Hello Again

I

My mother always told me I had a nack for fashion and design, and I suppose I did at one time, but I'm no spring chicken any longer.” Mrs. Brahms informs me. I glance up at her from my pad of paper.

“Um, was... was I supposed to write that down too?” I furrow my brows at her. She bursts into laughter, slaps her table.

“I like you. You're hired.”

“You already hired her, Mrs. Brahms.” her trusty secretary, Gabi I think her name was, tells her.

“Oh that's right. Well anyways, you can start working tomorrow. You can stay as long as you want to get a good look at the place. I've got to be somewhere in a little bit so Gabi, let's leave-” she pauses for a few seconds.

“Sam, er- uh, Samantha.” I correct myself. I was instructed to never have nicknames with employers. Especially this one, if she hired you. I can't believe she did! This is going to get me places, albeit I do well. Mrs. Brahms comes up to me and we shake hands.

“Right. Well, Samantha, good luck. And feel free to stay for dinner! I won't be long at this meeting.” she smiles at me. I almost drop my jaw but have enough self control just to nod my head.

“But we have dinner reservations at Le Bleu, remember Mrs. Brahms?” Gabi lays a hand on her shoulder. She clicks her tongue and furrows her brows.

“Oh darn. Well feel free to stay anyways, I'm sure Jurgis wouldn't mind having company tonight since I'll be gone.” She gives me one last hand shake and finally leaves. Ooh, dinner with her husband. I think I'll pass on that one. But I might take a gander in the dining room just to get a heads up on what's to come. While I'm alone, I look around the study. It is a good sized room and it has a lot of possibilities. I come around the back of the large wooden desk to get a look at the large fireplace. Above it is a big portrait of a man sitting on a horse with a gun in hand, his faithful hunting dogs at his feet. The fireplace is nice. Before I know it, I'm sitting on the cool seated leather chair behind the large desk. All memories of going to Papa's a young girl flood my mind as I start twirling around in circles. If I close my eyes, I can think I'm a little girl again.

 "Having fun?" a voice comes from out of nowhere. I stop the big chair from twirling immediately. The back of the chair and my back are facing whoever this person is, my front facing the fireplace. Crap! If this is Jurgis and he tells his wife what I was doing, I could get fired! I need this job...

 I get up from the chair and face him, saying, "I'm sorry, I thought I was alone." I stop moving. Taking everything in about this man, I really hope he isn't Jurgis. Though his left hand is held closely to his chest and the fingers are crinkled, everything else about him is perfect. Tall, very handsome, and in a suit. Not to mention a bow tie. No one wears bow ties anymore, it's always regular ties.

 "Who are you?" he asks with a smile. Perfect British accent? Check. Rugged appearance from five o'clock shaddow, yet still sharp? Check. Life threatening smile? Double check.

 "I'm the new designer."

 "I figured you would have been older." he shrugs.

 "I thought you would have been too." What? Why did I say that? I don't even know if he IS Jurgis, my new employer's husband!

 "Well that's what everyone thinks... who, exactly, did you think I was?" His brows furrow and make the most delisious crease on his forehead. If this is Jurgis, Mrs. Brahms' husband, props to her even though I didn't picture her being a cougar.

 "Jurgis, right? Mr. Brahms?"

 He spreads his arm, the good one, out wide and points to himself, cocking his head to one side. "The one and only." He smiles that smile again. I feel myself wanting to poke my lower lip out in sadness.