The room flooded with light.  Their eyes squeezed shut as they separated and turned toward the door.  His frame filled the entryway, and even before they could focus, they both knew.

“Pam? Pam, what’s going on here?” said Roy.

“Roy?  What are you doing here?” she stammered, taking a step toward him.  He took an instinctive step back.

“Darryl called and asked me to come back and lock up the warehouse. He had some kind of emergency…..I saw the car….”  His head turned toward Jim.  “You wanna tell me what the fuck you’re doing, Halpert?”

Jim raised his hands in surrender.  “Look, man, I know this looks bad….but it’s not her fault…..She was up here making a phone call….I….I was just checking on her before I left…and I….”

“Checking on her?  That’s what you call it?  Cause that’s not what I’m seeing….”  He took a step forward and Pam moved quickly toward him, blocking his way….

“Roy….stop….it’s not what you think….”  Her tiny frame, trying so hard to slow his progress – the sight sparked a quick anger in Jim, heightened instantly when Roy wrenched her out of the way by the arm.  Fuck this…Bring it on…..

As Roy moved forward, Jim shoved his arms out….”Back off, asshole!  She didn’t do anything!”  The first punch swung him around, knocking him onto his own desk, knocking the monitor to the floor. He felt rough hands grab his shoulders, lifting him back up.  His mind went white with fury, with rage at every indignity he’d suffered in silence because of this motherfucker, at every indignity he’d seen Pam endure.  As he spun back around, his fist bolted forward into Roy’s stomach, catching him by surprise and doubling him over with an “oomph.”  Pam threw herself back between them.

“God damn it, Roy…STOP!”  she screamed.

“Hey, hey….What’s going on?” came the shout behind them. They all turned together to see Michael and Carol standing in the doorway.

Roy gasped for breath and wiped the back of his mouth with his hand.  “I’ll tell you what’s going on. I came in here looking for Pam and found Halpert all over her….AGAIN!”  He shot Jim a glare.

“I’m warning you, man, I’m not gonna take any shit from you….”  Jim held out his arm, jabbing his index finger at Roy…”You better fuckin’ back off and get a grip, or I swear to God….”

“You swear to God you’ll do what, you chickenshit?”  Roy’s fists balled up.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa….hold the phone!” shouted Michael, stepping forward, waving his hands.  He took a referee stance between the two of them. “There are ladies present….” Carol clutched her purse a little more closely to her side, her eyes as wide as pie plates.  Pam stood next to Michael, her pleading eyes hopeful that his presence could somehow defuse things.

Michael bowed stiffly toward Roy. “Roy?  Whatever you think you saw here, I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation….”  He turned to Jim, and his eyes widened expectantly. “Jim, maybe you should explain what’s going on….”  He nodded encouragingly….

Jim was dumfounded.  Did Michael actually expect him to spill his guts in this situation? Was he crazy? Stupid question….He had better think of something – fast – before Michael decided to “help.”

Jim let out a sharp sigh, placed a hand on his hip, and looked at the floor. “I was talking to Jan in the parking lot before she left….about….about transferring to the Stamford branch…..I saw Pam come in here and I just wanted to…” he looked at Pam helplessly, knowing she only half-believed what she was hearing. “I just wanted to tell her.  I guess I wanted to say goodbye.”  He forced himself to look at Roy.  He quickly persuaded himself that what he was about to say was for Pam’s sake.  “Look, man, nothing happened.  I mean….yeah, I kissed her, but I didn’t mean anything by it, and she didn’t do anything to encourage it.  Just forget it, man….alright?  I’m not trying to get in your way….”

Michael looked confused. “Is this true, Jim?  You talked to Jan?  Did she say anything about me?”  Carol cocked her head in curiosity. “No..ahem…mistake…”  Michael shook it off and cleared his throat. “Jim, we’ll talk about this tomorrow….Pam, Roy, I think it would be a good idea for everybody to go home, get some sleep….this was all just a big misunderstanding….Wow!  Casino Night!  What happens in Vegas…..”  He let out a nervous chortle….

Roy began backing out of the office toward the door with a swagger. “Alright….you’re the boss….But this isn’t over, Halpert….Pam?  Come on…….Pam?”

Pam stood frozen in place, her eyes locked on Jim.  He saw the indecision in her face.  C’mon, Pam….you can do it, he thought.  Tell him “no”…..Come with me…..Please….Without realizing it, he had reached his hand out slightly, ready for her to walk toward him and grasp it.

