"Of
course, Mr Jensen."
"Evan,
please. Mr Jensen's my dad. It's a beautiful name, by the way, Iris.
You don't hear it much these days."
"It
was my grandmother's."
"How
nice."
We
exchange a few more pleasantries, then he escorts me over to my desk.
My very own desk! Lame, I know, but suddenly I feel very important.
Evan pulls my chair out and motions for me to sit.
"Madame,
" he says, giving me a wink. I'm pretty sure he's married, going
by the family photos on his desk, but he's still quite the flirt. He
crouches down by my chair as he shows me how to log in to the system,
and his hand rests on the arm of the chair, dangerously close to my
thigh. I can smell his aftershave, subtle but masculine, and despite
myself I feel a rush of desire. For an older man, he's undeniably
sexy. He's still talking, outlining the checklist of tasks that will
fill my days. Do all interns get their initial training from the big
boss, I wondered?
"Of
course, once you've settled in a bit, we'll be looking to involve you
in some more interesting projects. Provided you show promise,
which...I'm sure you will."
I
swear he stole a glance at my cleavage as he said it. But no, surely
not. He's just being friendly, I told myself. I tugged my blouse up a
little just in case; maybe I should have worn something with a higher
neckline.
Evan
straightens up and checks his watch.
"I'm
afraid I have to abandon you already, Iris, the head of the US branch
is in from New York and I have to take him for a breakfast meeting.
Although I'd rather chat with you, to be honest, all the man ever
talks about is bloody baseball. Now where on earth is George...he's
going to be your mentor while you're with us. Ah, right on time,
morning George."
I
look up with a sinking feeling, already knowing what awaits me. Yes,
of course, Mr Green Eyes is striding across the office towards us,
and I find myself trapped between two absolute sex gods, hoping I can
will my lips to spit out something halfway intelligent. I
stand up awkwardly and extend my hand.
"I'm
Iris. Nice to meet you."
"George.
Welcome to the madhouse." It's phrased like a joke, but his
voice shows not a trace of humour. His hands are cool and
soft.
"Well
then, I'll leave you in George's capable hands," Evan says
cheerfully. "It really was ever so nice to meet you, Iris. I'm
sure you have a very bright future at this company." I find
myself blushing again as I mumble a goodbye. My guess was correct; as
Evan strides down the corridor, the rear view is every bit as tasty
as the front. And now I'm alone, with Mr Green Eyes himself. He
doesn't look too happy to be stuck with me.
"I'm
afraid I'm very busy this morning, Iris, so the tour is going to have
to wait. You're a bright girl, I'm sure you can locate the tea making
facilities without me holding your hand."
"I'm
sure I'll manage," I say, flashing him my best smile in the
hopes of softening him up a bit. Not a flicker in return.
"Let's
hope so. How fast do you type?"
"Um,
about 70 words a minute..."
"That
will do." He plops a sheaf of hand written notes on the desk in
front of me. "If you could get these finished and emailed to me
by 3pm, that would be a huge help."
I
give a little mock salute. "No problem, sir!"
Still
no smile. Good grief. With a small sigh, I open up the word processor
and get to work.
Things
improve as the morning goes on. A few of my new co-workers pop by my
desk to introduce themselves, and one of the PA’s brings round
some home made cookies. They seem like a friendly bunch. A few times,
as my fingers clatter over the keys, I get the sensation that
somebody's watching me. But when I look up, everyone is engrossed in
their own tasks. I glance over at George, but he is talking
energetically into his blue-tooth headset, gesturing to nobody in
particular. Around 12.30, Rae sashays between the desks towards me,
waving a large stack of envelopes.
"You
got mail! Well, the company did, but you get to sort it. Lucky thing,
more