Jeff's bag is slung over his shoulder as he passes Eric's office before leaving for the evening. "Congratulations on officially surviving your first Paige McCall job!"

I huff. "And hopefully my last! Thanks!"

He looks at me sitting in Eric's seat. "So what are you still doing here? You should be out celebrating."

I point at Eric's computer. "Just logging off Eric's computer for him. Fin's portion today ran late and just finished up. So Eric decided not to come back to the office."

Jeff nods. "Gotcha. Night Millie." I smile and wave.

The phone rings as I lock Eric's office. I rush to my desk to answer. "Eric Goff's office."

"I need Eric right now."

The elderly voice is unmistakeable. At one time its huskiness fueled the fantasies of countless young men. Tonight the geriatric gravel in it sounds painful.

"I'm sorry Ms. McCall, but Eric isn't here. Perhaps I can help you with something?"

"I guess if you go to Radio City Music Hall right this minute and retrieve my mislaid sunglasses you wouldn't be totally useless to me."

"Well I'm certainly happy to try. What do they look like?"

"They are Francois Pinot Spa 2's and were a birthday gift in 1967 from Jackie O. They are irreplaceable!"

I roll my eyes. It was too ridiculous to hope they might be ten dollar specials from Marshall's. My palms immediately grow sweaty. I'm certain that if I can't find these glasses I will be getting a verbal lashing shortly.

"Ok Ms. McCall. I'm going to run over there right now and see if I can track them down. Any idea where you might have left them?"

Her voice turns to venom. "Don't you think if I had any idea where they were I would tell you!"

I turn mine more sugary in response. "Yes. That was a silly question. I apologize. After I get over there and look around, I'll call back from my cell phone. It's a 347 number."

"Of course it is. Why would it be anything else?" She hangs up on me. I log off and grab my things.

By the time I reach Sixth Avenue, I'm sweaty and out of breath. While I wait for the light to change so I can cross, I jog and jump in place anxiously, like a runner staying loose for the next race or a boxer waiting for a match to start. Boxing gloves or running sneakers would be better costuming for the moment but we can't make every scene perfect. The tourists beside me look up and down at my tight jersey skirt and flip flops. They whisper and giggle. But I don't care because it's the only thing I can do to match the movement of my heart, and make sure it doesn't leap from my chest. The light changes to green and I sprint across for my finish line.

The lobby doors are locked tight. I tap on the glass but nobody comes. So I go around to the stage door, trying not to remember my last stage door experience. I pound there for a moment and a security guard answers. I explain the situation regarding the sunglasses and I'm trying to talk my way in with my RAA identification card. But the guard rejects me nicely, referencing strict post 9/11 terrorism protocols.

My eyes well up. "If you won't let me in to look, could you at least look for me?"

The man crosses his arms and starts shaking his head when I hear a British accent from further inside. "Come now you seem like a reasonable bloke. I'll vouch that she is who she says she is. Let her look around for the glasses. I'll even stay with her while she does."

Fin smiles at the guard, but not at me, and the man nods his head in mute concession.

"Thank you!" I shake his hand and shuffle past before he changes his mind.

I start walking down the corridor because I don't want to talk to Fin. But then I stop abruptly because I realize that I don't know where to start looking for the glasses. Fin knocks into my back. His hands on my arm and my waist make me blush. But he probably won't notice since I'm already sweaty and frazzled as it is.

"I'm sorry!" We both say in unison. And while I feel sorry for smacking into him just now, I feel worse for how terribly things ended last night. But that is better left unsaid.

He clears his throat and steps in front of me. "I can show you which one was McCall's dressing room." I nod and follow him.

Once inside, he wordlessly helps me search around the room. We check the sofa cushions, the garbage can, the drawers of the vanity and even the artificial fiddle-leaf fig tree in the corner. The giant, glossy, luridly emerald leaves rustle noisily while I pull the moss from pot and poke around inside. The last place I look is under the loveseat. I'm on my hands and knees, ass in the air, using the flashlight on my phone to peer into the darkness. But I find only dust bunnies. I turn and sit on the floor. "This is ridiculous! They're not here."

Fin still says nothing. I turn off the light off and select McCall's pre-programmed number. She answers with something like a bark. "Well?"

My voice quivers. "I'm sorry Ms. McCall but they aren't here. Has your assistant checked with your driver? Maybe they were left in your car."

She laughs and then coughs. "Don't you think that's the first place we looked?"

Then she begins to yell, so I hold the phone away from my ear slightly. "Are you some kind of moron? Check the car she says... I may be old but I'm not suffering from dementia! Save your stupid suggestions for Eric."

Fin's eyebrows raise and his mouth drops open.  My eyes fill up again. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help Ms. McCall."

Fin's eyebrows dip low and knit together. McCall huffs through the phone at me. "Indeed! Well I'm sorry that you are obviously completely inept."

Then she hangs up and I cover my face as I let the tears spill. Immediately Fin is beside me on the floor. He pulls me into an embrace. I try to pull away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't...We shouldn't..."

He holds me tighter. "No Millie. I'm sorry. I meant what I said to the guard before. You are who you say you are. I don't know why I doubted that yesterday. I let jealousy get the better of me. And... It's just this being famous stuff is for shite. It makes my head into mush some days. I hope I never get so full of myself that I end up like that duffer McCall!"

I look up at him. "I seem to be making a habit of having nervous breakdowns on the floor of dressing rooms."

