But that couldn’t last forever. That much I could feel.
I stood up, brochures in hand, and left my office, crossing the lobby to her smaller office. She was sitting behind her smaller desk absorbed in the monitor in front of her. I’d gotten her a standalone 22inch monitor that she could plug into her laptop along with Bluetooth keyboard, and it was like I’d shown her color television for the first time, she’d been so excited.
“Flowers, what are you doing?”
She jerked at the sound of my voice, unprepared for my arrival or question, and I smiled thinking turnabout was fair play.
Her brow furrowed. “I’m doing the thing you said. The analytic thing-a-ma-jig.”
“See, this is your problem,” I said.
“I have a problem?”
“You do,” I nodded. “You’ve done well with the assignments I’ve given you, but you’re missing a critical piece.”
“Okay. What?”
“You need the vocabulary,” I said, with a serious expression.
I lifted a hand to loosen the tie around my neck. I’d had a breakfast meeting earlier with an old mentor that I respectedenough to dress for the occasion. Larry had always appreciated proper protocol for a meeting, so I’d gone with the power suit and a red tie.
Although now it felt like the silk material was strangling me. I loosened it, which must have brought attention to what was in my hand.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I’m glad you asked,” I said with a genial smile.
“I didn’t really,” she said, shifting a bit in her seat.
She was wearing her standard fare, business casual clothes. Her hair, which she’d done special for Thanksgiving, was once again pulled back in a clip. Plain and professional. Very on brand for her. Not really sexual at all, so there was no reason for my brain to ever go there.
“You announced I had a problem,” she continued. “I’m assuming whatever is in your hand has something to do with resolving the problem.”
“It does. Now hear me out.” I took the chair across from her desk and spread out the multiple brochures I’d picked up after meeting with Larry.
He’d been a superlative mentor in my old company, often working with associates to help guide them in their career path. Having been retired now for several years over in Ft. Worth, I’d realized sitting down with him again, I hadn’t done a good enough job of staying in touch.
Making sure he was doing okay. He’d lost his husband last year to cancer.
He’d said he was getting along. I’d said the same thing.
Then he’d asked me about my new protégé, and finally, neither one of us had to think about our grief anymore.
Cautiously, she picked up the first one. The front of the brochure showed a girl her age with a guy sitting next to her inwhat appeared to be a park. They were laughing and there were books open on their laps.
HCC.
Houston Community College.
“You want me to go to school?” she asked.
“I want you to learn the business vocabulary and the only way you can do that is if you continue your education.”
She put the brochure down. “I’ve done alright without college so far,” she said. Her voice unnaturally neutral.
“Flowers, face it,” I told her. “You got lucky. This job was an accident. A wrong door you walked through. But if we’re going to continue your growth, you need some fundamentals. Business 101 for lack of a better term. A couple of classes at community college would be good for you.”
“You’re already making me take driving lessons, now you want me to add more classes?” Her hand fiddled with the clip in the back of her head.
