The New Intern

"Good Morning," I stood behind my desk and offered my hand to our new intern. "I'm Sarah, the official welcoming committee and all around gofer for this floor. Welcome to the editing center of the world." I laughed while doing a pretty good Vanna impression.

"Thanks, for the warm welcome. So, this is the editing floor." He looked around nodding. "Interesting."

"Yep," I nodded looking over my shoulders, "the whole square block on this floor is editing. I was expecting someone from HR to bring you up and give you the tour. I guess that new VP has them hopping down there."

"It was really busy. I just came on up on my own." He nodded and smiled.

"Initiative in an intern, wow, you'll impress the higher ups with that get 'er done attitude." I peeked into the floor manager's office, empty again. "Well, come on, I'll show you around and see if someone knows who you're shadowing today."

I walked around the desk with my tag-a-long intern close behind. I rambled on about the work being done in each section, the normal duties of an intern, and such. Every time I turned to look at our new prot he was staring at my legs and slowly working his way up to my face with quite the grin on his face. After about the third 'exam' I headed straight for the break room. This little twerp was going to learn a thing or two about business etiquette this morning.

I stormed down the hall, and opened the break room door for Mr. Intern. I closed the door, no need for the whole floor to hear me dressing him down. They would all have their chance at the newbie soon enough. I backed the new guy back into the corner, one hand on my hip and the other finger jabbing at his chest. "Now listen here, bucko. There are some things you need to think about before you get yourself in a boat load of trouble. Have you ever heard of sexual harassment? Those looks you were giving me were not of a professional nature. When you're here at work, you need to keep your eyes on your work, not on my... assets, got it?" I bet steam was pouring out of my ears. I was so mad. How dare he! I huffed, and crossed my arms across my chest.

He stood there and took it like a man. He raised his hands in surrender. "You're right. I'm very sorry. It was totally unprofessional behavior, and I assure you that it won't happen again," he paused and mumbled, "at work." A slow grin crossed his face as he tilted his head back up; his green eyes seemed to light up. "Here, let me make a peace offering. Would you allow me the honor of taking you to lunch so I can make up for my bad behavior? You can show me places around here that offer real food and not this health hazardous stuff that I see in here."

I stepped back, shaking my head. I can't believe it. "You really didn't start in HR, did you?" I laughed. "Company policy, no... dating... coworkers."

"It's not a date. It's lunch, and it's on me, to make up for my inappropriate behavior."

"You are an unpaid intern, how are you, oh never mind. No." I turned and headed back to my desk. I'd spent enough time babysitting Mr. Intern, I had work to do. He could wait for Sam to tell him what to do, or figure it out himself with that initiative he'd displayed earlier.

Fifteen minutes later, the elevator doors binged and opened. "Sarah."

I looked up from the draft I was working on. Finally, Sam made it into work. "Yes, sir?"

"I'm supposed to have a meeting at lunch. The new VP is clamoring for several reports that aren't quite finished."
I knew the drill. Sam was supposed to have finished those reports two weeks ago. He already had all of the documentation that I'd prepared before they were due and was getting ready to plop it on my desk, anyway. I might as well pull it all together. It would be easier to live with him out of the office than in it.

The elevator pinged again, and Sam was headed off for his lunch. I rolled my eyes and yelled at myself for enabling him to be irresponsible, again.

If that wasn't bad enough, leaving this early for lunch meant he'd be coming back sloshed and unable to do any coherent work, so the reports wouldn't get done at all. If that happened, the whole department would suffer. I couldn't let that happen, it wasn't fair to any of my coworkers. I sucked it up, shook my head, and cleared my work off to the side. The next few hours would be spent covering Sam's assets, and they weren't even all that appealing. I chuckled to myself.

"What's so funny?"

I looked up, there all six feet of the new intern stood. His tie was loosened, his collar button was undone. His dark hair looked like he'd been trying to pull it out. His green eyes looked a little more tired than they were this morning. That smirky grin seemed to have vanished.

"Is it that bad?" I smiled trying to put on the happy face.

"What?"

"Is shadowing someone in the editing department that bad? You look like you've been through the ringer."

"Oh, I've been going through some papers. Something just doesn't add up." He shook his head as if to snap the spell. "It will all work out."

"Yeah, it will. Just don't let it get you down. Sometimes you have to stand up and do what's right for the manuscript." I smiled, knowing exactly how hard it was to tell someone that the facts were wrong, or the timeline didn't work.

"What about lunch? I'm starved, and I don't have a clue about any of the places around here. I'd really appreciate the company."

