Chapter 24 Distractions

When Shane arrived at the DLO Monday, Oliver was already in his parking meeting. Turning on music from her phone, she started sorting through the mail that came in from the weekend knowing it was going to take a lot longer without Rita. Over two hours later Shane was muttering to herself. "I may need to get myself some roller skates before the week is up." Shane sighed knowing it wasn't the only reason Rita was faster. Looking up yet another zip code on her phone, "I'll never be able to keep all these numbers in my head." Oliver had slipped in without Shane hearing due to her muttering and the music playing in the background. Noticing the sorting bin sitting next to her was still half full, he grinned hearing her grumbling to herself. "There's no way I'm going to get through all this before you two get back. Norman and Rita will return finding my body buried under piles of unsorted mail," Shane said to herself melodramatically.

Oliver cleared his throat alerting her to his presence, "Luke says 'For nothing will be impossible with God."

Shane looked up annoyed and frustrated after working for two hours knowing she was moving at the pace of a turtle when Rita would have been done in a quarter of the time. She was thinking all the while he had been sitting in a meeting talking about when to slap paint on the ground. It was one thing to be concerned herself that her sorting skills were weak, but it was completely another for someone else to point it out. "Mr. O'Toole are you suggesting the only way I could possibly accomplish this is a miracle from above."

Realizing by her tone of voice that she might be a little cranky, he tried to clarify his original comment. "You're not that bad. I was merely suggesting that you…"

Shane interrupted huffing, "Not that bad. Implying that I am in fact bad."

Oliver realized he might be digging himself in deeper. "Now Ms. McInerney…" Oliver started only to be interrupted again.

"You can't Ms. McInerney your way out of this one no matter how good looking you are," Shane grumbled irritated and overwhelmed.

Her response made him break out into such a smug boyish smirk Shane couldn't help but start laughing. "I'm being cranky and completely irritational aren't I?" Shane asked.

"Will I get into more trouble if I agree?" Oliver asked uncertainly still smirking.

Shane shook her head. "Sorry Oliver. I got overwhelmed. I don't know if there's more here than usual or if it just feels like it since Rita and Norman are gone." She turned back towards the bin a little forlornly picking up another stack.

As he moved towards his desk, "Ms. McInerney, while you were gone, there were multiple cases we knew you could have looked up in ten minutes that took us forever to research. The reason the Postables work so well together is we've all got different skills and strengths."

She smiled rolling her eyes at his use of her last name as she began sorting again. Shane wondered if he was going to keep it up the entire time they were engaged. "Thanks Oliver. I'll try to muddle through this week until the dream team is together again."

"Ms. McInerney, you don't have to muddle through alone. I can help now that I'm back." Still smiling smugly, he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves before picking up a stack of envelopes. Since she'd let slip how much she loved him using her last name, he planned on using it even more liberally.

Shane adored seeing Oliver without his jacket, sleeves rolled up, suspenders rustling as he moved. It hadn't occurred to her that being engaged might make it harder to stay professional at the office. Usually, Oliver was the epitome of professionalism. Shane didn't know if he realized what he was doing. Today he was gently touching her or brushing against her every time he moved around her. She sighed as he swept a hand against her back on his way to the bin to get more mail. It didn't take long for him to notice she was getting a little flustered. She'd get still for a moment and forget which slot she'd been about to place an envelope. He assumed she was getting overwhelmed again, "Ms. McInerney, I would have preferred to skip the parking meeting. The bureaucracy gets old quickly. I would rather be helping you than discussing dates about paint." He brushed her hair behind her shoulder before turning to drop more envelopes in slots. She grinned at his third use of her last name. It didn't take long for Shane to get utterly distracted again. A hand brushing against her shoulder, an arm brushing against hers, his hand again at her back to move around to the other side. She took a deep breath knowing they were at work and he wouldn't follow through on their proximity to one another. Seeing his arm flex to reach a slot, she felt like someone was dangling a luscious treat in front of her than snatching it away. She tried distractedly to finish sorting what she had in hand. When she turned around, she found him right behind her, "Ms. McInerney I believe this one goes in there." He reached around her his other hand resting on her waist as he dropped the card in a slot.

