Wanted: Girl I Once Met

by Sonja Gunter

  “I did that once too, a long time ago.”

  “It’s tough to envision you as an everyday guy. I’ve seen first-hand what your out of the office is like,” she added and shook her head.

  “I don’t know if I can afford the eight bucks. We might have to go Dutch,” Mark suggested.

  “That’s fine. I’d prefer to pay my own way. Which theater would we go to? Do you like plain or buttered popcorn?”

  “We wouldn’t really go to a movie theater. I’m asking if you’d come to my house to watch a movie?”

  “Your house?” she asked in confusion.

  “Yea, my house. We can make our own popcorn. You can add as much butter as you want. I have a popcorn machine that looks like a wagon. You’d love it.” Mark cleared his throat, before he continued. “You see, Philip would need more time to arrange everything if we actually went out to a theater. And I haven’t told him yet I was planning this evening.”

  “Arrange? What would he need to organize? It’s only a theater.”

  “Remember what happened yesterday at the restaurant and in front of the building? That would be nothing compared to us going to a public movie theater. It would be easier if you came over to my house.”

  “Oh, sorry I didn’t think about your problem. How are you able to do anything?” she asked.

  Why is the public so interested in him? She could understand why women were, but the public? It didn’t make sense.

  “That’s part of the fun, trying to cheat them out of finding me.”

  “What type of movies do you have in your collection? I’m a romance and comedy type of girl,” she said, still not committing to anything.

  “I think we should stick to a comedy. Was that a yes?”

  “Yea, but I’m not sure why. Do you have movies on demand?”

  “Movies on demand?” Mark asked.

  “It’s movies you order from your satellite channels. You know, like Netflix. Don’t you watch television either?”

  “Sometimes. I don’t have much time to relax and do nothing but when I do, Philip sets it up,” Mark stated.

  “Okay, why don’t you have Philip arrange a movie for us to see at your house,” she said and laughed.

  “That would work. Then I can let him know so he can plan it.”

  “Is he going to watch the movie with us, too?”

  “No, he won’t be a third wheel,” Mark said.

  Rane glanced at her watch. “We need to go back inside. Remember, we can’t be late.”

  They proceeded to the double-glass doors, and a handful of employees glanced at them. When they stepped inside the cafeteria, it suddenly became quiet. This time Rane sensed Mark’s barriers go up. Not sure what to do, she followed Mark across the room.

  “Mr. Christmenn. Ms. Schoen. How was your lunch?”

  She turned and found Mr. Adam had come to their rescue. His question ended the eerie silence and halted their progress.

  “It was tasty, thank you. Ms. Schoen and I discussed some of her intake on this morning’s meeting,” Mark replied.

  The three of them moved through the cafeteria. The employees now ignored them.

  “What was Antonio’s creation today?” Mark asked.

  “It’s a mocha—”

  Mr. Adam stopped as his name was announced over the loud speaker for a phone call. He excused himself and left her and Mark alone by the elevators. The elevator arrived empty and no one else joined them. The instant the doors closed, Mark hit the stop button and turned to face her.

  She glanced around, nervously at first, and then stared at him. He held her gaze relentlessly and moved in as if he was hunting his prey. He gently put his hands on her shoulders.

  “Your eyes are changing color.”

  “They are?” Rane murmured while she held her breath.

  Mark drew her closer and leaned down, kissing her lips in one motion. It ended too quickly but left her breathless. Still the same as before. All thought and reasoning gone as she stared into his eyes.

  “I’ve wanted to do that all morning. Ever since last night, I’ve wanted a second taste,” Mark said. He slid his hands down her arms and rested them on her hips. “Have you ever made love in an elevator?”

  “No!”

  Make love in an elevator?

  “It can be very exciting.”

  His husky tone sent shivers down her spine. The thought shocked and enthralled her.

  Her meeting be damned!

  She let go of her hesitations, forgetting they were in a public place, in the middle of the day, and ran her hand up his chest to his neck.

  Mark met her and softly kissed her lips, their bodies now touching. He slid his hand down lower to the end of her skirt and pulled.

  “Is everything okay in there, Mr. Christmenn?” a voice asked through a speaker on the wall.

  “Yes, I must have bumped the button. Sorry, guys,” he said.

  Mark kept his back to them without turning and Rane adjusted her skirt.

  “I forgot about the cameras. Ready?” he mouthed and gave her a boyish smile.

  She took one small step backward, smoothed her hair, and nodded, hoping whoever had been watching hadn’t seen much.

  Mark turned in a fluid motion, still not giving the spying eyes a chance to see her and reset the button. Rane couldn’t think of anything to say. His kiss had turned her gut inside out. The elevator moved and stopped on the next level saving her as several people got in. She moved further back while Mark positioned himself by the buttons, putting as much space as she could between them. When the doors opened again, Mark stepped out and placed his hands on the door waiting for her to exit, but she shook her head. Mark released the doors.

