Looks like I made the right call bringing this girl on, thought Scott as he looked over the latest documents he had assigned to Ashley. A week in and not a single error; this girl's got a knack for this sort of thing.

Scrolling through the rest of the documents, Scott confirmed that the rest were in just as good of order as everything else that Ashley had turned in. Having brought her on with the initial intention of keeping his schedule straight, Ashley showed interest in the last few days in looking over his books. Eager for the extra help, Scott gave her access to his finances, and sure enough, within forty-eight hours, she'd streamlined information that was previously arranged in the haphazard manner that made perfect sense to him, but was all but nonsense to anyone else.

Scott pushed himself away from his desk and made himself a fresh cup of French roast in the Keurig he kept in his office. As the machine whirred, pouring a steady drip of hot, coal-black brew into his cup, he leaned against his desk and looked out onto the waters of the bay, the shimmering waves calming and clearing his mind, as they often did.

Still, the matter of her previous employer… he thought. Everything about her is on the level- great student, great employee; hell, she's even slowly getting Olivia to come out of her shell. What about her could possibly have resulted in terrible reference?

But before he could consider the question further, a soft chime sounded through his office, the lights dimming for a brief moment- it was the "buzzer" for his office.

"Come in!" he called out, taking the cup of coffee from the machine, the steam coiling around his face.

The door opened, and Ashley stepped in. Scott took a moment to consider her outfit. She was dressed in a simple white blouse that formed a neat outline along her slim upper body, though a hint of a flesh-colored bra could be spotted beneath it. Her slacks were gray and trim, curving downward along the shape of her thighs. Her hair was done up in the usual simple bun that she tended to wear it in, a few stray hairs dangling over the flawless skin of her forehead.

Damn, thought Scott as Ashley stood before him, a small folder tucked under her arm, I didn't count on her being this much of a…distraction.

"Yes, Ashley?" he asked, bringing the steaming cup of coffee to his mouth.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said.

"You're not interrupting anything," said Scott.

Truth be told, now with her here doing the bulk of the admin work, there's not much I could be doing that could be interrupted, he thought.

"I just wanted to let you know I finished the financial projections for the next month. Your estimations were accurate, but there were a few tweaks I wanted to make. They're marked in red."

She stepped towards Scott, handing over the folder. As she approached, the subtle smell of lilacs wafted into his nose.

"New perfume?" he said, flipping through the papers.

"Um, yes, actually. Olivia and I did a little shopping and I picked it up there; I hope you don't mind me taking her out."

Scott finished looking through the papers, setting the folder on his desk.

"Not at all, I'm happy to see you two hitting it off; most adults tend to avoid her when she puts up that ice queen front."

"She's just shy. I used to be the same way; people mistake being shy for being, well, bitchy, if you're a girl."

"True," said Scott. "Sh-"

Before he could continue, a soft, child's voice sounded through the hallway.

"Da-aaaddd!" said Olivia, the pattering of her shoes on the stair following soon after.

Within seconds, she appeared at the door to the office. She was dressed in a simple, pink t-shirt and white pants, a pair of new sneakers on her feet, her blonde hair in a high ponytail.

"Dad!" she said.

"Yes?" asked Scott.

"It's Saturday."

"You're right; it is."

"And we always do something fun on Saturdays," said Olivia, preparing her argument.

"We have been known to do fun things on Saturdays, yes."

"So…can-we-go-to-the-beach?"

Scott shot a sly glance at Ashley, noting that a gentle blossoming of red was breaking out across her delicate features.

"We may have stopped off for new swimsuits this afternoon."

A small grin tugged at the corner of Scott's mouth.

"OK, I think I can get away from the office for a few hours. Ashley, call the driver and let him know that of our plans. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Yeeesss," said Olivia, her fist closed, pulling her elbow to her body in a victory gesture.

The three of them pack up the beach necessities, prepared some sandwiches, and changed into their appropriate attire. Ashley emerged from her bedroom wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and a black, one-piece bathing suit, a white sarong wrapped around the curves of her waist. Scott's eyes fell upon her slim arms, noting that it was skin that he hadn't seen before.

Enough of that, he thought, getting their gear loaded by the door.

Soon, they were off, down to Baker Beach at the Presidio. The group found an open stretch of sand among the crowds and spread their blankets. Once everything was in order, they all took their seats on the packed sand, the blue of the ocean spreading out before them, the gentle sound of the waves against the shore the only sound beyond the light chattering of fellow beach-goers.

"Perfect day for the beach," said Ashley, looking out onto the water through a pair of large sunglasses.

"No kidding," said Scott, slipping a pair of Wayfarers out of the front pocket of his linen shirt and putting them on. "Fall's gonna be here soon; gotta enjoy these days while you can."

Scott watched as Olivia shucked off her shorts and shoes until she was in nothing but a red-and-white striped swimsuit.

"Come on," she said, stomping a foot into the sand. "Let's go into the water!"

Scott and Ashley shared a knowing look.

"No water until you've got your sunscreen on," said Scott.

"Fine," said Olivia.

"You relax," said Ashley, standing up. "I'll get her."

Scott leaned back, watching Ashley walk across the sand with delicate, feminine steps, the sunscreen in her hand. She applied a healthy amount on Olivia, who ran off towards the surf as soon as she was covered. Then, Ashley slipped off her sarong, tossing it onto the picnic basket.

Through his dark lenses, Scott drank in the sight of Ashley in her simple one-piece, the contours of the suit curving perfectly along the shape of her hips. Her legs were shapely and smooth, her skin fair and flawless. Scott watched as she applied the sunscreen to her body, her hands slowly moving over her comely shape.

Damn, thought Scott, I can't believe this is the same girl I knew all those years ago.

"Coming?" asked Ashley, looking at Scott over her shades.

"In a bit," he said. "I think I'm going to catch up on some reading first."

"Don't be long," Ashley said with a smile, turning towards the beach, her full, perfectly proportioned rear hanging out of the bottom of her swimsuit.

Scott smiled a wry grin, his eyes on Ashley's hips as she strode into the water, thoughts he knew he shouldn't be thinking drifting into his mind as he sat in the warm, afternoon sun.