Picked by a Pepper

"Fancy me walking into my own office... hey, way to let yourself in."

"Well, you gave me a key, what did you expect me to do with it?"

I shrugged.

"Thanks for that," she said, holding up the binder. "Pepper's given us some great stuff to work with."

I hadn't read it, but nodded. We could always count on Pepper in RRD.

"Need anything else?"

"Actually no, I talked to Rob and about half a dozen other department heads today and they all gave me what I needed combined with Pepper's data. Quite a relief, really. Everyone wants to shitcan whoever screwed up."

"About time we circled the wagons I think."

"Tracy's been watching the press. So far, not much fallout, thanks to our emergency teams getting on it fast." Tracy was the head of the communications section within our division.

"Sweet."

"Well, I'll leave you to your things then. Lunch tomorrow?" she asked, standing up.

"Yeah, sure," I said, then remembered something. "Hey, why'd you have me get that from Pepper instead of doing it yourself?"

"Wanted you to check on her. Besides, you know you wanted to see her again," she said, smiling and touching me on the shoulder as she walked out the door.

"True enough," I mumbled. She laughed from around the corner, that ladylike middle-aged laugh you hear in opera houses before the show starts. It can mean half a dozen different things coming from her, ranging from "I adore you" to "I'm going to kick your ass."

Despite the fuss over the spill it wasn't a particularly chaotic day for me. I spent most of the afternoon in Tracy's office, watching the TV news network coverage of the incident with her.

Our cleanup crews were really doing a great job. Previous incidents had generated the worst headlines ever: Madhouse Burns to the Ground. The Inmates are Running the Madhouse. A Madhouse Divided Cannot Stand. You get the idea. This time, it wasn't even making half the cable news stations' hourly updates. This was one incident we wouldn't have to pull out all the stops to deal with.

I rode the elevator up to Pepper's office around 7 that evening. Everyone was gone again, and as I went to knock on the inner door she opened it. She was beaming as she saw me.

"Hey Pepper."

"Hey yourself. It's so good to see you again!" she said. She looked like a million bucks. Her slate blue A-line skirt ending just above the knees accentuated her long legs, and she was wearing a crisp white blouse with thin pink and blue stripes. It was buttoned low and a little bit transparent, revealing a lacy brown camisole underneath. Her strappy heels showed off her cute little feet. She'd let her hair down today; it was layered, parted high off to one side and came down in an arc, curving in to just below her shoulders, framing her face.

"How are you?"

"I'm gooood..." she said, putting her hands on my upper arms and kicking up one of her heels. She was a completely different person from when I'd first seen her the day before. Her rosy cheeks glowed.

"You look great," I said.

"Why thank you," she said, batting her eyelashes at me. She sure as hell was laying on the charm thick.

"Our reservation is at 7:20. At Frank's." Frank's Diner, a nice sit down restaurant a couple blocks down from Madhouse Tower.

"Everything prepared eh?"

"Yes indeed mister." she said. "Did you find my report ok?"

"Yeah, Daph loved it. Said there was a lot of useful stuff in there."

"Oh, I know. Always like to help."

"Well, shall we then?"

As we left the building I noticed that as usual just about everyone was gone for the night. She put her hand around my arm and gently led me outside and down the street.

The evening air was crisp and cool. I could smell her light perfume in the breeze.

"What a lovely night," she remarked.

"Yeah. You can see all the stars tonight, even in the city."

Dinner was quite delicious and largely uneventful, but for the little game of footsie she tried to play with me under the table.

"Stop it," I said, laughing.

"Oh c'mon," she said, smiling coyly and batting her eyelashes like a minx. She slowly toyed with her necklace, her red-polished nails making a bright contrast with her creamy skin.

"You know I like it, but not here!" I said. Her pointy little shoe continued to work its way up my trouser leg. She wiggled her foot a little to tickle me. I grabbed a sugar packet from the table and threw it at her. She ducked away, laughing.

We lingered over our food, chatting idly about old times and a variety of random things. She was thoroughly in her element. I'd never seen her so happy. She wouldn't let me pay the bill, no matter how much I pleaded for my wounded ego.

At last the restaurant was closing and we slowly strolled back up the street. As we walked in silence together she seemed to get more and more pensive. It was as if some other reality was imposing on her imagination, casting doubt on the meaning of our evening together.

