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“You know I got here earlier by chance, but I don’t need your help. I mean it would make things easier for me, but I could figure this out you know.”
Jessica took a step back and looked at him confused. “Can you tell me what I’ve done to ruffle your feathers?”
“Ruffle my feathers? I think I want to dissuade you from thinking you’ll do anything special or helpful because I’m new to this post or that I need to treat you with kid gloves. I’m leading this trip and I let you come with me.”
Jessica looked at him and then nodded.
“You know, you’re right. You’re letting me come here with you. I’m sure you would have figured this all out by yourself. Foolish me trying to help.”
“I’m sure that you are a very competent admin. I just find working with women can be problematic.”
“Are you that vain?” Jessica asked.
“I’m not vain but experienced,” Brian said.
“Just because you’re attractive, doesn’t mean that some women can’t control themselves. Pardon me for saying it but maybe you need to get over yourself.” Jessica moved on looking at some other packets of meat.
“I'm not being vain in this situation. I just think it's better to head off the problem before it gets here.”
“The problem as you perceive it, you mean?” Jessica gave him a look and then shook her head mumbling ‘not even worth it’. “Well, thank you for being so open minded and recognizing that every woman is unique, and they may respond to you differently.”
Her statement brought Brian up short. He had been raised in a family that traveled often. With his father serving in the military, they've been in and out of the United States for most of his life. Every time they went to a new place, he had to start all over again and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. It was that ability to not prejudge that helped him to make friends as he traveled. However, with just a few words, Jessica made him remember that maybe he had forgotten those lessons.
“I can’t believe this,” he mumbled, following behind Jessica. Regardless of his past experience, Jessica was right. Okay, so she was right about this one thing. It didn't mean she was going to be right about everything else. He knew how to talk to people, and he didn't need a chaperone to walk around with him in the town.
“Listen, it looks like you're trying to put something together that might be dinner, right?”
“Yes, that is the normal thing that people do when they go to a supermarket. They try to buy food for dinner that night.”
Brian wasn’t used to people not trying to fully engage with him. She kept right on looking at packets as if he wasn’t there. Not that he needed her to look at him. He wasn’t the vain type. He took a step and had to halve it. She wasn’t moving that fast and she was smaller than him. He could hear his mom in his head telling him that he had to protect those who were smaller than him.
“If it’s any consolation, the food here is organic and the quickest meal is steak. As long as everyone is good with well done, it’s a no brainer.”
He saw Jessica stop and turn toward him. “Thank you for the suggestion. I wanted to make sure that Beth ate. She may look all model and demure like, but she can be a real monster if she doesn’t get any food.”
“That slim gal you walked in with?” Brian said with a smile.
“Don’t be fooled. On an island you might not make it off. Don’t fall victim to the smile.”
Brian wondered what the story was between the model and Jessica. “So, if we are going to be here, I have to ask the question. Why did you come? You could have stayed and let me fall on my tuchus, like you think I’m going to.”
“Letting you fail isn’t an option. No matter what I think about the company, a lot of people are depending on us to bring back all the numbers. Those numbers are jobs, and I wouldn’t want to prove a point at the expense of innocent people.”
When was the last time he had heard anyone, man or woman, think of others before their own wants?
“Well, there are people here who appreciate you. It seems as though Mr. Middleton spoke highly of you, and he was thought of highly here, as well.”
“Mr. Middleton was a different kind of person. He knew how to play the corporate game, but he seemed like he was always looking for the time to jump off of the wheel. When it came he jumped off. I wasn’t thrilled with his timing, but it was what it was.”
Brian wished he had really taken some time to talk to her instead of jumping to conclusions. It’s true the whole karaoke thing was probably not her best moment, he, too, had heard the rumors of how she had been passed over again.
“I’ve heard that some of the guys get together in the park where they all used to meet. The members will be there, and I figured I’d go by and see if I could catch them.”
Jessica looked surprised. “Really? I never knew. I knew about them meeting up at each other’s place every so often, but I didn’t know they met outside.”
Brian had to put his hands in his pockets and nod to stop himself from inviting her to go with him.
“I don’t know, maybe them being outside is some man ritual. I wouldn’t want to intrude,” she said cautiously.
