Sometimes, things didn't always go according to plan. Fortunately, all of his plans hadn't blown up in his face in one huge, spectacular failure, but it was enough of a set-back to add some serious, unneeded stress to his already fast-paced, busy lifestyle. That was why Varrick was front-down on a cushioned table enjoying a massage and ranting at Zhu Li.

"Can you believe she went behind her boss's back like that? I couldn't! I mean, who does that? And what does it say about her boss? He can't keep one person from ratting him out about taking bribes... Come on!" Varrick threw an arm out in emphasis, narrowly missing his assistant before crossing his arms in front of him and pouting on them.

"Can't believe it, sir," Zhu Li said softly, sounding distracted. She worked her fingers on his shoulder blades, pressing firmly in a rolling motion.

Varrick's eyes closed about half-way. No one did this better than Zhu Li. He had tried finding someone who could, but even the most professional massage therapists couldn't compare. Zhu Li's hands kneaded down his back. He gave a light moan, which reminded him why he didn't have her do this more often. She was too good.

Keep talking, he thought.

"We need to fire whoever is responsible for that lab accident at Research and Development," Varrick said, trying to enjoy the massage without focusing on it too much. It was a frustrating problem being attracted to his assistant.

"Already in progress, sir," Zhu Li told him, in an automatic fashion. Anyone with eyes could see she was attracted to him, too, and that wasn't just his ego speaking. She had even said as much, in her own cryptic kind of way. Yet, nothing ever happened between them. She was afraid. He understood that. She knew him well enough to know that matters of the heart weren't exactly something he could be trusted with. She knew herself well enough that she couldn't work for him with a broken heart, and she'd rather go unfulfilled in love and still serve him than to toy with any such possibility.

"It should have never happened. You'd have to be some kind of idiot to mess up mixing explosives with jelly!" Varrick grumbled, which abruptly ended with another soft moan when her hands fluttered against the sides of his chest. He was afraid, too, a little bit. The thought of messing up a relationship with her and losing her forever was more than just unsettling. He needed her to be there because she was the only person in the world he could count on.

"Yes, sir," Zhu Li agreed, rubbing back up to his shoulders, making the tension there melt away like snow in the summer sun.

This was killing him. No matter how he tried to avoid it, these massages always ended up causing some arousal. And he couldn't do anything about it. Not with her. He felt himself getting tense again, and instead of her hands traveling down his back, she kept them at his shoulders.

"Zhu Li!" he shouted, almost surprising himself by the suddenness of his own voice.

Zhu Li's response was immediate. "Sir?"

"It's hotter than a Fire Nation festival in here!" he said, his brows furrowing and his voice taking on a hard edge.

"I'm sorry, sir," Zhu Li said, "Should I get you a cold cup of water or-"

"No. I'll be fine," Varrick said, closing his eyes and motioning for her to continue her massage.

Zhu Li's touch came back to him uncertainly for a moment before returning to her full massage capabilities. He opened one eye, hoping to catch a glimpse of her but she was just out of sight behind him. He closed his eyes again and felt like being bold.

"Well, aren't you going to take that jacket off? It's burning up in here, Zhu Li, and I don't feel like finding a healer for you this late in the evening," Varrick told her.

Zhu Li stopped touching him. He grimaced. Perhaps he went too far. That woman was all about maintaining professional boundaries, and she was stubborn about not crossing them... for both of their sakes. She said nothing to him.

And then, he heard her fumbling with the buttons of her jacket. "I, well, it is a bit warm, isn't it?" Zhu Li said, her voice as level as usual, but it did betray some nervousness.

It was Varrick's turn to say nothing. It was like trying to coax a rabbit-mouse to come out into the open. Sudden noises probably wouldn't have been a good idea. He heard and saw the jacket fall to the floor. This was different. This was encouraging. Of course, she did have that high-collared shirt she wore underneath her jacket, and it wasn't like he hadn't seen her without a jacket on before. But it was the fact that he had told her to take it off, and she had taken it off for him that made him wonder.

Her amazing, gentle hands were back on him again. Varrick felt like he could just sink into the table and never come out. He pondered his next move. He wondered if he should even try a next move. Suggesting she remove the rest of her clothing would be pushing things too far. He let out another moan, this one brought on not only by his assistant's massage but at the idea of Zhu Li stripping down for him. He let himself enjoy Zhu Li's hands on his back, and before he knew it, Zhu Li had stopped.

"Do you feel better now, sir?" Zhu Li asked, turning her head away when Varrick stood and adjusted the towel around his waist so that it was securely covering him.

No. Better would be if you paid Varrick Jr. the same attention as the rest of me. He couldn't help it, really. Arousal could be a demanding, frustrating issue. Fortunately, he wasn't so bad off that it could be noticed behind the fluffy, blue towel he was wearing. Varrick forced a wide grin and pulled her to him with one arm. "Like a billion yuans, Zhu Li. You're amazing."

