by Ian Tremblay
"Wow, aren't they something, eh, Peggy?"
"Oh, they're so sweet and caring. I love them. It's like having family in the building."
"Yeah, they're great. I love them too." The girls had reached their door, and they let themselves into their apartment. They slouched onto their sofa, content with their new home and excited about the next day, which would be their first day of work.
They woke up at seven the next morning. Peggy got breakfast ready, and they had cereals and berries and toast with some jam that Linda's grandmother had made.
"So I guess this is it, Linda. Today we enter the adult world." Peggy's mouth was full, and she spoke from the side of her mouth.
"Yup, this is the real thing, Peggy. God, I'm excited." Linda was nervous. The whole idea of her first real job felt good but strange at the same time. She had butterflies in her stomach and kept checking her watch even though they had all the time in the world. Peggy, on the other hand, seemed totally relaxed and completely unstressed; she was calmly finishing off the toast and jam and in no hurry to get ready. In a way, that fundamental difference in their characters was one of the reasons why they had become such great friends.
At eight-thirty they met Derek Wesley, the general manager of the clinic; he greeted them politely and asked them to sit down. He was a small, serious, bespectacled man of about fifty who sat very upright behind his desk.
"Welcome, ladies, I'm glad that you have decided to come and work at this clinic and for this company. Now, let me explain to you a little bit how things work around here." He then went into a lengthy explanation about company policies, the clinic, their work schedules, and how they were expected to perform in their new work environment.
"You see, this is a very upscale clinic, upscale in the sense that our customers are very well to do people and they cherish their pets greatly. They want their pets pampered as much as they themselves like to be pampered. We believe in customer service here. We are well known for that. It is important that you keep that in mind, as you are now both part of my team." He paused and let his words sink in. Linda spoke for both of them.
"Thank you, Mr. Wesley. We are very happy to be here, sir. We know the company has a fine reputation, and we are proud to be part of your team. As a matter of fact, we can't wait to get started." Linda looked toward Peggy, who shook her head vigorously in a sign of approval. Wesley was satisfied. He knew both of them had finished among the top of their class and that they had passed all the human resources' tests and the strict company screening process with flying colors. They would be serious and dedicated employees, he was sure of that. He did, however, keep a severe look on his face. After all, he was the boss, and he believed that he had to instill a firm link of authority with any new arrivals. When the meeting was over, Derek Wesley picked up the phone."Maria, could you ask Jeff Peterson to come to my office please?" He put the phone back down. "Now, Linda and Peggy, I have asked Jeff Peterson, one of our top veterinarians, to show you around the facility and to introduce you to everyone. He will also give you your schedules and answer any questions you might have. Is this all clear so far? Do you have any questions?" The girls looked at each other.
"No sir, no questions, everything's fine." Linda answered for both of them again; Peggy acquiesced by nodding her head. There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Wesley said with a tint of authority.
Jeff Peterson walked in; he was a tall and slender man of about thirty, with a soft and sensitive manner about him. Rising from his chair, Wesley introduced the girls to him. He shook their hands and seemed genuinely pleased to meet them. The girls couldn't help but notice that Jeff Peterson was a very good-looking man. His hair was ash blonde, and his green eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them.
"Peggy, Linda, what do you say we get out of Mr. Wesley's hair?" Both girls readily agreed and were more than glad to get away from the pontificating and stiff Derek Wesley.
"Yeah sure, thank you, Mr. Wesley, have a nice day, sir." Linda got up, and Peggy did the same. They walked out with Jeff Peterson in tow.
Jeff showed them around and introduced them to everyone, and he insisted they call him by his first name. He was lively and had a good sense of humor. He asked them about school and about where they were from and about their families. He was a good communicator, and he obviously loved his work very much by the way he talked about it. Everyone they met seemed to like him. He was pleasant and polite with all, and the girls got the impression that he was genuine and sincere. They liked him a lot, and after the slightly suffocating interview with Derek Wesley, his humanity was refreshing. At the end of the tour, he gave them their schedules, and as expected, they got nights and weekends.
"Hey look, I did nights and weekends for two years and I survived," he said as he handed them their schedules with a smile.
"Oh, we don't mind, Mr., I mean Jeff. We just can't wait to start, and nights and weekends are fine." Linda was excited and was elated about the clinic. It was new and had all the most modern equipment and she was impressed by the people they had met so far. They all seemed so friendly and professional to her.
"Yeah, let's hear it for nights and weekends," Peggy added, smiling radiantly. She felt as enthusiastic about the place as Linda.
Jeff Peterson was amused by the two young recruits; he liked their eagerness and their freshness. He also couldn't help but notice how astoundingly beautiful Linda Staunton was and that she wasn't wearing an engagement ring. The bachelor in him couldn't help but hope that there was no boyfriend in the picture.
"So tell me, ladies, where is this fantastic apartment you have been telling me about?"
