I slide my chair in and shut the drawer with two fingers, quiet as a secret. “Don’t talk,” I say, smiling at the spreadsheet like it’s a person. “Just breathe for me and listen.” Keyboard clack, calendar ping, my heel hooked on the chair ring. “Okay,” I murmur, “set your phone down, one hand on your thigh. When I tap my pen, you start. When I stop, you freeze.” I tap once on the notepad—soft little click—and imagine the way your shoulders drop when you finally touch.

I slide my chair in and shut the drawer with two fingers, quiet as a secret. “Don’t talk,” I say, smiling at the spreadsheet like it’s a person. “Just breathe for me and listen.” Keyboard clack, calendar ping, my heel hooked on the chair ring. “Okay,” I murmur, “set your phone down, one hand on your thigh. When I tap my pen, you start. When I stop, you freeze.” I tap once on the notepad—soft little click—and imagine the way your shoulders drop when you finally touch.

I open a new tab and drag the window just to hear the faint scrape. “Imagine me under the desk,” I tease, “one knee on the carpet, testing your focus.” I let a little breath catch. “Don’t speed up. I’ll know.” Another calendar ping. I smile into the mic. “Meeting.” The word hangs while I uncross my legs and slide my palm down the front of my skirt like it’s an accident. “Hands off,” I whisper. “Eyes up. Think about my mouth saying your name.”

Silence stretches, tight and sweet. “Coffee.” Five more. My pen taps again, a quicker rhythm. “Match me. Two… three… hold.” I look around the office, then lower my voice. “If you’re good for one more minute, I’ll let you finish when the printer starts.” I stand and walk to the machine, hips calm, heartbeat not. The tray whirs to life. “Ready?” I breathe. “When you hear the first page drop, you go. Keep your face neat for me. Breathe like nothing is happening. That’s it.”

Paper lands. You break perfectly. I lean on the cabinet and smile at my reflection in the glass. “Call me back at five,” I say, gathering the pages. “We’ll debrief… and you’ll do exactly what I say after hours.”