Charity's Warrior (10 page)

"Lmfao. I like u, much more relaxed than the others there. U make me wish I was in the office,"
he said.

I sent a smiley.
"Just let me know before you show up, I have to make sure I do Lena justice."

"No doubt u will,"
he typed
. "Okay, I used enough of ur time. Maybe I'll check in with u later?"

"I'll be here,"
I sent.

For a few moments I just left the window up on my screen, thinking he might have something else to add. I don't know what I had expected, but JP was nothing like whatever that was. The girls described him wrong. Once I was sure the conversation was done, I closed the window and went back to John's calendar.

A few hours later, Lynda came by my office to see if I needed anything. She blew in like a breeze and eased into one of the chairs across from me. Her smile is easy and relaxing.

"So, how did it go today?" she asked.

I let out a deep, thoughtful breath. "It was wonderful. I think it went by too fast."

She laughed comfortably. "Well, the good news is you get a whole new whack at it again tomorrow," she said through her smile. "John is a sweetheart, you're lucky."

"He had meetings this afternoon, so I haven't had much time with him, but his schedule is pretty clear for tomorrow. We should get plenty of time then," I said.

"That's good," Lynda replies satisfied. "Did you get to meet anyone else today?"

"No. Only you girls and JP via IM."

"He IM’d you?" she asked, her face twisted up under a severe amount of confusion. I don’t know when it happened, I didn’t see it, but she is sitting bolt upright.

"Is that bad?" I asked, now worried I'd made a mistake.

"I—I don't know," she said, "I've just never heard of him chatting with any of us before.
Ever!
I've been here over two years, and other than confirming appointments, I've had only two conversations with him, both at Christmas parties."

Now I didn't dare tell her how friendly he'd been, certain it would not go over well. "Well it was just a professional welcome aboard," I told her.

Lynda chewed on that for a second and finally shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe it's a new thing Lena is making him do."

"Probably," I said, trying to be convincing.

She stood up. "Okay, heading back to my cave, I just wanted to see if you needed anything. Come grab any one of us if you do."

I smiled and said thanks as she left. I know exactly where she's heading, straight to the other girls so they could all figure out this chat business and what it meant. There was no reason to be mad about it, I'd do the same thing, but I have to hope it doesn't affect how they all treat me. I even had the same question they did—why me?

As if on cue, a yellow button begins blinking on the taskbar that said "JenniferC" on it. When I opened it, it read,
"JP REALLY IM'ED YOU?"

So, Jennifer is not bashful and does not beat around the bush!

I smiled and typed back,
"If Lynda is still there with u, tell her that was impressively fast."

"She says sorry :( club code."

"LOL, I get it,"
I sent.
"Yes he did IM me, but it was not impressive."

"No details?"
she asked.

"None to give, but if it happens again I will tell u as long as it gets me into the club?"
I sent back.

"Oh hell yeah!"
Jennifer typed.
"If u get through that door, I want details. I've been wanting to knock on his zipper for years."

I actually did laugh out loud, with my signature snort.

"Haha we heard u from down here,"
she sent.

Okay, I was still in good with them, maybe even better. I relaxed, realizing my insides had been all twisted up.

There was another yellow box flashing on the taskbar.

JP.

"Ur not planning on staying late on ur first day, are u?"
he asked.

"God no! Don't want to be labeled an overachiever too soon,"
I replied.

"Good girl, lol,"
he sent.

"I have to ask,"
I typed,
"do you ever chat with any of the other girls from the office?"

"Honest answer?"
he asked.

I replied,
"Of course."

There was a pause, and then he sent,
"Almost never. Only for work. Why?"

"I didn't know that,"
I typed.
"I mentioned to Jennifer that you had sent me a welcome."

"LOL, I bet that went over like a fart in church,"
he sent.

I had to cover my mouth to stifle the laugh, not wanting the girls to hear me again.

"Ya think? I had to cover my tracks and tell them it was just a professional welcome."
I tagged that with a winkie.

He replied,
"Sorry about that. It's pretty funny though."

It was my turn to be a little bold and not beat around the bush.
"So, if that's not ur normal thing, y did you IM me?"

There was a longer pause this time.

"Since I know u like the honest answers, there's no point in twisting it,"
he sent.
"When Lena sent your resume I was impressed and intrigued. And when I told u earlier I jumped on the security camera, I failed to mention it was with the intention of seeing you, not just checking in. Once I saw u, I had to get to know u."