When they both turned back to pick up another stack out of the bin at the same time, she decided she couldn't handle anymore of Oliver's help without taking matters into her own hands. Slipping her hands around his suspenders she pulled him towards her. "Oliver dear, I greatly appreciate your attempt to help." Shane ran her tongue slowly over her bottom lip before biting it thinking how to let him know she couldn't concentrate with him this close constantly touching her. She could see him swallow as his eyes followed her tongue. He backed away a little faster than intended bumping into the counter. "Are you ok?" Shane asked running a hand down his side that he'd bumped into the counter.

"Fine, great, fine." Oliver said as he realized he was pinned in between Shane and the counter.

"Are you sure?" Shane asked a little too innocently, "You're looking a little…flustered." One hand moved from his waist up his side onto his suspender while she used the other to start playing with his tie as she moved even closer biting her lip again. He immediately recalled when she'd pulled his ugly green tie towards her before kissing him that weekend. Oliver could see she was contemplating pulling the same move but struggling with the decision on whether to take advantage of his tie or his suspenders.

"Ms. M…er…Shane we're at work at the moment," Oliver said reminding them both. He was unsure how to address her now her last name had gone from a way to keep her at a distance to a whole new level of flirting.

"Oliver your hands on delivery of the mail is…" Shane trailed off still unsure how to tell him he was driving her to distraction.

"I do excel at special handling," Oliver said with a quick flash of a mischievous grin.

Shane burst out laughing not expecting his blatant flirting as she laid his tie back down. She took her time straightening the tie and his suspenders making sure to run her hands across his chest before leaning in close to him. "I appreciate your…help…but it may be more efficient if you work at your desk for a little while." She brushed her lips against his before gently nibbling on his lower lip. "You're special handling is more distracting than helping," she finally explained.

"Packages we have lots of packages." Oliver stammered thoughts scattering from the way she'd kissed him. Easing away from between her and the counter, he moved back to his desk wondering how they were going to get through the week without Norman and Rita there to chaperone.

Shane finished sorting the mail on her own then continued researching some letters they had previously started. Once she'd finished and sent them off through a tube, she returned to Oliver's desk.

He gestured towards the boxes in front of him, "I've got Grandma's hearing aids she left at her family's place when she came for a visit or a stuffed animal that was sent for a baby gift."

Shane looked at both, "I'll take Grandma's hearing aids and fill out the form for the manufacturer to get the contact information." Oliver nodded taking the baby gift. He watched Shane walk to a filing cabinet to pick up the form before returning to her desk. They still hadn't discussed children and he wondered how she felt about having them. When he was younger, he assumed it would happen at some point. When he was in a relationship with Holly, he couldn't picture having children with her as flighty as she was. He could imagine having children with Shane, watching her grow with his child. She was so protective of those she loved; he couldn't imagine her being anything but a great mother. He returned to the box on his desk shaking off his thoughts.

Towards the end of the day Oliver glanced up to find Shane yawning. Knowing Shane wouldn't normally have been as easily irritated as she'd been that morning and thinking she must be worn out from recent events, "Why don't we knock off a little early tonight? We've both got things to catch up on at home and we can regroup tomorrow. I can pick you up on the way in tomorrow morning."

"That would be great Oliver."

Oliver walked her to her car pausing as she took out her keys. "Ms. McInerney, I have to apologize if I was too much of a distraction today."

She looked up from unlocking her car seeing the smug boyish smirk had reappeared, "Oliver I always enjoy a good distraction." She put her hands on the lapel of his coat before leaning up to kiss him good-bye.

As they parted, he started to move towards his car before turning and saying, "Speaking of enjoying a good distraction. Your tight black leggings with boots and leather jacket. Always appreciated." Shane grinned loving the new flirty Oliver.