embarrassment in the back of my throat.
“I need the money. I need the money,” I said under my breath. The thought of working for Victor sounded more like a bad idea the closer I got to the office doors. I couldn’t turn back though.
Bobbie, the human resources manager greeted me at eight o’clock on the dot. I spent the next hour signing employee paperwork. I filled out so many forms my hand cramped. Despite the pain, I couldn’t help but peek out of the side of my eye at every man in a suit that whizzed by Bobbie’s office, thinking it was Victor. But none of them were him . The man made me insane.
I made it to lunch without a Victor sighting. I sat in my car and the thought of his whereabouts enveloped my mind. He at least could’ve stopped by to welcome me on my first day. Maybe he was out of the office. Maybe he didn’t want to intrude. Who was I kidding? Victor always had a way of showing up at any given time.
Maybe he didn’t know I took the job. He had to know; he interviewed me. I shuddered when I imagined how the months to come could look. Starting my car and driving as far away as possible rang heavily in my mind. But I never mustered up the will to turn the ignition.
After lunch, Bobbie said I would be spending the remainder of my day shadowing my department’s supervisor. I didn’t understand why this was necessary; I had basic job duties. The first day always sucked to me. First day of school. First day at the job. First date. It didn’t matter. I hated training – just sit me in front of a computer and I’d figure it out myself.
By the time Bobbie walked me over to my supervisor’s office, my eyes were glazed over. The health benefit forms, 401k pamphlets and lame office etiquette videos had me at wit’s end. Bobbie knocked on the door and a weighty voice responded, “Come in.”
“Tyson, this is the new hire, Natasha Yancey,” she said to him. He swung his chair around to face us. My lips parted and nearly hit the floor. He looked up at me and for a split-second; bewilderment and delight filled his face. He quickly caught his composure.
“Miss Yancey,” he said standing up and straightening his tie. He extended his hand to me. “I’m Tyson Glover.” My hand met his; so smooth and soft yet masculine. “Welcome to Stellar.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. Beads of sweat ran down my spine.
“Tyson’s been with us for three years,” Bobbie said smiling. “I hired him straight out of college and he’s climbed the ladder here very quickly. You’re learning from the best. You’ll be in good hands.”
“Very good hands,” Tyson said. His smile still had the same affect on me – melting me to a bowl of jelly. I tried not to hyperventilate. I didn’t want the office rumor mill to churn with, ‘Did you hear, the new girl got carried out on a stretcher,’ or ‘The new girl must be a pill popper’.
“Well, Miss Yancey, my time here with you is done. I’ll leave you here with Tyson.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Have a seat,” Tyson said returning to his desk. “Wow.” He shook his head – a smirk painted his face. “This is…”
“Interesting,” I said. He didn’t know the half of it. It’s been years since I’ve seen him and a lot has changed. He wasn’t the scrawny, bespectacled, baby faced boy I met. Now he was refined. Confident. And muscular. I wasn’t big on muscles before I met Victor - who had a fine, defined swimmer’s physique. Tyson had the body of an Olympic sprinter. I envisioned him hoisting a barbell loaded with a dozen iron plates on his back and squatting them with simplicity. His dark, mocha skin emblazoned with perspiration. Images of my tongue nibbling each contour of his body flickered in my head. I quickly snapped back to reality.
“I didn’t know you were the new hire. I thought it was going to be a guy. They wrote the wrong name here on this sticky note.” He snatched the yellow sliver of paper and threw it in the trash.
“I need the money. I need the money,” I said under my breath. The thought of working for Victor sounded more like a bad idea the closer I got to the office doors. I couldn’t turn back though.
Bobbie, the human resources manager greeted me at eight o’clock on the dot. I spent the next hour signing employee paperwork. I filled out so many forms my hand cramped. Despite the pain, I couldn’t help but peek out of the side of my eye at every man in a suit that whizzed by Bobbie’s office, thinking it was Victor. But none of them were him . The man made me insane.
I made it to lunch without a Victor sighting. I sat in my car and the thought of his whereabouts enveloped my mind. He at least could’ve stopped by to welcome me on my first day. Maybe he was out of the office. Maybe he didn’t want to intrude. Who was I kidding? Victor always had a way of showing up at any given time.
Maybe he didn’t know I took the job. He had to know; he interviewed me. I shuddered when I imagined how the months to come could look. Starting my car and driving as far away as possible rang heavily in my mind. But I never mustered up the will to turn the ignition.
After lunch, Bobbie said I would be spending the remainder of my day shadowing my department’s supervisor. I didn’t understand why this was necessary; I had basic job duties. The first day always sucked to me. First day of school. First day at the job. First date. It didn’t matter. I hated training – just sit me in front of a computer and I’d figure it out myself.
By the time Bobbie walked me over to my supervisor’s office, my eyes were glazed over. The health benefit forms, 401k pamphlets and lame office etiquette videos had me at wit’s end. Bobbie knocked on the door and a weighty voice responded, “Come in.”
“Tyson, this is the new hire, Natasha Yancey,” she said to him. He swung his chair around to face us. My lips parted and nearly hit the floor. He looked up at me and for a split-second; bewilderment and delight filled his face. He quickly caught his composure.
“Miss Yancey,” he said standing up and straightening his tie. He extended his hand to me. “I’m Tyson Glover.” My hand met his; so smooth and soft yet masculine. “Welcome to Stellar.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said. Beads of sweat ran down my spine.
“Tyson’s been with us for three years,” Bobbie said smiling. “I hired him straight out of college and he’s climbed the ladder here very quickly. You’re learning from the best. You’ll be in good hands.”
“Very good hands,” Tyson said. His smile still had the same affect on me – melting me to a bowl of jelly. I tried not to hyperventilate. I didn’t want the office rumor mill to churn with, ‘Did you hear, the new girl got carried out on a stretcher,’ or ‘The new girl must be a pill popper’.
“Well, Miss Yancey, my time here with you is done. I’ll leave you here with Tyson.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Have a seat,” Tyson said returning to his desk. “Wow.” He shook his head – a smirk painted his face. “This is…”
“Interesting,” I said. He didn’t know the half of it. It’s been years since I’ve seen him and a lot has changed. He wasn’t the scrawny, bespectacled, baby faced boy I met. Now he was refined. Confident. And muscular. I wasn’t big on muscles before I met Victor - who had a fine, defined swimmer’s physique. Tyson had the body of an Olympic sprinter. I envisioned him hoisting a barbell loaded with a dozen iron plates on his back and squatting them with simplicity. His dark, mocha skin emblazoned with perspiration. Images of my tongue nibbling each contour of his body flickered in my head. I quickly snapped back to reality.
“I didn’t know you were the new hire. I thought it was going to be a guy. They wrote the wrong name here on this sticky note.” He snatched the yellow sliver of paper and threw it in the trash.
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