"That, Mr. S is not very professional," I half smile at him.
"Hmm, come on, this way my little lady," he says in a rather overly professional manner, and leads the way as we walk side by side.
I must look like a tourist if ever I saw one. I find myself looking around in every direction as I try to absorb every little detail as we walk. This is nothing - at all - like Aberdeen.
Chapter 17
We walk through two or three buildings, I think, I'm not entirely sure as it is so big and has gotten increasingly louder and busier. I check my watch but it is telling me it is after lunchtime, it's still on UK time, but as we walk through another hall I see a big swanky clock on the wall which says it is nearly eight o'clock.
We get to an elevator bank and Jack starts making small talk to a couple of people already waiting. When we get on the elevator, we make our way up to the thirty third floor and as we exit I almost feel faint looking down out of the floor to ceiling window beside the reception. The view is outstanding across downtown, but holy moley, I've never been this high up before.
Jack says good morning to the mannequin looking girl sitting behind the reception desk who is pretty much drooling over him. She has strawberry blonde hair and isn’t what I would call classically pretty, but she has something about her that makes her attractive. She is slim and looks every part the important receptionist with her black rimmed glasses sitting half way down her nose, and her hair pulled into a French knot. I think she looks around my age.
“Stephanie, this is Jennifer Steen from our Aberdeen office. She will be working here for the next couple of weeks, so could you please make an office pass for her. She will also need an elevator card,” he informs her politely.
“Of course, Jack. Shall I pass them through to Cathy once they are ready?” she asks, apparently avoiding eye contact with me at all costs. In fact, I’m not actually sure if she has noticed I am here.
“Yes, please. Any messages?” he asks her.
“That would be an understatement,” she smiles politely, showing off some impressive dimples. “You’ve been in demand even more than usual, and I didn’t think that was possible. I’ve emailed you all the messages I took personally, you have a bunch of voicemails too and several post-it notes on your desk.”
“Ok, that’s great. I got your emails.”
He guides me through the office until we go into what I thought was an office, but is a big open plan area with a desk at one side and an older lady sitting at it. A huge conference table sits along the middle of the room. She looks up and jumps up promptly coming over to us.
"Welcome back, Jack! We've missed you!" She says and gives Jack a hearty hug.
"Hey Cathy, it's good to be back. Please, meet Jennifer, I've already told you about her, but now you can put a face to the name." He smiles proudly at me.
"Hi Cathy," I say, holding my hand out to her.
"Well hello, Ms. Jennifer, it's a delight to meet you my dear," she shakes my hand while smiling at me. And when I say smiling, I mean really smiling at me. I’m intruiged to know what Jack has in fact told her.
"Cathy, I have a bunch of meetings to take care of today so I would like for you to see that Jennifer is taken care of and shown all the ropes. She's never been to Houston, so maybe at lunchtime someone can show her the tunnels and what not."
"Of course, no problem at all," she smiles at both of us. "Do you want to come with me now, Ms. Jennifer?"
I open my mouth to answer but am cut off. I wonder what the tunnels are?
"I've just got to go over a couple things with her in my office, Cathy," Jack interjects. "Then I will send her through to you. She won’t be long."
"Of course, I'll finish up here and will be ready for you," she pats my shoulder kindly then heads back to her desk.
Jack motions for me to follow him, we walk through to an adjoining room which is completely private once the door is closed. It must be in the corner of the building as it has floor to ceiling windows across two walls. The view is even better than in the hallway. I can see loads of buildings, mostly high rises, some swimming pools, roads winding in and around each other, they look like spaghetti, and it is so nice and bright. What an office.
"Wow," I whisper, not meaning to actually say anything out loud.
"Pretty impressive, huh? It's an awesome view from up here, I had them build my office like this as this view itself just makes me happy to be here. And I’m here a lot when I’m in town."
“I guess you like nice bright offices?” I note and turn to see him watching me. “I mean because your office at home, I mean in Aberdeen, is so nice and bright too. And that’s no easy feat in Aberdeen! No fake lighting, if you know what I mean?” I elaborate.