“Pam!” Roy barked.  She snapped to. “I’m sorry….” she croaked….then, composing herself…”Michael, I’m sorry about all this….please forgive me….”  She spun on her heel and walked out ahead of Roy, without a backward glance….

Jim watched her disappear into the corridor, half-obscured by Roy’s towering frame.  “Dude….” Michael exhaled….”That was intense!  What the hell, man?  I thought I gave you the signal….”  Jim just shook his head and headed for the stairwell, muttering a quiet “Sorry….excuse me,” as he passed Carol in the doorway.  She turned to Michael. “So….how about you show me that hilarious e-mail another time?”  “Yeah, right….okey-dokey…..”  He led her through the door toward the elevator.

Downstairs, Jim paused for a moment before pushing the door open.  He saw the tail lights of Pam’s car, followed by those of Roy’s truck, rounding the corner out of the parking lot.  It seemed cold, all of a sudden.  His skin felt clammy.  He didn’t know what to do next.  She kissed me back….I KNOW she kissed me back….God damn it, she kissed me back! The ache came over him suddenly, cramping the pit of his stomach so hard that he reached a hand up to press his abdomen.  He folded over, thinking he might throw up.  As he bent his head down, he felt the pulse pound in his lower jaw, where Roy had clocked him…. son of a bitch, he thought…..I hate that son of a bitch…..He flashed on every arrogant swagger he had witnessed over the years – every cocksure strut and proprietary gesture…..He flashed on the hard foul at the basketball game, and how stupid he felt when Pam floated out that night talking about “getting Roy into a tub”….God damn it….God damn her…..What gave her the right to do this to him?  How had he let this happen?  She seemed so shocked when he told her that he loved her.  How could she not have known?  How could anyone be so….so deluded? 

Without warning, all of his anger shifted to Pam.  Pam had made a complete fool out of him.  Pam had made his life an endless ache, had stolen his appetite and his nightly rest, even his ability to fuck with any of the intensity and pleasure he had known before all this.  Katy had never had a chance.  Every time she called out his name in bed, he bristled inwardly because the voice was not Pam’s.  There was something grim and determined in their lovemaking, because he wanted it to be Pam.  This was a crock.  This was bullshit.  This…was….over.

He jammed his hand in his pocket and extracted his keys.  I don’t know where the fuck I’m going, but I’m getting the fuck out of here, he glowered to himself.  The engine ignited, and he pulled out, stabbing the radio dials maniacally….If I was a chick, I’d be Alanis Morrisetting this mother right now, he thought to himself….As if by magic, he hit it……Well I’m here…to remind you…of the mess you left when you went away…

“And, strangely enough, it fits!!! Why?  BECAUSE I’VE BECOME A FUCKING CHICK!!!” he screamed out loud, shaking the steering wheel back and forth in rage.  “God damn you, Pam!”

He nearly sideswiped the car in the next lane.  I can’t drive right now…I need a drink, he thought.  Poor Richard’s…he was only a minute or two away…

He pushed the door open a little too hard – hard enough for it to slam against the wall and draw the attention of the last-call patrons.  He ignored their stares and headed straight for the bar.  Shots.  That’s what he wanted.  “Tequila shot….” he growled.  “You OK, Jim?” came the response.  He hadn’t noticed that Jack was tending bar tonight.  Jack was one of the favorites of the Dunder-Mifflin crowd, ever since he’d ponied up for three free rounds for the gang and free drinks all night for Devon the night he got canned.  “Yeah….just….I can’t talk right now, man….just the drink…”  “You got it, buddy….”  Jim slammed back the shot almost before Jack’s hand cleared the rim.  “I’ll leave the bottle…” Jack said, as he refilled the glass.

He stared at himself in the mirror behind the bar.  The redness and swelling were easily visible.  He moved his jaw back and forth, testing for anything that felt like a break, a loosened tooth.  Nothing.  Just the shit kicked out of his pride.  What would have happened if Michael hadn’t showed up?  One thing was certain – he would have given the bastard the fight of his life.

“Vodka-tonic….” He saw her mouthing the words in the mirror as he heard them beside him…He turned to look at her….”My angry drink….vodka-tonic….” She stared into space.  If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was talking to herself….”Yep…nice and bitter….” said Jan.

“Bitter…I’d say that’s the operative word tonight….” He stared back at the mirror.