Zhu Li's cheeks reddened a little at being so close to her employer's bare chest. "Thank you, sir," she said quietly.

Varrick released her from his side-armed hug and adjusted her so she was facing him. "You did so great, in fact, that I want to return the favor."

Zhu Li's normally stoic expression betrayed a small amount of confusion. "Sir?"

Varrick leaned in close, their noses almost touching. Zhu Li's breath hitched. Another encouraging sign. "I want to give you a massage."

Zhu Li's eyes widened. She seemed to struggle with maintaining a neutral expression. "I-I'm not sure," she said, trying to avert her eyes away from him.

She was hesitating. She almost never hesitated when it came to shooting something like this down. Varrick watched her face closely and wondered if maybe he wasn't the only one who had been aroused while she was giving him a massage.

"Come on, Zhu Li," he said, hoping he didn't sound too eager. "Let me do something good for you for once. Let me make you feel good." He distanced himself from her to give her some space. He made a sweeping motion with his hand. "We could call it Employee Appreciation Day!"

"It's night-time, sir," Zhu Li said, her deadpan tone returning to her.

"Employee Appreciation Night," Varrick corrected. "And no one deserves it more than you."

Zhu Li's expression softened, but she still wouldn't look him in the eyes. "I don't want things to go too far, Varrick."

He wracked his brain a few seconds at that. Then, he shot her a hopeful look. "Just your back. Nowhere else." It was too much to hope for to get any farther than that, anyway. If he could just touch her, that would be progress. It would be something.

She wasn't putting up a whole lot of resistance at the idea. "Nowhere else," she repeated.

Varrick nodded vigorously.

"No accidental touching anywhere else, either," Zhu Li told him.

"No accidents," Varrick parroted back at her. "You have my word, Zhu Li."

Zhu Li couldn't help but look skeptical. They both knew how good his word could be.

"To you," Varrick specified. "I promise. Zhu Li, you need this."

I need this. I need you. Just give me a little chance, he thought desperately.

Zhu Li made eye contact with him, searching his icy blue eyes. Varrick was giving her a puppy-dog look, which never worked on her, but that didn't stop him from trying. She loosely folded her arms against her chest and closed her eyes. "Okay."

Okay became the most exciting word Varrick had ever heard. Zhu Li opened her eyes and glanced back at Varrick. "You should turn around." She paused, then added, "Sir."

Varrick turned on his heel in one fluid motion. Turn around, he thought, hearing some shuffling behind him. He was tempted to peek behind him but stubbornly kept his eyes on the wall in front of him. She isn't-

"You can look now," Zhu Li said, her voice quieter than a whisper.

Varrick turned, eyes widening. She did. Zhu Li laid front-down on the cushioned table, topless. A towel was bunched underneath her in an attempt to cover the sides of her breasts, but the fact still remained: Zhu Li was topless. She had removed her heels, but she was still wearing her tights and skirt Her hair was down, her eyes were closed, and a faint pink flush colored her cheeks. A rush of warmth went through Varrick, centering in his groin.

He forced himself to move, instead of standing there and staring. His brain wasn't being cooperative, which both surprised and irritated him. He had plenty of experience with women. Granted, he didn't have such experience with this woman, and he had never given a massage before. But it still shouldn't have been affecting him this much. He placed his hands on her bare back. Her cream-colored skin felt smooth and warm to the touch. But her back also felt tight and straight like she was horrified at the idea of moving a muscle.

"I-it helps if you put some oil on, sir," Zhu Li told him.

Varrick did not move his hands until he remembered how to speak. It took a few seconds. "Yeah." He cleared his throat and took his hands off her back. "I know that, Zhu Li," he insisted, grabbing some oil off a small table and pouring some on her back. He set the oil on the small table and put his hands on her back. Gently, he spread the oil against her skin, and his hands became coated in the stuff. It occurred to him that he had no idea what he was doing, but that had never stopped him from doing something in the past. He slid his hands over her shoulders and tried to copy the motions Zhu Li had done when her hands were on him.

His assistant said nothing as he touched her. The lavender scent of the oil wafted through his nostrils, helping him feel relaxed and not as fixated on his own arousal. It felt nice on an even deeper level, a level he couldn't quite explain, to be touching her.

"How am I doing?" Varrick asked, having a husky quality to his voice.

"This is nice," Zhu Li murmured.

Varrick could tell there was something she wasn't saying. "But?" he asked.

"You could be firmer," Zhu Li said.

Maybe, but I think I'm firm enough as it is, Varrick thought. He pressed his hands against her back harder. Zhu Li flinched. He stopped, realizing that he'd been too rough.

"How many massages have you given, sir?" She used the deadpan tone she always employed, but it didn't seem as mocking as it could have been.

Just this one. "I've lost count," Varrick said.

Zhu Li fell silent. Varrick returned to rubbing her shoulders, being a little gentler this time. He tried applying different levels of pressure to see if he could figure out what she would like best.

