The Affair

Chapter 18.1 - Gifts for Fallon

Tuesday, July 5, 2022, 6:35am

The quiet atmosphere of the empty office ripples as Amy and Dylan step through the glass doors. Amy's head swivels, scoping the area. Empty. Perfect. The corner of her mouth lifts.

It's time to set it all in motion.

There's purpose in her stride, tugging Dylan along as she leads. They pass the reception desk—no Rebecca—and head straight for Mr. Reiner's office. Her fingers lace with Dylan's, wishing a bitch would challenge her status with him. Memories of their weekend together warm her belly like a shot of liquor: the lake house, charming his parents, tearing up the lake on jet skis, the fireworks show on the boat.

And that one hot, sultry evening.

She was his girlfriend over the weekend—that's how his parents and friends saw her, and how they still do. And now, she's unwilling to let that go.

Together they'd come up with a plan: plant a small camera in William's office, then catch him and Fallon in the act. But as Amy jiggles the door handle, the plan slams to a halt.

"It's locked! Shit!" she hisses.

Dylan winces, clutching the strap of his backpack. "Stay here..." he says, jogging off.

Amy's lips tighten, but she nods. The lonely air stirs a spark of anxiety as shadows seem to move at the corners of her vision. It's unusual—the silence in what should be a bustling workspace. No murmurs of coworkers, no constant rumble from the copy machine, no shuffle of papers. Only a soft, steady hum of air flow overhead.

A strange chill settles across the nape of her neck, like the frigid breath of air when a freezer door swings open. She shivers once and crosses her arms.

Thankfully, Dylan appears from around the corner, another man beside him. Their voices grow clearer as they get closer.

"Hey Amy. Uh... This is Pedro. He works for the building. Tell him about the file we need inside the office..." Dylan says, his awkward smile enough to signal his game.

Amy gets it right away. A flick of her wrist removes her hair tie, flossing out her silky hair. The maintenance worker is a handsome boy, slightly taller than Dylan but leaner. Her eyes gloss across the tattoos on his arm—tasteful pieces, each with clean, quality line-work etched upon his tan skin.

"Hi, Pedro..." she starts, eyes locking on her prey, lips rising in a little smirk. "He's right... it's a very important file. And if it's not on my boss's desk when he comes in, I could be fired. You'd be such a life-saver. Please?"

Pedro's eyes fall and then rise, taking her in. He clears his throat. "Hi, um, Amy? Look, like I was telling your friend here... I'm not supposed to open locked doors without permission. It would need to be approved by your office manager. Rules, you know?" he explains.

"No, Pedro, please! We need to get that file before the workday starts. If I don't, my boss will be furious!" she presses, voice sweet as a diet soda. She takes a strategic step closer, tilting her hips so she's just a little shorter under his height. "Please? Can't you do it just this once?"

Pedro sighs, glancing down the hall. "I don't know... I could get in trouble."

"Come on, man. Do us a solid this time," Dylan cuts in, seeing him waver, "What can we do for you? Buy you lunch? Gift card? Uh... bottle of liquor? What do you think?"

The air shifts as they conspire, though the office remains quiet as ever. Pedro crosses his arms, half-convinced but thinking deeper. There's no real harm in letting them grab what they need, he rationalizes. His eyes falls once more. From her ankles, his gaze slides up her bare legs like a gentle hand until it reaches the hem of her pencil skirt.