Holy shit, that’s flattering!

"I'm flattered,"
I sent, sincerely.

"Good,"
he sent,
"otherwise that could have been a little embarrassing lol."

He had me smiling again, even if he couldn't see it. My new life was starting out so much more interesting than my old one.

I sent,
"Okay, I'll be a little honest myself. I am deeply impressed with what you've done with the company, the girls have already told me that ur very attractive, and ur answers have been a huge success with me."

"I'm totally loving this honesty thing!"
he sent, making me smile even more.
"I'm going to quit while I'm a winner. U should get outta there b4 the other kids on the playground tease u for trying 2 hard."

"Lol. Ok, chat with u 2morrow?"
I asked.

He replied,
"Absolutely!"

THANK GOD, TRISHA WAS
working when I got here. The tables were beginning to fill up, but it was early enough that I didn't have to wait, and Trisha had quickly ushered me to a chair once she saw my face. She knew before I told her, and she was smiling but compassionate at the same time, holding my chair out and touching my shoulder softly.

No one around us noticed or cared about the extra attention. They all look the same, as if they all came straight from work looking for a drink and to blow off some of the day's steam. I suppose I look like that to them. I wasn't the only one that was alone, but I was the only woman, and that seemed to invite some of the guys to look at me, maybe in interest, maybe in pity. Either way, I was not concerned.

"Vodka and Red Bull?" she asked, remembering.

"God yes," I breathed.

The Lumineers’ "Ho Hey" was playing softly above everyone, making my foot tap uncontrollably, even when I was distracted by the bartender racking clean glasses to be ready for the growing dinner crowd. While he worked, he was talking to the manager, the same one from my first night here. It looks like he has the same shirt and tie on.

Trisha had left me to get my drink, and I study the menu. I shouldn't be so hungry after the lunch I had, but I am. I think my excitement and nerves are contributing to that. I want to keep it tame, so I find a chopped, grilled chicken salad that sounds delicious. I closed the menu and waited for Trisha to come back. I see her, in her usual black uniform, on her way from the bar. The manager stops her for a second as well, getting everyone ready. With him watching, I know my conversation with Trisha is going to be broken into short bits.

"So," she started when she reached me, "it was incredible, wasn't it?"

"Oh holy shit, yes!" I squealed, quietly. "I had no idea, I thought I did, but no, I didn't have a fucking clue. He was amazing, but not just with that."

"It’s how he treats you, before and after, like you're made of glass and he could break you, but he thinks you're so beautiful that he never would," she said.

"Exactly!" I barked.

Her eyes darted towards her manager, not intentionally, and she slid her check pad from her apron. I ordered the salad so her manager could see that she was working.

While she was writing my order, I said, "He's just the right mix of gentleman and caveman."

"Yes, yes, yes," she whispered, swinging her pen like a club to put some emphasis in her words.

We both giggled.

"When did you see him?" Trisha asked.

I fixed my hair away from my face. "Friday night."

"And nothing sense, right? Not even a text?" she asked, even though it was more of a statement than a question.

I nodded.

"He sucks for that." She touched my shoulder again. "I'll go put this in. I'll be back in a few."

Four guys at the bar raise their voices just slightly higher than their glasses and toast to something I can't hear from this far away. They downed their drinks and laughed, and the bartender was right there grabbing their empties for refills. Trisha had dipped into the kitchen, I'm guessing to put in my order. When she came out she went directly to the bar where a tray of drinks was waiting for her. I watched in amazement as she picked it up one-handed over her shoulder without spilling a thing.

She brought the tray to a table that was near me, lowering it and passing the drinks around effortlessly. They were a table of four girls and two guys. One of the guys is clearly interested in the girl next to him; they secretly play with each other's hands under the table. The other guy is clearly interested in the four men at the bar.

Trisha and her now empty tray stopped at another table a little further away, and from there she jogged back toward the kitchen. When she emerged again she was holding an even bigger tray full of food. She passed it all out to the smiling faces at the table she had spoken to a few moments ago. Then she came back to me.

"Don't bother calling him, I know you're wondering about that," she said. "And don't worry if he's going to call you. There's no point in getting wrapped up in that. You have to look at it this way, it isn't that he got what he wanted—you got what you wanted. You didn't do anything wrong, and neither did he. Everyone had a great time and it ended on a good note."