Sara was a little butch, you know?

I don't mean she was a bull dyke, or anything, and I don't want to be thought of as judgmental about it. It's just that she had this disdain for men, dressed like a man, and generally just did not seem to radiate any femininity at all. She was also a little on the plump side, but overall not bad-looking. Even cute, in a strange sort of way.

Well, she and I were co-leads on a sizable computer project in a large IS department. We worked well enough together, even if the relationship was awfully formal. Then disaster struck, and things changed dramatically.

It was a Monday, and we had an implementation scheduled for the following weekend. That morning we heard the word - the contract firm that supplied the 4 programmers under us had gotten into a row with the head of our department, and had pulled all four of their contractors out that morning. That was a really stupid thing to do, because that firm will never do business with our agency again. Still, it left us understaffed and without time to train anyone new.

It was just Sara and me, and a couple of bodies we could co-opt to do grunt work. We were in for a loooong week.

Well, we were working 18-hour days and making great progress, when we got slammed again. Some idiots at the city power company took out the main downtown grid, no notice to anyone, and shut off the lights. Everything was dark. That was Friday evening, down to just Sara and me; and, even though we had the end in our sites, we had a solid day's worth of work still to do.

Fortunately - and this was the only silver lining - the mainframe we were working on was not downtown. It was at a data complex in another city. Since we had computers and modems at home, it wouldn't be that bad.

"Sara," I said, "I just want to make an offer here. I have two computers at home, and two phone lines. You're welcome to come work at my place, since we sort of need to be in the same room at the same time."

She hesitated. "Okay," she finally said. She had seen the logic in the offer, I suppose.

We drove to my home - separately - and got busy. It actually worked out pretty well, since I could set up my computers at the kitchen table, and we could talk to each other without yelling over a few cubicle walls.

About 2am, she started nodding off. I walked around to her side of the table and touched her arm. She jumped as if shot.

"Just me," I said as soothingly as I could. "You fell asleep."

She grumbled something unintelligible. I assumed she was arguing with me.

"Get on the couch," I commanded. When she resisted, I got very firm. "On the couch. You're not doing us any good right now, and if you're this tired you might screw something up. Get some sleep."

She glared at me, but it was a half-hearted glare. She was genuinely tired, and I suspect she was more than happy to lie down. She stretched out on the couch. I got a spare pillow and a blanket, and got her situated. "Aren't you the domestic one," she mumbled, and started snoring.

I sat at my terminal, started a job, and then dropped into my recliner. I figured a few minutes rest would be all that I needed.

I awoke at 9am to the smell of fresh coffee.

I was a little disoriented. I lived alone, and had for three years, since my wife died. I got up and saw Sara at the table.

"Hi," she said, sounding chipper and a little nervous. "I took the liberty of making some coffee."

"No, no, that's great," I said - or rather slurred. I'm not much good without my morning caffeine. "How long have you been up?"

"About an hour," she replied.

I excused myself to the bathroom. When I came back, there was coffee poured and waiting. Sara gave me a rundown on how things were going. All in all, we were doing well. I fixed us some breakfast, and we ate as we worked.

Suddenly, I chuckled in spite of myself.

"What's so funny?" Sara demanded.

"Nothing," I replied. "It's just ... well, it's been a long time since I had breakfast with a beautiful woman." I instantly regretted saying that.

Sara got a little prickly. "I certainly hope you realize this is strictly business," she said icily.

"Of course," I said. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't help reminiscing. My wife and I used to sit in exactly the spots you and I occupy now."

"Oh," she said, softening a little. "So, where is she now?"

I looked at her for a moment, considering. "She died," I finally answered. "Three years ago. She was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer one day, and within a month she was dead."

Sara rested her face in her right hand. "I feel like such a bitch," she mumbled.

"Don't," I said. "It was just a pleasant ... oh, I don't know. A little rush of nostalgia."

We worked on for a while. Out of the blue, she said, "No one has said that to me in a very long time."

I was concentrating on something at that moment, and I was confused. "I'm sorry? What was that?"

"I said, no one has said anything like that to me in a very long time." She was speaking softly.

I was still confused. "Said what to you?"

"Nothing," she said, blushing.

"No, no, I'm sorry, I really don't get it. Please, tell me," I implored. I hoped I wasn't begging.

"Well," she started, "no one has said the words 'beautiful woman' to refer to me in - well, probably never."

I fought back the urge to take her hand. "Oh, but it's true," I grinned.

Before I could say more, she said, "Well, back to this crap."

About an hour later, she announced, "I think it's working. I think it's working!" We checked her results, and, sure enough, the implementation seemed to be behaving itself.

I came to her side of the table and sat. I entered some information, and it kept working. We appeared to be closing in on the end.

Finally, she exulted, "YES!" and put her arm around me. I turned toward her, and our faces were oh, so close...

... and I kissed her. Gently at first, and with little response; but then she kissed back, and soon we were in a passionate lip lock.

We broke the kiss after a few moments. She blushed and turned away. I went back to my side of the table, and we worked for another half-hour.

Finally I stood and stretched. "Well," I announced, "I have submitted that last batch job. It will run for at least an hour. If you will excuse me, I am going to get a shower. I feel grungy."

"I need one, myself," she said distractedly, still gazing at her screen.

I went into the bathroom and got into the shower stall. I turned the water on, hot but not blistering, and felt the tensions easing.

I heard a tap on the stall door. It opened a little, and there stood Sara. Naked, bath cloth in hand. "Mind if I join you?" she asked meekly. Without waiting for an answer, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

While the water ran over us, we gazed into one another's eyes. Then we allowed our eyes to roam over each other's bodies, taking in the curves, warts, and imperfections, all of it. We embraced and resumed our earlier kiss. We said not a word as we soaped one another's various parts, paying special attention to those that interested us most.

We got out and dried off. As we stood there in yet another embrace, she asked, a trifle theatrically, "Whatever shall we do now?"

"Well," I replied, "I was thinking, if you have no pressing plans this afternoon, we could ... oh, I don't know, make love, maybe?"

She put her lips right into my ear and whispered, "Okay."

I took her hand and led her into my bedroom. Now, I'm no neat freak, but I keep my place pretty decent. I had just changed the bedclothes last weekend and hadn't slept in them for more than a few hours since. She dropped her towel and crawled between the sheets. I followed her.

We lay there for a while, just exploring bodies, touching, rubbing, kissing, enjoying. She really did have a nice body, plump though it was. Nice firm breasts, sensitive nipples, wispy pubic hair.

We kissed again and again, our tongues playing tag, our bodies molding themselves to one another. I gently squeezed her breasts, playing with her nipples, delighted with how she moaned every time I caressed them. I moved my head into position and suckled like a little baby. She was definitely hot.

I moved a little further south, kissing the flat of her abdomen, then moved lower. She arched, and I found myself looking directly at her pussy. I planted a kiss on those lips as well.

"Are you ... going ... to eat me?" she gasped.

"Well," I replied, inserting my tongue and removing it a couple of times, "I thought I might." With that, I stuck my tongue in as far as I could, and found her pleasure pearl. She writhed as though in pain.