“I like to conserve gas when I can. It’s sort of a thing I do. I just walk to work when I can.”
The more she shivered, the more awful I felt. I closed the umbrella and set it to the side, then shed my coat. “Here, off with the wet coat.” I gestured for her to hand me her soggy outer layer, and she looked confused.
“What? No, I’m just going to get wet again, anyway. I’ll just grab my umbrella and get out of here.” Haley backed away a step, but I thrust the coat out toward her.
“Ms. Spencer, please.” I held my hand out, palm up, and beckoned her right out of her coat. She unbuttoned the gray peacoat and slid out of it. Her clothing was damp at the shoulder and around the collar, but she was otherwise mostly dry. “Thankyou,” I said as she handed her coat to me and took my black trench.
“It’s just going to get soggy too,” she mumbled as she slid her arms into the sleeves which were a few inches too long. She looked adorable in the coat, though it was too large for her. I knew it would keep her warmer.
“Well, I don’t want my coat wet, so I’m just going to have my driver take you home.” With her coat folded over my arm, I bent to retrieve the umbrella. Haley’s expression of gratitude shifted.
“I, uh… It’s okay. I can just walk. I mean, I will just get my umbrella?—”
“And your shoe is broken.” I pointed at her foot where one of her heels dangled mercilessly from the sole of the shoe. She pretended to stand on it at full height. She swiped at the droplets of water on her cheeks that dripped off her hair and sighed heavily.
“And if someone sees you driving me home?” Her gaze flicked toward the front door, the large plate glass revealing Gordon pulling the limo up.
“I’ll tell them the truth, that my employee was foolish enough to insist that she walk home with a broken shoe in the driving, icy rain, after dark, in one of the most dangerous cities in the country.” I nodded at the door as I moved that direction and opened it. “Now, are you coming?”
Haley relented with another sigh and slunk past me, eyeing me as I opened the umbrella. Gordon hurried around the car and opened the door for us. Haley told him her address as she slid in first. I thanked him and handed him my umbrella as I sat down, and he closed us in. Haley, no longer shivering, held out her hand for her wet coat.
“Thank you.” She laid the coat at her feet and angled her body to face me. There was something sweet about her hesitation to take my charity, an independence that struck me. I knewso little about her, yet respected her so very much for her professionalism and talent.
“You’re welcome. I couldn’t very well let you catch pneumonia with such a huge story on your plate. How is it coming, anyway?” It had been two days since Tom assigned the EPA story to her, and we were set to print it tomorrow. Haley had sent an email to Tom, David, and me about the information she had discovered and how it would break the story wide open, even for the government, as far as we could all tell. It was truly a work of genius that she’d uncovered a dirty deal between an Arabian oil tycoon and the head of a major US oil company.
“I think I sent you an email earlier. Did you read it? You seem pretty busy. I don’t think I even saw you eat lunch today.” With her fingers folded in her lap, she resembled a TV news anchor, not a journalist who remains hidden. Her class and elegance, even with soaking-wet hair, was intoxicating. Large almond eyes, full pouty lips—her heart-shaped face was the sort that would be beautiful with any haircut, but she’d had long hair since the moment we hired her.
“You’re right. Very observant of you. I skipped lunch to make sure headlines were approved, and by the time I realized I hadn’t eaten, it was almost quitting time.” I mirrored her posture, angling my body inward until we were almost facing. I was chilly without my coat, but I’d rather be cold than to cause her to suffer by taking my coat back or turning up the heat until she was sweating.
“Do you do that often? Skip meals?” She plucked a particularly clingy strand of her brown hair off her face and curled it around her ear. I saw the small emerald studs in her ears and couldn’t help but be reminded of my late mother, whose favorite gem was the emerald. It made me smile.
“I don’t, actually. Though it does happen more frequently when I don’t have good company with whom to dine. Do youdine alone most nights?” She’d navigated the conversation away from work matters to more personal topics, so instead of guiding her back to business, I joined her. She had no ring on her finger, and no gentleman had visited her at work that I knew of.
Haley’s eyebrows rose as if she were surprised I had asked such a forward question. It wasn’t often a woman intrigued me the way she did.
“I, uh…”
“Come on now. A woman with your journalistic ability can’t answer a question about her relationship status without getting choked up?” I grinned. “No matter, a ride is a ride, and I’m doing you a service by offering you warmth and dryness for your trip home. Maybe you’ll return the favor by having lunch with me sometime—so I don’t have to eat alone, I mean.”
Haley blushed and said, “Of course. We wouldn’t want you to forget that you need to eat.” She looked out the window at a cluster of unlucky people who stood on the street corner waiting for the walk sign. “I really appreciate the ride.”
“It’s nothing. I’m enjoying the company.” As Gordon pulled away from the red light, I asked her, “Forgive me if this is too invasive, but I can’t help but notice how muscular your legs are. Do you run?” She nervously covered her chiseled calf and tittered, so I continued. “Because I play a few sports myself. I’m more of a doer than a viewer—I like the action of participation rather than watching on television.”
“I actually do run. I used to do marathons, but with the success of my career, I only do half-marathons now. They’re easier to train for. What sorts of things do you do?” Her nervous fingers left her calf and folded in her lap once more. It appeared she was relaxing around me. I didn’t blame her for being a little on edge. Not only was I her boss, but she probably felt intimidated by my money and power. A lot of folks did.
“I play a little racquetball. In summer, I play soccer with a civic league, and I am an avid golfer—I know, I know.” I chuckled and held a hand up at her silent protest of raised eyebrows and goofy smirk. “Golf is a sport, but not how most people think. Do you realize how much concentration and skill it takes to hit an inch-and-a-half diameter ball down a fairway four hundred yards without going off course?”
She snickered. “I concede. Golf is a sport of skill, but not stamina.”
“And I never fancied myself as much of a runner. Kudos for being able to run more than a mile.” Soccer challenged me at times, especially early in the season each year. I respected people who could run for hours without quitting. Two forty-minute halves were enough for me.
“Thank you. I really enjoy it.” She glanced out the window as the car came to a stop. “Oh, it looks like this is my building. Should I…?” She started to pull the coat off her shoulders, and I held up my hand to halt her.
“Keep it on. It’s still pouring and it’s cold. I have a garage at home, and I won’t come into contact with another drop. Just bring it back on Monday.”
“Okay, well thank you.” Her blushing smile as Gordon opened the door made me want her to stay, but I said nothing. It was just a ride home—a time when I’d gotten to know a bit more about one of my employees, but from her reactions, perhaps nothing more than that. “I’ll see you Monday,” she said, leaning into the open door as Gordon held an umbrella up for her.
“See you then.” I waved at her and waited for Gordon to walk her to the door of the building. She let herself in, and he returned alone. As he pulled away, I looked through the revolving door of the building. She didn’t look back. She was facing an elevator with closed doors, and soon, we were past the building and she was out of sight.
