Seasons

by Bonnie Hopkins

  George grunted. “What in the world did you expect? For her to roll out the red carpet and say come on in? You got to be crazy if you thought that. Fact is, you mistreated her, Maxie. And she’s had a rough time surviving. She’s had to work two or three jobs most of her life. And from what I understand, she been doing a man’s job for years just to make a little more money. So frankly, I understand where she’s coming from. You would, too, if you put yourself in her place. I ain’t got no sympathy for you, Maxie. All said and done, this is my niece we talking about.”

  “Yeah, I know that,” Maxie replied, giving little regard to what George had said. “I even took a trip down there to talk to her, but she wasn’t home. What kind of job did you say she has? It must pay okay, judging from that house.”

  “She works for the city. Something to do with condemned buildings—I don’t really know what. Why? Why are you so interested in the kind of work she doin’?”

  “Didn’t you tell me she never got married?” Maxie asked.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” George answered suspiciously. He didn’t like the direction of this conversation. “Maxie, like I told you: You need to be trying to make peace with your daughter. Why are you asking all these questions about Jacetta’s personal life?”

  “Well, I’m just curious, man. That’s a pretty nice house she’s living in, and I’m just wondering if she’s hooked up with somebody.”

  “If she is, it ain’t none of your business.” George felt his temper rising.

  “I just don’t want any trouble from some dude while I’m trying to work things out with Jacetta and my daughter. You know what I’m saying? Jacetta said she was going to talk to my daughter and for me to call back in a few days. I don’t want anybody trying to interfere.”

  “You ain’t got nothin’ to work out with Jacetta,” George replied testily. The guy’s arrogance was causing him to flex his hands into fists. “It’s too late for that. She’s moved on with her life and is doing real good.” George felt contempt for his own foolishness. “You know, my wife told me I didn’t have no business giving you that girl’s phone number and now I’m starting to think she was right. Maxie, you go starting some trouble with my niece, you’ll have more trouble than you can handle, and not just from me either. A lot of people are still itching to kick your tail over the way you treated her. Don’t make me sorry for trying to help you get things right with your kid. It was never my intention to cause anymore problems for Jacetta.”

  Maxie realized he had pushed too hard in his quest for information and tried to direct the conversation back toward cordiality. “And I appreciate everything you’ve done, George. I know you’re just trying to help. All I was saying is that I need to know what I’m up against. That’s all.”

  “You just need to concentrate on your daughter at this point. Jace is going to do what she said she would, but like I said, she’s out of the picture as far as you’re concerned.”

  That’s what you think, Maxie mused to himself, but said, “Thanks, George, I owe ya, man. I’ll check back with you next week sometime.”

  J.P.

  J.P. watched as Jaci stepped out of her Jeep and walked around to open the rear door to dig inside for her briefcase. He was standing in his fourteenth-floor office looking out of his corner window. He noticed how her jeans clung to her curvy butt and shapely legs as she strode toward the building. There was something about Jaci that brought out all of his male instincts. What was it about this woman? he wondered, watching her stepping with a poise and assurance that he knew had been hard-won and long in coming.

  The woman had no idea of the power she packed. She was both velvet and steel. And when her protective shell fell away, it revealed pure woman—in all of her softness and strength. He still questioned his sanity in leaving her last night. Was he going soft in the head or something? No doubt about it, her enticing femininity awakened a masculine monster inside him. She actually didn’t know why other women envied her and men lusted for her—including him. “Okay, okay!” he said out loud. “I admit it.”

  “Excuse me?” a voice said from the door of his spacious office. Herbert Williams, his second-in-command, stood there with a thick stack of files in his hands and an amused look on his face. “Just what are you confessing to, my fearless leader?”

  Embarrassed at being caught talking to himself, J.P. chuckled and said, “You don’t want to know. And if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

  “Uh oh!” Herbert said. “This is heavy stuff I’m hearing. Do I need to be concerned?”

  “Maybe,” J.P. answered. “Just between you and me, I may be headed into a midlife crisis thing and going soft in the head.”

  Herbert came in and sat down as J.P. took the chair behind the large masculine desk. “Are you okay, man? I mean, really, there’s nothing serious going on is there?” J.P. simply smiled and reached for the folders in Herbert’s hand. They started talking about the status of various jobs as J.P. flipped through the folders. Herbert was explaining the problems they had encountered on one of their software programs when J.P. suddenly remembered Jaci. She should have been announced long ago.

  “Let’s wrap it up for now, Herb. Jaci is here and should have been announced and in here by now.”

  “Okay.” Herbert quickly got to his feet. “Jaci’s bumping me huh? Interesting!” he said jokingly. J.P. might have a reputation for being a playboy, but when it came to work he was conscientious and a hard taskmaster. Herbert walked to the door and turned to ask when they could finish up, but J.P. was on the phone asking Linda, the receptionist, if Jaci Winters was in the reception area. Her reply did not please him and he asked her to come to his office.

