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Four new pens: two blue, one black, one red.
A pencil.
Another new notebook.
And now she held the phone with so many contacts, and he must have diverted his calls because it lit up as she neared the square.
‘Kalimera...’Roula said, as she ordered his coffee from the café and took her first call.
‘I’m on my way,’ said a voice.
‘Who is this?’ she asked.
‘Joe.’
‘Thank you, Joe. I’m Roula—’
He’d already rung off.
The doorman wasn’t particularly friendly either, as her name hadn’t been added to his list. ‘I was with Kristina before she was unwell on Friday,’ Roula attempted to explain. ‘I’ll be working for Galen.’
Reluctantly the doorman relented and waved her in.
Then her bag was checked.
Goodness!
By the time she reached Galen’s office Roula had few expectations. Apart from the screens it was all in darkness, and she placed his coffee down quietly.
Reluctantly, Galen noticed.
He caught a feminine scent wading through the stale air of his office and despite himself looked up.
‘Kalimera,’he said.
What a difference a weekend makes in Roula time, Galen thought. For her hair was loosely tied back and its colour displayed, but—and he thanked God for small mercies—her dress was appalling.
‘Kalimera,’Roula said.
And to be polite—it was her first day after all—Galen did not look back to the screen. ‘How are things?’
‘Wonderful. I had lunch with Leo on Saturday, and I went to mass—Oh!’ She realised he was talking about work. ‘Joe is on his way.’
‘Good. I’m going to have a quick shower.’
Galen headed through one of many glass doors and she grabbed a trash bag and, just as she would have done in her old job if she’d found a suite in chaos, started a massive tidy-up.
She was collecting coffee cups, wrappers, when Galen’s voice startled her. ‘The cleaning team does that.’
‘I’m sure,’ Roula said. ‘I was just...’
‘Please don’t.’
‘It’s habit.’
‘Perhaps.’ Galen nodded. ‘But I like things left as they are.’
‘Okay.’
