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“Lake Michigan,” I said. “Very big and pretty cold.”
“Is it an ocean?”
“No, just a lake, but so big you can’t see the other shore.”
“Cool.”
It was cool. My office was cool. I felt the thrill of being a leader. HR was now my realm. I would transform it into something everyone could take pride in.
“Now, you know where I work,” I told Emily. “You can find me if you need me.”
At that moment, Marcie knocked and stepped into the office. “The President heard you were in the building. He would like a few words.”
I hesitated. I was not dressed for work, and I had Emily with me. Yet, I could hardly turn down the invitation. That could be a disaster.
“You know the way?” Marcie asked.
“One floor up,” I answered.
Doak Prescott was not a handsome man. Bald, pudgy, crooked teeth, he didn’t give off that CEO vibe. I met him briefly when interviewing for my new job, and I knew he was very smart and well-versed in banking law and high finance. While he didn’t look like a titan of finance, he dressed well, from a starched shirt to a gold Rolex. I knew he took his role seriously. He grinned as soon as he spotted Emily. He had pulled open a drawer in a second and plucked out a sucker.
“Hey there, cutie, how about a sucker?”
Emily looked up at me, and I nodded. She fairly ran to the desk and grabbed the sucker.
“What do you say?” I prompted.
“Thank you,” Emily said.
“You’re very welcome,” he said. “I have a drawer full of suckers, so when you’re here with your mother, you just tell my aide you would like to have one.”
“You’ll spoil her,” I said.
“Nonsense. Besides, children need to be spoiled a little. If they never experience what this great country can confer, they won’t work for it. Now, why did you stop by? You don’t start till next week.”
“I apologize,” I said. “I just wanted Emily to know where I work.”
“Good idea. She’s welcome any time. My children are in college, which costs me an arm and both legs. For the money, I get nothing but grief when they come home. They have never been taught the blessings of capitalism, even though they reap its rewards. I miss children your daughter’s age. They have yet to be turned against making money.”
“I’m not against that, sir. If the bank doesn’t make money, I don’t have a job.”
“Call me Doak. Remember that you’re part of our team, a vital part. We rely on good people doing good work.”
“I intend to give you the most competent workforce possible.”
“Good. I’ll hold you to that.”
I chatted with Doak for a few minutes while Emily ate her sucker. I knew she was hurrying, so he would give her a second one. He did. She thanked him. I couldn’t chide her until we were out of his office. As soon as I passed through the door, I spotted…him.
He stood taller than me, dark eyes staring at me. There was no expression on his face, on his very handsome face. Black hair, stylishly cut, expensive gray suit, perfectly knotted red and blue striped tie, he could have been a movie star. He was one of those men who looked great without a smile. I was struck, completely struck by him. I hadn’t had such a response to a man since Wayne smiled at me for the first time. I felt a sudden rush of heat fill my face, and I knew I was staring back. Only his face didn’t flush. He was a marble statue, cold and hard. I imagined that he ran and lifted weights on a daily basis. He was the antithesis of Doak. He carried a tablet as if posing for some magazine ad. I was…stunned. When he walked right at me, I slipped an arm around Emily’s shoulders as if she needed protection. I was the one in need of help, as my knees felt weak. I opened my mouth to say something…anything.
He passed me by.
Without a word, a nod, a smile, a chuckle, a glance.
It was as if I wasn’t there.
I wanted to turn and watch him enter the office, but I felt a sudden embarrassment. I felt like I was a freshman in high school, that ran into the football coach, a man all the girls talked about. I couldn’t turn, I couldn’t move either. Was I hoping he would come back and introduce himself? I didn’t want to confess to that.