I really wanted to say yes, but I looked down at the reports. All I could do was sigh. I shook my head. "I'm sorry; I've got to get some things done. I'm going to work through lunch so I can get it turned in before the deadline."

"Well, that's a step up from NO. Where can I go? I'll pick something up and bring it back. You need to eat something. Wouldn't want the floor Welcoming Committee to pass out from low blood sugar, now would we?"

I shook my head and laughed, "I guess not." I gave him directions to the closest deli that offered a variety of healthy choices, remembering his comment from before. I wrote down my order and put a ten with it. He smiled and waved as the elevator doors closed and danged if I didn't smile and wave back. Oh my goodness, what am I going to do with him? This is so not going to happen.

I started with the files, collating information necessary to complete the first report. Trying to make the numbers jive was driving me nuts. Pieces of information were missing. I couldn't find them in the files that had been dumped on my desk. I know when I gave these files to Sam they were complete. This just didn't make sense.

"I'm back."

I jumped and gasped scattering papers. Geez, he was good at sneaking up on me. I looked up into the greenest eyes. My jaw dropped, no words would form.

"That's exactly what my desk looked like, and I was feeling like. Come on; let's go eat in the break room."

"I've got to..."

He kept on walking taking the lunch I'd paid for with him. Dang it, I don't have time for this, but I got up and followed him to the break room. I opened the door to him washing his hands.

"The water's not too warm up here. Is it always this cool?"

I soaped up, "Yep, pretty much."

He held the chair for me at the break room table then sat across from me. He rummaged through the bag, lifting out my sandwich and his salad. He pulled two waters from the second bag and laid my change on the table next to me.
I picked up my sandwich and water. I hope he understood. I wasn't going to sit in here and eat a leisurely lunch. I had too much to do. "Thanks for picking this up, I really have to get back to work, now."

His mouth opened, like he was going to say something, but I turned and left before he had a chance. There is a no dating policy, there is a no dating policy, I repeated the mantra over and over all the way to my desk. I sat down and sighed, but holy cow, he's so fine.

I took a couple of bites of my sandwich and started poring over the reports again. The elevator bell dinged. He stood, waiting for the doors to close. No smile, no wave. I felt awful. I mouthed thank you, as the doors closed. He didn't even acknowledge that.

I struggled through the afternoon with Sam's reports. Every so often I'd take a bite of my sandwich and feel even more like the heel I was.

By four Sam showed up, his nose as red as a cherry and breath that would make a sober man drunk just breathing it in. He slurred his words, and his tipsy world swayed back and forth over my desk. All I needed him to do was to sign them off. I'd dump Sam on his sofa then take the reports upstairs and no one would be the wiser, again.

Sam's signature was ten times worse than normal. Hopefully the new VP wouldn't have old copies to check. Maybe I should have signed them myself. I closed the folders and helped Sam wobble over to his office door. His hand dipped down to my ass and gave it a good squeeze. He plopped down on the couch nearly pulling me down on top of him. I shoved him over, covered him with that tacky afghan his wife made him and placed a waste basket by his head, just in case. I cut the lights off as he mumbled something about me being a good work wifey. I rolled my eyes and closed the door. Standing there at my desk was green eyes, all tall and manly. Oh dang, how long has he been standing there?

His arms were crossed over his chest. If his last look in the elevator was disappointment, this look must be pure disgust. I took a deep breath, and righted my clothes that had been pulled askew, time to divert attention. "Thank you so much for picking up lunch for me."

"It's still sitting there. You haven't eaten."

"I've been busy with the paperwork I was telling you about."

"Was that your boss?"

My eyes widened, and my eyes darted back toward Sam's office. "Oh, he's not feeling too well. Bad Chinese, you know." I nodded, trying to make myself believe it, too.

His brow furrowed, he cocked his head to the side. His green eyes seemed to bore right through me. I'd never felt like a worm squirming on a hot sidewalk before, but boy I did now. I'd never bold face lied to anyone about Sam before.

"He was supposed to have some reports ready. He hasn't been here to finish them." He stopped short.

That's when I knew, Mr. Intern, wasn't the intern. He was the new VP, and he'd just seen my boss groping me, after I'd dressed him down for just looking and grinning. Oh man, how could this day get any worse?

"I just came to find out how much longer he'd be. Has he even looked at the work he just signed off?"

I looked down at the floor wishing to be anywhere but here. "The reports are ready. I was going to take them upstairs now."

He held out his hand. I gave him what he came for, and sat back down at my desk. "Come with me, Sarah."

