CHAPTER SIX
Mandy
I was lost after Stephen left my office. I had convinced myself that last night was just him being a gentleman. He wanted to know about the camp, and we talked about that as well as things about the place we both worked at.
No big deal.
He offered to take me home when my car broke down. That was the polite thing to do, and he took me by surprise when he waited until I was safely leaving the parking lot.
Stephen had a lot to get home to, and I didn’t expect him to wait for me like that.
I wanted to call Vanessa immediately and talk about this morning. He asked about my car and brought me my favorite coffee. How did he even know what my favorite coffee was to begin with?
I needed to know what this meant.
I settled for sending her a text asking her to come to the city for lunch. Vanessa had today off. She worked for a local theater and worked a lot of evenings. I was lucky that she could pick me up the night before, but I was certain that my car would be ready to pick up tomorrow before camp.
M: Want to have lunch today? I am freaking out!!
V: Of course. How does one work for you? I am going over some stuff with the manager this morning.
M: Perfect!!
I tried to get the spreadsheets right, but it was hopeless. I was already learning the job to begin with, and the fact that my mind was mush didn’t help. I was happy when I could step outside on my break to get some fresh air, clear my head. A walk always helped me clear my mind. I made it around the block twice before I headed back to my office. I jumped when I saw Martin standing by my desk, flustered at the sight of my boss.
“Hello,” I greeted him as I forced a smile to my face. “How are you?”
“I’m doing great, Mandy. I wanted to see how you felt about everything after a few days.” He sat down in the chair across my desk, and I smoothed my black pencil skirt down before I took my seat.
“I am doing…I’m struggling a little learning. I’ll be honest. Nothing too disastrous at this point.” I tried to smile as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s like I know the software, and I can work with numbers, but something is getting lost in translation.” I looked down, worried about what he might say to me.
“That’s normal,” Martin assured me as I stared at him. “We’re all here to help you. You’re a smart girl, and that was clear from the first meeting, Mandy. That’s why I hired you.”
I had been nervous after the interview, thinking about how many other people wanted this job. I wasn’t sure if I was qualified or not, shocked when Martin asked me if I wanted it. “It is?” I asked as he nodded.
“You’ll be fine. Is there anything that I can help you with right now?” he offered as I settled back into my seat with relief.
“I am going to plug away. I’ll ask if I need anything. Thank you so much.” I grinned as he stood and started to walk out of my door.
“Stephen is the real numbers guy around this place. Call him if you need anything.” I smiled, but the mention of his name made my heart flutter in my chest. I watched as he left and stared at the mess of lines and numbers on my screen. I could get through one of these without help. The idea of asking Stephen for help made me want to pass out.
Lunch could not come fast enough. I headed outside to meet Vanessa, and we went for sandwiches.
I told her all about the coffee and the invite this morning, agonizing over what it meant. “He has a son, and he’s a coworker. Double whammy.”
“He’s gorgeous,” she reminded me as I dropped my head into my hands. “You are great with kids too. Don’t worry about any of that yet. Just get to know him.”
“I would give it a try, but there’s a good chance that he doesn’t feel anything for me. Maybe he’s just being nice.” Stella’s words played through my mind. “Maybe I am just making this all up in my head. I’ve never felt anything remotely like this for a man before.”
Vanessa covered my hand with hers. “Baby steps, Mandy. From what you’ve told me, I think he likes you. I also saw the look on his face last night when I picked you up. He wasn’t going anywhere until you were safe, and he barely looked at me at all. See where this goes, okay?”
“Yeah. I might get a great friend out of the deal, and it would be smart to get to know the other people in the office,” I agreed as I reached for my sweet tea. “I am just flustered with him and the new job.”
“I know it isn’t your dream, sweetie. But it sounds like a great place to work to me. They sound really nice there.” Vanessa smiled at me.
“You’re staying with Matt this weekend, right?” I asked as she nodded. They both worked for the theater, and she did that a lot on show weekends.
“Take advantage of the empty apartment,” she told me just before leaving me at my office building, making me blush furiously.
I walked inside, embarrassed. I was intensely attracted to Stephen, but we just met. I wasn’t the kind of girl to throw herself at a man like that, especially at a new job. Vanessa was insane. I headed back to my office to finish the data for the day before we went for drinks.
I was flustered at the idea of drinks with everyone, much less just Stephen. I was nervous about the new job, despite Martin’s praise.
I didn’t get a lick of work done the rest of the day, finding myself on edge when I heard the knock at the door. I looked to see Stephen, letting out a long sigh. “What’s wrong?” he asked in concern, walking inside as I took in his appearance. He had rolled his sleeves up, showing off his forearms, which appeared to have some ink on them. Stephen was gorgeous.
“I just had one of those days. I feel like I did nothing but fight with numbers today.” I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the waves and then started to wonder how I looked. With the mess of a day I’d had, I didn’t even fix my face before he came in.
“Mandy, you are brand new here. Martin doesn’t expect you to be perfect that fast. None of us ever expect perfection for that matter. It’s clear that you’re an intelligent woman. You’ll get this.” His voice was uplifting and comforted me in a way that made my whole body warm up. “Let’s go meet everyone and leave this all behind you for the weekend. I’ll help you on Monday, and we’ll get you going next week. You’ll be a pro in no time.”
“You will?” I asked as he nodded with a reassuring smile. “Okay. I need a drink. I have been beating myself up all day over this.”
“It’s happy hour, and they have great prices. I’m driving so have at it. Loosen up.” I glanced at him as I shut down my computer after saving what little work I’d completed. If I loosened up too much, I’d be asking him into my bed, and that could ruin everything.
The thought made my knees weak. I grabbed my purse and took a breath before standing, craving a little liquid courage. I would check my face in the bathroom once we got there and add some lipstick if I needed to.
This is going to be fun.