I shouldn't have said anything. Ever since I let it slip that I was a virgin, Hail had been acting very strange. He kept looking at me sideways and the whole time we were at the meeting with Dennis, I could feel his eyes on me. It wouldn't have been so bad, if I wouldn't have known what he was thinking. I knew exactly what was on his mind and I couldn't believe I had let it slip. What had I been thinking?

We drove back to the office in silence and I was at least thankful for that. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about it. It wasn't a real big point of contention in my life. While I tried to tell myself that it was a waste of time, there was another part of me that had to wonder. How good must it feel for everyone to lose their shit over it?

When we got back to the office, I had some paperwork to fill out and get courier over to the courthouse. Most of the agreements went through the courthouse, because of the amount that was handled and the link to the police station. Dennis didn't just buy one product, for one house. He bought enough systems for three hundred houses, which was the first stage of the planned construction. He would be back, to buy another six or seven hundred units in the next year. Dennis was going to be the gift that keeps on giving.

Working with Hail was exciting, because in just two days working with him, I had already met several big clients. These were people that I hoped to work with one day and although Stacy had wrongly framed the new job as a promotion, it was at least giving me a lot of experience. It was experience that I would be able to take with me soon.

After lunch, Hail had another meeting with a client and this time, we went to the construction site where ten houses were going up in the neighborhood. It was a small set-up and I was a little surprised that Hail wanted to waste his time with it. When I asked him about it, he looked at me like I was being silly.

“It’s commission in the end. Quite a bit of commission. No sale is too small, and we should always look at it like it's just as big, as the one with Dennis. You never know, this construction company may get a bid on a very big subdivision soon enough and they will think about us. Because we're going to treat them like they are Dennis and that their business is just as important.”

I was a little surprised to hear him say that, because he certainly didn't act that way. To know that he was kind of conscientious was a little surprising and it made me feel little better. For a while, I thought that he was just the best because of his charm and wit. But there seemed to be more to him than that. Hail seemed to be a man that was more than a person would realize.

“I never thought of it that way, but it's a good idea.”

He smiled at me and had that knowing look in his eyes again. I couldn't believe I’d said it out loud. What had I been thinking? I wanted Hail to take me seriously, but now they was done. I really hadn't been thinking straight.

The sale went over well and there was very little difference in how Hail acted between meeting Chris and meeting Dennis. It was one thing to say something like that, but it was another thing altogether to actually go through with it. I don't know why but it made me respect Hail just a little bit more. He was a good at his job and the experience I got from him, I was going to pay more attention to. He was the man that really knew his stuff and would be the one to teach me everything I needed to know. Maybe this job was a blessing in disguise, and I didn't even see it.

After about a week of working with Hail, I had gotten used to the early mornings. Charlie wouldn’t get into the office until almost nine and I was able to get there at ten till. Hail was completely different. He'll liked to get into the office when it was still dark outside, but he liked to leave a little early if it was possible. He always wanted me to make all of his appointments before two o'clock in the afternoon, because by three o'clock, he wanted to leave. Since I was able to go as well, I had gotten used to the new schedule.

I brought in coffee that morning, because I needed a little pick me up. I'd been on a date the night before and even though it went rather well, there was still the fact that I had to wake up so early in the morning. I couldn't even stay up till midnight like Cinderella anymore.

Hail stopped into the office a couple of minutes after I did, and he smiled at me. I smile back and lifted up his cup of coffee, so that he could take it as he walked past. We were getting these little traditions together and this was one of them.

“You look tired Evony.”

“Long night. It was just a very long night, Sir.”

“Yeah? Anything good happen?”

“I just had a date with a guy I know from my neighborhood. He has asked me out a couple of times and I finally said yes, but I was up too late and I’m just exhausted now.

Hail frowned, “A date?”

“Yeah. A date. It was nice, but I was home by ten and that’s just not enough sleep.”

“He had you home by ten?”

I agreed and the stricken look on Hail’s face was gone.

“Ten o’ clock huh? You must have had a good old time.”

“Don’t be mean Hail. It was nice. Ten is late enough.”

“Evony, if we ever went on a date, I would be sure to keep you up all night, then you wouldn’t have to worry about waking up early.”

“Why would I want to stay up all night?”

Then it hit me, and my cheeks got red and I looked away from the towering man that made my heart flutter. Of course, that’s what he was talking about. That was what he was always referring to.

“Oh.”

He seemed to like my response and chuckled at my expense. I can’t believe I had fell for it. Hail was always making innuendos and I was just going to have to pretend that everything he said, was one. It felt more accurate to assume that.

“Is that all you think about Hail?”

“With you around, yes. It is all I think about.”

“Seems like a waste of time, if you ask me.”

He disagreed and though I didn’t show it, his answer made me smile. Hail was not the same man I’d thought he’d be. He was soft on the inside and it was easy to see that I had been very wrong about him.

“How could anything with you be a waste of time?”