Heather had always been an early riser. Riley, who was still curled up under the covers, was definitely not a morning person. Being careful not to make too much noise, she tiptoed around the bedroom they shared. Having smoothed the wrinkles from her comforter she began laying out the outfit she was going to wear to work.
Usually she was in a hurry to get to the office but today was Thursday. Mr. Patterson, the attorney she worked for, played racquetball with his friends every Thursday and would not be in till almost ten o'clock. So today was Heather's day to enjoy a long hot shower.
Heather started the water running in the shower. While the old plumbing in the building worked to bring up hot water from the boiler, she went to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. On her way back to the shower she stopped at the window. Heather spread the curtains apart just enough so she could look out but no one outside could look in and see her in her thin nightgown. A light covering of fresh snow had fallen overnight. It looked cold outside and she hoped she would not have to scrape ice from her windshield.
Before stepping into the shower she turned the radio on. While washing her legs she could feel some stubble and decided to shave. Heather grabbed her razor from the rack hanging from the shower head. After double checking to make sure it was her razor and not Riley's, she started at her ankles and worked her way up. Her panty line needed some attention but a few quick strokes of the razor took care of it.
Standing under the falling water she listened to the radio. The local weatherman's familiar voice replaced the music for one his regular morning reports. He was a little to cheerful as he announced that the temperatures were going to rise a few degrees but they could expect a big snow storm tomorrow night. After cursing the weatherman for spoiling her good mood, Heather turned off the water and dried herself off.
Heather wrapped herself in a towel and went back into the bedroom to get dressed. Riley was still sleeping but had kicked some of her blankets off the bed leaving her bare bottom and legs in the open. Heather stifled a laugh and tried to fix the covers without disturbing Riley. She knew her daughter occasionally slept in the nude but rarely in the winter. Riley must have been starting to stir because as soon as Heather had replaced the covers her eyes opened.
"Sorry. I was just covering you back up," whispered Heather.
Still feeling groggy, Riley pulled the covers around her and said, " I should get up now anyway. If I don't I will probably over sleep."
"There is a fresh pot of coffee if you need any help shaking away the cobwebs."
Riley made something between a grunt and a growl as she threw the cover aside and stumbled down the hallway. Seeing her daughters bare back side walking away, Heather thought, "It is a good thing I keep the curtains closed."
By the time Riley came back carrying two mugs of coffee Heather was already half dressed. She was wearing a matching set of black lace bikini panties, a balconet style bra, and thigh high stockings. Riley handed her mother one of the steaming mugs and said, "You should go to work just like that. You would probably give old man Patterson a heart attack."
"You are rotten and Mr. Patterson is not that old," said Heather in defense of her boss.
"He has got to be in his sixties!"
"No! He is only 52 and he is a married man. So I think I will finish getting dressed. Now you should put some clothes on before the neighbors start peeking in our windows."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to touch a nerve," said Riley as she went to her side of the room to get ready for school.
Heather put on a black skirt that stopped just above her knees and a lavender blouse with black buttons down the front. Riley on the other hand dressed with her typical reckless abandon of any sense of fashion. She started with a pair of white cotton boyshorts which she covered with her favorite blue jeans. The last article of clothing she threw on was a dark green hooded sweatshirt.
Heather was brushing her long hair and casually watching Riley get dressed. She just had to ask, "You are not going to wear a bra?"
"No, I need to go buy a couple of new ones because the ones I have are getting a little tight."
"It is probably just another growth spurt," said Heather as she continued brushing her still damp hair.
"I hope not. If I get any bigger I will never see my feet again," said Riley making them both laugh.
Heather came over to Riley and gave her a quick hug and said, "I need to get going. I will see you after practice."
She grabbed her coat and was still zipping it up as she went down the stairwell to the parking lot. If she really cared or had more time, Heather would probably complain that the management had not salted the parking lot. In her high heels she cautious made the short walk to her truck.
As the truck's engine warmed up, Heather sat behind the wheel rubbing her hands together to keep from freezing. While she waited she could not help but think about Riley's comments about Mr. Patterson. The one question that kept running through her mind was, "Does she know about our affair?" Riley was bright and had a lot more common sense than most teenagers; however, Heather never mentioned anything about it and they were always very discreet. "Maybe she had noticed one of the gifts he had given me," she wondered. The panties she was wearing were actually one of them.
The defroster was finally blowing warm air and the fog began to vanish from the windshield. Heather determined that Riley was most likely just teasing and put the truck into drive. On a normal day the trip to work took her twenty minutes but the roads were still icy in spots so it took her closer to thirty. Heather parked in her usual spot in the lot a few storefronts away.
Heather stepped out of the truck and almost fell on a patch of ice. She was able to catch herself on the truck door but somehow managed to snap off the heel of her right shoe. Heather picked the heel up and took a quick look at. She was lucky. It had broken off cleanly and she could glue it back on. Heather hobbled down the sidewalk and unlocked the door to the office.
Heather had worked as secretary in this office for the past seventeen years. She had been hired by Mr. Patterson's father who ran his law practice there until he retired ten years ago. His son had been looking to get away from corporate law and decided to takeover for his father.
Heather quickly closed the door as a gust of wind tried to make an unwelcomed entrance. She left the closed sign hanging on the door but kept the door unlocked. Walking on her uneven heels, Heather went to the break room to hang up her coat. Frustrated at the broken heel she slipped them off and carried them to her desk in the reception area.
Not wanting to ruin her stockings she decided to take them off and just go barefoot. No one was on the street at the moment. Apparently no one wanted to brave the cold. Quickly she hiked up her skirt and pulled down her stockings and stashed them in her purse.
The phone in Mr. Patterson's office started ringing. Heather rushed in still adjusting her skirt and grabbed the phone on the third ring.
"John Patterson's office. This is Heather. How can I help you?"
"Heather. It is Brenda. Is Mr. Patterson in yet?" asked the weak voice on the other end of the line.