  Rane rode the elevator up and down in dazed exasperation. This time when the doors opened on her floor, she exited, more in control of her emotions. Last night’s kiss she had anticipated and been able to control, but today’s kiss had left her surprised and immersed.

  Wow! She didn’t think she’d be able to ride in an elevator ever again without remembering what she’d almost done. She was fully convinced he was either a very persistent male or a full-fledged ladies’ man.

  Rane smiled, as she imagined Mark dressed in a seventeenth-century costume and bowing to her in a flamboyant fashion.

  He had the talk, the actions, and certainly the money to be a player. He also had her right where she thought he wanted her, guessing. However, it didn’t really matter at this point because she was ready to do whatever he wanted. Falling this hard, this soon, for a man she’d just met, had to be a good sign not a bad one.

  Right?

  Taking the last free minutes she had before going into the boardroom, she text messaged Val asking her if she’d ever had sex in an elevator.

  Four times.

  Is that a club, too? Like the mile high?

  No. Make sure it has mirrors. LOL

  She smiled. Maybe it was time to follow Val’s example. She decided to shed her old-fashioned ways and to be more adventurous. If the opportunity arose again, she’d take Mark up on his offer and see how exciting and special elevators could be.

  Chapter 26

  With images of her and Mark pressed up against the mirrored walls of the elevator, Rane entered into a nearly filled boardroom and pushed her sexual fantasy away. She moved in-between people chatting and made her way to the front with a little clearer mind.

  “It looks like they’re learning to follow directions better.”

  Rane felt Mark’s presence behind her and heard a little amusement in his comment.

  “Yes, I see. Mr. Christmenn, please take your seat. The afternoon session has started,” she said, dismissing him in a cool tone in an effort to hide her desire to cozy up to him.


  “Right, sorry,” Mark said.

  He gave her a slow, secret smile. Under hooded eyes, she watched him walk away wishing they could be someplace else at this moment.

  Damn, he could strut.

  Bearing down on the task, she went to the podium.

  “I hope everyone enjoyed their lunches. This afternoon I want you to break into groups. Once everyone has found a group, I’ll give you the assignment.”

  The room became loud with raised voices filled with energy and enthusiasm. Observing the progress as she went from group to group, Rane found herself delighted with the success. Mark and Richard had both integrated themselves with the employees. Some of the employees were shy at first about having to talk in front of Mark but they soon got over their initial fears. He was such a people person that soon the employees were fighting over who was to be his next partner.

  Several times during the session, Rane became conscious of Mark watching her. She’d look up from whatever she’d been doing and their eyes would lock.

  He would grin at her mischievously and then turn his attention back to the task.

  She groaned inwardly as butterflies formed in the pit of her stomach. Don’t flash those baby blues at me. She didn’t need that kind of distraction. Taking a chance, Rane stole another look. Her feelings for him puzzled her. She quickly averted her gaze away from Mark, not wanting anyone in the room to see her staring at him.

  Feeling the vibration of her buzzer indicating that the time was up, Rane excused herself from the current group of employees she’d been working with. Her heart warmed to see she’d been successful, and she was so proud of everyone. They were doing such a wonderful job.

  “May I have your attention please?”

  She waited for the groups to quiet down before she continued.

  “I’d like to thank all of you for attending today. It was nice to see how well everyone participated. If there is one thing you walk away with today, I hope you’ve learned it’s very important for everyone to implement what you’ve accomplished today into your everyday work habits.”

  Rane scanned the room and saw nodding and smiling. She continued. “Sometimes it takes a shock to the system for all the parts to work together.”

  She went on to tell them they would be meeting every two weeks to go over new items and solve some of the items they’ve had to defer during this meeting.

  “So as a treat for all your hard work today, I’m dismissing everyone early. Have a nice afternoon.”

  This time the employees broke out in excitement and chatter. Mark was methodically saying goodbye to each employee. He’d made progress. She would to have to tell him. His newfound involvement with his employees was a step in the right direction.

  The room emptied until only Richard, Mark, and she remained.

  “I think it went exceedingly well. Mark, I’m glad you were able to stay and participate. It gave the employees new insight into what the company is and what you expect from them,” Richard said and then added, “Rane, let’s meet in the morning to go over your recap before our other meeting?”

  “I’m not sure if I’ll have everything ready by tomorrow morning, but I should be able to give you a verbal update instead of one in writing. It will take me a couple of days to write the full report,” she said.

  Don’t look at Mark. He knows why I won’t be able to have the report done.

  “That’s fine,” Richard said. “I better get going. I need to finish some paperwork before I meet my wife at six for dinner. She hates it when I’m late.”

  “I enjoyed today, Ms. Schoen. I’ll have to make it a point to be included in the department meetings. I hope you have a nice dinner with your wife, Richard,” Mark acknowledged.

  “Oh, I will. Rane, again, great job. Mark, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Yea, have a great night,” Rane called out.