“What happened?”  she asked, stirring the ice in her glass.  She genuinely cared.  She liked Jim. He had always struck her as somebody a lot smarter than the life he was living.  Charming and kind of cute, too.  She had been pleasantly surprised when he showed up in New York wanting to know about the transfer.  In his interview, he showed all the signs of being a potential addition to Corporate, given a little professional grooming.  It had surprised her that she hadn’t noticed it before.

“I…..nothing…..nothing happened……nothing…. ever….. happened, and you know what?”  he cocked his head to look at her with a rueful smile.  “Nothing ever will…”  Down went the shot, down went the glass with a slam.

“O..K….” Jan said slowly.

“What are you doing here anyway?”  Jim asked.  “Last time I saw you I figured you were headed back to the city.”

“I was…” she answered.  “But I was pretty wound up….I thought I’d grab a drink…cool down….head out when I felt more pulled together, you know?”

“Yesssss…..yes…I know.”

“Jim?”

“Yeah…”

“Why do I get the feeling we’re having more than one conversation here?”

He paused and looked at her for a moment….”Didn’t you know, Jan?  That’s my specialty.  I majored in “saying one thing and meaning something completely different”.  Words unspoken….” He raised an imaginary toast…”I’m the king….”

“Well, I’ve always believed in the direct approach.  How about we say what we mean from here on out?”

“OK…..”  His eyes roamed her face….”you’re very pretty and I’m getting very drunk.”

“Fair enough,” she nodded.  “You’re very cute and I’m very flattered…”

He liked this game.  “You’re very welcome and I’m very….”  Wow….she was really beautiful.  That sharp kind of beauty from another era, Turner Classic Movies beauty….Makes you forget about….”Eager….I am very eager to pursue this conversation elsewhere, Ms. Levinson….”  He was. He liked how strong she was. It was different….refreshing. He wondered what it was like to have that strength wrapped around him. He knew the liquor was loosening his tongue, had made him reckless, but he also knew this territory was safe with a woman like Jan.  She knew how to handle herself.  If he was out of line, she’d say so.  And he knew he wasn’t out of line.

“Well….my goodness….”  Something in the intensity of his gaze made her shift a little in her seat.  She felt a twinge of excitement stir between her legs. What the hell?  What the hell.  This sure felt better than fuming silently at herself and feeling like an idiot about the thing with Michael…Why not?  “I’m very ready…..Let’s get out of here.”  She dropped some bills on the counter.  She grabbed his hand as she led the way out of the bar, prompting him to turn and shrug his shoulders helplessly at Jack, with a wide-eyed, childlike smile as his goodbye.

She took quick, determined strides toward her car….almost dragging him behind her.  But the cool of the night air sobered him up a little, and he pulled back on her tugging.  She stopped and turned to face him.  “What?” she asked, just a little impatiently.

“Where are we going?”

She stared blankly and shrugged…”You know, I have no idea….Sorry…..” she smiled….God, her face lit up when she smiled…”Where would you like to go?” 

“How about Australia?” he smirked.

She furrowed her brow in confusion….

“Sorry…I’m sorry….” He shook his head.  “You could come back to my place if you like….” But he didn’t sound quite sincere, and he wasn’t.  This wasn’t a girlfriend or potential girlfriend moment.  He had to admit that this was grudge sex, and there was only one place for grudge sex….”Or you could take me to your hotel….”

She was embarrassed to admit that she hadn’t booked a hotel, that she’d thought she’d be staying with Michael…..the dork…..Suddenly, this didn’t seem like such a good idea. 

But then he took a step closer to her, and she felt his height and the warmth of his breath puffing down on her face.  “Jan….I don’t want to think about anything or make any more decisions…..I wish I could say I’m capable of being decent company, but about all I know for sure is that I want to take you to bed immediately….anywhere…” As he finished his sentence, he slid one arm roughly around her waist and jerked her toward him.  He pressed his mouth down on hers and forced her lips open, gliding his tongue over hers, then under, pulling hers in until it flicked his teeth. She slid a long, slim, manicured hand up the side of his face and through his hair.  This guy might have that cute, boyish thing going for him, she thought, but, whoa, this was a whole different ballgame.  His single hand spanned the whole of the small of her back.  As he slid the other up the nape of her neck and through her hair, she found the strength in his fingers and the pressure on her head almost a little frightening. What the hell is this, she thought….I’m making out with a 20-something sales rep and he’s working up a hard-on that’s about to bruise me!  Oh, my God, he’s….huge….Her eyes fluttered open….He pulled back his head a little, and stared at her expectantly, dropping one hand on the back of her neck, and sliding the other lightly over the top of her rear, tugging her pelvis a bit closer to him….She couldn’t remember the last time the feel of a man through his clothes sent such a shiver of excitement through her….Oh, God, I am not about to pass this up, she thought to herself…