I was standing by my car, my left arm resting idly on the roof. She was leaning back, half sitting with her hands on the hood, almost as if to stop me from leaving. It was an awkward pause that seemed to go on forever, though it was probably thirty seconds or so of silence. Finally she looked up and smiled softly.

"So... are you glad you visited me yesterday?"

"Of course."

"Tell me, what do you think of me, after all these years we've known each other?"

"What?"

"You heard me. What do you think? Honestly."

"I... I think you're really great to be around, I enjoy hanging out with you a lot," I said, lamely. I didn't really know what to make of the question.

"Yeah?"

I unlocked my car and got in the driver's seat. Her eyes widened in surprise; I guessed she thought I was trying to leave.

"You can come sit with me if you want to talk," I reassured her.

She got in on the passenger's side. Her hands were folded in front of her, slowly sliding as she stared down.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked.

"No... yes. I mean, I'm sorry if I seem to be acting... unprofessionally," without looking up.

"You've been an amazing friend Pepper, you never have to be anything but yourself around me."

"Is that it?"

"What?"

"Is that all we are, just friends?" She was staring right at me now, daring me to answer.

"Well, I..." One always imagines giving a clear response to a loaded question like that—one that cements the feelings both people in the conversation hold. But the suddenness of it can catch us unaware and make fools of us all. And a moment's hesitation sows doubt. Her aura of confidence evaporated. She seemed to wither, recoiling into the seat and frowning slightly.

"Forget it, I'm sorry, just pretend I didn't say that."

I didn't say anything, out of surprise more than anything else. She seemed to tear up a little, and suddenly she got out of the car, nearly slammed the door and started walking fast toward the building. I was stunned and just sat there watching her walk away.

Then it started to rain. And then pour. Right on time, like some kind of old film noir. It was a little ways to the doors and I could tell she was already soaked. She was about 40 feet away when she nearly tripped but recovered. She seemed to struggle as she stood and her knees were wobbling. Her heels were only a couple inches high; it was her legs that were giving in.

The sight was enough to shock me out of my bewildered state and I got out of my car and ran after her. By the time I got there I was just as soaked as she was. I grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her.

"Are you okay?"

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet mine and started to speak rapidly, not quite sobbing but close.

"You have no idea, no idea how much I've missed you. The day after you left I shut myself in my office and cried for half an hour when I went to say hi to you and you weren't there—weren't even supposed to be there."

"Oh, Pepper..." I pulled her into a hug. We were standing in the middle of the parking lot, and it was still pouring. I could feel the rain punch right through my shirt and hers. It spattered all around us, a steady, monotonous noise.

"Sometimes I cry because I don't see you anymore. When I call you it's not really because I need something, it's just to hear the sound of your voice. It sounds silly, I know. It's just... I've never felt this way about a man before, not like I feel about you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry... I didn't know." I let go of her and held her hands in mine. Her eyes were clear but pained, and she was biting her lip. She didn't want to cry in front of me, I could tell. She was using every last ounce of her strength not to. After a few seconds she spoke again.

"You seemed to love your new job so much, I wasn't sure why. And when I didn't get to see you anymore I thought maybe you didn't want to be around me. Like I hadn't been good enough to you and you wanted to go."

I paused, composing myself. Water ran down our faces as we stood there. I'd taken the promotion because I knew that Manny, Jack, Daph and the rest of the crew needed me in RRD. I hadn't thought it would affect her so much.

"I love being around you. I care about you a lot. It's been busy these past few months, but I never felt any different about you because of it," I finally told her.

I stopped. What could I say? I didn't know what I wanted. She just stood there, looking at me.

"You've always been good to me. Whatever you want from me... I'll always be here for you. Always," I said, my voice steadying. I wanted her to feel better, but it was all I could do to keep down my own sense of fear about where this was all going.

She hugged me again. "Thank you," was all she could say.

"Let's get inside," I whispered. We stumbled the remaining distance to the doors and let ourselves in. Both of us were dripping water all over the place, but we didn't care. I half carried her into the elevator and punched the button for the 30th floor. It opened and we hauled ourselves in. The atmosphere of the moment seemed to make the ride take forever. She leaned against the wall, looking downwards. She was calm, but sniffling. I felt about as helpless as she looked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" she said quietly.

