I hear the sound of a door opening and closing, then footsteps coming towards me. “Jenny? I told you to wait….Jenny?” I open my eyes to see Blake standing in front of my car. Then I close them again and just breathe.

My car door opens. I squint but the light hurts so much, it’s hard to keep my eyes open.

Fuck this shit, I think to myself. No job is worth this aggro. If he gets on my case, I’m gonna tell him to shove it where the sun don’t shine and go work at McDonald’s.

“How’d you get past the trucks? Are they gone? My phone died, I was so busy I didn’t even…Jenny?” Blake’s tone of voice goes from annoyed to concerned. “What’s wrong? You look terrible. Are you okay?”

I try to nod, but moving my head hurts so bad, all I can do is frown. But even frowning hurts.

“Hey! What’s wrong? Answer me!”

“Migraine,” I mutter, squinting at him. “Bad. Really bad.”

“Is that right? Shit. You don’t look well at all. You want to come inside for a minute, have a bottle of water?”

I shake my head no, making everything spin. Beads of sweat pop out on my temples and upper lip. I groan.

Oh God, this is bad.

Blake leans inside the car, looking down at me. “Shit, Jenny, you’re sick, aren’t you?”

I nod very slightly.

“Damn,” he says. “I’m sorry about this cock-up. You shouldn’t have come down here in this mess.”

“I got the hooks, they’re right here in this box.” I speak quietly, trying to avoid flaring the pain in my head. A wave of nausea hits me. I stop moving, swallow, and breathe.

“Shit,” he mutters again, one of his big hands rubbing his chin. “Okay, you’re coming in for a minute. Here, let me help you.” He leans inside the car, a strong arm going around my waist to tug at me. “Come on, can you walk?”

“No…yes, I mean,” I say, resisting feebly. “I mean, I just…have to get home.”

“You look waxy, like you’re about to pass out,” he says, his breath tickling my ear. “How’d you even manage to drive in this condition? Come on.”

“Okay, okay. Could you…please, could you just give me some room?” He backs off and I turn, shakily putting my feet onto the ground outside of the car. The motion makes everything swim and gray out. “Ohhh, shit,” I whisper, staring straight ahead.

“Jenny?” Blake says. “Shit!”

“Just…gimme a sec, will you?” I grip the edge of the driver’s seat, hard. I liked the feeling of his hand on my waist but I don’t want to admit that I need help.

“No. Time’s up,” he says, and the next thing I know, he’s pulling me up and out of the car.

The pain flares. My eyes squint shut and a whimper escapes me.

“Whoa there,” he says, his arm tightening around me. I crack open my eyes to see him examining my face up close. He looks worried.

I lick my lips. “I’ll be okay, I just need…”

“C’mon,” he says, and with a grunt, he picks me up and carries me in his arms like a child.

My heart speeds up, making my head hurt. Distantly, I think that if only I felt better, I could enjoy this more. But all I can do is cling to his shoulders, feeling his thick muscles moving smoothly under his shirt. I register how strong they are, but it’s hard to care when motion hurts my head and makes me feel so nauseous.

Please God, don’t let me throw up on my boss. Please.

“Blake, this is…”

“Yeah yeah, I know,” he says.

Every time I open my eyes normally, the pain spikes. So I squint, trying to see where we’re going.

Blake gets the trailer door open and we go into the cool, quiet interior. A cursory glance seems to show that it’s well-outfitted inside.

We head straight towards a neatly-made bed. It’s actually part of a new-looking pull-out couch, which is flanked on each side with new-looking accent chairs. “You’ll be more comfortable here,” he says, putting me down on the bed.

The mattress is covered with a soft wool bedspread. I lean myself back and put an elbow across my eyes to block out the light.

“Oh God I’m so embarrassed,” I groan. I’m not even gonna bother trying to hide my shame.

“Naw, don’t worry about it,” he says kindly. “It’s nothing.”

Even in my distress, I can’t help but notice he’s not even breathing hard from carrying me inside.

He goes around a wall partition and in a moment, I hear the brief sound of water running. Water running? In a construction-site trailer? Then I hear a fridge door open and close. Refrigerator too? Hmm.

“Jenny, you sure it’s just a migraine or did something happen? You hit your head? Do you need to go to the hospital?” He’s back, holding out a bottle of water to me and looking at me with concern.

“Thank you. No, I didn’t hit my head. No, I don’t need the hospital. Yes, I’m sure it’s just a migraine,” I say quietly, taking the bottle of water. “I just need to go home. I need ibuprofen and to lay still, in the dark. It’ll pass.”

“Huh. Well…okay, good. I mean, sorry to hear that, but I’m glad it’s not more serious.”

“Thanks,” I say, and take a small sip of water.

