You Head To Work

You arrive at the office still carrying the dull frustration from the morning. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead as you settle at your desk, open your laptop, and start sorting through the usual pile of emails and status reports. Coffee helps only a little.

Cheryl appears at the edge of your cubicle before you have finished the first cup. She is the marketing lead, sharp and already dressed for impact, blouse fitted enough to show the lines of her body without quite breaking policy. She rests one hip against your desk and drops a folder in front of you.

“Numbers from last quarter are soft on your side of the board,” she says, voice low and pointed, with a not-so-subtle glance down to your lap. “I already ran the revised projections. If you cannot close the gap by Friday I am taking the client presentation myself. You know how that looks when the reviews come around.”

She leans in a fraction closer while she talks, close enough that you catch the warm scent of her perfume. Her wedding ring glints under the lights as she taps the folder with one polished nail.

“Of course,” she adds, almost as an afterthought, “if you need someone to stay late and walk through the data with you, I am free after six. Conference room B. We can make sure you do not fall behind.” Her eyes flick down your chest for a half second before they return to your face, the professional challenge and the quiet invitation sitting in the same look.