A knock came at the door, so quiet she thought it might be her imagination. But then the knob turned and the door hinges began to creak; her heart was in her throat when she saw a man's dark silhouette in the doorway, outlined against the blackness of the night outside. "H-Hello?" he said.

"Yes," she replied, her voice uncertain and echoing in the furnitureless room. "I'm over here."

He stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Is this what I think it is?"

His nervousness shattered hers, and she chuckled softly, as though she were a character in her own play, the stage already set. "Yes. Come here." She untied the sash on her silk robe, letting it fall open, and reached for his hands as he came close.

He smelled good, like cinnamon and smoke. She placed his hands on her hips, pulling him close. "You can do anything you want," she said.

He pulled her close, his embrace sudden and firm. His shirt rustled against her breasts, his cold belt buckle pushing heavy against her belly. She made an uncontrolled noise: how quickly her idea was becoming real.

"The Office" was first published in Clean Sheets Nov. 15, 2006.