  “Stay here a minute, Herb, I want you to hear this.” A few minutes later, Linda appeared in his doorway. She was forty-something—tall, light skinned, well built, somewhat attractive. She had been with the company a little over a year and made no secret of her interest in more than an employer/employee relationship with J.P. But beyond the fact that he made it a policy not to date employees—Jaci being the exception, of course—he’d discovered she was one of those calculating women he despised. She had been so obvious in her pursuit of him that he had gone into a self-protection mode, making it a point to keep things strictly business with her, and interacting with her as little as possible. Too often, she showed up at social affairs when she knew he would be there and attached herself to his side until he found a way to shake her.

  Now he was thankful for the wisdom and insight that had directed him to steer clear of her. He probably should have fired her when he realized her intent, but she had turned out to be a pretty good employee, and it was easier to keep her than to go through the trouble of looking for a replacement.

  She entered his office smiling. “What can I do for you boss?”

  J.P. waited expectantly to see if she was going to mention Jaci. She knew his instructions regarding visitors. They were not to be kept waiting either on the phone or in person. The staff person they were seeking should be notified immediately of their phone call or arrival, and was to acknowledge them and indicate how long they could expect to wait.

  He now recalled Jaci jokingly saying on more than one occasion that to conduct business with him at his office, she had to plan plenty of time on her schedule. Now his suspicions were growing as to why.

  Without waiting for an invitation, Linda walked to a chair in front of his desk and sat down, while J.P. continued to wait. She must have thought he was finally noticing her interest in him. Her smile got wider, and she casually crossed her legs.

  When he saw her smile, J.P.’s anger began to simmer. He reined in his temper and quietly asked, “How long has Ms. Winters been waiting in reception?” Linda’s smile slipped a little, then she waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, that Jaci Winters woman? She can wait.”

  His anger increased. “How do you know she can wait? Who does she usually see when she comes to this office? Did you notify me that she was here? How do you
know I’m not in a hurry to complete my business with her? Who gave you the authority to make this kind of judgment on our visitors’ importance? Have you ever kept Ms. Winters or anybody else waiting like this before?”

  By this time, Linda’s mouth was hanging open and a big “oh! oh!” clearly showed on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She tried again, sputtering, “I . . . I . . . I knew you were with Herb and I didn’t want to disturb you. I knew you all were going over those important status reports.”

  J.P.’s temper shot up further at her explanation. A vein in his forehead visibly throbbed and his jaws had clenched. Herbert realized Linda was in big trouble and tried to come to her defense. “Uh, J.P., I’m sure Linda was just trying to be conscientious. She didn’t mean to overlook or overstep the rules in any way.” The look J.P. leveled at him caused Herbert to quickly cease his efforts.

  “Let me be real clear, Linda. You listen closely, Herb, because I expect you to assure follow-through. When I give instructions, I intend for them to be carried out completely and without any interpretive nuances. If you didn’t understand these instructions, you should have asked questions. Now, Linda, if you would like to continue working here, please express your complete comprehension of all instructions.” At her hesitation, he literally spit out, “Now, please!”

  Linda was totally caught off guard. This was definitely not going as she had hoped. She finally managed to mumble, “Yes, sir, I understand.”

  “Then I suggest you follow them or look for another job. Please show Ms. Winters in now. She’s waited long enough. And don’t ever keep her—or anyone else for that matter—waiting like this again.”

  When Linda left, Herbert remained and set a steady gaze on J.P. “What going on, man? Linda slips every now and then, but all in all, she does a pretty good job.”

  J.P. looked at him angrily. “She didn’t follow instructions, Herb, and this is not the first time. The receptionist is the first point of contact for this office. We can’t afford any laxity there. That’s why I pay that person a good salary. She can make or break this company by the way she treats people. I built this firm on the foundation of consistent, first-class customer service. That’s why we’ve gained the level of success we have. I’m not going to let a silly employee destroy that by treating people badly.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Herb said as he opened the door to leave. He shook his head in consternation. He was usually so engulfed with work that he became oblivious to what was going on around him. He liked Linda and had even considered asking her out until he realized she had her eyes on J.P. Beyond office matters, she generally ignored him, lighting up only when J.P. was around. He was astute enough to know when someone wasn’t interested. Obviously, Linda wasn’t as astute.

  Linda

  Linda Adams stomped back to her desk, furious over what had just happened. She was desperate to the point of dementia. She was forty-five and unmarried, with nothing resembling a prospective husband. She had come to work for J.P. with one goal: to make him her husband. She came from a wealthy Louisiana family (her father was a doctor, her mother a college professor). She needed a husband who fit certain social criteria—and J.P. definitely did. All her siblings either had high-profile careers or acceptable mates. She was the only one who had not yet “arrived,” and she was tired of being the butt of their cruel jokes and put-downs. Linda had never been interested in a career but had concentrated on finding a wealthy husband to give her the social prominence she craved. She depended on her looks, light skin, and family connections to give her the advantage. But those attributes hadn’t been enough to off-set her grasping desperation and pushiness with men, which had caused them to run as fast as they could when they discovered what she was like. She had even resorted to stalking a few men after they lost interest and tried to end things with her. A couple of them had even filed charges against her.