He smiles, “That’s very perceptive, Jen,” he winks at me. “Yes, I like natural light and space, and create office space like that if I can.”
He walks over to me and wraps his arms around me, "I can't wait to show you my city, Jenny-bean." He kisses me hard and I hate the fact I'm going to have to leave him.
"I'm afraid I may not see you tonight as it’s looking like I’m going to have to go to Dallas for some meetings later on. I just read an email from Cathy saying she has booked a hotel there for me for tonight, just in case things drag on a bit, will you be ok?" He asks me.
I'm a bit taken aback as I evidently naively thought he would be looking after me here, but I guess he is a busy man, and I am actually here for work and not play.
"Of course, of course!" I lie.
"Cool," he pulls me in to hug him. "Well, I will call you later on to see how you are getting on and if you need anything at all, you know to call me, ok? Any time."
"Yes, I'll be fine, honestly," I stop my lower lip from trembling, lack of sleep must be catching up with me.
"Ok, I'll tell Cathy you're coming back through. I hope you enjoy your day." He swats my bum as I walk away from him and he blows me a kiss when I turn around to glare at him. He is so cute, I'm going to miss that face.
I give him a small smile, and head back through to Cathy. She must be around sixty I guess, she is much older than I thought she would be for being his assistant. She has graying hair which is wound up in a loose bun held with pins, and gold rimmed glasses which are dangling around her neck held on with an orange string. She's on the plump side and is wearing black trousers, a white camisole type blouse and an open orange and red jacquard jacket. She has on what I could only describe as very comfortable beige flat shoes that no woman should ever wear. Aside from that, she greets me with a smile and I think I will be ok.
"Right my dear, I think we should start with showing you around. You'll have to do the safety intro which is a bit dull, but it won't take long, everyone has to do it I'm afraid. I've spoken to the head of geology and he has a desk arranged for you. There are a couple of girls around your age down there already, so I think you should be just fine, but you know you can ask me for anything. I think Jack has a soft spot for you what with all this fuss he has made, though I hear you did find something major in a lease file. I don't know about all that stuff, I just work for Jack and basically see he is all organised...." She rabbits on and on and on.
I follow her back to the elevator bank and we go up to the forty fifth floor which I see has a big sign saying 'Geology Department'.
I'm introduced to Gerry who is going to be my report for my duration here. I'm shown the ladies ‘restroom’ (or toilets to the rest of us) should I need to 'go potty' (what am I, five?), and the kitchen should I want anything at all. I’m handed a cup of coffee with half and half, not sure why they don’t have any plain old milk. I make a mental note to check the carton when I’m alone. Company vendors have literally covered every square inch of the kitchen with food - cakes, pastries, fruit, drinks. I definitely won't starve here, that is for sure. And I'm given my own cubicle with my very own desk, own chair and own ‘trash can’ (or bin). But no window. It’s a glorified cupboard. I much prefer the open plan office in A
berdeen.
Gerry gives me a few moments to settle in and I see a list of directions for using the computer on my desk. I follow them and set up my own log-in so I can at least hopefully check my work email, if nothing else. Thankfully it has all been set up and all my emails are coming through as normal. Wow. I didn't expect this efficiency, but then, I am getting used to Jack and his ways. I turn to look around the small room and hear a ping, so I turn back and look at my computer to see there is a 'new message' prompt.
I go into my email and see it is from Jack:
Getting settled into your new abode?
I reply, smiling:
Yes, thank you. Very cosy. Everyone and everything is very efficient.
He replies instantly:
Awesome, we aim to please ;)
I can't help myself:
Well you do a great job on every level!
Another instant reply:
And I’ve not even started yet...
Ooh la la.