I looked up. Great, Sam's passed out, I've done his work for him and I'm getting canned. I followed obediently into the elevator. He pushed the lobby button. He faced forward, briefly looking over the report.

The doors opened. I was getting escorted out of the building. I objected, "I don't have my belongings. I don't even have my pocketbook."

"You don't need your belongings, or your pocketbook. Come on."

We turned and headed down the street toward the deli I'd sent him to earlier. We walked back to the counter, "Order."

"What?"

"Order what you'd like to eat. You are going to eat." He paused and flagged Theo down to take my order. "You are going to eat and talk to me."

I looked at Theo standing behind the counter staring at the hunky guy next to me. Theo actually gave him the thumbs up. Talk about being ganged up on. I rolled my eyes, "The usual Theo." I moved down to the checkout with the VP at my elbow. He paid and picked up my sandwich, and carried it to a table in the back. I followed, begrudgingly. My mind was racing, how was I going to get out of this massive brouhaha that I'd created?

He held my chair and started in. "I've been going through the editing department paperwork today."

I picked up my sandwich and stuffed it in my mouth. Can't talk with your mouth full I reasoned with myself.

He sat down across from me and folded his hands on the table. "Look, I just need to know, how long?"

"Huh?" I mumbled through the huge bite I'd taken.

"How long have you been covering for Sam?"

I felt like my heart was breaking. Sam was so close to retirement, he couldn't afford to lose his pension. I couldn't cover anymore. My head was swimming. Hunky green eyes with that delectable grin stared at me waiting for an answer. I'd been found out, my treachery for the greater good, Sam and Mrs. Sam, VP, oh gee.

I threw the sandwich down on the table. I grabbed my head. Stop the spinning, I want to get off!

"Sarah?"

The flood gates were loosed, tears started flowing and who knew when they'd stop. Blubbering wasn't a pretty family trait, but it was one I'd inherited. I laid my head down on my arm, and kept sobbing.

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

"I can't do this." I peeked up to see Theo starting to head over to our table. I waved him off, "I'm alright,"and more blubbering ensued.

"Sarah, everything's going to be alright." A strong hand rubbed my shoulder and back. He leaned over, "This isn't sexual harassment, is it?"

Aw, he's trying to make a funny. I looked up, snuffled, and I really tried to grin. "No, it's not."

He pulled a couple of napkins out and handed them to me. He kept rubbing my arm, holding my hand until I finally pulled myself together.

"Let me tell you what I know, alright?"

I wiped my eyes with the napkin and blew my nose way too loudly. Geez can't I do anything right around this guy?

"For the last year or so, you've been doing the department's paperwork. The only time that Sam has touched it is when you're on vacation. That's why the documentation is skewed."

I snuffled again, nodding to the truth that he was laying out on the table. Thank god he didn't do this at work. I couldn't have faced anyone on our floor.

He placed his hand over mine and looked at me. Past all mascara running down my face, the red and swollen eyes, and the drippy nose. He looked at me like he really cared; and not Sam's work wifey type of look either.

"Sarah, when you introduced yourself this morning, there was a real sparkle about you. You love the company. You love the people you work with. I could tell you were the life force of the department. When you said you were the gofer, it wasn't a demeaning comment like some would take it. You are the one everybody in your department depends on, even Sam." He sat back in his chair. His green eyes sparkled, that devilish grin was back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. "There's been a change in the company policy handbook. I thought you'd like to see it."

I swallowed hard, here it comes, but I thought pink slips were actually pink. There was one sentence typed on the paper. New personnel policy: The VP bearing this statement may date the new supervisor of the Editing Department, that is, if it isn't considered Sexual Harassment by said supervisor.

I read the paper three times, turned it over and read it again. I finally looked up to my handsome green eyed devil. I shook my head and laughed. "You've seen me at my best and my worst, all in the same day. Are you sure you want to get mixed up with somebody that's so messed up?"

He leaned forward placing one hand on my knee. His fingers lightly caressed my jaw tempting me closer. "Sarah, I can't think of anything that I would want more than to see you light up for me like you did this morning," he whispered. His lips lightly brushed mine.

I sighed into his kiss. I can date the VP, I can date the VP, nanna nanna boo boo. I can date the VP, Hot Damn!



WC 2980
Prompt : The Art of Seduction I want to see someone seduced who's determined not to be. Imagine this, your character has been flirting with someone for a little while now, but keeps getting shot down. How will your character seduce this person? Sex isn't necessary with this one, but I'd like to know that it's heading in that direction. Focus on the senses, as well as the physical and emotional responses of the characters.