By the time Tyler walked into the briefing room, there were only 4 or 5 seats left. They were all in the front row, right next to the small podium where Nicole would address them. So, high school. We meet again.

He took an empty seat and waited, listening to the sea of murmurs and quiet laughs typical of a Friday afternoon. After a moment, he glanced over at Nicole as she shuffled through a stack of endless reports and notes. Nothing he need be concerned about; still, he was suddenly struck with the thought that while he had sat idly looking at a blank computer screen, she had played a part in each of those reports and notes in a matter of days. She had the weight of their entire branch on her shoulders.

Tyler wondered why that made him feel sorry for her, even guilty in a way. It was her job, after all. Still...

More time passed and he realized he had been studying her for some time, content to simply stare while his brain had shut down. Her outfit was professional as always.. Plain white button up shirt, black skirt, black hose, closed-toe black heels. Four years and I've never once seen her wear anything remotely provocative. What would happen if I did? Spontaneous combustion? Subdural hematoma? Or maybe just the usual. Mouth breathing, vacant stares. Like every other time I see her. His eyes traveled down her legs, and stopped at her heels.

Nicole cleared her throat, breaking his reverie. The background noise remained. "If you wouldn't mind," Nicole began, loud enough for the whole room to hear. No use.

"Quiet!"

Tyler was sure he heard a pin drop.

After that, things went as expected. Nicole went over a parade of unmet quotas, failed projects, employees taking extended breaks. Nothing escaped her gaze, it seemed.

"I want this week behind us, so you're being released from work early. Try not to think of it as a reward." Nicole took a deep breath, and Tyler knew she was out of 'boss mode'. For now. "I am desperately trying to keep you, all of you, employed. The truth is, this branch of the company is being supported by one pillar. Without that pillar, you don't have jobs."

Tyler cringed inwardly at the last comment. It came off as oddly self serving. There was a scoff, somewhere towards the back. There was no way Nicole could not have heard it, but if it affected her in any way she didn't show it. So you're just going to jump ship with the rest of them, huh? She's not talking about herself, Tyler.

Nicole dismissed them, and set about collecting her things. Tyler waited for the room to clear a bit, then stood. She caught his gaze and offered a slight smile. "Wait in my office? I won't be long."

"Okay."

He tried to think of anything but the obvious on his way to her office. And failed. What is this about? The last time he had been there was more than a year ago, and Nicole made it clear that his attendance for performance reviews would no longer be necessary unless that performance became unsatisfactory. It hadn't. She had been on a disciplinary tear of late, true, but his time stamps had been perfect and he never even spoke to other employees beyond a timid greeting...

Tyler arrived at her office, wondering how he could possibly get through an entire conversation with Nicole. Without leaving her thinking he might have a stuttering problem. Without blurting out something brainless like he did earlier today. Without her... Thinking anything about you at all? Good luck with that. There's a reason the only way you're able to avoid leaving an impression is by complete invisibility. Part of him hoped that she was just going to inform him of a system upgrade or give him some unscheduled time off. Something simple, then send him on his way.

The door was open and he stepped inside. It was clean, undecorated, nothing but the essentials you would expect someone in Nicole's position to have in an office. No pictures, no personal effects. It was almost like his, he realized. Almost like she... Didn't want anyone to know anything about her? That's you, Tyler. Not her.

Well, almost no personal effects. To his right, there was a table with two chairs set beside it up against the wall. The chair closest to him looked to have something pink on the seat, but his view was obstructed by a potted, fake miniature tree. Curiosity got the best of him, and he took a step around the tree.

Tyler's memory of the next moment would be seared into his brain for the rest of his life, he was certain.

Nicole was like clockwork. She was at the office first and left last, every day. It made sense that she might sometimes start her day in the exercise room on the ground floor. Their building was huge, the company occupied only one of twelve floors.

So Tyler stood, frozen, within arm's reach of what must have been Nicole's workout attire from the morning. Tank top, shorts, ankle socks stuffed into her shoes.

Socks... stuffed into shoes. The aroma. He knew what it was instantly, even if it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was musky. Potent. Other things that Tyler wasn't sure were even adjectives you could use to describe a smell. It smells feminine. Powerful. A thousand things. His entire body was flooded with conflicting sensations, some of them new, others long dormant. What the hell is wrong with me?

Before Tyler had any chance to answer, to sort out why exactly he was so overcome or to at least try to regain a hint of self control, the not-so-far-away sound of heels on marble began to echo through hallway outside.