Working for Love

What the Boss Wants He Gets (13)

Can I call in sick if I'm not sick? The possibility had been on my mind all morning. I didn't want to go to work and face Damon this morning—I was too embarrassed about what happened last night. What if he's angry? What if he taunts me all day and spreads rumors? What if he's so desperate he tries something at work? A speculation of what it might feel like to have him kiss me crossed my mind, bringing a blush to my cheeks. I scurried over to the kitchen sink and filled a glass of water to cool me. What if he ignores me? Isn't that what I want? If he ignores me, I can ignore him. I don't want to face him, but I don't want to not talk to him. If only last night hadn't happened.

"Morning, Aunt Andi." Roy stumbled into the kitchen, slept still evident in his eyes.

"Hey, dude," I said, crouching down to give him a hug. "Do you need some water?" He nodded, so I gave him my half-empty glass, which he downed in a few moments. "Want anymore?"

He shook his head. "What's for breakfast?"

"I've got Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, cinnamon toast, pancakes, or eggs." He would go for the Fruit Loops. Like any other five-year-old, he liked the independence of making his own breakfast when he could.

"Fruit Loops please," he said in his most polite tone. I knew his mom had really been working with him on his manners lately.

"Sure thing," I said, collecting all the supplies for a bowl of cereal and placing them on the table. We sat quietly together as he ate his breakfast, then I went to wake his sisters up and get everyone around for school. Mom got up right before we left to bid all of us goodbye, then shuffled to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.

This year, all three of the kids were going to the same elementary school, so that made dropping them off super easy. I got a kiss from each of them before they scampered off to see their friends. I waited there for a moment, watching them enter the building, then pulled away before any parents behind me could honk.

I had just enough time to get from the school to Ashdown Properties. I walked into Milly's reception area at two minutes past eight, but by her sunny smile it didn't appear that she minded.

"Good morning!" she said. "It's nice to see you, Alessandria. I'm very excited to work together. I've heard great things about you."

"Oh, thank you," I replied, a little surprised but also not since I seemed to have been a topic of interest when I first joined. "I'm excited as well. What exactly will I be doing?"

"A lot of the more time-consuming jobs. They're easy, but they take up a lot my time when I could be doing more pressing things." She tapped on her computer for a moment to finish up some project, then nodded towards the office chair on the other corner of her large desk. "I cleared some space and brought in a chair for you. I think we'll start with document scanning and sorting."

I slid around to the desk, setting my bag on the floor. Before I could sit down, Damon's office door opened. "I thought I heard you," he said when he saw me. "Would you fetch me a bag of chips? Cool Ranch Doritos please. Milly has some money for that in one of her drawers." He was gone again before my mind could remember that I was unhappy to see him.

Milly smiled at me as she opened a drawer. "I suppose you should get that for him first thing. The nearest vending machine is the next floor down right by the elevator." She handed me two dollars and sent me on my way.

I got the chips without trouble and had to give myself a pep talk on the way back up the stairs. I don't want to see him. It wasn't so bad there for a second, I guess. Maybe just a quick in and out won't be awful. It's just so embarrassing. Will he say anything to me? He seemed pretty casual, but also maybe a bit short. Is he mad at me? Am I mad at him? I don't think so, but I'm not ready to face him again. I don't want to work so close to him. I'll have to see him all the time. I smiled briefly at Milly as I passed her desk, then knocked on Damon's door. When he called for me to enter, I did, leaving the door open behind me.