“No you won’t, step aside,” she said making an opening between Tate and Morris to squeeze through. “Larry, good to see you,” she stated as the teacher stepped forward. “This must be your new class.”
“Sorry about those two. They think that they can get by saying anything they want because there’s no one at home to tell them otherwise. Their foster parents don’t really pay attention to what they do,” he warned.
“I think I can handle it,” she said before turning to the class. “Good afternoon everyone, my name is Melinda Holmes. Yes,as in Holmes Construction and Architecture,” she added at a few of the curious looks. “My husband Jordan and I are the ones running the show around here; he’s out of town at the moment and I have to run to class, but I will leave you all in the very capable hands of these three gentlemen. By the time the semester is over you all will have a first rate education and hands-on experience at building and hopefully some of you will learn some manners.”
She gave a pointed look at the two before continuing, “And if you think I’m kidding I should warn you that this guy right here happens to be Tate, my best friend from the time I was seven, as well as the lead engineer on the part of the project you’ll be working. The other two here are the foremen of the crew, so unless you want to be picking up trash or lugging boards all day, I’d suggest you keep your mouths closed and your ears open. If you look around the crew you’ll find workers with varying degrees of experience, some are current students here at Whitmore, earning their spots after they started where you are right now. Others decided to forego the college route and took full-time jobs with us. You’re looking at a wonderful opening for your future if you play your cards right,” she finished glad that they’d settled down.
“Okay,” she added turning back to the others. “I’ve got to get to class so I can finally be done with my masters. Jordan should be home tomorrow or Thursday; if you need anything else just give me a call. I’ll be in the office most of the evening.”
“All evening you mean,” Tate countered as she grabbed her bags and headed out. He dropped a kiss on her cheek and took her hard hat to put back in the trailer they had onsite. “Slow down Mel, you’re going to burn out if you don’t.”
“I’ll be fine and besides, once I’m done in May I don’t plan on doing anything other than relaxing.”
“Yeah? Has Jordan mentioned anything about this new crew he’s trying to put together? He hasn’t said what it’s for, but he wants the best from here on it, though he didn’t give us a time frame either.”
“We’re thinking of building a house. I have the plans all worked up, we’re just waiting to find the perfect spot to build it.”
“Now it makes sense. Okay go or you’re going to be late,” he said giving her a light push.
She laughed giving them a wave as she continued across campus towards her lecture. Thanks to spending all summer on campus she only had three classes left for her MBA and she’d fit them in around her others. She’d taken extra classes last year and the prior summer for her masters in architecture and it didn’t hurt that Dwight had allowed her into some of his upper level courses during her last year of undergrad.
Unfortunately, the class she was headed to was her legal and ethics course regarding business and so far, it had been mostly the others ripping apart this company or that. She’d stayed away from the conversation because she didn’t agree with them and wanted to simply let it go. As she slid into her seat, she noticed several glances from her classmates and wondered what was up with the attention.
When she thought she couldn’t take any more of their stares, Anna turned towards her and asked, “Is it true you’re only here because Whitmore’s paying you?”
“What?” Mel said with a laugh.
“Whitmore’s paying you to get your MBA so you can work on the construction project.”
“Whitmore’s not paying for my MBA nor for my master’s in architecture. I work for Holmes,” she said putting emphasis on the name.
“Wait, Holmes as in the construction company?” Nick said glancing at her differently.
“Yeah, I’ve worked for the company for six years.”
“So your family owns it?” Anna asked.
“My husband and I do,” she clarified. “So I suppose in a way Whitmore is paying for my MBA, but I’ve worked for the company a lot longer than I’ve been coming here.”
“Hold on,” Devon said turning around in his seat to stare at her. “You’re married?”
“It’ll be six years in May,” she answered holding up her left hand to reveal the wedding band and emerald ring she always wore.
“So you’ve been working with your husband for longer than you’ve been married?” Anna asked.
“I started working there in October six years ago, Jordan and I immediately connected, and we got married in May.”
“That’s insane,” she stated.
“How old were you?” Devon asked.
“Seventeen, I’d just finished my junior year in high school,” she said hiding her smile at their incredulous faces. “It might sound odd, but I’d been on my own since I was fifteen. My mother ran off sometime during the wee hours of the morning of my birthday and I pretended she didn’t. The only person that knew about it was my best friend Tate and he’d never tell. Then I got the job with Jordan, we fell for each other though he thought I was older. He asked me to marry him, I told him the truth, and we moved past it.”
“You can’t get married when you’re seventeen without permission though, right?” Gail stated as the entire class listened in with interest.
“Jordan found my mother, she signed the papers and the rest…well we’re still blissfully happy.”
“You’re seriously trying to tell us that you found ‘the one’ at seventeen?” Anna asked. “Come on I’m twenty-seven and I’ve yet to find him.”
