even more tightly and tearfully begged, "No, don't leave me."

To steady myself I was forced to push my leg forward for balance, it inadvertently slipped between Claire's thighs until the snug material of her skirt prevented further movement.

Mentally thanking the lord for even the smallest mercies, I reassured her that I wasn't going anywhere, "its O.K. hon I'm not leaving, don't worry, it's alright."

As the minutes ticked by with my body pressed tightly against Claire's curvy form I began thinking about how easy it would be to take advantage of this situation. I had to redirect my thoughts back to the mundane numbers that ruled my life to prevent my building sexual craving from giving me permission to do something incredibly stupid. Oh, god it was hard though! The rational part of my overloaded brain had to fight to keep control. The thought of what a foolish a mistake that would be sent chills up my spine. Holding the woman in my arms would have to content me even if there was no passion in the embrace only fear. I decided I would have to be satisfied with the warmth and closeness of her body for however long the power stayed out and leave the rest to my fantasies later, much later.

Even though my mind had made a rational and correct decision, my body seemed to have its own agenda. The sensations of our close contact were working overtime on my involuntary responses. My damn jacket had fallen open when Claire seized me in her fright. My barely B-cups rarely needed a bra and I hadn't bothered with one this morning. I was just positive that Claire could feel my nipples digging into her flesh like the two rock hard pebbles they were. Our bellies and thighs pushing against each other were eliciting an even deeper response from my body. Within a few minutes I could feel my natural lubricant begin to flow, just a trickle at first, but the longer I held on to her sweet smelling body the greater the sensation became. For a few seconds I nearly panicked when I thought I caught a whiff of my own arousal and hoped to hell Claire hadn't. Finally deciding that I was only my over active imagination I relaxed a little. For the longest time, I simply smiled in the darkness entertaining private notions of how wonderful it would be to slip my hands downward to caress that luscious rump or give it a firm two-handed squeeze. Only a Herculean effort kept my hands safely above her waist. As I fought to push that delightful but not very helpful image from my mind, the lights abruptly popped back on and the alarm bell began its strident ringing.

Neither of us moved for several seconds but when I finally felt Claire lift her head off my shoulder, I turned and looked over her captivating features. Mesmerized for a second I watched as the fear in her eyes was replaced by fiery intelligence returning. I sensed the tension and fear fading gradually from her muscles. I relaxed my grip preparing to release her, but before stepping over to the control panel to silence the irritating alarm bell, I don't know why but I gave Claire a reflexive peck on the cheek.

Astonished by my own behavior I quickly tried to cover myself with the hurried question, "Are we alright now?"

Claire gave me a look which I interpreted as an expression of sincere gratitude and answered, "Yes, thank you, I , I, think I'm O.K. now," but her hand still gripping my arm trembled.

I gave her a curt nod before snapping the alarm button "off" and the descending car was once again plunged into a roaring silence.

I didn't want her to dwell on the impromptu kiss, so I glanced at my watch for a second and asked nervously breaking the silence, "Where is this restaurant you were talking about?"

I then added, "We've been stuck in here for a little over twenty-five minutes by my watch so we still have plenty of time to go eat if you feel up to it."

"It's the ah ... Hunan over on fifth I think," Claire answered her husky voice sounding unsure while she still seemed to be having some trouble gathering her wits.

"They do wonderful Szechwan and Cantonese, and they are very quick, so yeah we should still go," she stated with a little more certainty coming through in her voice.

I jumped when she reached out and squeezed my hand saying, "Jane, thank you so much, I think I owe you dinner and at least some explanation for what we've been doing here for the last half hour."

As we came to a stop and the doors opened onto the second floor and Claire made to walk past me without any further comment, but I didn't release her hand and stated flatly, "Claire, you don't owe me, anything."

She turned to face me, with her free hand reached up, and very softly cupped my cheek before saying, "Yes my friend, I do, and you'll be getting both, now lets get moving."

With that, she strode out of the elevator and I was left to resume my position of trailing behind her watching her purposeful strides and swaying hips and contemplating new meanings for the word "friend."

The storm outside continued to rage and it had effectively killed off most of the restaurant's dinner rush so we were seated as soon as we stepped through the door. I suggested that Claire order since she already knew the menu and we had little time to waste. She ordered two Phoenix meals number (2) please with extra steamed rice and black coffee for us both.

My curiosity was somewhat piqued and I had to ask, "Number two?"

Claire grinned and answered, " that's how spicy on a scale from one to five."

"One night feeling a little brave I ordered it 'number four', it made me sweat and gave me a runny nose before I was half way through my dinner," she explained with exaggerated fanning motions.

After our coffee arrived and the waitress left us Claire leaned forward and asked quietly, " Jane do you remember about ten years ago a little girl in Texas getting trapped in an abandoned well?"

"Yeah, I think I do, Baby Jessica wasn't it?" I responded to her odd question.

With a very serious expression and her eyes staring but not really seeing, Claire answered slowly, "Yes it was, and twenty five years before her, it happened to me, on our old farm in western Oklahoma,"

A visible shudder ran through her. She reached across the table to clutch my hand as said, "I was almost four years old at the time, and it took close to half a day before a neighbor helping in the search figured out where I was."