"Pepper, let's not--"

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this when we were working together."

"No, no, you don't need to apologize for anything."

"It didn't seem right then to... well..." she trailed off.

"I know."

"I mean, I didn't really understand how I felt then, and what I wanted, and you..." She trailed off.

I stopped and stared at her for a few seconds. I saw her shirt sticking to her body, her beautiful straight hair all wet and a bit matted like she'd just gotten out of the shower, and her eyes moist. She smelled of rainwater but just as strongly of her rosy perfume and her conditioner. A tear trickled down from her left eye, meeting the droplets of rainwater that clung to both of our faces. I had never seen her looking so disjointed and lost. It was killing me inside to see her like that.

Somehow, though, in spite of all that, she was strong. It was in the lines of her face and in the gleam of her crying eyes, which burned not with grief but with life. Beneath the sundered exterior was the same Pepper I'd always knew—the one who loved life and loved her friends and family deeply.

She gently took my hand and placed it on her chest, clasping it with both her hands. Everything was wet and cold, and yet somehow I felt the warmth of her body far more than the rain. I could feel her heart beating. Suddenly I felt the same longing that she did. There was something more to her, to us, than we already had.

"Do you want this?"

She wanted to share herself with me. And as I looked at those thin, anxiously pursed lips and those resolute, almost defiant gray eyes staring back at me, I knew that I could never say no.

"Yeah," I said finally. It seemed almost anticlimactic after the unspoken exchange that had passed between us. Not for her though. She let go of me and seemed to swoon, and I caught her with a hand on her back, leaning over her to make sure she was all right. Her eyes refocused and looked up at me. She was smiling now. I could see the little wrinkles around her eyes as she realized that it was all coming together for her.

She put her arms around my neck and pulled herself up, her soaked blouse rubbing against my equally wet shirt. Her hands on me felt hot and cold all at once.

"Is this for real, or am I dreaming?" she whispered.

"It's real," I whispered back, smiling a little.

Finally, she closed her eyes and leaned forward a bit, and her moist lips grazed mine. My hand tensed on her back. I could feel the warmth of her soft skin through her cold damp clothes.

She began to kiss me, nervously at first. Her pace quickened and she began to do it more frantically, her tongue flicking out of her mouth and into mine, searching for an opening. I obliged and she pulled me into a deep French kiss. Beads of rainwater slowly slid down our faces as she pulled one of her hands between us and started unbuttoning her blouse.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened. We practically ran from the elevator into her office. She quickly shut and locked the door, then turned around and pounced on me, forcing me down on the ground. I resisted instinctively, but as she kept pressing at me I gave in. It was her show.

Her mouth pried at mine as she kissed me frantically, her tongue struggling to get past mine. I felt her hands begin to unbutton my soaked shirt. When she finished she pulled it off my arms and began to kiss her way slowly down my chest, making loud, wet smacking noises as she did so.

When she reached my pants she began to unbuckle my belt.

"Shouldn't we take it a bit more—"

She raised her finger to her lips.

"Shhhh..." I saw the lust, and the love, in her eyes. She wanted me, now. It dawned on me that I wanted her too. I had always repressed whatever subconscious sexual feelings I had towards her, but there was no going back now—not to the old friendship we had. We were both all in. And that was what she wanted.

She pulled my pants and my boxers off in one swift stroke. I was still wet all over—the rain had gone through all our clothes. Her eyes went wide as she checked me out, and the lust in her eyes grew. Her eyes finally came to my half-hard dick. Looking back up at me, she stood up and walked forward a couple steps.

From my vantage point, on my back on the floor of her office, she towered over me. I could see up her unbuttoned shirt. Her lacy wet camisole stuck tightly to her skin, and I could see the cups of her bra sticking through. I couldn't quite see up her skirt. She shrugged off the shirt and pulled the cami over her head, tossing them on the floor.

Her bra was made of black satin. My mind was begging her to take it off but she saw that she'd done enough—I was getting hard, fast. She stepped out of her heels and got back down on her knees, giving me a nice view of her breasts. Her breasts were firm, just a tiny bit large for her petite frame. I could see them wobble ever so slightly in the cups of her bra. She was teasing me, the little brat.

