Author's Note: What do you think so far? Do you think Mr. Maintenance will play right into my torrid little plot or will he give us some saucy misdirection? Only time shall tell.

And just to keep it honest, he will perform favors for reviews. Jus' saying. Man-whore Muse. *shakes head*

Three hours later found me finally finished with the tax returns. The new client set up had taken longer than it should have since whichever accountant had met with the new clients didn't procure enough information for me to accurately enter into our databases. This meant calling, first the account in charge of the file and asking if they had it elsewhere (no, of course) and then calling the client themselves to ask questions that should have been asked initially.

Four o'clock was dancing across the digital clock on my desktop screen as I clicked 'save' on the final data screen. Mr. Maintenance had put in one more appearance with a complimentary cocked eyebrow raise as he strode by the door earlier while I had been engrossed in the AKA return.

Heaven forbid I miss that.

Now, he was heading to the elevator bay and leaving for the day. Once again, he turned his back while waiting, allowing me to watch those muscles move whether it was intentional or not. When the elevator doors opened, he shot one last glance at me before stepping inside. I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

Delicious.

Since it was a Friday, the office was empty except me, of course. But I didn't mind. I actually enjoyed the quiet since the office was usually an overwhelming mixture of ringing phones, shrill voices and Clancy's abrasive diatribes. Nope, I was perfectly content to get my work done in solitude.

Once the tax returns were in their tax jackets and the client paperwork was assembled, I placed everything on Clancy's desk (upper right hand corner, folder and jacket spine to the left!) before heading to the office kitchen to start the dishwasher. I tossed a few stray napkins and a Doritos bag into the trash before restocking the fridge with Clancy's Orange Crush and Mr. Baum (Donny)'s Coke Zero.

I flicked off the light before grabbing the legal pad with the folders Clancy needed and the key to the stairs. I jogged up the stairs, reassuring myself that yes; this was considered a workout before inserting the key in the lock and opening the door. I propped the door open before heading to the cage containing our files. Squinting in the dim lighting, I attempted to see the numbers on the padlock. After the second try, I wrestled the lock off and pulled the metal gate open to reveal stacks of cardboard boxes. As was becoming habit, I sighed wondering about the best way to go about this task. Finally figuring it was best to dive in, I grabbed the list and flipped the page over. I groaned aloud. It was two and a half pages of files dating back almost 5 years.

I guess someone is getting an audit.

I grabbed the first box marked 2008 and dragged it down; letting it hit the floor with a satisfying thud. I lifted the lid, straining my eyes to read the file names. Once I found the specific file needed. I placed a simple check next to the file name on Clancy's list before moving on to the next. It was a quick find in the same box.

Ten minutes and two boxes later, I was dusty with a small stack of files next to me, pondering a thought that had just crossed my mind. Now that I was procuring all of these files, how was I going to get them back downstairs?

Can't use a cart and wheel it down stairs.

Hmm.

Maybe a box with handles?

I'll need to find something.

I wandered out of the cage, looking around for something that would be appropriate for my needs. Surely, there would be something amid the random assortment of junk up here. Since I didn't have a flashlight, it was hard to tell what was past the lit area. What looked like an air compressor was shoved against one wall next to an open office door that housed a desk with a nice computer, a file cabinet, and a tiny fridge with a microwave on top. Ah, the elusive maintenance office. I snickered quietly in spite of myself before moving on. There were a couple more cages with other things stored inside but those were other office's files.

Ah ha!

Behind the cages was a section devoted to cardboard boxes; all broken down, all ready to use. It was mostly in the shadows so I paralleled the cages until I came to the end, finding a small walkway that led to the back. I grabbed a couple of broken down boxes, deciding I'd rummage through the office for some tape when I was got back around but stopped short when I heard a loud slam.

I startled letting out a sound that was a cross between a small shriek and an 'eeep,' before dropping down to crouch in the shadows.

Pathetic.

I mentally chided myself before taking a second to calm down before standing up to look across the cages. The door that I had propped open was now closed.

Oh, fuck me! How the hell did that happen?

I grumbled picking up the boxes I had dropped in all of my bravery before shuffling back to the cage I was working in. I was letting the boxes trail a bit on the dusty floor as I rounded end of the cages and made my way back down the walkway.

I was still muttering to myself about my general cowardice when I collided with something solid. Or rather someone. I was thrown off balance and felt pair of strong hands grabbed my shoulders. I looked up and found myself stuck gazing into a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"Oh, fuck me!" I exclaimed, dropping the boxes.