“How did you get into the site? Are the trucks gone?”

“No. The driver was backing up and let me pass.”

“No shit?”

He texts furiously and paces for a few minutes. His phone sounds a notification and he looks at it.

“I just asked the foreman. You must’ve got here at the right time. That, or maybe the driver liked your pretty face. But they’re not moving for anybody now.”

My “pretty face!’ Geez! But, never mind that right now. I need to go home.

“What? Why not?” I ask, feebly. “Why can’t they move?”

“Because they’re positioned where they need to be and there’s no room to put them anywhere else. There’s too much going on right now. You drove through the site, you saw what a mess it is.”

“Yes. But can’t they just come back tomorrow or something?”

“Oh, sure…at a cost of thousands of dollars. Trust me, they’re going to get their money’s worth and they will stay put until they’re done for the day.” He shakes his head grimly. “Just another normal, fucked-up day at Delcroft. Anyway, nobody’s getting in or out unless it’s an emergency.” He looks at me closely. “Are you sure this is not an emergency?”

“Yes,” I say, “It’s just a migraine. They run in the family.”

“Alright.” He paces, rubbing his chin. “Well, I guess there’s no choice. Might as well make yourself comfortable here then.” He stops pacing and looks around. “Can you take codeine? I’ve got some around here somewhere.”

I nod, squinting at him as he rummages in a cabinet and then a drawer. He finds a bottle of pills and brings it over to me.

“Here,” he says, his weight compressing the mattress as he sits next to me. “Take two of these. They should help you.”

“Last time I had codeine, it made me really sleepy,” I say. “And I’m already tired. What if I…I’m afraid I might zonk out in here.”

“So? Go ahead.”

“No! Blake, I don’t…”

“Never mind. I said you can sleep here. No one else comes in here and I won’t bite. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

“Oh, come on! Seriously?” I feel like crying. I don’t want to sleep in a job-site trailer! “I can’t just leave? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”

“I told you not to come on site, Jenny! I told you it was chaos!” His tone is getting tight.

“I tried to call you Blake! I called and texted! What else was I supposed to do?”

“Stay away, like I specifically told you to! I would’ve gotten a hold of you soon enough.”

“I should’ve wasted my whole day sitting in a parking lot waiting for you to call?”

“Well you’re getting paid for it, so what do you care?”

He’s got a point there.

“Alright, alright. But this is…stupid! This is a major pain in the ass!”

“No shit! How do you think I feel?” He glares at me, then his expression softens and turns worried again. “So, do you want this codeine or not?”

“Yes, I do,” I say, and struggle to sit up.

“Here, let me help you.”

He scoots over and puts an arm around my shoulders, helping me to sit up. Then he hands me the two pills, one at a time, and I obediently take them with a swallow of water.

He’s being awfully kind and helpful. As for myself, I feel pretty damn grumpy.

But again, I wish that I felt better so I could enjoy Blake’s care-taking more.

“You should go see the doc as soon as you can,” he says, as I put my arm back over my eyes to block out the light.

“I don’t have insurance yet, Blake. I’m still in my probationary period at Delcroft, remember? I can’t pay for a doctor. It’s…ah, crap! I just need to go home and lay down.”

“Alright, I get that. But it’s really okay to rest right here. Nothing bad will happen, no one will bother you.”

I definitely don’t relish the thought of trying to drive home right now. Maybe I should be thankful that I don’t have to. Plus, I mean…despite my pain, I can’t help but enjoy Blake’s attention.

“I feel really weird about it,” I say, “but I guess so. Thanks.” I lift my arm so I can look at him, which I regret immediately. Ugh, the light is killing me.

“Yeah, well, it is weird. But it’s fine with me,” he says, “and I’m your boss, so it’s my opinion that matters. That said…it might look bad. Especially if anyone saw me carrying you inside.” Pause. “No way anyone did, though. It’s deserted down here.”

His phone beeps again. He looks down at it, then back at me. I’m peering at him from under my arm. “The pain makes your eyes photo-sensitive, huh?”

I nod.

“Alright, listen. I have to go hand out those hooks and get the guys working. You’ll be fine in here. When the way is clear, you can leave. Or, I’ll drive you home if you don’t feel any better. We can pick up your car later or tomorrow or something. Okay?”

“I…okay. Well, thanks Blake. I really appreciate all this.”

“No problem. Make yourself at home. You can use that blanket if you want.” He points to a fleece blanket neatly folded at the bottom of the bed. “I’ll close the curtains for you. Would it help you to cover your eyes with something? I could get you a clean towel.”

“Yes, actually, that would help. Thank-you.”

He goes back around the partition. I kick my shoes off and lay down, holding my skirt around my legs to keep it from bunching up. I pull the throw blanket over my lower body, curling up gratefully. Blake comes back and hands a navy blue towel to me.

