“You must be James McClay. Right? I am Loren Crawford.” Loren smiled at him.
“Yes, Ms. Crawford I am James McClay. Just call me James. Today we are just going to go over the general paperwork and things like operations and introduce you to your staff. After this week I want you to tell me if you selling the company or not. Right now I want you to see how things work. I have been working close with Jason the last two weeks to show him what needs to be done.” James talked in a very manly voice.
“Well, I thought about it and I have no choice because I have already quit my job. So I will have to do this at least for a while.”
“Ms. Crawford, life has taught me this what might seem like an opportunity for something new and exciting is really just the thing that isn’t right for us. Lance, is going to come back in the week and go over some of the things that in title the company. So Lance you can leave now. I need this week to go over the things with Loren. Do you understand?”
“I thought we was going to over some of the things together lets say like to day. But I can take a hint.” Lance said looking at James.
“First of all, I wasn’t throwing a hint and if I was you just miss it. I didn’t say lets talk about this for another hour. Ms. Crawford has to know the basics of running the company and you are wasting company time. Plus, you have to go to New York remember. I got your ticket right here. Now I won’t be settle, leave.” James said to Lance as he takes Loren by the arm.
Lance left immediately out of the room. He was already at his car before James could say anything else. Loren could tell that James makes Lance uncomfortable and for some reason she like that.
“Are you going to talk to me like that?” Loren asked James.
“No, I’m not. I don’t like him. I know he likes you so it wouldn’t help by having him here until it is necessary. I don’t want him to bother you while in the first week of learning. You have to forgive me, but I am all about business. Later on you are going to find out some things about Lance that might surprise you. Now we need to go over some things later on away from this. Do you know a place where it is a comfortable setting that we can work or talk about business?”
“Yes, I was going to visit my friend around six – thirty. We could go there.”
“Good, do you have a boyfriend that you can bring? You know what bring Jason. My wife also helps me with some work. So she is coming to eat dinner with us. I hope you don’t mind?”
“No, I don’t mind at all. I think that is kind of great to include her in things like that. And I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment, but I could bring Jason so he could help you explain the things that you need to.” Loren said.
Loren didn’t understand until she got off of work why it was that he wanted to met some where else to discuss business. It seem like her brain was fried from meeting everyone from all fifteen floors. Every hour or thirty minutes she had a meeting with the people who worked on the floor. She barely had time for lunch. Loren had wished that Jason went with her to the meeting, but he looked like he was in his neck with all the work that he did. She was so happy to see a familiar place. She sneaked to call Thomas to make sure that he could save them a table.
She arrived at the restaurant minutes before Jason or Mr. or Mrs. McClay could show up. Loren had on a nice skirt with her hair up in a ponytail and her glasses on. She was only sitting at the table for a couple of minutes with the rest of her party showed up. Jason smiled as he saw her. Loren wasn’t sure if she was going to like working with Jason or not. Shortly Mr. McClay came with his wife. His wife was a lot darker than he was but, she was really pretty. She had the whitest teeth she ever saw. Her hair too was in a ponytail. She wore a solid light blue dress with a large flower at the bottom. She was a little worried that his wife might be rude to her, but she wasn’t. She was so sweet.
“Hello, I am Loren. Your husband is my lawyer and also I believe still part owner of the company.” Loren said with a smile.
“Nice to meet you Loren, I am Sherri. My husband filled me in over here. This place is lovely. I am glad you suggested it.”
“I am sorry you were dragged all the way here. I didn’t want to take away from family time.”
“Trust me Loren I am the one normally doing the dragging. My husband told me a couple days that he would be working with you. And he would like to set up a meeting outside of work in a relax setting. The only day that could set up this meeting is today. Normally, James like to do this at the end of the week, but our three daughters have games that James has to go to. Plus, I love to see who he is working with.”
“I am very glad to meet you Sherri. I think all honesty to day is the best day because if the whole week is like this I am going to need time to get myself together.” Loren said.
Robert wanted to wake up around six o’clock to go the restaurant, but he ends up waking up at eight o’clock. He changes clothes and went by the restaurant. When he arrived there he saw was Jason, and two other people leaving from the table. His stomach was really turning and reminded him that if he wanted to live he had eat. So he sat at the bar and ordered some food. He watched as Thomas came to the table and told her party that the food was on him. He could tell that she was tried. He figured that she was in a business type meeting. Thomas led Loren to the bar. Loren finally saw him after thirty minutes of being there.
“What are you doing here?” Loren asked.
“I woke up and I was hungry and I remembered that you work here. Plus I only worked a half of day at work and I was so tried.”
“That’s right you started your new job today. I am surprised that you could work a half a day and get tried. How long have you been here?”
“I have only been here for thirty minutes. I am waiting on my food. I told them to put the dessert at the table too.” Right after he finished his statement the waitress brought his food out.
Then Thomas saw Loren and noticed that she was talking to another man. Thomas came to the bar and saw it was Robert. He should have been less surprised. Robert never liked him. There was only one of two reason that he didn’t. One he saw her like his little sister and didn’t want his little sister going out with him. Second, he was either in love with her or liked her. Or maybe he didn’t like him. He waited a now be couple years to prove Loren that he was what she needed.
“Robert, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. So what are you doing here?” Thomas said.
“Hello, to you too. I was hungry. This too used to be Maria’s restaurant. I needed to see it.”
Loren excused herself to the bathroom. She felt stupid it. How could she feel that he was really there to see her. She went straight out of the bathroom to the office area. There was no problem in her doing that since the staff knew her. Her planned was to wait on the couch for a couple minutes to get her head straight before go out there with Thomas and Robert. She sat down on the couch and before she knew it she was asleep. She hadn’t slept all day.
