Flirting with the HR Girl

Chapter 26

The next day dawned cold, grey, and hazy as a Monday should. The only thing helping Jennifer get out of the warm cozy bed where both cats were sleeping, was the idea of seeing Austin. She had let any anger she had at him go and had refocused it all on Todd, who had obviously seen their texts and needed some persuading on not meddling in their lives. She practiced the lie about seeing her friend and hoped Austin had one equally believable. Although she had to keep her often sarcastic thoughts to herself, she was a terrible liar when it came to making something up. She also didn't like hoping a guy that she was getting involved with would be a good liar either.

She dressed in her normal boring black and grey outfit but today put on a pop of color underneath her blazer and a little pink on her lips. Who didn't want to dress to impress for sexual harassment training? The drive to work was slow because people in the city seemed to forget how to drive when it was raining. She was relieved to get to the office before Cynthia and steady her nerves before the training. She looked at her schedule and saw that she didn't have any new hires that afternoon. She might actually be able to catch up on all of her paperwork.

"Today is the day!" Cynthia sang as she walked into the room in a bright red pantsuit with matching lipstick and her hair fluffed around her face. She looked ready to give a seminar on how to sell cosmetics not on how to keep your hands off your cute associates. "Are you ready for this today, Jennifer?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jennifer said with a lot more enthusiasm than she felt. Her butterflies returned at the thought of standing in front of the managers including Austin to talk about sex. Thank goodness Cynthia was there to do the majority of it. "I'll take the supplies down to the room now."

Jennifer wondered if her boss ever noticed that she had a way of leaving the office as soon as Cynthia arrived. She passed Blanche's desk, who wasn't in yet, and nodded 'hello' to Gary, who was doing his morning facilities checklist but kept walking before he could engage her in conversation. She went into the training room and was surprised to find Austin waiting inside.

"What are you doing here so early?" Jennifer asked, clutching her papers to her chest like a schoolgirl between classes.

"I just had to tell you how sorry I was about Saturday night," Austin said stepping so close to her, she could smell his sporty cologne. He was dressed more casually than he would have been down on the floor, wearing a button-down with a gray sweater over charcoal pants. His hair was combed neatly as ever but he had sort of a wild look in his eye that made her want to run away with him. Not just a little bit. A lot. "I can't believe Todd did that. He claimed that he knew I had no plans and said that I really needed to learn the ropes next to him that night."

"What a butthead," Jennifer said without thinking. She immediately remembered that Todd was also Austin's cousin and not only his boss. "I'm sorry but I just can't believe he did that."

"No, he's a butthead." Austin laughed at the last word. "Next time, I just won't let him know my plans."

Jennifer's heart swelled at the idea of a next time. Before she could ask Austin about it, Cynthia appeared in the doorway behind them. Jennifer instinctively took a giant step back from Austin, hoping the older woman hadn't observed how close they had been.

"Jennifer, I need you to set up the overhead," Cynthia said not looking up at either of them but down at her paperwork. "Austin, since you're here, will you go ahead and place these documents on everyone's spot."

Austin snapped to attention to help Cynthia while Jennifer hooked up the computer. They didn't have any more time alone because the managers started slowly trickling in with their coffee and their eyes glazed over from the early hour. Everyone, except the store manager, was assembled by nine sharp with multiple supervisors opening the store. They sat and waited for Todd to join them after he completed the morning meeting.

Five minutes passed and Jennifer got tired of reading her notes over and over. She glanced at Austin, who shrugged, and Selena, who rolled her eyes. Five more minutes passed before Cynthia finally looked up at the wall clock and said, "Jennifer, will you please go find Todd and find out what's keeping him? We cannot start without the store manager present."

Already agitated, Jennifer flew out of the door. She did catch Austin checking her out on the way out and she tried not to blush as she stumbled out in front of Blanche's desk. She looked at the store manager's assistant and asked, "Do you know where Todd is?"

"In his office," Blanche said with a shrug.

Jennifer quickly rounded the desk and went to the store manager's office. The door was open, and she stepped inside before realizing he was on the phone.

"Hey, babe, after I get this silly training done, we can do lunch if you want," Todd said to the wall behind him in a voice that Jennifer had never heard before. She froze, thinking that he must be talking to his wife, Margo. She quickly stepped backward, out into the hall, but unfortunately, could still hear him.

"No, babe, I've got nothing important going on today. You're all I care about."

Jennifer glanced at her watch it was already fifteen minutes after the training was supposed to start. She needed to do something before Cynthia was out there breathing fire; Jennifer knocked on the door before stepping inside again. She found Todd facing the door. He held up one finger as if to indicate just a second more on the phone and spun around. She went to leave but she heard him say goodbye and hang up.

"We're waiting for you in the training," Jennifer said feeling the need to prod him further to get moving.

"I bet you are," Todd said as he strutted past her.