Love Is Blind

Not So Bad

The morning went by pretty quickly, I was exhausted and my coffee didn't seem to cut it that day. It just seemed like it was making things worse. Standing up, I felt my way across the room, without my cane, until I had come to the window. Unlatching it, I thrust it open and inhaled the chilly air.

October was already nearing a close and it was chilly enough to wear a jacket almost every morning to work. But the cold air was certainly good for one thing. Keeping me, and probably half of the rest of the staff, awake at work. Making my way back to my seat, I sat down with an almost inaudible sigh. Breathing in the already cooling air, I leaned into the worn leather of my chair.

My few seconds of break time didn't last long, because there was a knock on the door. A knock so tentative and quiet, I almost didn't hear it. "Hello?" I called into the air, unsure whether someone was actually there or not.

A soft voice answered me, a quiet, nervous voice. A female voice, "Mr. Anderson? Uh...it's me," A quick laugh followed, the nerves bubbling up to the edges of it and creeping into it, "You don't know who me is, do you? No. You probably don't. I mean.. We haven't been introduced yet and I don't even know what you sound like, so how could you know what I-"

I cut her off before she could continue rambling, "Lacey Webber, I presume?" I asked, not even waiting for the answer to come, "Hey, Lacey. Come on in, okay?"

I could hear the door click shut and then the clack of her cane against the floor, feeling it's way towards my desk. After a few seconds, she managed to find the seat Mr. Greenly had sat in a few hours previous. When she sat, it didn't squeak at all. Odd.

"So.. You're going to be an intern here, Lacey. Meaning you won't be doing quite as much as I do, but from what Mr. Greenly said to me you'll be working here soon and you'll be in this department, correct?"

Her voice wasn't so soft now and some of her anxiety seemed to fade, the tension in the air already dropping, "Yes. Mr. Greenly is my father's old business partner and he got me the internship. I'm going to study under you as I finish up college. Then, afterwards, I'm going to be the junior editor in this department."

Hm. I hadn't been expecting that. Typically, all interns would be working as editors in the newspaper downstairs or the children's book sections. Only a few joined my department off the bat, and usually, they knew someone high up. Mr. Greenly was my boss, sure, but there were plenty of people above him, too.

"Okay. Impressive, I'll admit, but you do realize this isn't as glamorous as you probably assume, right?"

I could hear the subtle swishing of her hair as she shook her head, answering so confidently, she almost sounded smug, "Oh, no. I know. Working under you means that you'll occasionally read out excerpts from whatever manuscript you're working on and tell me to find the mistakes. I'll be getting you coffee on a constant basis and if I'm really lucky, I might even get to file and fax out your reviews. Right?"

Scoffing, I had let out a chuckle and a low whistle. This girl knew her stuff. Maybe training her wouldn't be so bad after all, "Okay. Points for knowing the job, Webber. But, can you tell me what kind of coffee I take, or do I have to actually explain that to you?"

A laugh escaped her now, but this time it wasn't laced with worry and it was most definitely smug, "You like it with exactly three spoonfuls of sugar and a generous amount of French vanilla creamer. Am I right?"

This time, it was my turn to laugh, mostly in shock, "Correct again. Are you sure I've got anything to even teach you?"

The smile in Lacey's voice was so evident, it brought one to my face as well, "You've got plenty to teach me, Mr. Anderson. And you can't imagine how excited I am to learn it all from you."

Her confession made my smile grow and I chuckled again, "Call me Jacob, Lacey. You're not below me. All of my interns are equal, even if we don't get paid the same."

Laughter broke through again and she was obviously smiling widely, as was I, "Okay, Jacob. I'm your equal. Remember that when I'm getting you coffee and filing for six hours at a time, okay?"

Nodding even though I knew that she couldn't see me do it, I laughed quietly, "Sure thing, Lacey. I'll remember. No worries. Just don't forget the reason your here is for learning, not just doing busy work because I'm too lazy to do it all myself."

"Sir, yes, sir," She teased back, standing with a click from her heels. Standing up as well, I reached my hand out and met hers, shaking it with a firm grip; one she matched perfectly.

"Am I correct in saying that you start working here tomorrow?" I asked, not yet letting go of her slightly smaller hand.

"You would be spot on, Jacob," She answered, her hand still holding mine in a grip that was firm, but not squeezing to prove a point like most people would be. (Mr. Greenly especially had a habit of crushing hands. It was his way of making an announcement of his authority to anyone who dared to shake his hand.)

"Great. I'm glad. Well, then... I guess I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning," I stated, ignoring the blatant fact that I wouldn't be seeing her at all.

"Yes. Yes, you will," She replied and finally dropped my hand in favor of picking up the cane she had rested against my desk, "Have a good evening, Jacob. See you tomorrow."

I waited for the tell-tale click of the door shutting behind her before I sank back into my chair. Maybe training an intern wouldn't be so bad after all... Maybe Lacey wouldn't be so hard to handle. For all I knew, she could already do the job better than half the staff around here. It was all just a matter of time, to wait and see what exactly would come of it.