“Thank-you Blake. I really appreciate your help and understanding about this.”

“Not a problem. Stop thanking me now, okay?” he says, his eyes crinkling briefly. “Just rest if you can. I’ll be back.”

He moves away as I cover my face with the towel. Ahh, blessed darkness.

I hear the trailer door open, letting in a brief burst of distant noise, and then it closes again, bringing the quiet back. Next comes the sound of the lock on the door being engaged. Blake’s footsteps clomp away and I lay there, moving as little as possible. I hear Blake’s truck start up and drive away.

I do my best to relax and stop thinking. I’m embarrassed and stressed to the max, but sometimes, shit just happens. And this isn’t my fault.

At the same time, I’m quite grateful and well, touched. I’ve never seen Blake this caring and attentive, and I’m liking it. A lot! Plus, the pain really is debilitating.

At least it’s quiet in here, and it’s such a relief to lay still in the darkness under the towel.

Some time passes, I don’t know how long. Laying there quietly with my eyes closed, the pain recedes a little bit. Then, slowly, it recedes a little bit more.

The codeine and my fatigue both kick in and I drift into merciful sleep.

I hear a noise, and I swim up out of the dark, but not all the way. I’m too tired, too in need of rest.

“Jenny? You okay?” His voice is a whisper, coming from far away.

I try to nod, not sure if I actually move my head. It doesn’t seem very important, so I lay still again. I become aware that my legs are chilly but I’m already going back down into the warm well of sleep.

“I’ll be back later. Text me when you wake up if you want.” Something soft and fluffy covers my lower body, gently as a feather. My legs warm up. Gratefully, I sink all the way back down into the peaceful darkness.

* * *

Some sounds intrude and I open my eyes with a start. I listen carefully for a moment, but all is still again.

For a moment, I have no idea where I am.

Then I remember.

I’m in Blake’s trailer on the job site. Shit! What time is it? The light coming in from the window says it’s after lunch. Way after lunch. I lift my head but put it back down hastily. It still hurts, and I’m groggy, but thankfully, the pain isn’t as bright and spike-y as it was.

My purse is on the bed next to me, along with a capped bottle of water. Slowly, without moving my head too much, I get my phone out of my bag. Three-twelve pm! Shit! I’ve slept the day away!

I must’ve been deeply asleep. I didn’t hear any ringing or notifications, but there are a few messages waiting on my voice mail, and a couple texts from Flora.

But nothing from Blake. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Feeling cooler air on my butt, I realize that the blanket is twisted around my ankles and my skirt has rucked up around my waist, leaving my panty-clad ass hanging out. I pull my skirt back down and move the tangled blanket off my legs.

My head hurts some, but it’s much, much better now. My stomach feels a little upset but not too bad.

Apparently, I’m going to live.

I have to get up and see if I can leave. “Oh God please help me,” I whisper. Keeping my head as still as possible, I sit up, very slowly, and put my feet on the floor.

My stomach rumbles. I’m hungry, and thirsty. I have a drink from the water bottle, sipping slowly, trying to look around without moving my head too much.

First thing I notice is that the place smells like….boys. Not in a bad way, but in a plastic and leather way, along with the slightly sweaty smell of working men. Also, it seems more like a home than an office.

There’s some shelving, neatly stacked with stuff. New safety equipment mostly, hard hats, gloves, boxes of safety glasses and assorted items. There are safety posters hung here and there. Business stuff.

But further along the one wall, there’s a low table with a flat-screen TV and some kind of machine, maybe a DVD player. The pull-out couch and the chairs are comfortable and expensive-looking.

Not your average job-site office by any means, the place really is very nice and quite homey for a construction trailer.

There’s a desk right by the trailer entrance. Behind that, more shelving, holding binders and catalogues and books. The desk is covered with papers and drawings, and there’s a PC with a big computer monitor. It obviously has power, and I wonder if it has internet too.

I stand up, experimentally. So far, so good.

Slowly, I turn all the way around…and there’s Blake, standing utterly still in an open doorway off the main room.

We lock eyes. Two seconds of shocked silence tick by.

The expression on his face is indescribable.

“Oh God, you startled me,” I say, and sit back down, fast.

“Sorry, I was just in the, uh…” he gestures behind him, frowning. “How’s your head?” He comes forward, and I see that he’s holding a magazine.

He sits down in one of the chairs and crosses his legs.

“Actually, it’s a lot better,” I say. “It hurts, but not as much. Blake, listen. This isn’t…I really don’t get this type of migraine very often.” I’m worried about my job now, worried that he’ll think I’m sick on the regular or something. “I don’t want you to think I’ll be off work with headaches all the time.”