“Get in the car…” she ordered, flicking the locks with her remote.  He slid into the sleek leather seat….How did these Corporate people keep their cars so clean?  Before she even buckled in, she was on the phone….”Yes, this is Jan Levinson from Dunder-Mifflin….How’re you doing?  Listen, I’ve had some unexpected business come up and I’m going to need a room for the night…I’m so sorry about the short notice….Yes, king will be fine….”  She couldn’t help but glance at him, and she let herself grin a little at the slight smile that crossed his lips….”Actually, I’m on my way right now….OK….Yes, the Corporate account….Thank you very much….”  She flipped the phone closed.  They were headed downtown.  “Let me guess…” he said…”Radisson….”  She nodded….

They pulled into the valet parking and she grabbed her bag from the backseat as the doors on either side of the car opened….He unbuckled his seatbelt and felt her hand on his arm…”If it’s ok with you,  I’d like to check in alone…..Can you just wait in the lobby for a second?”  “Sure…absolutely….” he answered.  There wasn’t much sense in advertising what was going on here.  She handed the parking attendant her keys and made a beeline for the front desk.  He strolled slowly into the lobby, taking a chair close to the elevators and looking around aimlessly.

When she was finished she passed by him, cocking her head slightly – his cue to rise and follow her to the mirrored walls housing the elevator bank.  The doors slid open and they entered.  As she dropped her bag and pressed the 7, the doors slid together, the mirrors on the opposite wall reflecting a fleeting glimpse of his outstretched arm reaching around her waist once again.  He crushed her against his body as the slight motion under their feet dizzied him.  She threw her arms around his neck and craned upward to meet his mouth with hungry kisses.  His hands rose to her ribs, wide thumbs pressing into the soft flesh of her breasts.  She felt so warm….she was shaking with excitement, and the trembling stirred his ardor….Oh, God, how he needed to fuck right now….He fought the urge to hit the stop button and take her right there on the floor, choosing instead to push her away by the shoulders as the “ding” signaled they had reached the 7th floor.  The doors whooshed open and she quickly reconciled the number on her key card with the arrows pointing to the left on the wall in front of them.      

The room door closed by itself behind them.  He pinned her to the wall in the room’s entryway the instant she dropped her bag.  She fumbled with one outstretched arm for a light switch, settling for the switch that flipped on the light in the bathroom.  Good enough….She kicked off her shoes so hard that one hit the inside of the closet behind him, startling him enough to stop and turn before whipping his head back, pushing the frosted curtain of her hair away from her neck and burying his teeth in the soft skin beneath her ear…

They made their way, locked at the mouth, to the foot of the large, multi-pillowed bed.  He tore his sweater off over his head as she yanked her arms from her jacket and threw it in the general direction of the recliner in the corner.  In unison, they each reached for the buttons on the other’s shirt, smiling together as they raced their way down each other’s torso, simultaneously snapping open buttons and yanking up shirttails.  Jim won the race, and he slid her shirt from her shoulders to reveal a black lace bra and deeply-tanned breasts cradling a thin gold chain and a large diamond solitaire.  He hardly had time to admire her before she was raking her nails lightly over his chest as she opened his shirt and leaned forward to kiss the rounded muscles her hands had mapped.  He dropped his arms to his sides as she pulled his shirt to the floor, then he reached up to unsnap the lacy hook anchoring her bra beneath the diamond.  Her breasts sprang forth as the bra popped back, and he gently rubbed the thin raw strap lines on her shoulders, sliding the bra down her back and onto the floor.  The golden tone of her skin complemented her honey-dark nipples, each of which tightened under the stroke of his long fingers.  He cupped their roundness in the palms of his hands.  She reached up on her tiptoes as he lowered his head to fill his mouth with them, marveling at the sweet, cinnamon flavor of this woman he had always imagined as brittle and metallic. 

