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The work had been easy to slip into. I knew most of what he wanted from me well enough to do it with my eyes closed. The company was different, but the planning and scheduling and meetings were the same as what I had done before. Now and then Brett asked something of me I didn’t know, but it was easy to pick up. Every time I caught on, Brett looked impressed, and I had the feeling that he had worked with incompetent people in the past.
I was glad to be the positive change for him and that I could give him what he needed. When Daniel had fired me, I had been worried the black mark on my résumé would stop me from getting another job. I had panicked about being unemployed, and I had jumped at the opportunity with Brett despite the money being so much less than I had earned before. But it had been a good call. I didn’t need that much money if I was careful, and a job with Loomis Industries would restore my business image in no time at all. It had been a good move born from distress.
I was sitting in front of my laptop typing up the last reports when Brett knocked on the open door and stepped in.
“So, your first week is done,” he said. “How does it feel?”
I nodded and smiled. “It feels great.”
I had found a bit of a routine. I had only been working with Brett for four days, but he knew exactly what he wanted, and it was easy to find a stride with him. I appreciated people who knew what they needed and knew how to set it out for others to understand.
“I would like to take you out to dinner,” Brett said. “To celebrate your first week here at Loomis Industries.”
He leaned against the doorpost, hands in his pants pockets. Brett was comfortable in his own skin. He knew he was handsome, and he knew he looked good in his business suits, which he wore all the time. Right now, though, his jacket was off, his shirt sleeves were rolled up halfway, his tie was missing, and his top two buttons were undone, revealing a bit of chest hair.
I realized I was staring. When I looked into his eyes, Brett was grinning.
“I’d like that,” I said, taking his offer.
“I’ll meet you at eight,” Brett said. “I have a few things to take care of.”
I nodded. It wasn’t a date, I told myself. He wasn’t coming to pick me up, and we were celebrating my first week at work. There was nothing romantic between me and Brett.
When I arrived home, I took a long shower, letting the tension of the week bleed out of my shoulders. Even though it had been a good week, starting a job at a new place was stressful, and ever since I had been called for the interview, I had been tense.
After the shower, I felt better. I was relaxed, and if I had to be honest with myself, I was looking forward to spending the evening with Brett outside the work environment. I wanted to get to know him as a person. He intrigued me. In the office, people constantly surrounded us, and we wore our business faces. I wanted to know who Brett was beneath his mask. It wasn’t any of my business, he shouldn’t have been anything more to me than my boss, but there was something about him that drew me.
Getting to know him on a personal level wasn’t a bad thing, right? It wasn’t anything different from the relationship I had had with Daniel. That had been a friendship as well. It hadn’t ended very well, but it had been nothing more than two people working together while I had been there.
It could be the same with Brett. I ignored the fact that Brett was in a different class than Daniel. He was a hell of a lot more handsome and quite a bit younger. When I was with him, I got butterflies in my stomach. It wasn’t a crush or anything. Brett just had that effect on me.
I dried my hair and chose an outfit. I decided on a red dress that flared a bit, so it wasn’t as classy as a form-fitting one. I didn’t want it to look like it was a date. The dress was cotton, and I wore ballerina flats with it instead of heels. Dressing down was what I was after.
My phone rang while I was putting on my makeup. I plugged in my earphones so I could carry on while I talked.
“Hello, Mom,” I said.
“How was your first week, honey?” my mom asked.
“It was great. I think I’m going to like it there.”
“I guess that’s good. If the money isn’t worth your while, at least you should enjoy yourself.”
