I had only known Danielle for a few months, just the time I had been working at the hotel. I saw her the first day that I came in for an interview, and instantly I knew working there wouldn't be all bad. She had long, dark, silky hair with a light tan. She was slender and had a Mediterranean look to her. The first day I started, she was another front desk staff, and she was very easy to get along with. We found we had a lot in common, and we quickly became comfortable with each other. However, I soon learned that she was about to be promoted to being the front desk manager...and my boss. She was still a good boss, but there was an authority to her that awoke something in me. Danielle wasn't a hard ass by any means, but she knew how to sternly command her minions and be assertive with troublesome guests. I did my best to keep myself on her good side, so I was rarely the subject of her ire. She was actually a few years younger than me, but she carried herself with a confidence that belied her age. I had a huge crush on her, and she certainly featured in my fantasies at night.
I found it difficult to hide my attraction to her. I caught myself checking her out from the corner of my eye, and I knew that most of the other male staff felt the same way. Valets, bellhops, guests, everyone tried to flirt with her, but she did a good job of deflecting them with a smile. I one day decided to bite the bullet and take my chance. I asked her to grab a drink at the end of our night shift together. Unfortunately, she shot me down. "Sorry, I don't hang out with my staff outside of work," was her excuse, which, to be fair, was reasonable. I tried to swallow my wounded pride and let it roll off my shoulders. Still, I had been forthright and open about being interested in her, and there was no getting the cat back in the proverbial bag. From that time forward, there was a tension between us. It simmered quietly below the surface when other people were around in the lobby, but on nights when we were alone together, every slight touch or light joke held an undercurrent of attraction between us. My brain constantly screamed at me to make a move or ask her out again, but I knew she'd say no, and as gorgeous as she was, it wasn't worth my job.
That all changed when I decided to quit working there. I was about to travel abroad for a while, and I was ready to leave the front desk and its headaches behind me. I'd miss the free food, booze, tips, and stories, but mostly I'd miss flirting with Danielle every chance I got. On my last day working there, I decided to give it one final attempt, as I had nothing to lose at that point. At the end of our shift, I'd no longer be her underling (although I'd love to be under her). As luck would have it, she wore my favorite of her professional outfits, a form-fitting black dress that went down to just above the knee. It showed off her assets, offering both a hint of cleavage and leg, but it was appropriate for the job.
Out loud, I called it her power boss dress. Inwardly, I thought of it as her little black dress that all women have, the one that makes them look good and they know it. I had often fantasized about her in (and out of) that dress, and it seemed like a fortuitous omen. I had spent my drive to work thinking of how to try to organically bring up a possible date when we had a moment together, but it was unfortunately a very busy afternoon. The lobby was constantly full of people, and we were both running all over the hotel, bringing amenities to guests, helping set up for an event, and getting luggage and taxis. One particularly annoying guest was running us ragged, sending us high and low for towels, slippers, and anything else he could think of. He eventually asked for something we had stored in the big cooler in the back of the kitchen, which finally leads to the story getting interesting.
Danielle asked me to go with her to get the food from the cooler. I thought it was odd, but I wasn't going to complain. As we walked to the kitchen, I couldn't help but watch her figure sway as she moved. Luckily, she wasn't even paying attention to me because she was ranting about the guest and the day's stresses. We walked into the cooler, but neither of us could find what he had asked for. Danielle closed the door to the cooler, secluding us inside, and let out a frustrated yell.
"Sorry, it's just been a long day," she said as she saw the startled look on my face.
"Ha, no worries," I replied, trying to lessen her agitation.
"It's been a long shitty day, and after you leave today, I'll be stuck with all the other front desk staff who can barely follow my instructions, much less do what the guests ask." She looked at me with an exaggerated pout. "Why do you have to leave?"
I had no response. At least, nothing that was working between my brain and my mouth. The only thing thinking was in my pants. This felt like the moment I had waited all day for. We locked eyes, and I took a step closer to her. Backing up against the cooler door, Danielle said, "Wait." I did. I stopped with only a few inches between us. She put a light hand on my chest, but there was no strength behind it. I leaned in and kissed her. Her lips had a sweetness and softness to them but will forever be etched in my memory. She stiffened as I pressed my kiss forward, but she soon softened her stance and leaned into my body. My hands went to her shoulders and then to the small of her back.
I felt her mouth open against mine, and her tongue found its way into my mouth. That was all the signal I needed. Suddenly, the tension of all our time together overcame me, and I had to have her. My hands went further, and I grabbed her ass and pulled her in to me as I pushed her up against the door. I broke our kiss to begin kissing my way down her neck. Her hands were running through my hair, and our bodies were grinding against each other. All I could think about was finally getting to feel her. One hand slid from her ass to her thigh as I pulled her leg up, allowing me better access to thrust my hips between her legs. Her dress was beginning to ride up, and I could hear her moans as I explored her neck, shoulders, and collar bone with my mouth.
Suddenly, she stopped me. The hand that had been resting on my chest pushed me away. "Wait, this is crazy, we have to stop," Danielle panted. Her hair was slightly messy, and the hem of her skirt was askew. She almost appeared lost in thought, until her eyes focused on me. There was a slightly crazed, feral gleam to her look, and she bit her lip as if considering something. I could see warring emotions behind her face. Finally, she took a deep breath and fixed her dress. "We have to get the food," she said quickly. She glanced around hurriedly before finally finding it hidden on a bottom shelf. "Thanks for your help!" she said, almost frantically, and dashed out of the cooler, leaving me and my tented pants all alone to wonder what the hell had just happened. In a daze, I wandered back to the lobby, the smell of her hair and feel of her skin still lingering on my senses.
As I got back to the front desk, Danielle wouldn't meet my eyes. There were enough guests around that we had plenty to do to fill any possible awkward silences, but the tension was palpable. I kept trying to catch her eye, but she was elusive. Each time I tried to interact with her, she kept it very professional and succinct. As my shift neared its end, I wondered if I had blown it by kissing her in the cooler. She started to pack her things when I still had 45 minutes left on my final shift (manager perks), and I feared I'd never have the opportunity to see her again. As she began collecting her things, I made one final, half-hearted attempt to say something, anything.
"Hey Danielle, about earlier-" I began.
"Look, you've been an awesome employee," she interjected, "and you're a really nice guy, but earlier shouldn't have happened. I can't be doing things like that with my staff, even the ones I like. It was a momentary lapse in judgment," she said firmly.
