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“Um… let’s see.” Danielle leafed through a few more pieces of paper until at last, she gasped. “Oh dear. Oh my, this is so sad. Poor thing…”
“What?”
Danielle stifled an audible swallow. After clearing her throat, she continued, “Well, it seems her entire family, her parents and two brothers were killed in a boating accident when she was young.”
“Jesus.” I replied. Well that certainly explained the depression. I mean, losing your entire family at such a young age. It’s understandable. “So she survived somehow?”
“Um, it doesn’t mention anything about what did or didn’t happen to her.”
We both fell silent for several seconds. I’m sure Danielle thought of her own family in the moment and as for me, well, I had a new understanding of my bright young lab hire, Fiona Matthews.
FIONA
Since I’d been caught in the midst of staring Gabe up and down as if we were little more than a piece of meat in the conference room the other day, I’d buried myself in my work, keeping to myself as much as possible. Even so, the women who’d caught me ogling him, a couple of my co-workers in the lab, Amanda and Melissa, prodded me about him and what, if anything, was happening between us.
I can’t explain it but something about the two of them made me uneasy. Anyway, despite my misgivings, I made the decision to reserve judgment about them, for the time being.
I put their annoying inquiries off until doing so any longer would make them unduly suspicious, so when they asked me to have lunch with them a couple of days later, I really had no alternative. I just hoped I could keep them from asking too many questions because I had no idea if I could trust them, or anyone else, for that matter.
Noonday sun streamed in from the skylights overhead, warming my shoulders and upper back as we sat in the company cafeteria. Regrettably, one of the many perks afforded us at Hawkins Biotech was free food. And much to my dismay, all of it was delicious. Worst of all, hand-made chocolate candy and more than a dozen flavors of fresh churned ice cream tormented me on a daily basis.
So far, I’d managed to keep the temptations at bay.
Anyway, I sat hunched over a bowl of chicken noodle soup as the women talked. I swallowed down the salty strands as what was supposed to be a discussion about the Link Protocol devolved instead into a gossip fest between Amanda and Melissa about my new boss. In the background, chatter from two dozen other tables drowned out our conversation. Even so, I left my planner open on the table in case someone happened by and wondered what we were discussing.
“What would your husbands say if they caught you talking like this?” I asked during a brief pause in the conversation.
They scoffed in unison.
“If he knew what was good for him… nothing!” Melissa exclaimed. “Pssht, all the things I do for that man. He’s lucky I don’t run and tackle Gabe in a hallway.”
Amanda giggled. “You’re terrible.”
Melissa wrinkled her nose as a mischievous smile flashed to her lips. “I know.”
Shaking my head at their antics, I spooned another mouthful of soup as the women bantered with each other.
“What did you mean earlier, Amanda? Make waves?” I asked, in reference to something she’d said about Gabe.
As I spoke, Amanda took another pull of her iced tea through a straw. After swallowing, she licked her lips and leaned in towards me, propping her elbows up on the table.
“Well, it’s not exactly a secret, Fiona. Everyone knows.”
I arched an eyebrow. The muscles in my upper back and neck tensed. “What isn’t?”
Amanda made a slow turn of her head and to make certain no one eavesdropped.
“You’re good.” Melissa said in low voice, encouraging her. “No one's listening. Go ahead.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say the fox is in the hen house when it comes to Gabe and the single women around here, but it’s close...”
“I would.” Melissa snorted, interrupting her.
Amanda pressed her index finger to her lips as she hushed her. “Shhh, quiet.”
Melissa nodded and made a zipper motion across her lips.
As she finished, Amanda turned her attention back towards me. “And since all of us girls in the lab are married, we only hear things.”
I let go of my spoon and as I did it clinked against the inside of the bowl. “Things? Like what?”
Over the next several minutes, my jaw drifted open in disbelief as the two of them relayed the tales of Gabe’s conquests. The rumor was he was an incredible lover. And, for those women who didn't demand anything beyond that from him, perks aplenty followed his seduction.
I wasn’t sure whether I should feel intrigued or disgusted. I sensed both emotions at various times as they spoke. Office politics, gossip about romance and the boss’ sexual prowess were all new territory for me. Frankly, they seemed to be… infatuated with him.
As they finished, Melissa directed a comment at me.
“We both saw the way you looked at him in the conference room the other day. What was that all about?”
Still processing the meaning behind their story, I hesitated for a moment before I answered.
“What? What do you mean?”
“Come on, Fiona.” Amanda added. “If there’s something going on, you can tell us.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I hadn’t given them any reason to be suspicious. And besides, it’s not like he expressed any interest of the kind in me. What had happened so far amounted mostly to him teasing me and being annoyingly charming at the same time. It was hardly the start of a romance. Anyway, I didn’t want to even entertain the notion with them, and so I dismissed it.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not be involved in office innuendo about him. I need this job.”
The women traded devious glances.
“It’s not gossip if it’s true, Fiona. And anyway, you can trust us,” Melissa chided after a few moments of silence.
“Yeah,” Amanda began. “You mean to tell me you don’t think Gabe is just… mmm.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from them. These were grown women, married no less! This was a professional lab in a company performing some of the most groundbreaking work anywhere in biotechnology. But right now, it felt as if I was in the midst of a group of silly high school girls crushing on the captain of the football team.
And Gabe… After he’d changed my opinion of him with his eloquent, articulate manner in the conference room the other day, I felt confused. By the looks of things, he did next to nothing to discourage this type of chatter, if it was false. If it was true, well, then that was a whole other thing.
But in any case, I had far too much at risk to get involved in any of this. Whatever it took, I’d have to distance myself from his advances, if they came. But I worried. What if he wasn’t just teasing me for his own amusement? What would I do if he really did try something? What would it mean to reject him?
Especially after what they’d said about ‘not making waves’.
I wasn’t sure how I felt. Technically, he hadn’t done anything wrong. And yes, he was charming. And funny. And flattering. But he was also annoying.
Even so, behavior like this would merit sexual harassment complaints in most circumstances. Was he so irresistible these women would put aside their common sense and good judgment for a silly fling with the boss, a chance at it or just a smattering of his attention?
By the way Amanda and Melissa talked, the answer was an unequivocal ‘yes’. They made no mention of harassment or abuse of any kind. In fact, it was the complete opposite. They almost seemed disappointed he hadn't tried anything with them!
I sighed. Without responding, I gathered up my things.
“I have to get back to work.”
With reluctance and a bit of grumbling, they obliged.
Later that same afternoon, I was back at the lab. I happened to be going over some perplexing results when, during a moment of deep thought, I glanced up towards the entrance. As I did, I noticed Gabe enter the room. I looked at him for a fraction of a second before looking back down at my paperwork. It was the first time I’d seen him since he winked at me in the conference room.
I listened as he began to walk around and chat with my coworkers. In addition to rumors about his dalliances, I’d heard other things about him. One of those being that he made a regular habit of doing walkabouts to motivate and encourage his employees.
Which of the two was this visit?
I swallowed hard, hoping he’d ignore me. Afterward, I reached for my pen, determined to not let myself get distracted by his presence. But my resolve didn’t last long. Right away, I fretted my way through a number of scenarios in my mind. All of them ended with me being humiliated as the lone object of his attention.
Usually, solutions to problems came quickly to me, and without fail they were accurate. When it came to him though, my thoughts randomized and failed to follow logic. Just as often, I found myself less sure of my response than when I started.
It was unusual, to be sure. I grimaced at my inability to control it.
The sound of him chatting with my coworkers broke the relative silence of the lab. Hearing the tone of his voice focused my plan of action and sharpened my focus. If he happened to come over to me, I’d have to be ready.
