Secrets of an outcast

Coffee

The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid noiselessly open, there was now a lingering tension between us from her unanswered question, it hung in the air. The phrase elephant in the room came to mind.

"Right this way" I realized I didn't have an office for her.

Because I didn't know she was here.

So I hastily decided to put her in the closest available one, which was next to mine.

I gently opened the door, which creaked softly, and ushered her in.

"This is your office Stacey. If you would like to take a seat opposite me I wish to go over some quick guideline rules." I sat in the black swivel chair that would soon be hers.

"Oh right, OK." She muttered uneasily.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to read a giant 500 page manual to you." I laughed gently, she offered me a slight smile.

"Right, We have a tea and coffee room situated just down the hall that is available all day, but usually I go across the street with a few of my employees, which you are more than welcome to come to." I informed her vaguely wondering if I had been to forward, no. I was just being polite.

"Oh great I like coffee" She had a slight smile on her lips.

"Yes, many of us here do it seems" I laughed.

After a brief pause due to a loss of what to say I continued. She was very easy to like.

"As an employee here you are entitled to a range of different things to do in your lunch hour, which starts at 1:00, We offer a room of books and magazines with chairs to lounge on, A cafe just next to it and a little bit further down the hall we have a pool table and another coffee bar. Or you could go out into the town center, I mean I am not forcing any one to spend it here" I laughed, feeling as if I was talking to myself, she sat looking at me like I was from a different planet.

"Well that sounds like you take the responsibility of looking after your staff very seriously." She spoke almost incomprehensibly. She didn't seem too up for a conversation, I tried to keep it short.

"Yes I care greatly for the well being of my staff, Oh and also I have my office door open if you have any further queries so do not be afraid to just knock" I smiled again.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Oh please, none of this Sir business, I haven't aged 30 years over night have I?" I chuckled "Just call me Justin."

"Justin" She amended for the second time.

I rose from the chair and offered my hand again.

"It was a genuine pleasure meeting you, Stacey." I grinned.

"You too, Justin." She grinned back. It seemed real enough to me, but what do I know.

I made my way to my office and slumped into my chair, not believing what I just did, I should have fired her but I just couldn't. The question that remained was why.

There was a knock on my door.

"Yes?" I snapped.

"Sorry, I just wondered what my login was" Stacey whispered as she peered her head through the door.

"Of course, how could I forget that! My apologies, Stacey" I smacked my cheek in exasperation  at myself

"Please, take a seat." I was forgetting everything these days.

She walked smoothly through the door, her walk was slightly altered by what appeared to be a limp, I didn't realise what she was wearing before but she had a white collar shirt tucked into a faded black skirt that just reached her knees, her flat black shoes were full of holes and worn down at all angles, I felt the need to buy her expensive clothes, the kind she deserved to be in. Enough, Cooper  I mentally snarled at myself.

She pulled a chair up from the side of the room in front of my wooden polished desk that used to belong to my father, as did this office. Well actually, the whole building.