He shakes his head, dismissing my worry. “You slept like a baby,” he says quietly. His pupils are huge. “You breathe so quietly I could barely hear you. I was almost worried for a minute there, at one point.”

I just blink at him, with no idea what to say.

Then his eyes crinkle in a smile. “Yeah, so that codeine must have done the trick. But listen…debilitating head pain should always be checked out. Especially if it comes on fast. Have you ever seen a doctor about it?”

I’m loving how concerned he seems, but I’m so embarrassed by this whole thing, I’m not sure if he’s just being decent or what. Probably he can’t wait for me to get out of his hair.

“Yes, a few years ago, when I was on my mom’s insurance. It was just a visit to the GP, though. They didn’t do any tests because there are never any other symptoms. Like I said, migraines run in the family, it’s no big deal. It’ll be over with in a few hours, or maybe, by tomorrow. ”

He stands, comes over to me and bends down to peer at me, hands on knees. “Look right into my eyes, okay?” he says, his voice quiet and thoughtful.

I do. He looks into mine carefully, his own full of concern.

Oh my gosh!

His pupils contract and then dilate again as he looks at me, and it gives me a feeling like all the hairs on my body standing up at once.

My inner core softens while my nipples tighten.

Ohhh, boy. I feel my face burning. Great time to get horny, I think to myself. I look away, taking another sip of water, just to have something to do.

“Your pupils look normal,” he says, and then he lets his gaze travel over my face before returning to his seat. “So, I take it you’re not getting much sleep at night?”

“No, not really.” Sip of water, look away. Sip, look back.

“Not staying out drinking or anything, are you?” His eyes glint mischievously.

“No! All I do is work. I work at work, and then I bring work home. This job is stressful and it keeps me up at night.”

“Yeah, well. That makes two of us,” he says, lips twitching the tiniest bit. “If it makes you feel any better, I gave the hooks out to the men and they’re back to work. So, even though you went against my orders in coming here…you saved the company a lot of money. And therefore, you also saved me some aggravation. So…good job, Jenny.”

I look at him somberly. His gaze travels to my lips and then back up to my eyes. Oh shit. His eyes are doing that sparkly-and-alive thing they do sometimes. Dammit! Why now?

The corners of his lips are twitching.

I want to ask him what’s so funny but I just say “Thank you,” instead.

“You’re welcome. Anyhow, I had stuff to do so I left you here to rest. I came back earlier and tried to wake you but you didn’t budge.”

“I’m sorry, Blake. I can’t…I don’t know what to say.”

“Nothing to say. You were sick and kind of stuck. You needed to rest. I’m glad I could help.” He laughs, a short, quick chuff, and it lights his face up. Brief but sweet. “There’s no real harm done. As long as no one finds out you were here, we won’t have to answer any awkward questions.”

His eyes keep lingering on my lips. His eyes…their expression is warm, sexual. If this were a different guy and a different situation, I’d think I was about to be kissed.

My face feels warm; my nerves, skittish.

Despite feeling so crappy, the sexual tension is thickening in here. If I wasn’t feeling so shitty, I’d be flooding my panties probably.

Panties!

My skirt was around my hips when I woke up! Did he…?

“Blake, how long were you standing there before I woke up?” As soon as I ask, I know the answer.

“Only a second,” he replies instantly. Too instantly. Yep. Even if I didn’t know it was bullshit, the glint in his eyes would’ve told me.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, staring at him in horror.

“That’s what I said,” he says, and a delighted grin lights up his face.

“Blake! It’s not funny! Oh, fuck! I can’t believe I passed out in here and flashed you,” I groan, putting my head in my hands. “You know what? Just go ahead and fire me, it’s the most merciful thing you could do.”

He guffaws, and then shakes his head, trying to look serious. “Naw…Jenny, listen. I didn’t…”

I stand up dizzily and start looking around for my shoes. “Jesus, Blake. This is…this is…” I grab the back of the couch for support.

He stands too, and puts his hand on my arm. “Careful, you’re wobbling! Come on now, don’t be upset. Jenny, I’m sorry.”

I wave him off and hold onto the wall for balance.

He runs a hand through his crew-cut and looks around as if hoping to find something to save him. “I was coming out of the bathroom and…you were just waking up. You kicked the blanket off. Your skirt was…” He stops, and gives me that indescribable look again. He lifts his hands, and then lets them drop by his side. “What was I supposed to do?”

“I… don’t know.” And I don’t know. What could either one of us do?

Now he does look serious. “Besides, how do you think I felt?” Eyes wide, he holds his hands out, gesturing. “Here I am, stuck in my trailer with my assistant, who’s laying in my bed with her ass hanging out! It’s like a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to happen!”