As he ran his tongue around her nipples, he felt her fumble with his belt buckle.  Without warning, her hands plunged into his boxers, and he winced as her nails scraped the shaft of his cock before her palms closed tightly around it.  He wriggled his pants down to his ankles and stepped out of them, pulling his shoes off by the heels in the process.  “Oh, my God….” she whispered as she sank to her knees before him. “Jim….Jesus!”  It wasn’t the first time he’d heard these kinds of comments, but coming from Jan, Ms. Totally-in-Control, it was a monumental turn-on.  She looked up at him and shook her head, grinning in amazement.  When he shrugged and smiled down at her, a look of wicked determination crossed her face, and he felt himself sink into the soft darkness of her mouth, more deeply than he could ever remember having gone….She pulled him out of her mouth and ran her tongue up the sensitive underside of his shaft, only to plunge him back in and forcefully rock her head back and forth as he grasped fistfuls of her creamy blond hair in his fingers.  He felt the heaviness of his testicles cupped in her hand, and started to sense the gathering force that preceded an orgasm.  No.  This wasn’t enough.  He needed to fuck every bit of yearning out of his mind.  He pulled her face away roughly and slid his hands under her arms, lifting her to her feet….”No…” he panted…She nodded submissively…”Ok….” 

He gripped her ribcage and lifted…she rose off the ground and landed on her back as he tossed her onto the bed….He collapsed on top of her, scraping her skin with the stubble of the day’s beard as he kissed and licked and gently bit his way down her body.  His free hand furiously worked the button at the top of her jeans, and as he unzipped them, she kicked feverishly and wrestled them off.  A lacy black thong was all that stood between them.  He ran the flat of his hand one last time over her breasts, down the hard, toned concave curve of her stomach.  Then, grabbing one side of the thong, he tore it off her body with a single, violent jerk.  She gasped at the gesture, but her eyes narrowed, meeting the challenge.  You want it that way, fella, you got it….

With the lithe intensity of the dancer she had been in her youth, she swung a long, muscled leg over him and flipped him on his back.  She straddled his stomach and delighted in the astonished stare looking up at her.  He reached for her waist, but she grabbed his wrists and pinned them down on either side of his head.  “Tell me what you want, Jim….”  she purred.   “Tell me what you want to do to me….Say it…”  His expression hardened.  He had been so silenced for so long.  He didn’t even know if he knew how to give his thoughts and feelings voice any more.  But the silken slide of her legs up and down his outer thighs, and the gentle sway of her breasts over his chest, and the sight of her dark triangle enmeshed in the hair line extending down below his navel all combined to liberate him from every bit of mannered control….. “I want to fuck you….I’m going to fuck you…..”  he glowered….”Put me inside you….” She released one wrist and reached down to guide his penis to the edge of her labia…”Now.”  he ordered….She hesitated….”NOW!”  he insisted.

She impaled herself hard onto him, knocking their pelvic bones together with a painful, satisfying crack in that first thrust.  He filled her so deeply that she felt something inside her snap, but she didn’t stop to consider what it might be.  It didn’t matter.  Whatever was happening felt totally right. For his part, the tightness and slick friction inside her was unbelievable.  She fit him like a glove.  As she steadied her hands on his hips, she controlled the rhythm by alternating long, slow grinds with short bouncing bursts of movement.  His hands extended to roam the length of her, but he wanted more.  He wanted to be deeper inside this golden sanctuary from all of his pain and humiliation.  He sat up, wrapping her legs around his hips, and inched her toward the edge of the bed.  Anchored on his lap, she twined her arms around his neck, and he used all the force he could muster to pull her down onto him, to thrust so deeply into her that he didn’t know where he ended and she began.  They rocked forcefully against one another, and the steady pressure of his pelvis on her clitoris, coupled with the fierce vision of his cock disappearing completely inside her, combined to fan her ardor to flame.  She hadn’t had a man like this in so long….Oh, God, he was fucking her…..Look at him…..The orgasm washed over her with such power that she cried out, and her cries pushed him over the edge….He was making this Amazon come….She was falling limp against him….He was still a man, God damn it…..He gripped her buttocks and rose to his full 6’3”.  With a spin of his foot, he turned to face the bed and dropped them together in its center, never uncoupling.  He arched his back and drove in and out, in and out….”Fuck me….” she gasped….”fuck me…..”  Her wantonness was perfect…..He lifted her legs over his shoulders and rose up on his knees….She tightened around him, and the spasms inside her drew forth an explosion….He plunged forward and came, roaring wordlessly in release as jet after jet pulsed into her.  His rhythmic groans subsided, and he came to rest on top of her, trying to bear part of his weight on his arms to avoid crushing her chest….He turned his face away from hers, resting his cheek slightly on her shoulder, recovering from the flood of euphoric release…

“Jim…”  she said coolly…”Uh-huh…”  “Honey, I don’t know who she is, but I’ll tell you something, she doesn’t know what she’s missing….”  She patted him affectionately on the back and squirmed just enough to signal she was ready to release him….He slowly drew himself out of her and dropped onto his back on the cool bedcover….

