Olivia waited outside Mr. Drest's apartment. Another glance at her watch confirmed that she was punctual while he was far from it. She rapped on the door again with vigour. Nothing, not even a ghost of movement came from outside. A few calming breaths allowed her to maintain her composure. Surely, something had come up, or he was terrified. Not everyone could be performance ready.

"Sorry," called a voice from down the hall. His heavy footsteps echoed on the granite floors.

"I thought we agreed on a time."

"I got caught up at the lab."

His breathing grew ragged just from the run toward her. Once he grew closer, his eyes unmistakably gravitated to her body. A smile crept on her lips, not because she had feelings for this man. She liked to feel appreciated every once in a while.

"You look..." a pause ensued as his body remember to breathe again, "like a goddess."

Olivia smiled. Only the absence of his straightforward commentary would have shocked her. "Thank you."

He finally fished his keys out of his large standard issue work pants and swung the door open. Even as she stepped inside, the heat of his gaze made her increasingly aware of her own actions. She turned to look back at him and take control of the situation.

"I was attempting to create an outfit that would help with your arousal."

His hearty laugh filled the room. "Olivia, you could wear a trash bag and I'd still find you attractive."

Why was he attempting to win her affections? The end game was intercourse, as it was with all species. He already knew he would engage in the act. These pleasantries just wasted his time and effort.

"Can I use your room to get ready?"

His head cocked to the side in surprise. "You can do whatever your little heart desires." Olivia nodded and began to walk towards the bedroom. "Can I get you a drink or anything?"

The man often fell victim to sidetracks. She couldn't fault him for seeking an escape from reality. She would likely feel nervous too if she had the opportunity to sleep with a man far more attractive than herself. That wasn't the case, as most of them hadn't made the cut for this society. Her sense of calm remained.

"I'm fine."

Once she settled into the room, she undressed, folded her clothes and sat on the bed. It had the same medium firmness as hers. She glanced around at the few things that Mr. Drest had acquired. He had some snacks on the dresser and a picture propped up behind a bag of chips near the bedside table. A woman with mid-length blonde hair lifting an equally pale-complexioned boy by the arms stared back at her. She reined her thoughts back to the present while they wanted to contemplate the story behind that image.

She lay back on the bed and distracted herself by visualizing a man walking through a haze as her fingers went to work. A familiar jogging path surrounded her. The anonymous man didn't have a distinguishable face, just a striking body. He approached. His abdomen rippled with each confident stride toward her. Dark skin glistened in the afternoon sun. The gentle curves of his hips led down to his snug jeans, which bulged with desire among other things. This brought a smile to her face, just the thought that she could drive him wild without lifting a finger.

He could wait no more. His rough hands grabbed her chin and forced her eyes up. Stubble prickled against her smooth jawline and teased her senses until he dared to press his lips on hers. Warmth spread through her chest and her skin prickled with the excitement of his touch. His hands gripped her hips with assertive dominance and pulled his body into hers. She sighed, eyes closed. She pulled her body away to trace down his defined pecks and work her hands down to the leather belt that locked away what she needed.

"Patience never was your virtue, was it Liv?"

The deep voice froze her in place as the trees in the forest closed in on her. Breathing quickened. Heart raced. Strong brown eyes shattered the scene in front of her.

The maroon walls welcomed her back to her reality as her eyes snapped open. Trapped in an underground world, fantasies clouded her judgment and would compromise her. She sat up and gave up on natural lubrication. The bottled kind would have to suffice tonight.  Her mind had no energy left to fight her subconscious.

Two minutes passed. Calm breaths brought her face down from its flushed state and gave her back the control she needed.

"Mr. Drest, I'm ready."    

He came into the room, smelling like mouthwash and sweat. Not much different than a dingy motel room. When his eyes found her body, he stopped dead in his tracks. She kept her face stoned in indifference, but her heart fired off rounds in fear that he could see past the calm and collected exterior. His lips curled into a smile. The way that his gaze fell on her body melted away her fears. The perks of being attractive. An uncomfortable minute later, he snapped back to reality. His eyes didn't have the same heat as those in her fantasy. She shook away the thought.

"You're naked."

"I'd imagine it's rather uncomfortable to have sex with clothes on," she replied. "Have you changed your mind?" She tried to keep her eyes from widening. This would be a welcome distraction as long as he didn't ruin it.

"No, hell no. I just didn't realize we were getting right down to business. I usually have to sit through awful dinner conversations, trips to the park or god forbid the couples nights before this goes on the table."

