Eleven
“Excuse me, Natalie.” I looked up the next morning and saw Leslie standing at my desk. It’d been an uneventful day since I’d arrived, but as I looked up at Leslie now, I had a feeling that was about to change. She hadn’t said much to me since my arrival. I knew she didn’t like me. It was as if she merely put up with me and she looked annoyed as she stared down at me, holding a piece of paper in her hand. “Did you place this order?” She handed me the paper and I looked down at it. It was a purchase order I’d filled out and filed, exactly the way Court had showed me.
“I did. Drew needed some supplies.”
“We don’t use this vendor. We haven’t in two years.” Her voice was curt and accusatory and she grabbed the paper back from me.
“I’m sorry. I’ll redo it right away.”
“During your interview, I told you this job is fast paced. I don’t have time to look over every little thing you do. As office manager, I expect everyone to do their job.”
“I said I was sorry, Leslie. It won’t happen again.”
“I hope it doesn’t,” she said, turning to leave, but then I heard a deep clearing of the throat and I saw Leslie’s eyes drift behind me. I turned around to see Drew standing there and he didn’t look happy.
“Leslie, a word please,” he said, walking past us and she followed him. Court and Anna Beth were looking at me wide eyed and we were all silent as we strained to hear what Drew was saying to Leslie in the next cubicle over. I couldn’t hear everything, but I heard bits and pieces about not speaking to me the way she did and to cut me some slack since I was new. I could tell she was trying to protest, but he wouldn’t let her and a few moments later, Leslie was walking quickly past my desk, her eyes straight ahead and then Drew returned too, stopping at my desk.
“We need to go to the site,” he said flatly.
“Is everything alright?” I asked and I realized I shouldn’t have said anything. It wasn’t my place to ask personal questions. He wasn’t my friend. He was my boss.
“I just need to go, Natalie.”
“Okay. I’ll get my things. What should I bring?”
“Just a notepad. Meet me up front in five.”
Before I could answer, he was gone and Court and Anna Beth exchanged questionable looks and I just rolled my eyes.
“Stop reading into this,” I hissed at them, but they both smirked. “Whatever,” I said as I grabbed my notepad and walked quickly to the reception area where Drew was waiting for me, looking every bit the dashing businessman in his black trench coat.
Once outside, he hailed a cab. He held the door open for me and I climbed inside. Drew gave the driver our destination and the cab pulled away into the busy New York traffic. I was quiet as we drove and Drew was doing something on his phone, which was luckily keeping him occupied. I began doodling on the notepad, a bunch on nonsensical swirls that eventually covered a third of the page before I realized how juvenile I must look.
“Trying to recreate Starry Night?” Drew asked after ten minutes of silence, and he got closer, peering over my shoulder at the notepad.
“Uh…no,” I said, clicking the top of the pen so the tip retracted. I clipped it to the top of the notepad and stared ahead.
He just nodded and went back to his phone. He seemed thoroughly engrossed in what he was doing and was silent the rest of the ride.
The quiet continued as we climbed out of the cab once it had pulled up to a field. Drew paid the driver and I couldn’t help but notice the hefty tip he included in the fare. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to throw money around like that.
Drew closed the door and I followed him to the middle of the field. He stood, looking around, taking everything in. He looked serious and deep in thought and I could only wonder what he was thinking about.
“Write this down,” he said suddenly and began rattling off architectural terms that I had no idea the meaning of. He spoke quickly and rushed and when he was done he ran his hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. “Did you get all that?” he asked.
“I think so,” I said, looking over my notes. He came over and took the notepad from me and his eyes flittered over my handwriting.
“Good,” he said and then handed it back to me and then he started looking around again.
“I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my boundaries,” I began hesitantly. “Is everything alright? I’ve no clue what I just wrote down, but you seem a little frantic.”
He raised his eyebrow and he looked annoyed.
“I’m not frantic,” he said defensively and then shook his head, sighing. “I’ve just hit a road block I’m trying to find my way around.”
“What kind of road block?”
He didn’t say anything, but he walked over to a stone wall and sat down. I wasn’t sure if I should follow him and I stood in my spot for a moment before walking over to him and sitting down.
“I spoke with Mr. Tashawa today and he’s not happy,” Drew began.
“What’s he unhappy about?”
“I don’t know,” he spat out, but I knew he wasn’t mad at me. He was mad at Mr. Tashawa, but he wasn’t here to be upset with…I was. “He doesn’t like the plans. He doesn’t like the design. I don’t know what he wants, but I’ve gotta figure out a way to give him what he wants. A lot’s riding on this project,” he said, looking around again. “Maybe it’s the location. Maybe this isn’t right,” he said to himself.
“You’ll figure it out,” I said and before I realized what I was doing, my hand rested supportively on his knee, the way his had on mine in my apartment before Ethan came home. Drew looked at my hand for a moment and then he looked up at me. I realized too late, a hand on my boss’s knee was not the appropriate way to provide reassurance and I carefully lifted it away while trying not to be too obvious. “You’re amazing, Drew. You’re amazing at what you do and this time will be no different.”
He just grinned timidly at me.
“You’re easy to talk to, Natalie. I mean it. You’re not jaded like most people in the city. You’re genuine and I like that.”
“Thanks,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear and it was quiet again for a few moments.
I could hear the commuter train rumbling in from New Haven and a dog barking as I thought about my conversation the day before with Court and Anna Beth, taking in a calming breath before I decided to ask him about it.
“I heard about a rumor in the office,” I began and he looked at me curiously.
“What rumor?”