  This pitiful receptionist job was just a means to an end—her road to becoming Mrs. J.P. Gilmore. After setting her sights on J.P., Linda decided that a change in tactics was called for. Her new strategy was to demonstrate what an asset she could be to him socially—every prominent businessman needed a socially astute wife. She also did whatever was necessary to eliminate any other woman in the picture. Although her plan was taking longer than she liked, the payoff would be worth it. J.P. was handsome, wealthy, and highly respected. She recalled the party he had given for the employees last year, when she had walked through his beautiful, spacious home and pictured herself there as his wife.

  While she sat at the receptionist desk every day answering the phone and greeting visitors, she dreamed of the time when she would walk through the office as the boss’s wife, commanding the highest respect. She had noticed how J.P. looked at Jaci Winters. How he often left the office with her. There was no way she would allow a little nobody civil service worker like Jaci Winters disrupt her plan. No! Jaci Winters had to go. Linda didn’t plan to lose this one. She only worked a few hours on Saturdays and she still had work to finish, but she picked up the phone and dialed a number.

  “It’s time to get someone out of the picture and I’m going to need a little help,” she said into the phone, then she listened for a moment. “Yeah. Her. I have a feeling things have gone further than we realized.”

  Jaci

  While Jaci sat in the reception area of J.P.’s office waiting to see him, her mind mulled over the events of the previous night. She couldn’t believe Maxie! Calling her after all these years and making demands. Even more unbelievable was her actions with J.P. She shook her head in amazement. Had that really been her? Now, she would have to try to reestablish some distance between them.

  After her usual long wait, Linda had finally told Jaci to go on back to J.P.’s office. “Hey, baby, how are things this morning?” J.P. asked, embracing her tightly. Jaci stiffened and tried to back away, but he ignored it and held her a little longer, waiting for her body to soften against his. But to his disappointment, she pulled away.

  “I’m really sorry you had to wait so long in reception. I just ripped Linda up one side and down the other for that. Tell me the truth, does she do that to you often?”

  Jaci hesitated. So that’s why I got such an ugly look from Linda. “Look, I know you’re a busy man, and Linda is just doing her job. I don’t mind waiting. I told you before, I plan for a long wait whenever we meet here.”

  He was shaking his head. “No, no, no. You are to let me know if it ever happens again. It will never be acceptable, but you’re dealing with too much right now to put up with that kind of treatment, so I want to know, okay?”

  Jaci nodded yes and then got down to briefing him on the assessment she had just completed. Neither one mentioned the previous night’s events. When they finished talking about her trip, J.P. immediately changed the subject. “Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?” Jaci shook her head before saying, “No.” J.P. moved closer to where she was standing. “Why not? Jaci, you can’t keep running away from this. Sooner or later you’ll have to accept that there’s something between us. After last night, you have to know that the feelings are not going away.”

  She looked at him angrily. “That was a cheap shot. You know what kind of frame of mind I was in last night.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t know why I said that. You’re right; it was a cheap shot. You have me so messed up I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I need to have things settled between us. I can’t stand being in limbo like this.” He kissed her gently.

  There was a brief knock and an older man with silver hair entered without waiting for an invitation. His striking resemblance to J.P. assured her this was his father. He walked into the office and took in the couple standing there embracing.

  J.P.

  J.P. turned toward his father, but kept an arm around Jaci. “Jaci Winters, please meet my dad, J.P. Gilmore Sr., better known as ‘Big Pat.’ Pop, this is Jaci Winters, the la
dy I’ve been telling you about.”

  “Well hello, Jaci, I’m glad to meet you,” Big Pat said, crossing the room as he inspected her from head to toe.

  Jaci extended her hand to shake his. “Hello, Mr. Gilmore. It’s very nice to meet you too.” She pulled the straps of her purse and briefcase onto her shoulder, preparing to leave.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you, young lady.” Big Pat continued his scrutiny of her. “I understand you’re doing a good job for my son. I appreciate that, but when are you going to put him out of his misery?”

  “Put him out of his misery? I didn’t know he was in any misery.” Jaci looked at J.P. with puzzlement. “What kind of misery are you in? And what do I have to do with it?”

  An embarrassed smile covered J.P.’s face. “Nothing, honey. Don’t pay any attention to him.”

  Big Pat went on, undaunted. “Girl, you’ve got this man so tied up in knots he can hardly do his job. Can’t have that, since he’s running two businesses and already has too much on his plate. He needs a woman, a wife. And he thinks you’re the one for him. So when are you going to marry him?”

  “Pop! Cut it out,” J.P. yelled.

  “Marry him?!” Jaci tried to pull away from J.P. to head toward the door. He didn’t let go, but guided her across the room to the door where he looked down at her. “Sure you won’t change your mind about dinner tonight?” He knew the answer but had to ask.

  She shook her head. “I’m sure.”

  “Well, can I call you later? Maybe I can come by for a while.” He hated that his dad was witness to his desperation but couldn’t seem to help himself.