  Richard nodded and headed out the door. Rane watched his retreating figure with mounting anticipation. She’d be alone with Mark.

  When the door shut, Mark moved to stand next to her, leaving only enough space so that if she leaned in toward him, he’d be able to pull her close and kiss her.

  And that’s exactly what he did

  Rane wasn’t able to resist and put her hand on his shoulder and ran it up to the nape of his neck. The kiss deepened and she felt Mark pull her closer, so their bodies were one.

  Mark sensed her surrender and moved in closer until the table stopped him. He ran his hand up and down over her rump and raised her skirt. His hand reached inside of her panties and felt the warmth and smoothness of her skin. He deepened the kiss until she ended it for air and moved to kiss her neck.

  This time it wasn’t Rane’s phone or the security guards that interrupted them but a rattling sound at the door. They broke apart quickly.

  Mark shifted Rane behind him to shield her but no one entered. He focused on Rane and saw her amused look.

  “The door locks automatically, remember,” she said.

  “You think that was funny.”

  “Yes, I think our timing is all off. I do offer a class on that subject, too.”

  He gave her a gentle but quick kiss. “Do you offer private lessons?”

  “I’d have to check my employee handbook. I don’t think I can moonlight. It might be against company policy.”

  “Again, that stupid handbook. What did you do, memorize it?”

  She smiled sweetly.

  “How soon can you be ready to leave?” Mark asked.

  “Give me an hour?”

  “Great.”

  “Should I follow you in my car?” she asked then moved away from him and started clearing the tables of scrap papers and supplies.

  “I hadn’t thought about how we are going to do things. We’ll have to plan better next time. What would you like to do?”

  “I’ll drive my car.”

  “Sounds good. You have one hour and not a minute more.”

  “Okay, I’ll stop by your office when I’ve finished up for the day.”

  Rane’s papers almost slipped from her hands as she picked them up.

  What was she thinking? Openly talking about hooking up with the boss?

  Mark stood holding the door open for her. They continued quietly to her office as if nothing had happened. She wondered how Mark could turn his desire on and off like a light switch while she was still burning up inside from their kisses.

  “One hour,” he said again, and then left.

  Without wasting any time, Rane rushed to the bathroom. After a few minutes of standing in front of the sink, her stomach calmed down.

  She had a date in less than an hour. What was she going to do?

  She took out her cell phone and called Val.

  “Hello,” Val said, a smile in her voice.

  “Val, I have a date tonight with you know who. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Honey, use your emergency case like I taught you and have a great time,” Val said with a little laugh.

  “Oh, yea right. We’re seeing a movie. Well, not going to a theater but watching one at his house.”

  “You’re definitely going to need the case tonight. You know the rule. All first dates require a call in.”

  Usually she had to call Val to check in on her. This time it was the other way around.

  “Well, did you do it?” Val asked abruptly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, in the elevator.”

  “No! But I think we might’ve if security hadn’t interrupted us. Hopefully, they didn’t see me.”

  “Oh, my god! You have some explaining to do, girlfriend,” Val said.

  “Okay, I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Thanks for being there for m
e. I have to hurry. I’ll text you to let you know I’m fine.”

  They said goodbye and Rane dug into her purse, and found her emergency kit. She took out a mini toothbrush, sample makeup giveaways, toothpaste, an extra pair of thong panties, a condom, and her perfume, Charlie.

  She combed her hair, quickly brushed her teeth, freshened her makeup, and sprayed on her perfume. She moved the undies aside and grinned. They were for the morning. She remembered when Val had suggested including them in her emergency kit.

  Who would have thought she’d actually need them?

  Studying her reflection, Rane saw she’d done well. She beamed. She could be damn attractive, even if Val hated her business suits. Rane tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She was one hundred percent ready for anything that might happen tonight. With her emergency kit repacked and tucked inside her purse, Rane knew she wouldn’t be able to finish any work. Her mind was definitely otherwise occupied.

  When she reached her office she put everything away then retrieved her briefcase, closed the door, and went to Mark’s office. Once again, they were the only ones left on their section of the floor. Everyone else had left, taking advantage of the extra time off. Mark’s door was open and she saw him standing in front of his desk with his back to the door. He had his hand on his hip with his suit coat pushed back.

  Sweet heaven, he had a nice ass.

  Her already elevated emotions intensified, and she immediately imagined running her hands over both his muscular butt cheeks.

  “Hello,” Rane said softly from the doorway.

  Mark turned at the sound of her voice and gave her a huge smile. He noticed right away she’d freshened up her makeup and reapplied her perfume. The scent was reaching him in waves of intoxicating aromas. His breathing became difficult as he stood staring at her.

  “Mark, is everything all right?”

  “Yes, yes, sorry. It’s just you’re so beautiful,” he said, tantalizingly recovering from his speechlessness. “I see you’re ready to leave?”