I sighed and I started tapping my foot, a nervous habit I wasn’t even aware of half the time.
“There’s a rumor in the office that it wasn’t my qualifications that got me this job,” I said nervously, hoping he could insinuate the rest. I glanced up briefly at him and noticed his hair blowing back in the wind and his mouth forming into a serious line for a moment before he let out a light laugh.
“I see,” he said, nodding his head. “And I assume Court informed you of this rumor?”
“I’d rather not say,” I said and he nodded again.
“I assure you, it was your credentials that got you the job, but there is some truth to the rumor.”
It was my turn to glance at him with a confused expression.
“It wasn’t just your credentials. I’m grateful I stumbled into your interview. I’m not sure you know this or not, but there were quite a few more lined up after you,” he said, but I didn’t lead on that I was well aware of that fact. “But, after I sat in on your interview, I told Leslie to cancel those and hire you.”
“Why?” I asked quietly, curious to hear his reasoning as compared to Court’s thoughts.
“I consider myself a fairly good judge of character, Natalie. I like to surround myself with people I like and trust, especially when they’re going to be working as closely with me as my assistants. I have to feel a connection with them and when I spoke with you, I felt it immediately.”
“Did you feel a connection with Court and Anna Beth too?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes. Court may be a bit of a goof off, but he knows his stuff and he’s as honest as they come and Anna Beth…well, you couldn’t ask for a more loyal or hard working assistant. With you, it was your refreshing take on life and the new ideas you could bring and I knew you’d be a perfect fit with our team and that’s why I told Leslie to offer the job to you. I don’t normally sit in on interviews. I let Leslie weed out the candidates and then I meet with her recommendations. I’m just glad I happened upon yours.”
“She wouldn’t have recommended me, would she?” I asked nervously and he smiled.
“Probably not,” he said bluntly and it was obvious he immediately noticed the look of hurt that registered on my face. “Leslie is a stickler for formal qualifications and experience and while I am too, I’m more into character and that’s what I liked about you.”
“I’m sorry about the mistake with the purchase order. I really am trying to do a good job,” I said seriously.
“I know you are. It’s obvious and I’m sorry Leslie spoke to you like that today.”
“She was just making sure I was doing my job.”
“No, she wasn’t. She wanted to make sure you knew you’d made a mistake. She won’t be doing that again,” he said and before I could thank him for defending me, he clapped his hands together and stood up. “How about some gelato?”
“Excuse me?” I asked, standing up and walking beside him.
“I feel like some gelato. What about you?”
“I’ve never had gelato,” I said and his eyes practically bugged out of his head.
“You’ve
never
had gelato?” he asked, obviously flabbergasted by my revelation.
“No, I haven’t,” I confirmed and he sighed playfully, grabbing my hand.
“Well, we’re going to take care of that then,” he said, leading me to the curb to hail a cab.
~~~
Drew led me into a small shop in the Little Italy section of New York, the Brooklyn Bridge off in the distance. There were a few customers at tables and a heavy set woman behind the counter when we walked in.
“They have the best gelato in the city here,” he said as we walked up to the counter.
“Mr. Saben! It’s so good to see you!” the woman behind the counter said jovially when she saw him. Her accent was thick and her smile was wide.
“Hi, Maria,” he said with a warm grin. “My friend, Natalie, here just informed me she has never had gelato, so I had to bring her here to get some of yours.”
“You’ve never had gelato?” Maria gasped and I shook my head. “Where did you find this girl?”
“Iowa,” Drew said and then he and Maria both started laughing.
“Well, let’s take care of this little problem right now,” Maria said, reaching for a cup and then began scooping what looked like strawberry ice cream into it.
“Don’t I even get a say in what flavor I want?” I whispered.
“No,” he laughed.
“For you. Fragola. Strawberry.” Maria was reaching her chubby arm over the counter to hand me the cup.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the gelato.
“And for you?” Maria asked, looking over to Drew.
“I’ll take lemon, please.”
Maria busily scooped up Drew’s serving.
“And limone, for you,” she said as she handed him the cup.
She rang up the purchase at the register. I clearly saw the total came to $6.50, but Drew handed Maria a twenty dollar bill and refused change.
“That’s too much, Mr. Saben,” Maria argued.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said and winked at Maria who just giggled.
Once at a small table near a window, Drew was smiling eagerly at me.
“Why the grin? You look like the Chesire Cat,” I laughed.
“Just anxiously awaiting your reaction.”
I nodded and scooped the gelato into my mouth, fully aware that Drew was watching my every move. It was sweet and smooth like a mixture of ice cream and ice and I instantly loved it.
“Well?” he asked.
“Mmm,” I said, turning the spoon over in my mouth and slowly removing it, getting every last bit of it.
“I take it you like it then?” he said, taking a bite of his.
“Uh, yeah,” I said sarcastically, spooning in another mouthful. “It’s delicious.”
“Told you,” he smiled and then held out his spoon. “Try some lemon.” I looked at the spoon hesitantly. “I don’t have any communicable diseases that I’m aware of,” he laughed. “Just try it.”
I took it from him, our fingers brushing as I did so, and spooned the gelato into my mouth. It was sweet and tangy.
“That’s good too. I think I like the strawberry a little better though. Wanna try some?” I asked, holding out a dollop to Drew.
“You’re right. That’s good,” he said, handing the spoon back and then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Maria approaching us. She set a cup on the table with two spoons.
“Such a beautiful couple,” she smiled, looking between Drew and I. “You need to share some of this. Cioccolato al latte. Milk chocolate.”
I felt myself blush at Maria’s assumption and my eyes met Drew’s.