Suddenly, her back didn't feel quite as tense. "Mmmm..."

Music to his ears. A pleasurable sensation surged through him. The swelling between his legs increased. Varrick continued rubbing down her back, feeling her relax further.

"Feeling appreciated now, hm?" Varrick said.

Zhu Li pressed her face against the cushioned table. "Yes, sir," she said, a breathy sigh escaping her lips.

Her body felt so soft and supple under his hands. Varrick's mind started to wander, and the lavender scent of the oil was no longer as helpful to him as it had been. He found himself tempted to caress the sides of her breasts and the skin of her waist. He wanted to turn her over and feast his eyes on the full extent of her topless state. He could do such good things to her; he could give her more pleasure than she had ever known. He was sure of that. He could climb on the table, on top of her, claiming her lips with his own, pressing against her, giving her a full-frontal massage. His oiled hands could glide over her breasts, over her nipples, down her torso, over her navel-

His breathing had quickened, and his hands had almost slowed to a stop over her back. He swallowed and remembered he had made a promise to Zhu Li. Nowhere else. He trailed one hand down her back and rested it mid-way. Damn it. He was so hard; he felt like he was going to burst.

Reluctantly, he pulled his hands off of her. "Well, that was fun. Think I'm ready to call it a night." He stretched and exaggerated a yawn.

"Oh." Was that a note of disappointment in her voice? He couldn't be sure. It didn't sound familiar. Automatically, Varrick turned around, so she could have enough privacy to get dressed. He heard some slow shuffling behind him. Then, he felt a small, soft hand on his bare shoulder. At her nudging, he turned back to her. She was no longer topless, sadly, but she wasn't wearing her jacket, either. Her hair was still down. Gray eyes met his blue ones.

"Thank you, sir," she said.

Varrick grinned at her. "Anytime, Zhu Li. Anytime. Really." The wide grin fell slightly, and he leaned closer to her. "You don't know how much I enjoyed doing that for you," he said softly.

The way her eyes opened wider, then closed about half-way fascinated him. She leaned closer to him, too, with her lips parted in an inviting fashion. Varrick's eyelids lowered, and he dipped his head down. Their lips were not quite touching. Then, his hard-on bumped against her thigh. Zhu Li backed away a step and looked down, seeing the high tent of his fluffy, blue towel.

"Oh," she said again. This "oh" was even harder to figure out than the last one. She averted her eyes quickly. She backed away another step. "I have some things I should do. For a while," she told him.

Varrick tried to close the distance between them, looking more than a little crest-fallen. "Things? This late? What things? I don't want you to do things!" He reached out for her hand. "Zhu Li, stay."

"I shouldn't," Zhu Li told him. "I can't," she said, pulling away from him.

"Yes, you can. It's easy. Just don't move." He flashed a hopeful grin at her. Then, he frowned seeing that she wasn't even looking at him. "Please?" he ventured, the word sounding foreign in his mouth.

"I've given so much of myself to you already, Varrick. What would I have left if I gave you all of me?" Zhu Li asked.

Varrick didn't know how to answer that. He preferred to leave such deep, emotional questions alone. He wished he didn't want her so badly, then maybe he could leave the question alone. "Me? You would have me, Zhu Li."

"I want you more than anything," Zhu Li said, looking down.

"Then, it's settled. We both want each other. Come here," Varrick said, opening his arms wide.

"Would I really have you?"

Varrick tried not to sound as frustrated as he felt. "Yes, yes, you would. You'd have all of me, Zhu Li. I want you to have all of me."

He thought he caught her glance at the fluffy, blue towel around his waist, but it was so quick a glance he couldn't be sure.

"All of you, physically. What about emotionally? Would you let yourself be vulnerable for me?" Zhu Li asked.

Varrick hesitated. He hadn't meant to hesitate, and he hadn't even realized he hesitated. "Yes!" he said quickly after the reluctant pause. He might have been lying, even he wasn't sure.

The sadness and longing in Zhu Li's face vanished when she looked him in his eyes. Stoic, professionalism had returned. She picked up her jacket and put it on, buttoning it slowly. "I'm sorry, sir," she said. She started to leave.

"What? Zhu Li, wait." He started following after her.

"No. Varrick, if we did what you wanted to do, I couldn't just be another girl. I couldn't just be your assistant." She kept her voice level, in a measured monotone. "You're not ready for that. And until you are, neither am I." She opened the door and left, effectively shutting the door on him.

Varrick rested his head against the door, unhappy, confused, and maybe not quite as frustrated as he was but frustrated in different, more deep-seated ways. It wasn't like this was the first time a conversation like this had happened, but it was the first time it had happened after such a physical event. He knew pushing the issue, at least tonight, wouldn't do him any good. It never did. He sighed and loosened the towel around his waist. He didn't know much about being vulnerable; he didn't know how to answer the questions she posed to him. He only wished he knew how to show her that she was more to him than just an assistant.