Sweaty in the Open-Plan Office

As Emily had expected, the interaction with Derek was very - fulfilling.

And exhausting. She was drenched in sweat; when she put her blouse back on, it clung to her upper body, tracing every curve. So what, she thought. It had certainly been worth the effort. With trembling fingers, Derek had confirmed in his email to the project manager that her contribution to finding a solution had been very valuable and that they had worked together extremely productively. Well, if that didn't attract attention at the very top.

And she did attract a lot of attention when she returned to the open-plan office.

She strolled past the desks and basked in the many stares that followed her. With a satisfied sigh, she settled into her seat.

She looked at the screen, indecisive. What should she do with all the time she had saved by creatively tackling the number problem? David was nowhere to be seen to assign her new tasks.

Just as she decided to surf the Internet for a while, the phone rang. When she saw on the display who was calling, she raised her eyebrows. This could be interesting.