“Yeah, well, that’s just it, Jan….She knows well enough….She just doesn’t care….”  He covered his eyes with his forearm….This had been so great, but here he was, eyes and nostrils stinging, ready to cry again over Goddamned Pam…..

She rolled up on her side to face him, cradling her head in her hand.  “Is is somebody at the office?”  she asked.  He gave her a baleful stare.   She went through her mental “Women in the Workplace” Rolodex…..Of course…..she knew…it couldn’t be anyone else….the mousy one, Pam…the one that was getting married….”That’s why you want the transfer, isn’t it?”

“I can’t be around it anymore…” he grimaced.  “I can’t watch it happen and I can’t stop it….I just….I have to get out….”

“I understand….”  She stroked his hair back from his forehead.  It was a tender gesture, one so incongruous that it drew his focus back to her….”Thank you, Jan….I mean, I know that sounds stupid, but….you don’t know how much I needed this….”

“I think I do….” she said softly.  “I haven’t been with anybody since my divorce.” He looked at her quizzically.  “No, that didn’t get this far by a long shot….”  He settled back and stared at the ceiling.  “It would mean a lot to me if you’d go ahead and stay with me tonight, Jim.  I’ll get you back to your car early.  You can call in sick tomorrow and I’ll expedite the transfer as soon as I get back to the city.  Nobody ever has to know about this, and I swear to you it won’t change things at work….”  He suddenly flashed on an Austin Powers movie, and Dr. Evil’s line to Frau Farbissina before their night in the sack--Don’t worry, baby, it won’t get weird---and he started to laugh, in spite of himself.  She grinned in confusion…”What?”  she asked….”No….no….I’m sorry….” he couldn’t stifle the laughter….he rolled his face into the pillow and shook with laughter, grabbing for her hand….”I’m sorry, Jan, I’m so sorry…I’m just having my 19th nervous breakdown….Yeah, I’ll stay, if you want me to…absolutely….”

“OK, then, it’s settled…” she nodded….”I don’t think I can sleep yet, can you?”  He shook his head…..She rose and made her way to the closet, pulling out two heavy terry-cloth robes.  She tossed one to him while she slipped the other over herself.  “I’m starving….are you hungry?”  she asked…

He realized that he was….the drunkenness had given way to a ravenous appetite.  He put the robe on while she pulled the room service menu out of the nightstand.  She opened it and scooted next to him, opening it for both of them.  “24 hour room service….This is why I love the Radisson…” she grinned.  Twenty minutes later they were picnicking on grilled ham and cheese over a cable broadcast of “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy…” “You know, that guy Champ looks just like Todd Packer,” Jim noted….She nodded in agreement, her mouth full…”I hate that guy,” she muttered flatly between bites….

As the closing credits rolled, they slid their dishes onto the table.  It was close to 3 a.m.  He slipped under the sheets in his robe.  Jan unzipped her travel bag and pulled out a white satin gown….”Seems a shame for it to go to waste…” she smiled.  “Yeah…put it on…” he agreed.  She dropped her robe with no self-consciousness and slid the satin over her naked body.  He opened the sheets and she curled up next to him, leaning away just long enough to leave a 6:30 wake-up call.  “If we hustle, I can get home before 10 and get things rolling for you,” she said.  “Great...” he answered.  She stroked his face and kissed him softly.  “Goodnight….”  “Night….”

When the phone jangled him awake he was amazed at how rested he felt.  Less than three hours sleep, but they had been three hours without that familiar longing, without haunted dreams, and that had made all kinds of difference. She had her back to him.  He saw her arm reach out slowly, lift the receiver, and plop it back down again.  The gesture made him smile.  He knew this wasn’t going anywhere, and that was fine with him, but God damn it, he sure liked this woman.  She stirred slightly as he ran his hand down the silkiness covering her hips.  He loved the feel of her toned frame underneath the soft satin.  “Jan?”  “Mmm…hmm…”  He inched his hand under the hem of her gown….”Would you be willing to get back to the city an hour later?”  She rolled over to face him, smiling dreamily…”Well, I am the boss….”