Sure!

I was taken aback. "Sure, I guess. Thanks." If she noticed my perplexity, she didn't react. She just smiled and said "Great! Wanna go now?"

It was barely 10 a.m. but I wasn't going let the opportunity pass. I agreed and we headed out to the parking lot. She offered to drive, so we hopped in her Corolla and took off.

"What are you in the mood for?" she asked eagerly. A thought ran through my head that I didn't articulate and I suggested a local deli. It was a popular lunch spot and Sarah knew it well, so she headed that way.

"So, did you have anything you wanted to talk about?" I asked timidly. I still wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. Sarah was bubbly and effervescent in a way that I'd never seen.

She put a hand on my knee and I stared at it in shock. "Not really! I just wanted to hang out. You know, we've been working together for years and I barely know you. I thought it'd be nice to spend some time together." Was Sarah really touching my knee?

We pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. Sarah confidently strode in front of me and opened the door for me. I walked into the deli, still trying to get my bearings.

The deli wasn't busy this early. We walked up to the counter and the middle-aged man behind it greeted us. Sarah ordered an Italian sub and turned to me. She put her hand on the small of my back as she asked what I wanted and I jumped at her touch. What was going on?

Before I could order, though, the cashier spoke. "Um, I'm really not very hungry yet." He said. "I guess I'll have a cup of the tomato bisque." Sarah and I stared at him with confusion. I cleared my throat. "Ok? I'm, uh, gonna get the reuben with a side of potato salad."

Now he looked at me with confusion. He looked down at his notepad and back up at me. "I'm sorry?" He asked, not sure what to do. I wondered if he was having a stroke.

Sarah cut in after the awkward pause. "Look man, can you just get my friend a reuben?" The cashier seemed suddenly relieved and rung us up. As promised, Sarah handed him a debit card with a grin.

After we took a number and found our table, we discussed his behavior. "That was weird, right?" I said. "It was like he was ordering from me."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Who knows what his deal is? The people who run this place are strange." She seemed eager to get off the topic, and shifted forward in her seat. "So, Ron, tell me a little about yourself. Are you from around here?"

I cleared my throat, trying not to stare at her cleavage. "Yeah, I've lived pretty much my whole life around here. How about you?"

She smiled warmly and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "The same! Isn't that funny? So I guess you probably have a lot of old friends around here, then."

I shrugged. "I mean, a lot of them have moved away. But yeah, I still keep in touch with some of them. You?"

"Oh, you know, I still see some people from time to time," she said distractedly. Then her eyes met mine and she spoke very intently. "Do you have anyone special in your life right now?"

Just then, the waiter arrived with our sandwiches. He put Sarah's in front of her and then turned to me. Instead of putting my food down, he blinked in confusion. "Um..." He trailed off, clearly unsure of what to do.

Sarah was irritated at the interruption. She grabbed the plate from him and curtly thanked him. He turned to walk away, still seeming slightly dazed. She put the plate in front of me and leaned forward again. "So?"

"Not right now." I stammered nervously. Her face lit up at that. "Sorry to hear that, man. To be honest, you're quite a catch. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

I pushed my plate away without having taken a bite. "Ok, Sarah, what's going on here? You're being really weird today."

She sat back apprehensively. I think she was worried that she'd overplayed her hand. "I don't know. Is it so weird that I want to get to know a coworker?"

"No, but- I mean, are you going to make me say it? You've been really flirty with me all day! You're like, touching me and giggling at my jokes and asking if I'm single!"

She looked crestfallen. "You don't like it?"

"I mean, yes, I like it. You're a beautiful woman-" her face lit up again at the compliment, "-but you've never said more than ten words in a row to me. Why are you doing this?"

She sighed. "I knew I was coming on too strong. Dammit, I'm screwing this up! I don't know, I just really like you! I think you're hot, and funny, and I didn't think I had a shot. When you started paying attention to me I got too excited, I guess."

"You didn't have a shot with me? Sarah, have you lost your mind? I always thought I didn't have a shot with you! You're so far out of my league it never even crossed my mind to get to know you."

Something occurred to me. "You're not used to this, are you? Flirting, trying to get attention, all of the usual **** measures people use when they're trying to get with someone hotter than them?"

She blushed. "Is it that obvious? I've never really had a hard time getting laid but for some reason I just felt so nervous around you today. Like you're hot, and funny, and successful, and everybody in the office knows it. I'm just one of dozens of coworkers you see every day."

I stared at her in disbelief. An idea occurred to me, but it was ridiculous. My boss had tried to defend his productivity to me. The cashier tried to order from me and the waiter didn't want to give me my food. Now the hottest woman in the office was acting like a smitten schoolgirl when I gave her a little attention.

I had a theory, but now I needed to test it.