Page 13 of Miss Fortune

“You have good intel. I am in fact Daisy.”

“Hi, I’m Eric Conway. I work in technical support.”

“Nice to meet you, Eric.”

“I thought I’d stop by and ensure you had everything you need with your computer, and see if you had any questions about our software.”

“I appreciate it. Doris did a good job of showing me everything, but if I have any questions, I’ll reach out.”

“Great. A few of us are getting drinks tonight after work for the happy hour at the bar next door. Care to join us?”

Why not? I’d meant what I said about people being nice enough in the office, but it was clear I didn’t fit in. Not when I wore colorful dresses which hugged my unapologetic curves, kept my big hair tied with a bow and a flower often tucked in it, and applied less-than-tame makeup. But maybe having drinks with some coworkers would give them a chance to get to know me better and break the ice. “Sure, I’d be happy to join you.”

“Great, see you around six.”

When I walked into the bar after work, I saw a group seated toward the back. “Hello.” I only recognized Eric as I approached.

He immediately got down off his stool and offered it to me, which was gentlemanly. “So glad you made it, Daisy. Let me introduce you to some others from the office.”

The names were a blur, but the smiles were all genuine on the eleven friendly faces.

“Nice to meet you all.”

“Daisy is temping with Mr. Morrison for Doris.”

“How’s it going?” inquired one of the guys.

“Pretty good so far.”

“What can I get you to drink?” Eric asked.

“A glass of white wine would be great.”

An hour later, most everyone was getting ready to leave, including me.

“You want another drink?” Eric inquired.

“No, thank you. I should probably get home.” He was nice and attentive, not to mention cute. I appreciated him going out of his way to invite me to meet some of the others in the office. Perhaps, moving forward, this happy hour would result in some familiar faces and friendly smiles there.

“Will I see you Saturday at the firm volunteer event?”

“What volunteer event?”

“Right. Since you’re new, you wouldn’t have gotten the email a few weeks ago. The firm coordinates volunteer events twice a year. One is typically a walkathon to raise money for a charitable cause—they choose something different every year. The other is a building project. We help in the construction of a house for some folks in need, and it’s an all-day production. The firm provides lunch, and we do things like painting, landscaping, drywall, and whatever else might be needed. Saturday is the building project.”

Sounded amazing. I loved giving back and finding others who felt the same. “I’d love to go. Who should I contact?”

He pulled out his phone. “Let me email the HR manager, Cindy, and have her add you to the list of volunteers. Then, uh, maybe after the event we could do dinner if you’re interested.”

This was unexpected. But why not? Hadn’t I told Kelsey I’d rather meet someone organically than online? “Sure, dinner would be nice. Where is the project?”

“It’s up north in Canyon Country.”

Oh, crap, Betsey was going in for repair tomorrow, so I wasn’t sure how I’d get up there. “Is there a bus or something taking people to the site?”

“Afraid not, but I’d be happy to pick you up and we could ride together?”

I didn’t typically go in a stranger’s car for a first date opting to meet instead. But Eric was someone from the office. And since I wouldn’t have my car, and the drive was a good hour away, why not share the ride and get to know one another a little better in the process? “Are you sure? I live in Studio City. Will it be out of your way?”