"It's about twenty minutes away, on 32nd street near Clearview Avenue. Do you see where that is?" Linda looked at him; she liked his soft manner and his attentiveness to what they said. She also noticed that he wore no wedding ring, and she knew that she and Peggy would talk about that later.
"Yeah sure, I know where that is. Well anyway, if you ever do a housewarming, I want to be invited. Is that a deal?" The girls looked at each other and smiled.
"Yeah, that's a deal," Linda said, even though a housewarming was not something she and Peggy had thought about or discussed.
"Do you know anyone else in this city?" he asked, amused.
The girls looked at each other and shrugged,
"You mean besides you?" Peggy asked.
"Yes, besides me." He smiled.
"Well, we know Mr. Wesley," she replied while keeping a straight face.
They all broke out laughing.
"With all due respect, I don't think you want to go there. I'll tell you what, if you do get something organized, I'll bring a few friends, girls, guys, and we'll get you started on the social side of things. What do you say?"
"Yeah sure, sounds great. Give us a bit of time to get our bearings, and we'll give you a nod. After all, you're the first one on our very short list." Linda smiled. She had answered spontaneously without even looking at Peggy. They all laughed again, and Peggy felt the vibe that was passing between them.
"So that's it for now, ladies. I have got to get back to work, and I guess I'll be seeing you around. Oh, and once again, welcome aboard." He smiled, shook both their hands, and trotted down the corridor.
"He's cute," Peggy said once he was out of ear reach.
"Yeah, he's nice," Linda answered in a much too matter of fact way. "You know what, Peggy? I think I'm going to like working here." Peggy ignored Linda's comment; she would not be deterred from talking about Jeff Peterson.
"Did you notice, Linda?"
"Notice what."
"Mr. Peterson, Jeff, he doesn't wear a wedding ring."
"So what, maybe he's gay. Who cares?"
"No way he's gay, Linda, did you see how he was looking at you? He was devouring you, and I mean like big time."
"Oh come on, Peggy, enough already. He was just being nice, that's all."
"Linda, don't play dumb with me, okay? That guy was really take
n by you, and I think you like him too. Hey look, I felt the vibe between you too. It was pretty obvious."
"Well, I don't know about that, and you know what? I don't care; I came here to work and not to get into a relationship. I'm in no hurry to get involved with someone and especially someone I work with."
"Oh come on, Linda, so you've been burned by love, big deal. I mean, look at me and my string of assholes and losers. I haven't given up. I just know there's a Mr. Right out there for me, I just haven't found him yet, that's all."
Okay, Peggy, so be it. All I'm saying is slow down here, this is our first day, let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay? As for Jeff Peterson, well, we just met the guy, and he's a professional colleague of ours, remember that."
"Yeah okay, Linda, but he was flirting with you."
"He was not."
"Yes he was.
"No he wasn't."
"Well okay, then, but he's cute." Linda turned toward her and smiled.
"Okay, Peggy, he's cute. Are you happy now?"
"Yes, I'm happy," she said and smiled.
"He likes you, I'm sure."
"No he doesn't."
"Yes he does." Peggy bumped Linda with her shoulder, and they both broke out laughing.
They quickly got into the clinics routine, and everyone fell in love with them. In no time they had made friends amongst the personnel, the customers, and of course, the pets. Linda loved the animals. She felt she had a connection with them. She was especially good with the dogs, and they seemed to be naturally attracted to her. The night and weekend shifts didn't bother them at all, and since they were on the same schedule, they traveled to work and did the chores and the shopping together. As for men-well, there was not really time for that in the first three months. Of course, when they went out, guys hit on them all the time, especially Linda. But nothing of any importance occurred; the girls were just too busy with their new jobs to even seriously think about guys or relationships. Linda liked Jeff Peterson more and more, even though she hated to admit it that to herself. She was attracted to him, and she could tell that it was the same thing for him. Anytime they met she could feel it. It was like electricity arcing from one to other. They both would have denied it if someone had asked, but it was there, drawing them to one another, inexorably, and a little more so every day.
One evening as Linda came into work, she ran into him. Of course she did not know that Jeff always stayed a bit longer after work so he could run into her.
"Hi, Linda, how are things?" He asked, flashing his best smile.
"Oh hi, Jeff, fine, thank you. Everything is really great. I love the place, and everyone is really nice. It's exactly what I had hoped it would be and more and how about yourself, you good?"
"Yeah, I'm good, no complaints. Oh, by the way, I'm still waiting for that invitation." Linda looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Invitation?" she repeated.
"Yeah, you know, to the housewarming party. You guys said you might do something."
"Oh yeah, well Peggy and I talked about it only yesterday." For some reason she lied, which was so unlike her, and there was an awkward silence.
"Well?" Jeff looked at her amused, waiting for the rest.
"I'm sorry; I just had a blank there." Linda fidgeted in place; she was nervous. "Yes, well, we thought that maybe Friday in two weeks would be good. We are both off that night," she said hesitantly.
"Great, am I still invited?"
"Yes, of course you are."