I was busy staring at her breasts when I suddenly felt engulfed by a wave of pleasure as she took my cock in her mouth, her lips gently sucking as they took the shaft in. She couldn't quite get all 8 inches down, but I didn't care. It felt amazing. I was glad I'd shaved the area clean, not expecting this to happen. Her wet hair brushed roughly against me as she sucked my cock, the cold sensation mixing with the incredible tingling heat of her mouth.

She didn't really seem to know what she was doing, but it isn't that hard to get a blowjob right. I could feel her tongue under the head, and as I groaned out loud she began to suck harder.

Every so often she would lift her eyes, peering up at me with my dick in her mouth as she observed my reactions. I was helpless before her, overwhelmed by her. It seemed like I was about to go over the edge and it was all I could do not to cum in her mouth. She sensed what was coming and drew my cock out in a long sucking motion.

We both started gasping for air. She wiped off her lips and crawled back up me, kissing my neck and slowly working her way up until she was nibbling at my earlobe. I could feel her breath on my skin, all the more so from the rainwater that was still clinging to both of us.

"Get up," she whispered. I obeyed and let her lead me over to the couch. She gave me another wet kiss on the lips and gently pushed me down into a sitting position.

She stood in front of me, hesitated for an instant and then slowly began to undress herself.

I started to question this too, then stopped. It was no use. She gave me a meaningful look and unzipped her skirt, then let it fall with a whoosh to the floor. With a quick gesture she stepped out of it, slightly closer to me.

Her legs were beautiful; her lean thighs curved in ever so slightly at the top as they led up to her pussy, which was covered by a pair of black panties matching her bra. They were bikini skimpy, narrowing down to just a string tied in a bow as they crossed her hips.

She caught me gawking at the sight of her and turned away, blushing but with a smile. Then, ever so slowly, she plucked at one of the knots. It seemed to take ages for the bow to come undone as her panties slowly loosened, then fell off her slim hips, revealing the most gorgeous pussy I'd ever seen.

I wanted to say something to that effect, but was stopped by the sense of stillness in the air. The only thing in the room that was really moving was our bodies.

She grabbed one of my hands and put my fingers between her legs. Her pussy was shaved clean and the lips felt smooth and slightly moist as I ran my fingers along them. I gently rubbed her clit. She let out a little moan and smiled with pleasure, reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. As I massaged her slit, she pulled down the straps and let the bra slide off her arms onto the floor.

Her breasts were high, firm and round, with little pink nipples. I had only had a little while to gaze at them when she straddled me, bending down to meet me in a kiss as her right hand reached down and grabbed my dick.

I put my hands on her back and ran them across, my fingers caressing every undulation in her wiry, sensual back. The moisture seemed to make everything stick a little. She shivered.

I realized then what was about to happen—before I had thought, in all honesty, that we were just fooling around, exploring each other after the night's revelations. Suddenly I knew that she was going to take it all the way, that Pepper was naked and sitting in my lap, that she wanted to have me right here, right now—and that there was nothing I would do or say to stop her.

"I want you so bad," she whispered, staring me in the eyes. The soft, rosy scent of her body wafted toward me, drowning me in its sweetness. Her necklace and her watch, the only things she was still wearing, glittered in the dim light. "I've wanted you for years."

"I'm all yours," I whispered back, amazed at the sight of her steaming hot pussy just inches, and seconds, away from my cock.

"I'm going to make love to you... and I want to feel you come inside me," she whispered. I gazed up at her, entranced.

She leaned back slightly, shifted her knees to spread her legs a bit more, and guided me inside her. As my cock slid inside her pussy, she sighed deeply and shuddered with pleasure. She was tight but wet, and I let her take me slowly, sliding an inch at a time until I was completely inside her. As the last length of my cock slid from view, she sighed happily and took my hands in hers.

She seemed to pause consciously for a moment, as if to mark the occasion. Something was on her mind. I let her sit there in my lap, my dick filling her pussy completely. It felt amazing, making love to my friend at last—I won't lie, I'd had occasional fantasies about her. But this blew them all away. She looked at me and smiled wistfully, then put her hands on my shoulders and ran them down my chest, then grabbed mine and put them on her hips.