Free Mountain Fire by Brenda Margriet Page A

secretary had sent her on to the RiverForce office, saying Thomas was waiting for her and Richard would join them as soon as he finished a meeting that “he just couldn’t put off.”
    The thirty minutes she’d spent with Tubby Tom, as Tabitha maliciously dubbed him, was twenty-five minutes too long. He appeared to covet the job Richard had given her beyond all reason, and it was getting on her nerves. To do him justice, she couldn’t help but wonder what Richard was thinking as well. She’d never seen a better organized office, and she had no idea how he expected her to fill even the measly ten hours a week she was scheduled to work.
    “I don’t understand,” Thomas muttered morosely for what seemed like the twentieth time. “I don’t understand why Richard needed to hire someone to do this.”
    “Neither do I,” June said, exasperated enough to be brutally truthful. “But thanks for showing me around.” She sat behind the desk. “I’m sure you’ve got all sorts of other things you’d rather be doing. I think I’m all set.” She smiled encouragingly and repeated, “Thanks,” resisting the urge to make shooing motions.
    “I thought I’d stick around until Richard got here,” Thomas replied. “See if he needs anything.”
    She was beginning to doubt the man’s sanity. Why was he so desperate to stick around when he had to know he wasn’t needed? A small wedge of sympathy edged past the aggravation. “I’m going to get typing the agenda for the next meeting. Stay if you want to.” She wiggled the computer mouse and opened the blank agenda file. Working off an email Richard had sent previously, she began filling in the details, resolutely ignoring the heavy sighs coming from Thomas.
    They were still in their own little bubbles when Richard burst in a few minutes later.
    “Ah, I’m glad to see you both still here. Thomas, thanks so much for showing June the ropes.” He patted the younger man on the shoulder, but the gesture was shrugged off.
    “Richard,” Thomas said stiffly, “I’d like to speak with you for a moment.”
    “Of course, of course,” Richard said in his hearty manner. “What can I do for you?”
    “Not here,” Thomas said. “I’d like to speak with you in private.”
    “Certainly. Let’s go to my office, shall we? It’ll give us a chance to discuss the major project I want you to take on.”
    Thomas’ gloom evaporated. “You’ve got a project for me?” His eyes lit up and his entire manner changed from pouting to pompous.
    “Of course I do,” Richard boomed. “Why else did I hire June? So you would have time for your new duties.” He clapped Thomas on the back, and this time the younger man blushed at the attention. “June, we’ll go over more details after I’ve talked with Thomas. Any questions right now?”
    She wasn’t about to ask how the heck she was going to keep occupied with Thomas right there, so she shook her head and turned to the computer. In no time at all, she was done with the agenda. She emailed a copy to Richard for his approval, then called up the minutes from the last meeting, which Thomas had already typed, emailed them to everyone in the group, and printed one copy, which she posted on the bulletin board.
    And was done.
    She surveyed the tiny room. From where she stood, with her back against the wall immediately opposite the door, the desk was to her right, facing into the room, with a window behind it overlooking a shipping and loading dock. On the left was a row of three filing cabinets, Thomas’s pride and joy. Various posters tried limply to enliven the institutional beige paint.
    Idly she opened a filing drawer, vaguely hoping to find something to do. Inside were folders with labels such as “Itinerary — Fleetham, Richard”, “Trade Fairs” and “School Visits”. She pulled out the itinerary folder and found various sheets tucked together tidily with silver paper clips. The one on top was dated the beginning of May,