Rae munched on a celery stick, checked the clock, and suppressed a groan. She knew from previous years that the management wouldn’t start handing out door prizes for at least an hour. The company party was dragging on even more than a normal work day, as usual.

It wasn’t as if she had anything better to do, though.

Five years after her divorce and a year from the dreaded 4-0, she was about to give up. A string of boring relationships and bad sex had prompted her to stay home for the last several weekends, and she had no plans to go out that evening either.

She knew she wasn’t the only one bored to tears, because fully half of the party attendees had their phones out. Upon passing by him on the way to check out this year’s prizes, she had noticed that even one of the upper managers was playing solitaire on his phone. Considering the state of the gossip grapevine in the office, she had little doubt that many of the people on their phones were talking to people seated right next to them about the person seated across from them.

Because she refused to participate, the odds were that her name was flying back and forth through the cloud as well.

Though she was doing her best not to look at it, the table of dessert dishes was calling to her. Someone had brought in a cherry pie, which was particularly tempting. Through force of will, she walked away without indulging, and thus avoided a week of extra time on the treadmill that the treat would have required, if she wanted to keep up the fight against her slowing metabolism.

For all the good that’s doing me, a self-depreciating voice muttered in her head.

When Rae turned, she saw the co-workers she’d been sitting with were engaged in conversation with the CEO. Not in the mood to smile and lie about what a good time she was having, she took advantage of the open path to the break room door. A trip to the restroom would kill enough time to avoid executive entanglement, if nothing else.

To her surprise, the restroom was empty. Pleased that she wouldn’t have to listen to whispered gossip, she took her time at the mirror. Because she’d fixed her makeup between the end of her shift and the start of the party, everything was in order there. Her brown hair, recently cut short, but leaving long bangs, gave her a classy, businesslike appearance that she felt suited her. As always in recent years, she wasn’t especially fond of the thicker middle of her figure, but she was at least satisfied that she was holding up better than most of her friends.

A check of her stockings completed the evaluation. They weren’t sagging, and she couldn’t find any runs. Pantyhose had always irritated her when it was time to use the restroom, and splurging on stockings had solved that problem.

Loathe to leave the haven of the bathroom when she had it to herself, she pulled out her phone and discovered a couple of messages that she’d somehow missed. As soon as she answered them, she heard the door open. She exchanged a smile and a nod with the head of HR, and then swept back out into the hall.

Well, hello handsome, she thought upon seeing the new head of IT lounging in the hall, looking bored, and tapping away on his phone. He was fresh out of college, and even without the whispers floating around the office, she knew he had to have some sort of connection to have landed the job. He was handsome, well-built, and from a few glimpses she’d caught, she suspected he filled out his slacks quite well.

Rae had started mildly flirting with him on day one, and to her delight, he flirted back. It was a pleasant diversion from the work day, even if she knew nothing would ever come of it.

“You’re going to have to find somewhere better to hide, Eric,” she said as she approached. “Someone’s sure to find you here any moment.”

“Are the parties always this boring?” he asked.

Rae emphatically nodded, and paused when she reached him. “I hear that they were amazing back in the eighties when they still served alcohol, but yes, they’re terrible now.”

“I could use a shot of something right now. I wouldn’t even have stayed if you didn’t have to be present to win prizes.”

“Same here – on both counts. If you have a stash, you need to share.” With nobody else in the hall, she decided to go a step beyond the usual. “Well, as long as you don’t try to get me drunk and take advantage of me.”

He smiled and chuckled. “Well, there goes that idea.”

Rae laughed, rolled her eyes, and gave him a theatrical slap on the arm that was more a caress than anything.

Eric looked first one way, and then the other, before leaning in to whisper, “I do have a stash.”

“Oh, don’t tease me like that. That’s just cruel.”

“No joke. Care to join me?”

Taken aback by his seriousness, she panicked and said, “Oh, I couldn’t.”

“Come on,” he said. “Nobody is going to notice if we have one little drink, but it sure would make this more tolerable.”

“I ... Uhm...” she stammered, unable to think.

“Offer’s on the table. All you have to do is follow.”

With that, he started down the hall. Rae was left standing where he’d left her, not sure what to do. She watched him walking away, and after a few steps, he glanced back and grinned.

Her thoughts were still reeling when she started following.

Bad idea. Bad idea, she thought, though she continued to walk. Then, as she passed the door to the women’s restroom, she prayed, Please don’t come out. The door didn’t open, but she only relaxed once she turned the corner.

Eric was waiting for her, his smile even wider than before. He waved for her to follow and started walking again.

Once they were far enough from the bathroom, she whispered, “It’s not in your car is it? The break room windows overlook the parking lot.”

“Server room. My own little fortress of solitude,” he answered.

“This is such a bad idea,” Rae said, as much to herself as to him.

“Nah, we’re never going to get caught. It’s all the way on the other side of the building, and behind two badge controlled doors.”

“Still...” she began, but then trailed off. He was unabashedly watching the jiggle of her breasts when she looked at him. Rather than reacting as most men did when caught ogling, he looked up into her eyes for a moment.