He wipes the tears from my cheeks and we both laugh. "I actually like this little habit of yours, as long as it ends up with you in my arms." Then he leans down and kisses me.

It starts out tenderly. Fin's fingers float down from face and across my arms. When they reach my fingertips, we twine our hands together. He stops and whispers against my lips. "I want you Millie. Will you let me have you?" I kiss him hungrily back in answer.

Fin stands up and hoists me to my feet by our joined hands. He lets go of me long enough to shut and lock the door, while I put my bag on the vanity and dig through it. He comes up behind me and kisses the tender spot beneath my ear. "What are you looking for? Come back to the loveseat. " Now his hands are on my waist, untucking my shirt, as he drags me against him so I can feel what awaits me.

I triumphantly pull the condom from my toiletry bag. "Found it!" I drop the rest of my bag to floor with a clatter.

Fin twirls me in his arms. "I'm glad you found that Stevens. Way more important than some blasted sunnies."

We're both suddenly frantic. Our hands seem to be everywhere at once. I'm unbuckling Fin's belt while he's shucking off his shirt. Then he pulls mine off with one swift movement before he gathers my skirt in his hands, bunching it up above my waist. I'm pushing down his jeans and grabbing his ass, pleasantly surprised that he doesn't have any underwear on. "Very nice!" I purr between kisses.

Fin unhooks my bra and drops it to the floor. He looks at me and smiles. "Very, very nice!" Then he brings his mouth to my nipple and I moan. He continues to lower himself and hooks his fingers into my thong. While he drags them down my thighs and past my calves, I tear the condom wrapper with my teeth. As he rises, Fin licks a stripe up my leg.

"I'm going to make you scream my name." A promise made before he pushes me against the vanity top and buries himself into the curls at my cleft. Fin swirls his tongue against my clit and makes me moan. I order him. "Harder!"

He obliges and now everything seems to take that command. The edge of the linoleum counter, as it digs into my backside causing a bruise I know I will find tomorrow. My teeth, while I bite my lip trying not to make too much noise, fearful security will interrupt us. Fin's callused hands, pushing my thighs further apart.

He hits the right beat and I yank his hair vigorously. Fin snarls while he brings a hand up to my breast. He rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making me mewl. He groans into me and I can't catch my breath. I'm chasing something that has been out of my reach for too long and trying not to think about what happens after I snatch this brass ring.

Fin lifts one of my thighs over his shoulder and soon I'm crying out. "Oh God Fin! Just like that!"

He stands up and smiles. "Now how was that?" I kiss him deeply and slowly. Then I whisper into his ear. "Even better than I imagined." I bite his earlobe before I pull his jeans further down. Next, I shove him backward until his legs hit the loveseat and he collapses onto it. I kneel between his thighs and put the condom on him with my mouth. Fin groans. "Fucking hell Millie!" He caresses the back of my head as I bob up and down, alternating sucking and swirling with my tongue.

Suddenly he clasps me beneath my arms and pulls me onto his lap. He explains. "I need to be in you, NOW."

I straddle Fin but don't gratify him yet. I hover above him and look into his eyes. They are maple syrup, all sweet and viscous, trapping me. He kisses me again as I sink slowly down onto him. He sucks in a ragged breath between his teeth. When I envelope him completely his eyelashes flutter closed. I kiss them and he opens them again while we find our rhythm.

I bury my face against Fin's neck to chase the building sensation of another orgasm. His hands grip my hips and I clutch at his shoulders. We are both panting as our speed picks up. Fin's voice is breathless. "Millie... I think..." He sucks on my collarbone. "I think..."

I kiss him. "I think you're about to make me come again Fin Covington." He smiles and I love his imperfect teeth. When he adds a hand between my legs and presses it to where we are joined, I immediately fall apart. The orgasm is so intense, that I opt for a primal noise over words. A true rarity for me.

As I gasp and shudder against him, he slams up into me. In the next moment, he roars as he climaxes. "I fucking love you Millie Stevens!"

I throw my head back and laugh. "I think you mean that you love fucking me. And you're only saying that because I just let you do it on a loveseat in a dressing room of Radio City Music Hall." Fin answers me with a tongue in my mouth, shutting me up.

Then there is knocking on the door and we hear the guard's voice. "Is everything okay in there Mr. Covington?"

He puts his fingers to my lips to stifle my laughter. "Everything is brilliant! We found what we were looking for and we'll be out of your way in a few minutes."

The guard speaks through the door again. "Glad to hear it."

I whisper into Fin's ear. "I bet he was."

He laughs and kisses me. "Let's get our things back on and head to my place. I intend on proving to you that what I just said was not because of our Radio City Hall debut."

I climb off and pick up my bra. Fin pulls up his pants and collects our shirts. He tosses me mine. When he lifts his arms to put his back on, I read his tattoo aloud before it's hidden once more. "My mistakes are my life."

He blushes. "More Beckett I'm afraid, from..."

"How It Is. I know. " I frown inside the darkness of my shirt as I pull it over my head, wondering how this mistake will define my life.

He raises his eyebrows at me as I reemerge. "Companions in the muck?" He takes a step toward me and stops. I nod and take one step toward him. Then I stop and close my eyes to better recall my favorite line from the novel."Glued together in a vast imbrication of flesh without breach or fissure."

We each take the final step toward each other and meet in a kiss that brings life to the words.