I have to get out of here.. This is too much. Fighting the urge to fling himself through the seventh story window in Nicole's office, Tyler realized that he had only seconds before she would be in the room. Cursing his perversion and lack of self control, he quickly sat in the chair opposite Nicole's desk and silently prayed that she might not notice anything unusual with him.

"Well, that was fun." Nicole said as she stepped inside. Her tone was sarcastic, but friendly. She closed the door behind her and he could sense her movement towards the desk. She fell into her office chair with a sigh, and looked at him. She immediately shot back up. "Tyler?! Are you all right?"

"S-sorry?" He said with feigned confusion.

"You're white as a ghost. And you're sweating. What happened?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just got a bit dizzy on my way in. It's probably, you know, low blood sugar.." Tyler forced a small laugh.

"You seemed fine just a minute ago. Has this happened to you before?" She seemed genuinely concerned. Tyler felt a bit more at ease.

Yes, it has happened before. Never quite like that.. "Maybe a few times. I'm fine now though, really. Um, thanks." He grimaced and scratched the back of his head. Can we change the subject now?

He thought Nicole sensed his apprehension and might want to keep questioning him. Thankfully, she didn't. "Okay, well.. If you start to feel dizzy again don't decide to faint before you tell me, all right?" She said, chidingly.

"I won't. Promise."

"Good. Well..." She sat back down, crossed one leg over the other. "Tyler, I umm.. hadn't planned to talk to you here. Today, I mean. I have been meaning to, for a while now. It just seemed like there was never a good time, or, umm.. enough time, either, really. Lately." Nicole broke off, brushed her hair behind her ears. Something was off, Tyler realized immediately. This was the second time today Nicole had spoken to him like this - grasping for words, disjointed sentences, slight breaks in her tone of voice. Just like when she.. asked me here? In my office, earlier today.. Almost like she was nervous, or at least out of her element. She's anxious... Excited. Look at her face, Tyler. She's an eight year old at the breakfast table on Christmas morning, trying to sit still when her present is wrapped up, right there in front of her, just a few feet away. Just begging to be.. ripped open. Tyler's pulse accelerated slightly.

Nicole must have sensed him squirming a bit. "Wow. Listen to me." She broke eye contact and let out a sound that was equal parts sigh and laugh. "I'm so used to being direct about things, I think I would do better dancing in a ballet than around a subject." She didn't seem inclined to continue, and an uncomfortable silence grew.

"Uhh, Nicole, if you don't want to-"

"I have a nickname for you, did you know that?" The change in her demeanor was unmistakable.

What...? Tyler shook his head no.

"My little escape artist. I've had to catch myself, almost calling you that in front of others a few times. Even in front of you, once. Do you know how I came up with that nickname, Tyler?"

Tyler turned to stone. He might have been a photograph, aside from the rapid in-out-in-out movement of his chest. Petrified of where this conversation might be going, he felt something else as well - Nicole addressing him in this manner was a sort of attention Tyler had never been paid. Not even close. He didn't trust himself to speak, so he shook his ahead again.

"It's such an apt nickname, Tyler. Accurate in every way. It even has a double meaning. You've worked here for four years. You've never been late. You've called in sick once. And yet, you have managed to shirk every company function, party, or get together since you were hired. And it doesn't matter who tries to hold a conversation with you - someone at the water cooler asking if you saw the game, a new employee looking to you for some idea of what to expect of working here, me asking you how your weekend was - poof. The moment their head is turned, your Houdini instincts take over. But that's not all, Tyler."

Is this how the victim of a serial killer feels? The moment they know they are going to die?

Nicole stood up, adjusted her shirt and smoothed out her skirt. Tyler found a spot on the floor to stare at. She moved around her desk and took the seat opposite him. She put her elbows on her thighs and folded her hands together, leaning forward. "Look at me, Tyler." He mustered a shred of courage and looked in her deep, brown eyes, wondering if his light blue ones showed his feelings the same way Nicole's were showing her predatory instincts. "You've carried something with you for four years, every day. I know what it is because I have one at home. How do you spend your time, when you aren't here? When you're at home, or wherever it is you go to hide? Don't try to lie."

She's... noticed me, this much? Tyler thought about the Kindle, his book reader. He bought the first edition shortly after being hired by the company. "I.. read. A lot." He said quietly.

"Mmhmm.. There's a song, do you know who Blind Melon is?"

Tyler shook his head, no.

"They were popular years ago. Now, not so much. Except for the one song. It's called 'No Rain'. All I can say is that my life is pretty plain..."

Her singing voice was beautiful. Soft, pretty, perfect pitch. She was nervous two minutes ago, but she's perfectly calm sitting here dissecting me. Tyler swallowed. "It's a good song, but there's one line in particular. Where he talks about reading. How it's all he can do to stay awake, how it rips his life away... But it's a great..."

Tyler closed his eyes. It was obvious what she expected. She's... neurotic. She was so polite to me, for years. Even when everyone else seemed to draw her ire. Was it all for this? To humiliate me?

"Escape." Tyler finished. He felt angered, shamed. Not that he would do anything about it. And the nickname, it was perfect. Unerring.

"There's a reason I'm telling you this, Tyler. I'm going to ask you something before you leave today - but before I do, I need you to see. I need you to see how deeply I understand you. The things I said.. whatever you may think about the way I said them, Tyler - they endear you to me."

They.. what? Tyler felt his stomach flop.

"Hard as you may try to hide, from everyone, from me, sometimes you just can't. Not for four years. You can't hide that you are clever. That you're funny. Polite, well-mannered. You do anything I ask of you without question, you never make excuses when you fail. Well-written, well-spoken when you let yourself just.. relax, a little bit. Cute. Maddeningly, infuriatingly cute, Tyler." She took one of his hands in both of hers. They were warm. The sensation of her touch - the immediate feeling that his hand belonged nowhere else but inside hers - hit Tyler at the same moment the reality of what she was saying to him set in. Oh my God. She likes me.

Nicole looked away. "I have spent.. years, in awful relationships." Tyler felt the weakness in her voice. Instinctively, he brought his other hand up and held on for dear life. Please, don't let go. "Eventually, I realized I could never be in a relationship because I didn't.. like... anyone. Ever. So I stopped trying. I had to be the one with power, the one in control - at first it would be from my own desire, but inevitably it would change into something else. Anger. At myself, because I couldn't just let myself enjoy or even accept someone else. At others, because why couldn't anyone just be.. just be like..."

Her eyes met his, no longer predatory. I'm falling, inside those eyes. Right now.

"You, Tyler. I want to.. be your friend. More than just that of course. But to spend time with you, to.. go places, do things with you. Pointless things, frivolous things, anything. I've never wanted those things from anyone. I also want.. you to be nothing more than mine. I want to control you. To make you helpless. And I think what excites me the most is that you want me to.  I know you do.  More than you've ever wanted anything. Will you come to my house tonight, Tyler?"

Tyler relaxed his grip, and Nicole pulled her hands away and sat back. He blinked. Again. He closed his mouth, dry as the desert. He didn't want to think about how long he might have been mouth breathing. Is this real life?  He probably could have just said 'yes' in reply.  Instead Tyler did the only thing he could think of at the time, given the situation. He lifted his left arm up, and pinched it. Hard. Ouch.

"Oh my God. You sweet, sweet little boy.  No, it's not a dream.  I'm going to take that as a yes?"