"Did I tell you today how beautiful you looked?"
"At least 10 times already." She blushes.
"I wish it could be the weekend again, and I can have you all to myself."
She shakes her head and laughs. "Will you cut it out?"
"Yeah, Hansen why don't you leave the intern alone. I'm sure she has things to do, besides having her boss harass her." Rose voice comes from behind me.
Fuck!
I turn around and give my best smile to her.
"Rose! I thought you were at lunch."
"I had something ordered up. I have a conference call in an hour I need to get ready for."
I look over at Mani and she's trying to bury her head.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asks me. And even though this is my company and I'm the boss, I can't help feel like I'm being sent to the principal's office.
"Of course." Rose turns around and heads back to the office.
"I think I'm in trouble." I say playfully.
"Dinah, she knows." She whispers, acting as if now the room is filled with people.
"It'll be ok. Rose won't say anything to anyone. I'll handle it."
"This is so embarrassing." She covers her face with her hands.
"Hey now cut that out. Listen we'll talk about it tonight? Ok?"
"I don't know... what if..."
I reach over and take her chin in my hand. "Please don't worry about it. Please."
"I'll try." I release her chin.
"Think about some romantic comedy that you can torture me with tonight."
"Oh I already got a couple in mind..." She squints her eyes at me. I have a feeling I might be in for it.
"Laters, baby." I wink at her and head to the principal's office.
I plop myself down in a chair in front of her desk. "Yes, ma'am?" I ask her, giving her my pearly white smile.
"I need you to be honest with me Dinah. Are you and Mani....?"
"Why would you think that?"
She raises her eyebrow at me. "For one I'm not blind. I saw the way you looked at her the first day you met her. And I also happened to hear you Dinah. Now tell me."
"Yes, we're together. But you can't tell anyone Rose."
"She's a teenager Dinah, still in high school."
"You don't think I don't know that? God, I tried to stay away. But, I couldn't Rose.You know how you like to tell me when you've had too much to drink, that Lauren is your soul mate?" She nods and blushes.
When Rose is drunk the woman never stops talking. And the only thing she likes to chat about is Lauren .
"Well, I think I have that with Mani And I know we have an age difference, but does it really matter?"
