Page 10 of Too Good to Be True

“Something wrong?”

“No. It’s just that you’ll be in the minority around here. Most of us love our coffee.”

“I don’t mind being in the minority.”

She’d already deduced that. If she had to describe him with one word other than HOT, she’d say he was self-possessed. He carried himself with confidence, yet it wasn’t off-putting. He exuded a warmth that made him approachable, yet another difference between him and Fran.

They went into the employee lounge, which, thankfully, was empty this time. “There are bottled waters in the refrigerator and snacks in the cupboard that anyone is welcome to.”

“Nice.”

She turned away as he bent into the fridge to get out a bottled water. So far, she’d tried not to look at him too closely. She’d decided to think of him like the sun. She’d be exposed to him, but she’d take care not to get burned. He was also like the expensive watch she’d recently admired at the jewelry store. She wouldn’t dare try it on, nor would she be foolish enough to pay the exorbitant price they were asking for it. She was much more prudent than that!

“Ahem,” Nick said, interrupting her musings.

She wondered how long she’d been staring off into space. “Sorry. Let’s go back to my office and get started.”

“After you.”

Really? Hot and polite? This was going to be harder than she thought.

As they went down the long hall to her office, she endured her coworkers’ curious stares while avoiding eye contact with them. The only thing she and Nick had accomplished so far was fuel the fantasies of the single women in the office, and a few married ones too! Even Bob in accounting had taken a second glance. Who knew?

Once they were in her office, she closed the door, shutting them in and their inquisitive coworkers out. She always closed the door when she was training, but this time, it felt different. Now she’d be forced to look directly at the sun with no other distractions.

“This is your training binder. We’ll be covering everything in here, and your hands-on training will start next week.”

“Did Fran mention that I’m interested in management?”

“Yes, but every employee has to complete the basic training first.”

“I understand,” he said, opening the binder to the first page.

She slid a company pen across the desk. “Feel free to take notes as we go along.”

He smiled. “I feel like I’m in school.”

She felt herself relax, proof that being near him was like lying in the sun. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

For the next two hours, she explained the various insurance products the company had to offer. Nick proved to be a good student, listening intently, asking questions and scribbling notes in the margin of the binder. Given his rapt attention, one would have thought they were discussing something more exciting than insurance. There was no higher compliment for a teacher than an eager student.

Before she knew it, it was lunchtime. She and Nick had just stood up when her desk phone rang and Fran’s name appeared on the display. She pressed the speaker button so Nick could hear too.

“Hi, Fran,” Stacy answered.

“I have to cancel lunch. There’s an urgent matter I need to take care of.”

“No problem. We can reschedule.”

“I was hoping you and Nick would still go. Lunch is on me. I left the company credit card at the front desk.”

“That’s not necessary. I can pay,” Nick said.

“Nonsense. I’d do the same for any new employee. Have a good lunch.” Then she hung up.

Stacy looked at him, and then they both started speaking at once.