“Which one, there were a lot.”
“The one with guy singing on the football field.”
“So, you took notes. Good.” She wraps the flowers in butcher paper. “Do you own a vase for these?”
Nope. I’ve never been one to put flowers out to brighten the space. I’m usually only home long enough to shower and go to bed. “Can you grab one for me?” I pull my card out again. This thing is getting a workout today.
“I got you.” She pushes my hand away after grabbing a simple vase from the shelf behind her. “Good luck tonight. If she doesn’t know how you feel about her after this, I don’t know that she’ll ever get it.”
“Thanks. Have fun working today.” I shove my wallet in my back pocket and grab my items. “See you at the next game night.”
Now to get home and get everything ready. I need to clean and prep dinner. Tonight, I’m putting everything on the line.
Twenty
Callie
Data entry is more boring than I remember. Actually, scratch that, I remember hating it when I first entered the work force. I’m kicking myself for choosing the easiest degree path after I met Conrad instead of going after what I wanted. There were so many mistakes made in my youth. I don’t regret any of them. Without those experiences I wouldn’t have Alexandra even if it hurt going through them.
I just never thought I’d be working at the local accounting firm. Anything the accountants need I get. I’ve also been answering the phone. It rings nonstop and it didn’t take me long to realize it’s because we’re in the midst of tax season. No wonder I was offered a job so quickly. As much as I don’t like this type of work, I hope they’ll keep me on after the busy season.
The door opens and Angie walks in with a bag in her hand. I guess my boss ordered lunch for himself. In a few minutes I can push the calls to voicemail and take my own lunch. My sandwich seems less appealing after the day I’ve had.
“Hi Angie. What are you doing here?”
She stops at my desk and sets the bag in front of me. “I come bearing gifts. How’s your first day going?”
“It’s going,” I mutter. “I didn’t order anything, though.”
“Peter did.” Angie shrugs but I don’t miss the sly smile she shoots my way. “He wanted to make sure you had a good lunch on your first day.”
My jaw drops. This man surprises me every day. “I can’t accept this. Or, at least let me pay for it.”
“No need. It’s already taken care of.” She grabs a chair from against the wall and pulls it to the desk. “While I’m here, can you schedule me in for an appointment. I need to bring my tax documents before I forget.”
“Sure. I have a few minutes before I clock out for lunch. Is there a certain time of day that works better for you?”
“Nope. I’m wide open. Perks of being the boss. I can do the business things whenever I want and I know the bar is in good hands.”
I put her name in for the first appointment I find. “Here you go. If you need to change to a different date, just let me know. And thank you for bringing this.” I point at the food after giving her an appointment card. The firm should look at using digital communications. Maybe I’ll bring that up after I’ve been here for a while.
“You should thank Peter.” She stands and gives me a hug over the desk. “Plus, he’s a really good tipper.”
That’s not shocking. He seems like the type that would give generous tips. I mean, he’s been letting me stay at his house for over a week.
“I’ll do that.” I give her a quick wave as she leaves the building. Thank him over text seems like the better option. If I do it in person, I’m likely to get flustered and nobody wants to see that happen.
Callie:
Thank you for lunch. I really appreciate it.
He’s probably busy and won’t text me back for a while. I open the bag and pull out the boxes. How much did he order? Before I open the boxes, I get up and knock on my boss’s door.
“Come in,” Mrs. Hernandez calls.
I push the door open and step inside. “Is it okay if I take my lunch now? The phones seem to have stopped ringing for the time being.”
“Absolutely.” She smiles. “You can eat at your desk or in the break room. Whatever is more comfortable for you.”