Just at that Gerry reappears and tells me to follow him. He is a small man and reminds me slightly of a hobbit. He has sandy brown hair swept into a side parting which looks like something from the fifties. He has hazel beady eyes, an oversized bulbous nose, and he is wearing beige corduroy trousers and a blue checked shirt. I’d place him in his mid-forty’s. I notice as we walk through the office that the business attire is quite casual. None of the guys have on a tie, but they are smart. All of the women are smartly dressed and costume jewellery is evidently a winner.
I have to do my safety induction, then Gerry spends the rest of the morning going through the ropes with me and assigning me some work. He also introduces me to two girls who look roughly my age, Chantelle and Britney.
Britney it pretty much what you would expect by her name, tall, platinum blonde, gorgeous in every way. She’s slim but not sickeningly so. Chantelle is African American, about the same height as me, curvaceous and beautiful. They both make me feel quite inadequate.
Just as Gerry and I are finishing up, Chantelle pops her head through my door, “Hi! Umm, Britney and I just wondered if you’d like to join us for lunch, Jennifer? Gerry, is that ok?”
“Oh, sure!” he smiles. “We were just finishing up here. You gals go and enjoy some lunch. Jennifer, I’ll see you back here this afternoon.”
“Ok, thanks,” I grab my bag and smile at Chantelle, I like her already.
Chapter 18
I leave the office with the girls and we take the elevator down to the ground floor. We then walk for a few minutes through what I now know to be The Allen Center, and go down another escalator. The place is buzzing with chatter and as I look outside the sun is streaming in. I can’t wait to get outside to stock up on some vitamin D. We walk through an arch and into what looks to be a tunnel. I guess this is what Jack was talking about earlier to Cathy when he mentioned the tunnels.
Chantelle loops her arm through mine, “These are the famous Houston tunnels, chica!”
“Yeah, what exactly are the tunnels? Someone mentioned them earlier but I wasn’t sure what they were talking about...” I question her while trying to keep an eye on exactly where we are going.
“They are as they are described, tunnels! There are loads of them built underneath most of the buildings downtown. I think they are about six miles long. They were built to join the buildings to make it easier to get around. Saves you getting hot and sweaty going outside,” she makes a funny face. “There are loads of restaurants, stores, shoe repair places, gyms, you name it, anything you might need during business hours.”
“This is amazing!” I enthuse, trying to take it all in while wondering why they don’t just have everything at street level.
We have been walking for a few minutes, turning here and there, and quite frankly, I am lost. I would have no idea how to get back to the office on my own. I don’t know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this. The tunnels themselves are wide enough for a stream of pedestrians to flow both ways, and they are brightly lit. It’s weird to think we are underground, but then I think of the London Underground and realise it’s not that odd. The temperature is very cool down here as Chantelle said, and it is very busy. There are loads of restaurants which are bustling with workers grabbing lunch, we just passed an ice cream parlour, a men’s barber, a pharmacy, and a weight loss center. Convenient, I suppose.
“Do you like Chinese food, Jennifer?” Britney asks me, and looks me judgingly up and down.
That was a bit rude, but I choose to ignore it.
“Yes...” I reply, but feel a bit put out by her unjustified dressing down. It’s the first thing she has actually said to me.
“OK, let’s go to our favourite little place,” she looks at Chantelle who is checking her mobile phone and shaking it. Chantelle murmurs something indecipherable, but we all keep going. Presumably Britney understood.
We finally stop outside the Chinese restaurant and it smells great. I feel hungry and it occurs to me I haven’t eaten anything since last night. I can’t help but smile at the memory of Jack and everything else from last night. It feels surreal and I still can’t believe it all happened. I feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure I’m not actually dreaming.
“What you smilin’ at girl?” Chantelle nudges me.
“Oh, nothing...” I quickly drop my smile.
“I think someone has a secret! Or perhaps a man?” She pries.
Where the hell did that come from?
“What?! Oh, no! No! I was just...thinking about something, but it’s nothing like that!” This girl is good.
“OK, whatever!” She grins slyly at me.
We go into the restaurant and grab a seat. I quickly skim a look through the menu, “Can you recommend anything?” I ask the girls.
