Offices and Orchards (A New Adult Sweet Romance)

Chapter 3

Late August days in Harvest Hills brought with them what might be the last of the very hot summer weather, as it would not be long until heat turned to pleasant warmth which itself would then wane slowly to cool, crisp and windy. Then the sundresses and shorts and sandals and swimsuits would all have to be packed away to be replaced by jeans and boots and sweaters. But it was not as though Autumn had had much time to spend outdoors. Her first week of orientation had been busy but had gone well. The interns had spent the week going through the S and W employee handbook, learning about the company, its history, structure and organisation chart. They covered all kinds of rules and guidelines for the role, including dress-code, sick days, grievance filing, hand hygiene training, the break room rules, how to submit travel expenses, all kinds of boring things. They went over the individual departments, and did tours of the building: S and W occupied four floors, from the fourth to the eighth floor, which was the highest one and where the executive board all had their offices. They were treated exactly as if they were new employees: one reason getting an internship there was so competitive. Autumn started to feel more comfortable every day.
As soon as the intern meetings were over, they would return to their respective departments for further training and meetings. Derek Chan had put Autumn and Harvey to work right away. Even on their first day, while the rest of the interns were having dinner and drinks with their mentors, Autumn had been busy working on a PowerPoint presentation for a meeting the next day.
"It's exhausting," Autumn told her mother one night on the phone. "I get up at 7, head into the office, have coffee there at 8, emails for a bit. Meetings start at 8:30, and then I work through until lunch, which I often don't even take, so I go until the end of the day which officially ends at 5pm, but I rarely leave before 7. That's why I haven't called until now."
"I'm very impressed! Sounds like you're doing a great job!" Autumn imagined her mother learning forward on the kitchen counter as she spoke, looking through their living room to the sea in front of her childhood home.
"Thanks Mom. It's like I've learnt the same amount in two weeks, that I did in my entire time at high school. And you know how hard I studied."
Derek Chan demanded that Autumn, even as an intern, learn how to do the job, and kept her surveying all different aspects of client files, financial accounts, business profiles and more. This meant that Autumn had to know about analysing balance sheets, conducting profit and loss calculations and cost optimisation and more. It was as if she was actually in training to be a business advisor.
"To be honest it's all a bit much. I'm having to keep up with college students, they've seen all this stuff before, you know?"
"I'm just so proud of you Pumpkin,"
"You're always going to call me that, aren't you?"
"Yes, i am! So everything is going well then. With your colleagues too?"
"Not bad. I mentioned in my emails about Amber being there and how she and I have become friends, right? And also I'm sure I mentioned one of the other interns: Harvey. Let's put it this way, he and I have not become friends. Actually he kind of drives me nuts. in tight with the owners, already familiar with the software, the operations and the people at S and W. I feel like I'm constantly working to catch up to him, kind of thing. Which is fine, except that he is a jerk about everything, just talks down to me all the time."
Even without his advantages, it always seemed like Harvey was on top of things, and that it all came so much easier to him than to her.
"He's probably not worth worrying about, but if you do, try and let it motivate you, and remind you to stay focused. Just do what you always do, your best. " Autumn had been hearing this since she was little.
"No, you're right. Other than him, I think things are going well, and I'm working really hard to learn how to use the software package we have, which is all pretty much new to me."
Since much of the procedures in using the software had to be committed to memory, many of Autumn's nights were spent at her computer, reading through documents in preparation for the next day's meetings or presentation or learning how to produce various reports from the software. She felt like a real adult. Like a real employee.
"Oh I forgot to mention in my email though: something very exciting. They have a position opening up in Australia, it would just be for a week, but I'm going to apply."
"Pumpkin, focus on your work for now. Australia will fall into place later."
"You're worried, aren't you? What with the anniversary coming up soon, right?"
"Of course I'm worried about that. It doesn't get any easier does it? Look, Sorry pumpkin, I have to go. We'll talk about everything. I'm having seafood out on the deck!"
"Argh, could you make me any more jealous?" Autumn rolled her eyes.
"Try to call me again this weekend? Bye Pumpkin." Autumn hung up the phone with a long sigh. The first three weeks of orientation had flown by, she realised, it was nearly September and for the first time in a few years, Autumn had eaten, slept, breathed something other than September 11th. She had been consumed by S and W as Derek showed her and McIntosh the ropes. And if she was completely honest with herself, it was a good and bad change. Good because she hadn't been too sad to leave her house, but bad because she was spending all of her time indoors elsewhere, just when she finally felt like she could start to enjoy her favourite time of year again.