With a quaver creeping into her tone she went on, "It took the better part that day and the next before my father with the neighbors helping could dig me out of it. Back in those days it all had to be done by hand."

Returning her tight grip I couldn't help gasping out, "Oh my god, you poor dear, were you hurt?"

Claire went on haltingly, "Not badly but unlike baby Jessica who was much younger and supposedly has no recollection of her ordeal. I remember it all, vividly, the silence the darkness the isolation. All those same feelings came crashing down on me in that elevator today."

Holding her hand up preventing me from commenting further she added, "When the lights went out and the elevator grew so quiet today, it all came flooding back in graphic detail. Until I heard your voice and felt you close to me, I was that terrified little four year old girl all over again."

I was dumbfounded at her revelation and didn't know how to respond but finally said, "My god that must have been horrible for you," and felt silly for saying something so dense but I was at a loss for anything better to say.

She paused to sip some water in an obvious effort to steady herself and went on despite my lame interruption, "I needed that contact, that closeness today or I'm positive you would be escorting me to an asylum right now instead of sitting down to dinner. I really had convinced myself that I had put that behind me but I guess those scars run deeper than I imagined."

I don't know if my relief was visible but I shuddered in my own personal horror thinking how close I came to fucking up in epic proportions today inside that darkened elevator. Silently thanking my lucky stars, I hadn't done anything as stupid as making an overtly sexual move on a woman who was clearly traumatized. I gave her and myself another few moments of silence to recover our wits.

Looking me in the eye she said with total sincerity, "If you hadn't been there and come over to me like you did, I think would have gone totally nuts today, and they would be fitting me for a straight jacket about now."

Astonished by what I was hearing I said, "I wasn't really sure what to do, I just reacted. I'm only glad I could help you, when it mattered most."

Claire's smile slowly came back and she admitted, "I don't think anyone else would have been as much help. You have a cool head in a crisis, you're sharp as a tack, and are someone who is easy to trust. I think that's why I've always been so fond of you."

Completely caught off guard now, my cheeks flushed hotly at the compliment and for a moment, I couldn't even look at her and instead smiled down at the tabletop.

She gave a throaty chuckle and added, "I suppose my fearsome reputation as the "Ice Princess" is shot for good with you."

Before I could protest in self-defense, she cut me off with a stern glare but her smile never wavered, "Don't you think for a minute that I don't know what I'm called around the office."

Smiling again, I looked up right into Claire's eyes and answered her truthfully, "Your secret's safe with me, you know that."

Before I could stop myself from planting my foot squarely in my mouth, I added, "Besides, Claire I've never thought of you in that way."

My embarrassment was instantly doubled when she suggestively asked the natural follow up question, "Oh? So tell me Jane, how exactly do you think of me?"

In that moment, my blush sped from my hairline down to my collar. I was pretty sure she was only teasing me at least, that is, what I was hoping. I offered her a retort in the same vein in an effort to deflect her jibe, "If only you knew, Claire.... If only you knew."

We shared a good-natured laugh together before Claire possibly sensing my discomfort piped in with a smirk and an upraised brow, "Do you want to know another little secret that should kill-off the "Ice Princess" rep. for good?" she asked.

My self-consciousness slowly ebbed, but I only nodded still not trusting myself to say much more yet.

Chuckling softly she offered, "Because of that stupid well I just had to play on umpteen years ago, in the middle of Nowheresville Oklahoma. I'm a forty-two year old woman who navigates the shark-infested corporate world all day but can't go to sleep at night without a nightlight."

I laughed along with her at the self-deprecating remark. I was surprised and happy that Claire felt comfortable enough with me to be freely sharing these very private tidbits about her life.

Our meals arrived at last and we ate quickly in companionable silence, with the chopsticks neither of us could seem to master providing a touch of comic relief. No communication was necessary other than a glance, a smile or a bit of shared laughter.

We arrived back in the office by seven and I flew to my computer anxiously checking for email. Dan, as good as his word had the first batch of data already waiting there.

I glanced over at Claire who had followed along to my office and stated, "Dan really is good you know, somebody aught to get him a raise or at least authorize some overtime for him before he starts looking for a better opportunity."

Claire answered absently glancing over my shoulder at the screen, "His overtime will be covered don't worry Jane. I wish I could do better, but the budget just can't handle it, especially now."

She added poking my arm and teasing, "Aw hell, I'll bet he might settle with getting his ashes hauled, don't you Jane?"

Absorbed in the numbers flashing across me screen, I blurted out distractedly, "Sorry you're on your own with that one honey, can't help ya with there. Boys just aint' my cup of tea, not even that one."

The second the words were out of my mouth, I froze in a total mental paralysis. I could only stare straight ahead immobile, hands suspended above the keyboard waiting for a gasp or horrified shriek, but Claire didn't make a sound. I very slowly turned my head to look in her direction just knowing I really blew it this time. As she made to leave my office, any hopes I had that she may have missed my flip comment were dashed for forever. She paused in the doorway just long enough to give me an odd look over her shoulder under an upraised brow before disappearing from view.

