Chapter Eight
Janene
My first week with the interns wasn’t too bad, all things considered. I had assigned Anabelle to a restoration project that was currently wrapped up in red tape. I asked her to file all the necessary permit requests and push through any other paperwork we were missing. When she’d completed that task, I asked her to do some research and create a report about the historical building rules and regulations for the area where the project was taking place. I knew all the rules, I’d done two other restorations on that block alone, but it was a teaching moment that kept her busy and out of my office. RedPrint had been working with interns for about four years and never had an intern spent as much time in my office as Anabelle had in her first week.
Week two, Monday morning, she walked into my office with her laptop, her report having been completed on Friday, she sat down on my sofa and stayed there the entire day. She talked non-stop about who knows what because I stopped paying attention after about fifteen minutes. I needed to find something to occupy her time. I wasn’t going to survive the summer if she continued to do that.
The upside to having her in my office was that it reduced the possibility that I would run into Harlyn when I went into the small conference room to look for Anabelle, but on Tuesday morning after about fifteen minutes of her chatter, I set new boundaries and asked her to work from the conference room like the rest of the interns.
I regretted that decision an hour later. I walked into the conference room to hand over a list of new tasks and came face to face with Harlyn. She was walking out as I was walking in. Our near collision caught her off guard and she stumbled backward on three-inch heels. She reached for my arm to steady herself but missed, her fingers then gliding against the front of my shirt, grasping for territory but again she missed. She reached for my belt and her hand landed on its target. I froze, half committed to helping her, because I could feel more than one fingertip against my stomach, just inside the edge of my pants. The odds of her fingers finding the space between the buttons on my shirt seemed astronomical to me but somehow, she’d managed it. She teetered pulling us closer together. I thought I might erupt right then and there as images from the dream I’d had the week before floated through my head.
My hands were in the air as if I was being held at gun point. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t trust myself to touch her but I didn’t want us to fall over. I looked down at her hand and then back up at her. Her face was flushed. She jerked her hand away making herself stumble backward but she righted herself quickly. Her eyes were large, she was embarrassed and it was probably the cutest thing I’d seen in a long time. I started to make a joke but thought better of it. Instead, I turned toward Anabelle who was now on her feet and handed her the list I’d compiled. I turned and walked out of the conference room.
The rest of the morning flew by in a blur of reflection. I didn’t know what to do with those images. I kept seeing Harlyn in her navy-blue pinstripe vest. A crisp white button down beneath it. The top two buttons undone, showing just a touch of cleavage. When she started to fall my first reaction was to grab her waist and steady her but I took in the skirt that matched her vest, it hugged her so well, I wasn’t sure that grabbing a hold of her was a good idea.
“What are your thoughts on Harlyn?” Madeline said.
Her voice brought me back to the after-lunch meeting that I was supposed to be participating in with her and Armande.
“I think she’s great,” Armande answered. “She knows her stuff, that’s for sure. I almost feel like we’re wasting her talent on my projects. Everything I have is small and straightforward.”
“Have you had a chance to work with her?” Madeline asked me.
“No, I’ve been working with Anabelle.”
“What are your thoughts on her?”
I shifted in my seat to regroup. “She’s green, much like Colby.”
Madeline had already given her assessment of his work. She liked him and was sure he’d get the hang of things before their second week was done.
“She’s eager to learn,” I continued. “And willing to do just about anything you put in front of her. I haven’t heard a complaint yet.”
“Well, if I’m going to put a team together for this new bid, I’d like to bring two of the interns on board. We’ll have to move fast so I think the more hands we have on deck the better.”
Madeline shifted through some papers and then looked up at us again.
“What do you think if I pull Colby and Harlyn to the team? We’ll shift Anabelle over to work with Armande. The two projects he’s got on his plate right now are probably more her speed anyway.”
“I’m good with that,” Armande said.
“Sure,” I agreed. “It’ll be nice to work alone for a little bit,” I joked.
“Oh, you won’t get away that easily,” Madeline added. “I’m gonna need you to be in on this one. It’s a pretty big deal, Janene.”
I racked my brain for an excuse. I wasn’t ready to work so closely on a project with Harlyn. I could say something about having enough to deal with or having the responsibility of filing all the intern paperwork, but I knew how important this project was for us. Madeline was ready to expand our portfolio and getting this bid was going to open a lot of doors for our business.
“I know, but this is your baby,” I offered instead. “I expect that you’ll be in charge and I’ll sit on the sideline just in case you need something.”
Madeline nodded. “Since we’ve settled on the team, we should each let our interns know about their new assignment,” Madeline said.
Armande and I both agreed. This new arrangement would solve several of my problems. I’d have even less reason to interact with Harlyn if she was working directly with Madeline and I wouldn’t have to worry with Anabelle either. I felt bad about that last one. She was a good kid and with time, she’d become a good architect but I was having a hard enough time trying to focus on my job with Harlyn in the same building, I didn’t need to babysit a needy college kid.
“Actually, can we swap?” Armande asked. “I’ll grab Anabelle on my way back to my office. I’ve got a few things I’ll need her to start on right away if you’re taking Harlyn from me and since you’ll be working more closely with her, I’ll let you have the honor of delivering the news of her new assignment.”
I held in the sigh that was sitting on the edge of my lips. “Sure.”
I stood and walked back to my office. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts before I could even consider having a private conversation with the woman who’d had her fingers down my pants just a few hours ago.