Chapter Two
Janene
Madeline stabbed at her salad and it made me think it wasn’t a good time to bring up the internship job opening, but I’d spent the previous two days making excuses and my time had run out. There would be no other chance to talk to her if I didn’t do it right then.
“Hey, Boss,” I said to get her attention.
We’d been working together for ten years, eight of those as equals, both senior partners in the firm, but she was the owner of RedPrint Designs so it seemed fitting for her to keep the title.
“You know how we have that internship position open?” I continued.
“Yeah.” She didn’t look up from her phone.
That was normal. We spent our lunches sitting at the small conference room table, instead of the breakroom with everyone else, our laptops or phones in front of us so we could work while we ate. It was a tradition we’d started back when it was just the two of us. The company had grown since then but we continued to enjoy our quiet lunches, with the exception of a short period of time the previous year when Madeline first started dating her partner, Julia.
When they were first dating, Madeline would take her lunch in her office so she could have a FaceTime lunch date. That ritual didn’t last long, not because they weren’t still madly in love with each other, those two couldn’t keep their hands off each other if they were in the same room, but because as a doctor, Julia didn’t always have time for those kinds of dates. The two of them were so head over heels in love it was sickening to watch sometimes. But I couldn’t hold it against them. I remembered what it was like to fall in love. To feel like you didn’t want anyone except that one person around. Like you couldn’t get enough of them.
It had been more than twenty-six years since I’d felt that kind of emotion toward another person. Not that I didn’t get the occasional itch that needed to be scratched, but love, that was different. It wasn’t for me. I’d had my shot at it and I had enjoyed it. I just couldn’t see myself doing it again.
“I was wondering if I could ask a favor,” I said to Madeline. She didn’t say anything. I let the silence linger for a moment and then continued. “You know my friend Renee?”
“Yeah.”
“She has a daughter, Harlyn, do you remember her?”
“The name sounds familiar.” Madeline picked up a grape tomato and popped it in her mouth.
“She interviewed you for her high school college and career class. She was interested in becoming an architect.”
“Oh, yeah, like two or three years ago.”
“That was almost seven years ago,” I laughed. “She just finished her Master’s at UT Austin.”
“Has it really been that long?” She looked at me for a brief moment and then returned to the specs she was reading on her phone.
“I hate to tell you, but the older you get the faster it goes. One day next week you’ll wake up and be my age.”
“Oh, I don’t ever plan to get that old.” There wasn’t a single hint of humor in her voice though I knew she was ribbing me.
“I’ll remind you when forty-six comes calling. It will get here sooner than you can imagine.”
“Maybe, but you will still always be older than me.”
I waited for further ribbing as was Madeline’s way whenever our ten-year age difference came up but she’d turned her attention to whatever was now on her phone. It looked like a text message which I assumed was from Julia because she’d gone quiet.
“Anyway,” I said trying to bring the conversation back. “Harlyn’s coming back to town for the summer. Renee wanted to see if you might still have room for another potential candidate.”
“She’s just now starting her AXP hours?” Her tone was a little defensive which was out of character for Madeline.
“God no, can you imagine starting the licensing program after you’ve earned your degree?”
I laughed but Madeline was still studying her phone. I wasn’t sure what was on her mind but something felt off. She was never one to miss an opportunity to make a joke or have a laugh. She took her job seriously, it was her company after all, but she was never this tense. I wanted to ask her what was going on but my years working with her taught me not to ask questions. Her brow was furrowed which meant she was intrigued by whatever was on her phone. Madeline liked to mull over a problem for a few days and then when she was ready, she’d come to me and we’d sit down and figure it out. I just needed to give her some space so I pushed on with my own agenda.
“Harlyn’s actually almost done. I think she only has like two hundred or so hours left. I don’t know all the details but Renee said Harlyn’s been working with a firm in Austin since the end of her undergrad years. Something’s come up though, so she’s returning to Denver after graduation instead of staying on with them. She’s hoping to finish up her hours out here this summer.”
Madeline set down her phone and focused her full attention on me. “What happened? If she’s worked with them that long, you would think they’d be ready to offer her a job.”
“I don’t know. From what Renee has shared it’s a personal matter. Renee is pretty protective of her, you know how that goes, she’s the baby of the family, so she’s not going to share those details. Whatever it is though, it’s an opportunity for Renee to get her home.”
“So, your friend, Renee, wants us to hire her daughter so she can bring her home? You know I don’t like getting involved in family drama.” Madeline picked her phone back up and started to scroll through her emails.
“No, it’s not like that at all. At least not on my part. Renee asked if we had filled the position and I told her we were still interviewing. She just asked if you would give Harlyn an interview, nothing guaranteed. I promise.”
Madeline’s phone pinged with another text. This one put a smile on her face. She sent back a quick reply and then returned her attention to her salad.
“Okay,” Madeline said. “Under one condition.”
There was that tone. The one that told me exactly where this was going and I wasn’t sure that doing Renee a favor was going to be worth this trouble.
“Not again,” I sighed.
“She’s really pretty. I’ve actually met this one before.”
“Will you please tell Julia that I am sure all of the lesbians she knows are wonderful people, but I am not looking to date anyone.”
“Just go on this one date. For me. For Renee. No, for Harlyn.”
“I don’t see the point. I’m just going to tell her that I’m not interested the very next day. Then she’s going to be all broken hearted because during the course of our date and the events that will take place after the date, she will fall madly in love with me.”
“You’re quite sure of yourself.”
“It happens every time.”
“Come on, just this once. If you want Julia to back off, you have to show her this “take no prisoners,” side of you. Trust me, if one of her friends comes to her with the same story you just gave me, she will never try to set you up on a date again.”
“Why is this so important to her?”
“She just wants you to be happy.”
This was the thing I hated most about people who were in relationships. Most especially new relationships. In all of their bliss, they always became overly romantic. They wanted you to feel what they were feeling. No thanks, was all I could say to that.
“I’m happy. Who says I have to be tied to a relationship to be happy?”
“You can’t keep this up. You’ve made your way through every woman that works in this office and this building.”
“Not every woman, there are still a few I have yet to get my hands on,” I smirked. “Look, I appreciate the concern but I’m just not cut out for what you and Julia have.”
“You once were.”
“Maybe, but even then, I was just a kid. I didn’t really know what I wanted. This is me. Nonmonogamy as the kids say these days.”
Madeline rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She started to collect her things. “Put Harlyn’s info on my desk. I have two interviews today and one tomorrow. She’ll have to come in before the week is out because I need to make a decision but I make no promises.”
“Thanks boss.” I nodded and Madeline walked away.