Her look confirmed my worst fears and I just wanted to cry as I sat groaning with my head cradled in my hands. I had gained more understanding into what made the woman of my dreams tick today than I had in all the years I spent working with her. I was devastated that I had totally pissed away what little closeness we had built with a few unguarded words. Finally coming to the very unhappy conclusion, "what's done is done." I chastised myself for harboring such unrealistic dreams anyway, finally mumbling to myself, "As if you were going to lure her into your bed any way, stupid girl."

My soured mood didn't have much time to mellow when I watched my two "volunteers" waltz in almost half an hour late. To say I was a little miffed didn't quite cover it and I started barking orders before either had a chance to even hang up their raincoats or fold the umbrellas they carried.

"Steve you're on layout and formatting. I want two entries on each page provided there's room for all the information. I want columns for claims, suits, and premiums add the rider details as footnotes beneath them if there is space. The rate schedules are mostly periodic so add them at the back of each group they affect as they change over time. Go ahead and reduce the font sizes if you have to but keep it legible, please keep in mind who will be reading it."

I turned toward Sue, steam rolling right ahead and barked at her, "You get to sort out the raw data as it comes in from Dan into coherent categories ready for Steve to plug into the form he gins up. I want it broken down first by client and then each separate facility keeping the chronology intact understood?"

They both nodded but before they went off to begin their long night's work, softening my imperious tone a bit I added, "Thanks guys, ah... Sue I'll be over to help out with the sorting as soon as I get this cover page composed and figure out how the hell to approach the summary for this monstrosity, alright?"

Steve smiled wickedly and asked me, "Since the "Ice Princess" has so graciously deigned to help us lowly troglodytes, what dirty little job have you decided on for her?"

Not even trying to match his impudent leer I answered, "She gets to be our bindery, that way she can be the final arbiter on what goes in and what can be dumped, but shhh I haven't told her yet."

Sue piped in also grinning, "Ooo, I like it girlfriend, nifty way for you to dodge that sticky decision making process."

I chuckled at the insolent pair and said, "That is why I get the big bucks," before shooing them away to get to work.

Things were progressing well if a little too slowly for my liking. It was a quarter to twelve when I finally called everything to a halt. I gathered everyone over at Sue's cube where she, Claire, and I, had been grinding down the voluminous raw data from Dan into manageable mountains of information.

I stood trying to stretch the stiffness from my back and weary limbs and addressed them as a group, "We've made a good start tonight, but I can feel and see the fatigue starting to win out. So let's all go home get some rest and we'll get back to it tomorrow, seven AM sharp."

Before they began filing in the direction of the elevators I added, "And wear something comfortable tomorrow, it's going to be a long day, thanks again all of you."

Making their separate exits, I was of course the last to leave. I had to reset the security code, and waited impatiently for the lights to dim automatically confirming that I had done it right and I finally got on the elevator with every intention of literally "fleeing the building."

When I finally swung open the door to my apartment, it was nearly one o'clock. As tired as I was, I still felt oddly exhilarated. I wanted to blame those extra cups of coffee I had with diner for my restlessness but deep down I knew the events of my very long, strange, day were behind it and not the extra caffeine. It seemed to happen to me every time I got to work closely with a certain executive assistant in the office and today was no exception. I kicked off my pumps and dumped my purse and keys on the small Shaker table in my entry hall before going about my normal nightly routine. Making my way toward my bedroom, I started stripping off my clothes and tossing some of them in the general direction of the dirty laundry bin. I leaned across the bed setting the alarm. Finally passing the linen closet, I reached inside snatching a fresh bath sheet and headed for the shower.

Standing nude in front of the full-length mirror on the back of my bathroom door, I took some time to examine my assets such as they were. Appraising my slim muscled body, I decided it didn't look too damn bad. A rueful smile slid across my face as I recalled my old girl friend's description of me looking like an "elongated version" of the actress Sabrina Lloyd, "seriously cute but not quite beautiful but with better boobs." I sighed thinking to myself that the cold-hearted thieving bitch wasn't too far off the mark. (Can you tell the relationship ended badly?) My hands ran up my sides with the fingers spread wide following the contours of my body until they were cupping my teacup-sized breasts giving them an appraising squeeze. I figured that even though they strained to fill out a b-cup, there was enough to hold onto. Their very best feature were the long thick nipples centered in my flat perfectly round areolas. I chuckled remembering when my adolescent curiosity caused me to compare them to a pencil eraser. While I found their length a slight disappointment, I was so sure they were longer than the eraser and the metal band that joined the rubber and wood, but not quite. Their diameter however, was a match. I tweaked them lightly grinning at the silliness of youth and they began firming up and swelling immediately. With a couple of rolling twists, my ardor started heating up and I began scanning the room for my cosmetics bag where I kept a handy jelly vibe dandy. After a fruitless search, I remembered that I had left the damn thing next to my bedroom vanity this morning. Sighing with a little frustration, I continued my pre-shower inspection. This just wasn't turning out to be my day.