"Our arrangement is more efficient."

"Clearly, I'll try to use that argument in all future situations and see if it works. I'll tell 'em it's what all the hot women are doing these days."

He fumbled around in his pockets and pulled out a handful of condoms. He placed them on the bedside table so he could begin his struggle out of his work pants. She had to stop watching the sad display to maintain a bit of interest in the man. There had to be something appealing about him.

"You will need one of those, you do realize," Olivia said.

He flashed an embarrassed grin and turned around. His chubby fingers fumbled with the package. At least he had the good sense to bring protection. She had far too much to lose otherwise. The struggle continued for another minute.

"There's no need to be embarrassed. We're basing our decision on performance, not appearance."

Mr. Drest's head whipped around with downturned lips. He mumbled something she couldn't catch. Her father had always told her never to trust a person who could not speak their mind with conviction. Usually, the man before her had no trouble on that front.

His hands stilled and he wiped them on his hairy legs before he turned around. He set down beside her on the bed. Based on his stillness, she figured she had a minute or two before he'd work up the nerve to begin. She nearly jumped when his hand cupped her chin. Brown eyes flashed again after her eyelids slammed shut.

"What are you doing?" she snapped, reopening her eyes for a cold glare.

His blue eyes went wider than his waistband and his face was completely still.

"This better not be some bizarre sexual harassment lawsuit," he muttered audibly.

"There's no need for an intimate gesture. Our arrangement stands. I'd prefer if we left al intimate gestures out of the picture."

"So, no kissing then?"

"It will help draw a line between our professional lives and our personal lives."

She placed a hand on the collar of the shirt he refused to take off and tugged him towards the far end of the bed. He slowly climbed on top of her as if he was scared to crush her. He ran his smooth hand up and down her inner thigh a few times before he stopped complexly.

"You should be on top," he said.

"Because of my size?"

"Because that way you'll get what you want out of this arrangement."

"What exactly do I want out of this arrangement, Mr. Drest?"

He frowned for a moment at her harsh tone. "Satisfaction, I'd assume."

"Right, that's... right." She hoped the dark room would camouflage the heat of her burning cheeks. Those damned brown eyes were at it again. They led her mind to embarrassing illogical corners.

They switched positions and she lowered herself onto his lap. His stiffness entered her and immediately triggered a moan. Her earlier tension melted away with the sensation of complete fullness. His size was impressive. This arrangement would have its perks after all.

"Olivia, if you keep moaning like that, this is going to be a short ride for one," the pride in his voice scared her a little.

"Have some self-control Mr. Drest. I'd like to think a grown man would have that quality by now."

"I think you're more than aware of your effect on grown men," he said and gripped her waist tighter.

She bit her lip as they continued to rock against one another. Her efforts to push him deeper missed the mark by a half an inch every time. She looked down to see if his game was intentional. His sincere smile negated those thoughts so she leaned back a little further. Her nails dug into his sides on one of his best strokes yet. If he kept that up... The moment he threw his head back and groaned, she knew it was over.

"Oh shit," he muttered in a panic as their eyes met.

She slid off him to the side. He continued to pant. "Is that what you say to all the women you have relations with?"

"I'm so sorry. We'll finish this if you give me like 15 minutes."

"It's fine, Edward, for a trial run it was rather adequate." An ear to ear grin spread across his face. Such happiness was unwarranted at this point. Perhaps her initial assumptions blinded her good judgment. It would be a shame if mediocrity pleased his temperaments. "I would hardly see this as a cause to celebrate."

"I must have done something right," he said, that grin not leaving his face. "You never call me Edward."

She swallowed hard. A slip-up. It was time to own the mistake. "Yes, for a first attempt it was satisfactory. However, you clearly have some work ahead of you with regards to endurance."

"I offered to fix that situation. I still can."

"It's best to leave this as it is. When you want something too badly, you're only setting yourself up to fail." She got up from the bed and began to collect her clothing.

Before she could reach the bathroom door, Edward said, "You say that like someone who's failed before."

"We all fail at one time or another, there's no more motivating path to growth or change. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

"Same time next week, then?" he asked with an optimistic smile.

"Yes, as long as we keep the conversations minimal."

Despite her clouded judgment, she needed this. There hadn't been anyone since him and the likelihood of going down the same path with Edward was minimal at best. He was safe, easily pleased, and above all removed from the politics of the whole organization.