After Eight

He stood at the elevators waiting for its inevitable arrival as he checked the time, just after eight. He had no particular plans on that Friday night. He was just so beat from the week that he couldn't bother with anything other than his couch, some beer and ESPN in his sweats. A cold beer sounded so good to him at that moment, maybe he'd even order a pizza?

Daniel's week was hell.

Between fighting with Wilhelmina for control, trying to stay one step ahead of Connor's brilliant strategies at Meade, and trying all he could do to avoid Molly because of his little pesky feelings, he just needed to unwind. The thing was he was so used to unwinding in a certain way, which usually included hard liquor and model wrapped around him, he just didn't have the energy for that lifestyle anymore. Deep down, what he wanted was a wife, a home, a family to come home to. What that family looked like, he wasn't sure yet, but he knew he was ready to settle down. He rubbed his eyes as the heavier thoughts started invading his mind, until he heard a sound...

It came from the closet.

Daniel tugged on his suit jacket and quietly made his way towards the closet entrance.

He was sure the office was empty as he worked away that evening. His slow sly steps glided over the tile. He wasn't sure if it was an intruder, and he wasn't sure if it had been an employee so he didn't want to create a commotion for no reason. As he turned the corner he saw a woman standing in clad in only her black patent stilettos, red and black panties and bra, as she stepped into a dress, her back turned to him.

The only thought Daniel had at that moment was "Holy Shit!" as he knew in that instant that he walked in on a very intimate moment. He watched her move her figure as she shimmied into the second skin of a dress. Her hips shifted left and right and Daniel's eyes followed the invisible shapes she made, with the slight tugs she made to the leather dress. He stood there paralyzed at that moment staring at her, even at that moment still envisioning the nakedness of her skin, and how that dress poured over the lower part of her figure. Daniel swallowed hard as her movements were ever so sultry. If she moved like that when she put her clothes on, he swallowed hard at the thought of how she moved when she took them off…

Just before she pulled the straps of the dress over her arms, she undid her push up bra and slipped the straps off her arms and dropped the garment on the nearby working table. With her back toward him, Daniel only caught the slight outline of the curve of her breast, which piqued his interest and the beauty marks she had on her back and sides of her body.

She lifted the straps of the dress and turned to look at her reflection in the full body length mirror as she reached for the zipper at her back. As she turned she immediately saw Daniel's blue eyes over shoulder. She left out a blood-curdling scream.

"Jesus Daniel… You scared the living hell out of me! How long have you been standing there you pervert?" She managed to let out after jumping out of her skin.

"Not that long, I swear I didn't see anything…" he easily lied. "I just heard a noise coming from the closet as I was leaving and then I saw you lifting the zipper of your dress…"

Wilhelmina would have killed him if she knew he saw her almost naked.

"What are you still doing here Daniel?"

"I was working. What's your excuse for playing dress up with our racks for the November issue?" Daniel smugly asked as he eyed the oxblood leather paneled body con dress poured on her hips.

"I'm not going to use it in the editorial so I thought I would take it for a spin tonight. The perks of being an Editor in Chief…"

"Hot date?"

"Something like that." Wilhelmina had managed to convince Connor to meet her for a late dinner to go over one of his proposals as she was 'too busy' to meet during the day. She figured a five star meal, candlelight and expensive wine couldn't hurt her chances to make him fall for her, especially in this suggestive number she had planned to wear. She didn't expect to bed him that night, but she wouldn't turn him away if she succeeded. At best, she hoped to give him a glimpse of life with her. At best she hoped that she could at least succeed at giving him an eyeful that he could fantasize about and maybe break his resolve. Eventually she hoped he would give in.

"Daniel, make yourself useful at least and help me with the zipper."

Daniel slowly stocked over to her frame. He came ever so close to her from behind, never breaking eye contact with her in the mirror. She watched his long eyelashes swoop to the base of the zipper as he took hold of the taught fabric with his left hand. Slowly lifting the zipper with his right, his eyes followed tooth by tooth, and his curved index finger glided up the smooth skin of small of her back. The gentle sensation of the brush of his skin gave Wilhelmina goosebumps. He stood so close to her, she could feel the his breath as his deep steady voice said, "This thing is like painted on you…" his eyes then met hers again through the reflection.

Was her heart beating from his close proximity or was it from him frightening her before, she wasn't sure.

The zipper sounded as it made the rest of its journey as Wilhelmina questioned "What?"

"Not that that's a bad thing..." Daniel began stumbling in case she took what he said the wrong way "….no, but can you breathe, seriously…?" Daniel always joked when he was uncomfortable.

She just cocked and eyebrow at him and he stopped mid-sentence. Daniel's eyes just went back to the small of her back where it met with her behind, now realizing how close he stood to her, Daniel took one step back.

Wilhelmina adjusted her breasts in the mirror and Daniel's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"What, you've never seen a woman adjust?" She looked over her shoulder at him, almost flirtatiously.

"Of course, just never thought I would see it from you." Daniel blushed slightly and she laughed in spite of herself. Daniel now perched himself on the desk beside the mirror his arms crossed and he scratched at his forehead in embarrassment. "I can see you are amused by this Wilhelmina."

"Sure, anytime I can make you uncomfortable, count me in." She applied her nude lip-gloss in the mirror and smacked her lips.

"So who's the lucky guy taking you on a night on the town?"

"Non of your business… quit staring" She screwed the cap back on and reached for her Chanel no. 5. She let out two spritzes on her neck and one in the air and stepped through it and then threw it back in her clutch resting on the table beside Daniel. She checked her watch and said "I'm going to be late, oh well its always better to make 'em wait…" She said more to herself then to Daniel and then caught herself as she began gathering her discarded clothing she wore during the day.

Daniel lifted her bra in the air to tease her. "Aren't you forgetting something? Or can I keep it?"

Wilhelmina gave him a deathly stare and snatched the lacey garment from his grip. He didn't let it go and pulled it down so she would follow the movement. Now standing a little closer to his face he decided to have a little fun with her as she did with him.

"Mmmm…you smell good, good enough to…" His voice was just barely over a whisper.

"What are you doing?"

"Paying you a compliment. Can you handle it?"

"Oh Danny, how can I break this down for you so that you can understand…ummm I'm major leagues and your still playing with your little bat in the little leagues…"

"That's cute Willie, almost as cute as that beauty mark on your ribcage near your…"

Her eyes widened like she was going take a piece of his face off, realizing he saw more than he let on. Daniel spread a grin across his lips as he held laughter and it came out as a deep chuckle.

"Sleep with one eye open Daniel, I'm coming for you..." she sneered as she ripped the bra out of his hands and stomped off with a heavy click of her heels to the elevators off to meet Connor.

That Friday evening didn't turn out to be such a bust after all. But Daniel was still curious where she was going all dolled up like that.