Free A Seal Upon Your Heart by Pepper Pace Page B

you.”
     
    Jane frowned. Now that caught her by surprise. “How do you know all of this?”
     
    “Because Rangbo, Singleton, Bradbury and Marx is a small little world unto itself. And there are very few secrets in this small little world, especially for us long-timers. There are those that come out of the temporary service and they are the short-timers. They will get a call to work at another place, fill in an empty slot. But those like me, Diana, Lois and a lot of the others that have been here for ten or more years know the real deal.” Jane listened intently.
     
    “Please don’t be discouraged. I know it’s not easy. But you seem like a nice person and not everyone here…” They entered the elevator and it was filled with people so Claudette waited until they were back on their floor before she continued. “Not everyone here acts or thinks like Jen.”
     
    Jane was touched that Claudette had made a point of talking to her about this. She smiled her appreciation. “But you are going to have to do something about those shoes.” She whispered. Jane laughed. She would make an emergency visit to the donation bin when she got home tonight. Maybe she would find something suitable until she got paid.
     
    It was probably not something normally done in the office, and more than likely probably a little strange, but Jane reached forward and gave Claudette a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. She wanted to make Claudette aware that she wasn’t offended by her comment about her shoes and she found that she didn’t care what anyone thought of it.
     
    “I’m Aaron Rangbo’s Assistant. If you need anything ring me. My number is in the directory.”
     
    “I will.”
     
    Jane had a pleased smile on her face when she knocked on Tim’s door and placed the bag containing his pastry on his desk. She also placed his change and the receipt there.
     
    “Sorry, Tim, no donuts but I got you a slice of lemon loaf pound cake.”
     
    Tim smiled. “Thank you, Jane.” Thank Claudette, she thought, because you very nearly got a bear claw from the vending machine.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 10
     
    “Tim, Mr. Rangbo is here to see you.” Je n’s voice came over his speakerphone. He checked his watch for the time. Damn what did Aaron want! He didn’t have time for this when he was trying to write the legal brief. It was something he and Corrine always did and now…he just couldn’t seem to get a handle on it.
     
    “Send him in.”
     
    Tim stood and shook the hand of one of his partners. Aaron Rangbo was in his sixties and approaching retirement. He always looked tired and he talked like Ben Stein. Tim never understood how anyone could sit through his arguments unless he won cases because people just wanted him to shut the hell up. His nick-name was Eeyore after the slow talking stuffed animal from Winnie the Pooh.
     
    “How can I help you, Aaron?”  And why didn’t you just call for chrissakes??
     
    Aaron sat down, not taking the not-so-subtle hint. “Is there a reason that you have two assistants?”
     
    “Why do you ask, did you need to borrow one?” Tim took his seat again since this might take a while.
     
    “Hardly. Claudette barely has enough work as it is. She spends more time in the canteen than she does behind her desk.”
     
    “Yeah, and you wouldn’t know what to do without her.”
     
    “True.” He became thoughtful. It was rumored that Claudette was more than just Aaron’s assistant. Tim believed it to be true, though he didn’t understand how Claudette could tolerate pillow talk with the man. “But you didn’t answer my question.” Aaron continued.
     
    “That was a real question? Sheesh, man, I thought that was a segue.” He raised his brow, then glanced at the door and lowered his voice. “I just want to make sure Jane knows the ropes before I let the other one go.”
     
    “Ahh, so it is true.”
     
    “True?”
     
    “That you have one assistant