“Everyone is so busy gossiping, sucking up, or messing with their phones that they’ll never even know we’re gone,” he said without the slightest hint of shame or hesitation.

For the first time, she wondered if his flirting was something more than a way to help pass the time of the workday. He’d complimented her outfit on a few occasions, and remarked about how good her legs looked once, but looking at her breasts was far different. It was openly sexual. Her nerves frayed even more, but beneath that, an undercurrent of excitement was building.

Eric scanned his badge, letting them into IS, which she knew had a level of restricted access, though anyone who rang the bell was generally admitted. It was the first time she’d ever seen all the cubicles empty. On the opposite side of the room was another door. It was windowless, and the previous head of IT had demanded that only he and management have access.

A thought occurred to her and she asked, “What if someone looks at the video?”

Eric chuckled and said, “The cameras in here and the hallway are dead. I’ve been complaining for two months, and I’m supposed to have the budget for new ones soon, but for now, we’re ghosts. Relax.”

“Easy for you to say.”

He scanned his badge at the final door and said, “It will be easier for you to do after you have a drink.”

Rae followed him in, and gasped as she crossed the threshold. It was freezing inside.

“Yeah, sorry about that. The servers don’t like heat.”

She nodded, and added nipples that were suddenly hard enough to cut glass to her list of things to worry about.

Eric led her toward his desk on one side of the room. He sat down, held up a finger, and then picked up a phone from a shelf of obsolete tech next to his desk. He gave it a shake, played with the buttons, and then shrugged theatrically. Before Rae could react to the performance, he affected a comical eureka expression, unplugged the handset, and dug his fingers into the seam running along the top of the phone. Sure enough, the phone split in half. Inside were three mini bottles of vodka, cushioned by foam.

Rae lifted her eyebrows and said, “Sneaky.”

“Electromagnet. The battery is in the receiver. You could probably throw it at the wall and it would shatter before it would open,” he explained while removing one of the bottles.

“Nice to see you putting your degree to practical use.”

He laughed. “I figured this trick out when I was about twelve. O.J. okay for a mixer? Unless you want it straight?”

“Good lord, no. I still don’t know if I should at all.”

“Come on. Live a little.” He held the bottle up and waved it in front of her while fixing her with the most tempting stare she’d ever beheld.

Rae blew out a long breath as a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room ran up her spine and said, “Oh, what the hell. O.J. is fine.”

“That’s the spirit. The O.J. is in the mini fridge there.”

She followed his pointing finger and saw the fridge sitting behind her. When she opened it, the orange juice was on the top shelf of the door. She had to bend over to retrieve it, and immediately felt the unmistakable sensation of eyes upon her. When she turned to look as she straightened, her intuition was proved correct by the sight of Eric admiring her butt. It was the second blatantly sexual look he’d given her, and her heart began to race as excitement swelled within her.

Just how interested is he? she wondered. Before she could second-guess herself, she asked, “Enjoying the view?”

“Whatever do you mean?” he asked, but his eyes spoke volumes.

Rae sighed theatrically and sat down the orange juice. “I think you know what I mean.”

He shrugged, and her heart skipped a beat when his eyes dropped to her breasts.

“I’ve got my blazer over here if you’re too cold,” he said while cracking open the juice.

She glanced down and couldn’t see any visible evidence of her hard nipples, despite what he was inferring. “I’m getting used to it.”

“Well, all you have to do is ask,” he said while pouring juice into one of two plastic cups.

Since he was taking things to the next level of flirtation, she decided to do the same. She asked “Do you mind if I have a seat, then?”

Without waiting for an answer, she sat down on the corner of his desk, letting her feet artfully dangle.

“Not at all,” he answered while checking out her legs. Both cups were filled with orange juice, so he opened one of the bottles of vodka. “Say when.”

Rae watched him slowly pour, and when the bottle was almost empty, she said, “When.”

“I see you’ve warmed up to the idea,” Eric remarked.

“Well, we’re here now. Why not?”

“Should make that bore-fest a little more tolerable when we get back.” He pulled a swizzle stick from a box, slipped it into her cup, and held it out to her.

Rae stirred her drink, and Eric poured his. He used what little remained in the first bottle, and added the whole of a second to his cup. After a quick stir, he held up his drink and said, “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” she echoed, and then tapped her cup against his.

They both drank, and then Rae blew out a long, whistling breath. She hadn’t indulged in anything stronger than wine or schnapps in a long time. The tequila was hitting hard.

Eric said, “Yeah, that hits the spot.”

“So, how often do you do this?” she asked before taking another, more moderate sip of her drink.

“Depends upon how often somebody breaks something the same way they broke it last time, and the time before that, and the time before that.” He waved his hand in a circle in front of him. “Having a quick drink is better than screaming and cursing.”

“I know that feeling.”

“I’m not the only one, either. I found an empty bottle of Jack Daniels hidden in an old computer tower when I was cleaning up in here.”

That shocked her. The former head of IT had been as straight-laced and stiff as anyone she’d ever met. “Really?”

“Really. I wondered what that tower was still doing in here, when there’s no way anyone has used one this century. When I picked it up and heard the bottle inside fall over, that explained that.”