"It's just such a change, you know?" She replied to Amber's comment about her pale skin and dark bags under her eyes the next day at work. "Spending all day under neon." She gestured toward the ceiling with her index finger.
"A redhead in the sun?" Amber teased, flicking hers for dramatic effect. Autumn had always hated her red hair.
"At least I'm one of the lucky ones that doesn't burn as soon as I look at it. Growing up on a beach might have had something to do with that."
Amber and Autumn had become fast friends, which was unusual for Autumn. Not working directly together, but having desk spaces close together meant that they had time to debrief and decompress outside of their immediate work circles which for Autumn, consisted of Harvey McIntosh, Derek Chan, Devon Porter, Thomas Bradwaithe and a few others.
"I'm just checking since you do look a little, how can I say this politely...rundown... disheveled...tired." Autumn's hands shot to her eyes to wipe under them, as if that would push away the black bags hanging under them. "It's not my fault! Being cooped up in the office during the best time of the year! I'm dying."
For the first two weeks, Autumn had walked to and from work three times a week. It was a beautiful commute: from her apartment building, down to Lake Golden's waterfront and then up to her office building, which itself was only a couple of blocks from the lake. By the time the third week rolled by, she was sleeping in as long as she could and making the fifteen minute drive every morning and evening in her little Toyota. Amber was right, she didn't look her best was a nice way of putting it. "Really? The best time?"
"Of course it's the best time. Long, sunny days full of outdoor activities, icy cool drinks on patios, fresh berries, peaches and frozen desserts, cute clothes. Not that I've had time to do any of that this summer."The recruits were now in their final week of orientation, and Autumn was tired. Run down. Exhausted.
"We'll be done with orientation soon, things will calm down after that I promise, and you'll see what Harvest Hills has to offer."
"Yeah, I know, but by then summer will be long gone," a lump rose in Autumn's throat as she was reminded that it was soon September, and all that came with that. She swallowed.
"So what are you going to do?" Amber placed her elbow on her desk, resting her face on it.
"Quit working and college and sleep for the rest of my life?" She forced the emotions down with sarcasm.
"Nah, you could never leave me." Amber flashed a winning smile.
"Don't think I haven't thought about interning at a coffee shop. Just think, when your shift is done, your shift is done. that's the life." She made her voice should all wispy and wistful, ending with an exaggerated sigh.
"you'd have to talk to people all the time, not your thing." Autumn hadn't shared with Amber why she was anti-social, or as she said introverted. never used to be, but things had changed since that awful day a few years ago. She had changed. Actually, Amber was pretty much the first new person she had started a quasi-relationship with since.
"Plus you hate coffee." Amber took a sip of hers to prove her point.
"Maybe, but I can at least dream of not being on my computer 24/7. And I drink coffee all the time now. Your doing." Autumn sipped gets to prove her point.
Amber read between the lines of what Autumn was complaining about and looked her friend straight into her emerald eyes.
"It's basically a new job Autumn, yes, we are interns, but everyone finds new jobs tiring at first."
"Even you?"
"Even me. Trust me, it won't be long until you're running the place." Amber winked. Amber had a way of making Autumn feel good about herself. That also was something she had not felt in awhile. Good about herself.
"Well it's not just work, not having a summer makes me feel like I'm not Autumn."
"Oh, the irony! Why didn't your parents call you Summer?"
"Would have made much more sense. My birthday's in July for goodness sakes! But seriously, it won't be long until we have to settle in and hibernate for winter and I'll be doing so alone, in my little cave."
"Actually maybe your name should be Winter Gray the way you're going in about it,"
"I'd be totally fine with that." Autumn grinned. "Speaking of my cave, why don't you come check out my apartment sometime soon? I'll show you how us Mainers do summer!" Introverted Autumn was actually inviting someone to do something. She nearly held her breath while she waited for the reply.
"It's a date, as long as you stop whining about missing summer and try experiencing what's left of it here. bet you haven't even been into the Village."
The Village was how people referred to the heritage district of Harvest Hills, its stone walkways flanked by cast iron benches and period streetlights. There was the Harvest Hills Village General Store, the Harvest Hills Art Gallery, the Harvest Hills Country Store, the Christmas Shoppe, a museum, a small theatre, in addition to many little shops, cafes and restaurants. It was a picture of small-town New England simplicity and loveliness. And Autumn hadn't been.
"Actually you're right."