"Okay then, it's settled. I'll bring a few friends, if that's still okay. You know, seeing as you don't have any," his attempt to make a joke fell flat and Linda stared at him blankly for a moment, lost in her thoughts.
"Are you sure about this, Linda?" He asked in a more serious tone.
"Yeah absolutely," she snapped out of her reverie. "I just have to check with Peggy that's all." She smiled.
"Fine then, I look forward to it. I have to be off now, Linda. I'll see you around then."
"Yeah you too Jeff ... thanks."
Linda just stood there in shock; the truth was she hadn't even talked to Peggy about doing the housewarming Friday in two weeks. "Why did I just say that, and why did I thank him, because he talked to me? I'm such a loser with men. It's pathetic." With those thoughts swirling in her head, she hurried to find Peggy before Jeff ran into her and talked to her about his invitation. It was easy convincing Peggy. She had been harassing Linda for weeks about doing a housewarming party.
"So it's settled. Friday in two weeks then, great," Peggy squealed with delight.
She immediately began to prepare for the party with enthusiasm. She invited people from work and a few guys they met regularly at a bar they went to after work from time to time. Linda, on the other hand, was filled with apprehensions and nervous about having Jeff Peterson in her home, but she grudgingly went along with the preparations.
Jeff was the last to arrive that Friday; he brought a magnificent bouquet of flowers and two bottles of Italian wine. Linda opened the door for him.
"Hello, Linda. Here, these are for both of you." He handed Linda the flowers and kissed her on both cheeks. "You look great, by the way." Linda smiled; she was pleased with the compliment and happy to see him.
"Thank you, Jeff. The flowers are awesome. Please, come on in." She leaned into the door to let him pass. He walked around the room and said hello to everyone, taking the time to listen and chat up those he did not know. It was a mellow, smooth-running party. The air was cool from the open windows, and the music was just right, not too loud and not too invasive. The conversations flowed, and all were happy to be there and were enjoying the evening. Linda and Peggy were happy. They had all these new people in their lives, and they loved their new home and their new jobs, and it just felt good to be alive.
"So, Linda Staunton," Jeff had finally cornered her in the living room, not that Linda had been avoiding him, but maybe a little. "Tell me about yourself. You are a very mysterious woman, you know."
"Me mysterious? No, I'm just an ordinary girl who's very lucky and very happy with her life at this moment. That's it, nothing else." Linda became nervous when he came close to her. His physical presence lit up every nerve end in her body.
"Oh come on, Linda, you're a magnificent and extremely attractive woman with no visible boyfriend in the picture," Jeff looked around the room to emphasize his point, "and that, is mysterious ... unless," he hesitated and looked toward Linda, not finishing his sentence.
"Unless what?" Linda looked at him, perplexed.
"Well," he hesitated, "don't mind me asking, Linda, but something just dawned on me. Are you and Peggy, you know, like, together?" he said while pointing his eyes and fingers in her direction then Peggy's. Linda exploded with laughter.
"No, Jeff, we're not together, really, wow. Look, it's very simple; I've had some really bad experiences with love-well, really one bad experience-and I'm still a bit fragile from that. Plus, I promised myself that I would finish my school, get settled into a good job, and then I would see about relationships. I mean, basically that's it. No mystery there." Jeff laughed whole-heartedly, and Linda joined in.
"My God, how could I have thought that? Look, I'm really sorry, and I hope I haven't offended you."
"No, of course not, I understand why you could have thought that. I mean, here we are, two girls living together and neither has a boyfriend, so it's more than possible in this day and age. I hope that doesn't disappoint you too much," Linda added with a taint of sarcasm.
"No, of course not, are you mad? Believe me, I'm really happy that you're not gay, Linda. That would have really disappointed me." He smiled at her and took a sip of his wine.
"And you?" Linda looked him straight in the eyes.
"And me what?" He looked at her with a clueless expression on his face.
"Well, are you gay? Is that why you thought that about me and Peggy?" Jeff's eyes opened wide, and he had a look of disbelief on his face. Pointing to himsel
f he said, "Me? No, of course not, Linda, I'm not gay, as a matter of fact I'm nowhere near gay. Look, it's really very simple; I've had some unfortunate experiences with love recently, and I'm still reeling from that, so I decided to remain a bachelor until I found someone that I really believe I could have a long-term relationship with."
“Touché", Linda smiled at the reference he had made to her own answer, the ice had been broken between them and they had actually talked about something other than work. They sat on the sofa and began to chat, talking for a few hours, exchanging life stories and laughing a lot. They seemed unaware of the other people around them, and Linda was surprised how much she opened up to him and him to her. Jeff was compassionate and understanding and she felt warm and comfortable and protected sitting beside him. He was also a good listener and was quick to pick up on things, and that pleased her a lot. It felt right to be in his company, and Linda had not felt like that about someone since Richard.
Soon the party winded down and everybody left. Jeff was the last to go. Peggy had gone to bed or passed out, and Jeff and Linda were still sitting on the sofa. He took one of her hands, and she stiffened, but she did not remove her hand from his.