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“No I don’t.”
“Mom.”
“Okay. Maybe I do that a bit, but it’s not that bad, is it?”
“Not to me. But it might be a bit much for your sophisticated work colleagues.”
“They’ll just have to tough it out. I’m too old to learn to talk a new way. You know what they say about old dogs.”
“Maybe you can tone it down around Steven Gherring. Did you say he’ll be in the office tomorrow?”
“Yes, but I don’t seem to be very good at holding my tongue around that man. Something about him just makes me lose my temper.” Anne felt somewhat guilty she hadn’t told her daughters about meeting Mr. Gherring on Friday. But the whole experience had been so awkward she didn’t want to explain it. Besides, he’d be so much easier to deal with once she found him a perfect match. “But I think he’s grouchy because he’s lonely.”
“Why would you think that?”
“I’ve been doing some internet research and asking questions at work. Steven Gherring is extremely driven. He works long hours and travels a lot. He’s been photographed with a variety of beautiful women who accompanied him to social events. But the gossip columns only have short-lived rumors about romances.”
“Gossip columns are just gossip. They don’t know everything.”
“Yes, but he never seems to be seen with any woman more than once, except for his grandmother. And he’s totally devoted to her. She’s an extraordinary woman, ninety-five years old. She’s done interviews and talk shows and has said she refuses to die until she sees her grandson happily married.”
Emily laughed. “She sounds great. Does she live in the city too?”
“That’s the sad part. She lives in a small town about four hours from here. She’s his only family, as far as I can tell, and Katie says he only gets to see her about once a month.”
“He’s never been married?”
“No, but I think he was engaged once, about five years ago. There was talk of a wedding and speculation about where it would take place. But I couldn’t find any information about the breakup. Maybe she died. I don’t know. He manages to keep his life pretty private. I found out most of my info from the grandmother’s interviews.”
“Maybe you can be a little more understanding since you know all this stuff. It’ll stop you from yelling at him like you did during the interview. I’d like for you to keep this job for at least three weeks so I can come to visit.”
“Yay—three weeks until you come! Really just two and a half weeks, now—I can hardly wait. And Charlie’s coming too?”
“Yep, she’s flying in from Denver, but we’re on the same flight from Dallas to New York.”
“Awesome. I have three weeks to find two nice, good-looking, guys for you.”
“And don’t forget, we want them to be rich and have ripped abs. Mine needs to be a reader, and Charlie wants an adventurer.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Anne arrived early to work, anticipating her first day actually working with Steven Gherring. She wore her nicest wool skirt and blouse, silently thanking Emily for lending her some clothes that fit and were appropriate for a business office. She traveled to wo
rk in her bright blue running shoes, which looked absolutely ridiculous. But she’d seen plenty of New York women making the commute wearing sensible shoes instead of heels.
Once she arrived at the office, she stashed away the running shoes and pulled on the uncomfortable three-inch high pumps that put her eye-to-eye with most of the men in the office. She checked her hair in the ladies’ room, distressed to find the humidity had re-curled the locks she had worked so hard to straighten that morning. Resigned, Anne pulled her hair back into a pearl clip.
She swiped on some mascara, dabbed concealer under her eyes and smoothed some tinted balm on her lips—her only concessions to wearing makeup. She’d always felt inept at applying makeup, thinking any more than these three staples made her look like a clown. She assessed her face. No wrinkles yet, although there were some crinkles that appeared around her eyes when she smiled. But she’d rather have those than frown lines. Her eyes were like large brown saucers. You couldn’t even see the pupils. She got compliments on them, but she’d rather have had blue or gold or green. Brown was boring. Well, not on other people, but it was on her. Boring or not, time to go upstairs.
She checked the time on her cell phone—still thirty minutes early—and squeezed onto the almost full elevator. Why was it crowded at seven-thirty a.m.? Perhaps everyone was arriving early since Mr. Gherring was back in town. Gradually, the elevator emptied until she was the only one left. Her arms were full—balancing her purse, her shoes, and her newly purchased laptop bag—when the doors opened on the top floor to reveal an office already bustling with activity.
Panicking with the knowledge she must somehow be late, Anne rushed off the elevator. But in the doorway, the three-inch spike of her heel caught in the crack. She flew forward, launching the contents of her hands into the air. As she tumbled to the floor, she managed to catch her laptop bag but missed the purse, which flipped upside down and spilled its contents. Almost in slow motion, she watched one of her lightweight running shoes soar through the air to strike a co-worker squarely on the back. Not just any co-worker. Who else, but Steven Gherring?
He flinched slightly and spoke without turning around. “I assume, Ms. Best, you’ve arrived, and the intent to cause physical harm is once again confirmed.”
“I’ve got great aim.” She scrambled to a sitting position, all too aware of the curious stares of the ambling crowd.
Why am I the clumsiest human on the planet?
