Hidden Love by MINK

4

Georgia

Ibet everyone here will like sprinkles. Especially Kristen from Accounting. She keeps sneaking off to the break room to get snacks. That baby in her belly is going to be the cutest, chubbiest little thing ever. I just know it. I’ll need to stop by the store on my way home to grab more sugar. My second attempt at baking cookies for Mrs. Wilson failed, and I’m out of ingredients to make new ones. For her, I think I should go a different route. I hope brownies are more her speed.

Jim pushes his mail cart past my desk. “We leave in five.”

I hold my hand up, and he gives me a high five as he passes my desk. I look around to make sure no one is watching as I tab out on my computer and click my nanny cam that I set up. Mr. Grumpy Pants sits on top of his cathouse with the sun shining down on him as he snoozes away. I jump, tabbing back out when my phone rings.

“It’s a beautiful day at Baxter International. This is Georgia. How can I help you?” I’ve been trying out different ways to answer the phone. Mr. Baxter has a detailed list of things for me to do, but he didn't say how I should answer the phone. Only that I have to answer it, and if I step away from my desk, to forward it to the seventeenth floor receptionist. So I’m taking the liberty to answer it how I feel is best.

“His food is here,” Janet from the first floor reception desk says. “I’m sending it up so we can head out. Nancy swapped lunch hours with me so I can come.”

“Awesome sauce. Down in a sec. Bye.” I hang up. Everyone here has been so nice. I’ve already made a handful of friends. Mr. Baxter is the only one who is extra prickly. I’m hoping he just has a case of the Mondays and that eventually he’ll lighten up a bit.

I did notice that not a lot of people around here are fans of his. They often refer to Mr. Baxter as him. I won’t even get into the other words they call him. I’d hate for everyone to dislike me at my office. I’m kind of hoping that maybe at lunch I can talk him up a little so some of the staff will like him more, but the man is giving me nothing to work with here. He’s short and to the point. He doesn’t even give me time to respond before he’s dismissing me. That’s okay, though. I’ve got a pocketful of sunshine that I’m going to share with him.

I stand as the man with the food comes down the hallway toward me. He looks a few years older than me with blond hair and blue eyes. He actually looks a lot like Mike.

“Hi!” I chirp, meeting him halfway. “I'm Georgia.” I smile at him and hold out my hand to shake his. I notice that Mr. Baxter always gets food from the same place, so it makes sense to know the delivery person if I’m going to see him every day. All Mr. Baxter’s lunches are preordered and delivered at the same time unless he has a business lunch, in which case I’m supposed to cancel them. That’s what the detailed instructions say anyway. I’ve read them three times to make sure that I don’t miss a thing. I mean, the section on lunch was almost a page long. I know people like to plan things, but Mr. Baxter is a little over the top.

“I’m Sam.” He smiles back at me and shakes my hand. He doesn’t let the hand he’s shaking go as he hands me the bag. “He got himself a new one?” Sam’s eyes flick over me.

“New what?” I look around.

“Assistant. I give you--” His eyes roam over me again. “You always this happy?”

“I’m normal.” At least, I think I’m normal.

“Until the end of the week.” Sam laughs. “Call me if you want to hang out,” he adds as he turns to leave. Hang out? I don’t have his number. Oh, well I guess I do have the number of the place where he works.

“We’re going to lunch in a few minutes. You can join us if you like.”

He stops, turning back to look at me.

“I really wish I could but I have work.” He winks at me before turning to leave again.

I head for the break room to plate Mr. Baxter’s lunch. On the way, I steal a flower out of one of the arrangements in the office and place it on the tray to make it pretty before taking it into his office. I stop at the open door, then remember that I have to knock, but my hands are full.

I stand in a bit of a panic at the doorway for a moment. Maybe I should set the tray down on my desk, knock, then run back and grab it. I look to my desk, thinking that it’s probably the best plan of action. I also know that I’m not the most sturdy on my feet, but it’s only a few steps. I convince myself that it’s my best option.

“Come in before my food gets cold,” Mr. Baxter says from inside his office. He’s as chipper as always. I smile as I walk in, hoping it might rub off on him. I’d even take a smirk from his angular face at this point.

“I was going to knock.”

“Now you want to knock?” His tone is mocking.

“Knock knock.” I smile bigger at him, trying to lighten his mood. He doesn’t look the least bit amused.

“Don’t bother with the sunny disposition,” he half growls at me. My smile falters for a moment, but I quickly recover. He’ll have to do a lot more than this to break my spirit.

“Is there anything else I can get you before I head to lunch?” I ask as I place the tray on his desk.

“You’re leaving?” He looks up at me for the first time since I entered his office. I almost think he was trying to avoid looking at me.

“My lunch is at noon according to my schedule.” I’m almost positive that I read that part right. I triple checked.

“Most eat at their desk.” His eyes flick to his tray. I have no idea how the other employees do lunch around here. This is my first day, and Kristen asked me to go to lunch with her. Since I’m new, I thought it’d be a great way to fit in. There was nothing in Mr. Baxter’s detailed manual about having to eat lunch at my desk. Maybe he’s not as thorough as he thinks.

“I’m going to lunch with Janet, Kristen, and Jim.” I’m not sure where we’re going, but I’m guessing they’d know the good places around here. “Sam the delivery guy can’t make it. Guess he has more deliveries to make.”

“Who?” He grabs his tray, sliding it in front of him. It’s a steak with a side of vegetables. He didn't even get himself a dessert. I’ll have to add him to my cookie list. He definitely needs some sugar in his life.

“Janet from the reception desk, Kristen from Accounting, and Jim from the mailroom.” How does he not know who I’m talking about? “I’m kind of hoping Kristen is going to let me help her with her baby shower. She was talking about all these ideas, and then I started thinking of my own. I make the best cake pops and I--”

“Stop.” He cuts me off. “We eat at our desk. Not with Jim who works in the mailroom.”

My shoulders drop at the same time my smile does.

“I can’t go?” I swallow. I was making friends here. I was never great at that in college or high school. I wasn’t in with the cool crowd or any of the cliques, but here everyone seems to like me. I was finally feeling as though I was fitting in.

He doesn't answer me as he looks down at his food. I turn to leave. I guess I can eat at my desk and watch Mr. Grumpy Pants on my computer.

“Go to your lunch,” he grits out.

I jerk around to face him.

“Really?” I smile so big it almost hurts.

“Yes.”

I turn and bolt from the room, then grab my purse before he can change his mind. I’m in such a hurry that I don’t realize I forgot to forward my phone calls.

Oops.