“We come here so often we don’t even order any more. Guan just brings out a surprise every time,” Britney laughs fondly as she turns to speak to the Chinese waiter. “Is there anything you don’t like, Jennifer?” She turns back to ask me.
“No, I’m pretty easily pleased! I just like food, in general!” Who knows what I’ll be given to eat, but presumably it will be something edible. It must be good enough before they come here so often.
The girls chat to Guan for a couple of minutes, he introduces himself to me, takes our drinks orders and says he won’t be long. I have just ordered my first ever iced tea, it sounds disgusting, but the girls assure me it’s awesome. I do a quick mental count of the amount of times I’ve heard the word ‘awesome’ since I arrived this morning, and I think it could be touching thirty odd.
“So, what exactly are you doing over here?” Britney asks me bluntly. She is proving not to be quite as friendly as Chantelle, but maybe it’s just me. I’m tired, but she seems to have a Jackal and Hyde personality where she switches it on and off to suit who she is talking to at any given moment.
“Well, I sort of randomly found some acreage we weren’t being credited with and it turns out it’s a really big deal. I’m just finishing off my internship with SER and Jack thought it would be beneficial for me to spend some time over here,” I explain. It feels strange referring to him as Jack, and not Mr. Samson to work colleagues, but Jack said that was normal here.
“Wow,” Britney says, patronizingly. “Well, aren’t you little Miss Clever.” She raises her eyebrows and then frowns childishly.
“Brit, cut it out,” Chantelle scolds her.
Britney rolls her eyes.
“Well, what do you think of Jack Samson?” Britney changes the subject. “He is hot, with a capital ‘H’, right?”
Chantelle looks at me and rolls her eyes, “I just knew she would get onto her favourite subject, I thought she might give you a bit of time to settle in first. She’s been crushing on him, forever.”
BITCH.
She is a bitch, and I hate her.
I consciously dig my fingernails into the palms of my hands, trying to stay calm and collected, then opt to sit on my hands. That way I surely wo
n’t throttle her. I breathe slowly so as not to give anything away.
“You like him?” I ask, more or less through gritted teeth.
“Oh my gosh, he is like totally for me. He just doesn’t know it yet,” she is actually deadly serious. “He is a dream,” she looks smitten and drags out the word dream. This could get interesting, or perhaps nasty. Mental note to self, steer clear of this delusional girl.
“Umm, maybe he is in a relationship?” I offer, although I can’t exactly classify this past week as a fully fledged relationship, can I?
Or can I?
“Pfft, he is not, I know he isn’t. My brother went to college with his brother in-law, they still see each other a lot and he gets the scoop,” she replies. “I’m going to get my brother to hook us up sometime, I just need to figure it all out.”
Ooooo.K.
Chantelle clears her throat and rolls her eyes again, then changes the subject, “That’s awesome you found the missing acreage. I’ve been working on that project for a while now, and while it isn’t my actual job to count acreage, I can’t believe none of us realised. It’s pretty bad. Jack is pissed, not to mention Gerry who sure as heck kicked our asses in gear.”
Gerry told me earlier that Chantelle is a Geologist, whereas Britney is an admin assistant for another Geologist. It’s funny as I had initially thought Britney and I would hit it off seeing as our workload appears similar, but it is looking to be more like Chantelle and I getting along great. I’ve already decided I really like this girl, she’s easy to speak to and seems very kind hearted.
“I guess these things happen. To be honest, I thought I was doing something wrong as the discrepancy seemed way too much, but everyone has been overjoyed at the find. I feel bad all the credit seems to be lying with me, I mean, I don’t even know anything about geology!” I admit.
“Jennifer, that find is worth all the credit you’re being given. All of us Geo’s missed it, I don’t know how, but we did. Looking at it now, it seems impossible, but there you go. So it’s just as well you came along as who knows how long it would have gone unaccredited,” she pats my arm. “You did good, girl! Enjoy the praise!”
Silver City Girl Page 11