Gentlemen Only

Coffee Jitters

"Meredith, are you listening to me?"

The young woman jerked to attention, eyes darting nervously from a fixed point on the window to the face across from her. He was striking, with dark, floppy cropped hair and crystal blue eyes. She imagined he must be built under his dress shirt and slacks, and the inevitable blush that always came after such borderline fantasies crept up her neck, setting her cheeks ablaze. Meredith knew body language, and she could tell by the eager way he leaned toward her that he was interested in her response. The only problem was, she had been too focused on not focusing on him that what he'd said had gone completely unheard.

She didn't even know how he had come to be sitting so close to her. It made her skin crawl, and the telltale tingle of oncoming hives slithered uncomfortably over her arms.

"No." She mumbled bashfully, ducking her bespectacled eyes behind her computer screen. The lenses magnified her blue-green eyes. Her fingers trembled on the keys as she continued typing. Payroll reports had to be sent in in less than an hour, and she couldn't afford for them to be late, again. Last time she'd neglected to file on time she had to endure the harsh glares and chastising complaints from her coworkers. They didn't know how difficult she found it to relax enough to sleep that night, or many nights after. Reels of her mistakes, especially those that caused her social shame, played relentlessly in her thoughts, always a blunt reminder of her shortcomings.

"Meredith." Her boss tapped her arm and she flinched noticeably. He took no notice, however, and leaned impossibly close to her face. Her breathing picked up, hitching with anxiety, as her very personal bubble was breached.

"Yes, Jet?" Her breath came out short and choppy. She had to tear her attention away from the display and focus on her breathing. In and out. She flattened a palm on the desk to steady herself, should the room start spinning.

"I was asking you out for coffee." Jet prompted, gazing into her eyes. Somehow her mouth suddenly seemed full of saliva, and since her throat wasn't working properly now, she struggled to swallow, resulting in a gurgling, choking sound.

"I didn't think I was that repulsive." Jet chuckled, eyebrows pulled in bewilderment, mouth quirked to the side, lips upturned. Meredith noticed he did that often, and found it adorable, though her condition wouldn't allow her to tell him so.

"You're my boss." She managed to croak, face inches from his. He seemed to realize how close they were now and eased back a couple of inches. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?" She pressed.

Jet sighed and ran a hand through his dark coif as he leaned back, tousling it further. "No, Mer, it wouldn't. It's just coffee."

"I have coffee." She deflected, gesturing to the empty mug sitting on her desk.

A thick brow raised skeptically. "Had. You had coffee, now you're out."

"Hmmm." She didn't know how to reply to that point and resumed her clattering type, breath coming on easier.