October 2006, Seattle, Washington

By David Goldberg

The plan: See Thee Emergency at the Crocodile Café.

Tina worked near the Croc in downtown Seattle, so we decided to meet early before the show and have a drink. We went to Mama’s – a small cheap Mexican place. Tina had a blended margarita; mine was over ice. The talk was light - something about living life fully and missed opportunities. We had a bite to eat, then decided to go for a walk before the show.

Downtown was lit bright. Plenty of people on the sidewalks walking, hanging out, chatting, smoking, and the street was filled with cars. As we walked, I put my arm around her shoulder; her’s rested on my waist. It was more sensuous than a shoulder. It was more than just being close.

On our first date we did the obligatory hug and peck. This time was different; this was intimate. I moved my hand down to her waist. I wanted more of her than her shoulder could give. We continued walking, but my focus was in the palm of my hand and my fingertips. I don’t know where we were walking to, but wherever we were going it was nice.

Tina suddenly stopped, broke our traveling embrace, turned to me and said, “Oh fuck, let’s just make out!” Whether it was the margarita talking or her own wonderful bold directness, I didn’t care. I held her in my arms, the full length of our bodies touching.

We kissed. We kissed deeply. I breathed her scent deep into my lungs and tasted her desire and sweetness. Our kiss was hard and soft, biting and gentle. Lips, tongue, teeth slid with ease. I could not open my eyes. The street, the cars, the people, the lights all disappeared. I was lost in the moment, but even the lost return.

The kiss, kisses, ended and I said, “Fuck the concert, come home with me.” Tina said she had to get “some things from her office first.” My heart soared even higher than it already was. Not just because she was coming home with me, but I knew what would happen in her office. No matter what we thought might happen, one thing was going to happen and it would be a lot of fun.

We walked, holding each other tight past the Crocodile Café. We kissed at every traffic light. I am a newfound fan of red stop lights!

We entered Tina’s office building using her passkey. We talked for a moment. Tina told the guard how happy she was that he was here. They were having some security problems lately. We entered the elevator to go up to her office. Tina leaned against one side. I stood on the other. We watched the guard disappear behind the slow sliding doors. As soon as he did, I came to Tina, leaning my body against hers. Our lips met. We pressed hard. I pressed my hand between her thighs and up. She pressed back against me and gasped lightly. The door opened and we walked down the hall.

We came to an office door with a half glass panel. It seemed like a nice office. Desks close together, tight aisles, no wasted space. Inside and to the right was a small waiting area with two chairs. We walked straight ahead. Tina’s desk was within 10 feet of the front door. She rifled through some things, gathering what she needed. I stood as close as I could without touching her. She stuffed her gear in her backpack. We kissed passionately, breathing deeply, savoring what we tasted. We stripped off each other’s clothes. Her body was so firm and her skin so soft.

I think I lost my mind; if not, I certainly forgot where I was. Then Tina noticed we were directly in front of the half glass panel front door where anyone walking down the hall could see us. She said, “Let’s go over there,” referring to the waiting area just off the entrance. It was separated from the front door by a short wall. We continued where we left off, but now, on our knees, embraced with our hands wandering everywhere. I laid her onto her back and was about to enter her when we heard keys being inserted into the lock on the front door.

Tina jumped up and hid behind one of the chairs. We could not run for our clothes without crossing the path of our intruder. I sat in the chair and waited. A cleaning woman came in, pulling a large black plastic trash can on wheels. She stopped a few feet from Tina’s desk, staring at our clothes on the floor.

Many scenarios must have ran through her mind - some titillating and accurate, others dangerous and scary. She stood frozen for what seemed like a long time. Then she said in a quavering voice, “Hello?” I responded as calmly and friendly as I could while sitting in a leather chair naked in a strange office addressing an unfamiliar cleaning lady wielding a trash can.

“Hello,” I said. She jumped and turned to look at me. Tina giggled. I think the giggle eased the cleaning woman’s discomfort generated by seeing a strange naked man in a dark office. She immediately said, “Oh, excuse me,” turned, and left. We dashed for our clothes, put them on, and left.

The cleaner was in the office across the hall with her coworkers. No one turned to see us go. Tina and I could not stop laughing all the way down the stairs and into the street. We walked to my car, stopping frequently to hug, kiss, and talk about what just happened. Tina loved the experience, but she was concerned about the consequences of being caught. She was only working in the office two months.

She wanted to intercept any communications coming from the cleaning company. She was not worried about her coworkers finding out, but she didn’t want the boss to know. She decided to enlist compatriots to help catch any communiqués. After we set Tina’s mind at ease with a future plan of action, we went to my house and had a wonderful time. Pillows and a bed were a welcome addition.

The next day I dropped Tina off at work. She wore the same clothes and we figured that would help lend authenticity to her recruitment story. We kissed a long goodbye and tore ourselves away from each other. Then we each went to work.

Later that day, I got a call from Tina. She said, she was sitting at her desk by the front door and the owner of the cleaning service came in. She was shaking with fear, but could hear everything that was said at the front desk. She was sure this was the end. She anticipated the cleaning service owner calling her boss to the front desk and raking him over the coals for subjecting his employee to such danger and humiliation.

However, what the cleaning service owner said was that he wanted to make sure that everything was all right with the service his company was providing. Tina and I both think he was covering his ass from any fallout that might occur from his employees not cleaning the office the night before. It seems Tina was safe for now. At her desk Tina was struggling not to burst out laughing while she sat at her computer.

The next day, she sent a bouquet of flowers to the cleaning service for the excellent work they do in her office.

David Goldberg is recently divorced and, as this story illustrates, exploring newfound freedoms. He is a freelance writer and business consultant and lives in Seattle, Washington.

Posted by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore on Wednesday, January 31st, 2007 | Email This Post

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