Abby led the young woman to the kitchen table, Patty was sitting down already and she stood up leaning forward to shake the woman's hand.
'Great to meet you Bailey,' Patty said, as the three of them took a seat, 'and welcome.'
'Thanks,' the new employee said as she shuffled on her stool, her cheeks flushed from nerves.
'Basically we just need the usual reception duties, answering the phone, filing that sort of thing.'
Bailey nodded at Abby, as Patty continued, smiling at the woman.
'There will be a few nights shifts here and there but it will only be if we really need you.'
Bailey nodded, 'That's no problem.'
The receptionist replacing Kevin was of average height, slender and had shoulder length brown hair. She had a pretty face with a scattering of freckles across her nose and deep, dark brown eyes. She was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white button up shirt, finished with a navy corduroy blazer.
Patty and Abby went over some paperwork with the woman and she signed some forms and a contract, and Bailey chatted with them nervously.
'So,' Abby said, clasping her hands together, 'that's about it. I'll show you 'round.'
Bailey nodded, standing up from her stool as the other two did the same.
'You have any questions?' Patty asked, pushing her stool under the table as they walked towards the open door.
'I think you pretty much covered everything on the phone,' Bailey replied as she followed Abby, Patty behind her.
'We'll take you to meet Holtz and Erin first,' Abby said, as she walked towards the stairs, 'they're in their lab.'
The three of them jogged up the stairs and towards the large office space that took up most of the top floor, the other side of the level featured a bathroom and reasonable sized bedroom, four beds lined it for when the women were on night shift.
Bailey followed her two new colleagues into the lab, two women were sitting at large desks, and they both looked up. Bailey noticed the blonde first, she had gloved hands, a mass of curly hair that was piled high atop her head and deep pink lips, her eyes covered with yellow lensed goggles and Bailey couldn't help but stare. She was dressed in denim overalls, her creamy skin was exposed at her sides and the woman turned in her chair, sliding her eye-wear to her hair and she pulled off her gloves, revealing a fingerless pair beneath and Bailey tried to hide her amusement. The other woman was a little older, her shoulder length brown hair was glossy and she had a stunning smile, and she tucked one side of her hair behind her ear as she grinned.
'Erin. Holtzmann, this is Bailey, our new receptionist.'
Bailey smiled at Abby and then turned to the two women that stood up to approach her.
The older woman walked over first, 'Erin,' she almost whispered, grinning again and Bailey felt her heart smile, sensing kindness in her voice. Bailey shook her hand and said hello, introducing herself.
'You're the physicist right Erin?'
'Yes, particle physics.'
Erin nodded, 'Welcome to the team Bailey.'
Erin returned to her desk, as Holtzmann stepped forward, holding out her gloved hand, 'Bailey, hello,' she curtsey'd a little, ' Doctor Jillian Holtzmann.'
'The nuclear engineer.'
Holtzmann nodded, biting her top lip with her bottom teeth in quick succession, 'I hear you're a wiz with computers.'
'Um, sure,' Bailey replied, suddenly flustered.
The blonde just nodded, licking the corner of her mouth as if in thought and she turned slowly walking back to her desk, burying her head back into her work and Bailey looked towards Erin, who smiled warmly at her.
'Let me know if you need anything okay Bailey.'
Bailey nodded, smiling back and she felt Abby's hand on her shoulder.
'Let's finish showing you around, then you can sort your desk out and settle in.'
Patty followed them as they walked out of the room, Patty turning to look at Erin as they both looked towards Holtzmann, the blonde busy at her desk and Erin turned back to Patty, shrugging.
It had been about an hour since she'd met Bailey and Erin could hear the murmur of voices downstairs and the movement of furniture, and she looked over to Holtz, the blonde's head was down and she was examining a blue print Erin had given her earlier in the week.
'So Holtz,' began Erin, but the blonde cut her off.
'She's fucking gorgeous.'
'What?'
Holtzmann looked up at Erin.
'Bailey. She's gorgeous.'
Erin shook her head, giggling at Holtzmann's response.
'I figured there was something.'
'Erin, I couldn't even talk properly.'
Erin laughed hard, clasping her hand over her mouth to stifle it.
'I hear you're a wiz with computers.'
Holtzmann dropped her head into her hands and then to the desk.
'Erin don't remind me,' she growled, 'oh my god I'm so embarrassed.'
Erin laughed again.
'You also curtseyed.'
'Erin! Oh my god,' Holtz wailed into her desk.
'She sure has got you flustered.'
'No she's got me being an idiot.'
Erin laughed into her hands.
'I've never seen you like this, ever, you're so confident. And yet here were are, some woman has left you a mess of nerves.'
'She's probably straight anyway Erin.'
Holtzmann finally sat up in her chair, exhaling hard.
'That doesn't stop you flirting with me Holtz!'
'True Er, true. But it's different with you.'
'I know Jill, but who knows, I mean.....she was pretty fixated on you when she walked in.'
'No she wasn't.'
'Absolutely she was, she looked straight at you when she walked in, her eyes didn't leave you.'
'It's probably because of, my...look.'
Holtzmann replied, running her hands down her dirty overalls.
'You're beautiful Jillian.'
Holtzmann tilted her head, shaking it.
'Thanks Er.'
'Well who knows what will happen, you might be dating her by the end of the week. I mean weren't we just discussing this last night?'
'Erin Gilbert.'
Holtzmann snorted, turning back to her work, 'this is very inappropriate discussion about a work colleague.'
'I know, I just can't help but rile you up. You got so so flustered. I mean, you still are,'
Holtzmann shook her head into her work, brushing off Erin's comments, but knowing she would be embarrassed the next time she had to see Bailey.