Robert notice that Loren didn’t come out of the restroom. He was starting to get worried. He didn’t know why he lied. He didn’t want to see anything left of Maria. He should have told the truth. He was there for her. He was there for Loren. When Loren went to the bathroom he told Thomas the truth. He told him that he was really there because of Loren. He wished he would have said it when she was around.
Thomas was glad to know what he was up against. Robert had told him that he was there for Loren. Thomas knew that there was a little more to the story than just that. He wanted to know what. After the men had a little small conversation than Robert and him noticed that Loren didn’t came back. He went to his office after he looked every where in his restaurant. He came in his office and saw Loren laid down on the couch. He would have to leave her there until he closed up. Robert had followed behind him.
Robert should have known that Loren was a little tried. He guessed that she didn’
t go back home and take a nap, but went straight to work. He wanted to take her home, but it didn’t look right for some woman to be pulled out of the restaurant dead looking. He would have to let Thomas take her home. Robert didn’t want to, but he have too. It was getting late and it was already nine-thirty and he had to go back to sleep. He had to be at work at four o’clock in the morning. Very sorrowful he left what was now Thomas’ restaurant and went back to his home. He wishes that he could take her with him, but he was still living with Steve. He had to be at the restaurant in the morning around four o’clock. Chris had been supportive, but he had to know that Robert was serious. But all the same he had a moment that he felt that he was making a bad mistake.
Thomas was relieved when Robert left. He remembered Loren telling him that she moved, but she never told him where. There was only one place that he could take her is to his apartment. For some reason she was in a deep sleep. He could only image what made her that way. It only took them a couple minutes to get to his apartment. He was so glad that he lived on the first floor. He took off her dress that she been wearing. He was so happy to see that some women still wear slips. Thomas stopped and looked at her after he laid her in his bed. He thought to himself that his is what happiness feels like having the woman that he always wanted was laying in his bed. Thomas was a gentleman and got his bed clothes out of his drawer. He was glad he bought a pull out couch. In a matter of minutes he was asleep.
Loren wakes to the sound of snoring. She looked on the dresser and saw it was six o’clock in the morning. She got out of bed. She realized that she wasn’t over her house. The only reason why she knew it was Thomas’ apartment because of the picture of them two at a baseball game that her company that she used to work. She knew that Thomas a gentleman that is what she liked about him the most. Every picture on his bedroom had her in it. Lucky for her that his bathroom was in his bedroom, she was going to go back to the room when she saw Thomas lay in the spot that she was in. He was smelling the pillows that she laid in. She waited thirty minutes before she came out of the bathroom. She sneaked out of the house. Waking up in Thomas apartment like that made her feel like she was cheating on Robert even through she knew that nothing went on. It was good that she still had some bars on her cellphone. She totally forgot that her car was in Thomas’s apartment. She called the only person she knew to call which was Robert she hated to do it.
Robert only slept three hours, but he wasn’t tried. He couldn’t believe he let Thomas take her home. Even with the little sleep he did get he couldn’t take his mind off of Loren. He wished he was smarter and took her home with him. He told himself that she would get more sleep with Thomas taking her home. Then he remembered that Thomas didn’t know where she lives that means she was over his house. Thomas the only man that he felt would take Loren away from him. The only man that could. Just as the thought enters his head he hears his telephone rings.
“Good morning, this is Loren. I didn’t mean to wake you up “
“Trust me you didn’t wake me up. I am at the restaurant. Remember I started at Chris’s restaurant. Do you want me to pick you up from Thomas’s apartment?”
“How did you know I was at Thomas’s apartment?”
“I just realized that Thomas doesn’t know where you live. Give me his address and I would be over there as soon as possible.”
Loren gave Robert the address and just like he said he was over there as soon as he could be. She wondered why he didn’t take her to where he lived. Maybe he didn’t like her as much as she think. She was unaware that Thomas was watching from his window to see if she was ok. Thomas knew that she called Robert. Robert arrived in front of the apartments and Loren got in.
“Loren, I am sorry I didn’t take you to the place where I am living. Can you forgive me?” Robert said as he pulled in front of now Thomas’ restaurant.
“Yes, I can.”
Loren was about to get out of the car when Robert’s hand stop her. She turned around to look at him. He took off his seatbelt. He came he pulled her face towards him and kisses her lightly on the lips.
“Thanks for forgiving me. Now you have a wonderful time at work. I’ll make you dinner when come home.” Robert smiled.
“Ok.”
Loren just knew that she was dreaming. He didn’t just kiss her she told herself. Right when she was about to get to her car she notice that his car was still there. Robert got out of the car and came to her.
“Sorry, I didn’t do that right.” Robert grabs her whole body and kissed her again.
Robert wanted her know that he kissed her. He didn’t want her to guess if he kissed her or not. He wanted her and he wanted to talk about where their friendship would be going. And why not he is single and she is single. This is the time and if it is not the God would stop them from being together.
She arrived at home around seven- fifteen. She got dress and grabbed some fruit out of the refrigerator and headed to work. She arrived forty – five minutes earlier than she was supposed to. The little work that she was taught in a short time she started to do. Unusual she thought to herself that she would have finished in two hours what would have normally would have taken her eight.
“Good morning Ms. Crawford. I am sorry I am late. Today all you would have do is work on what I taught you yesterday. Where are the materials I laid in your desk?”
“They are right here. I think I finished them do you want to take a look? What else are we learning to day?” Loren said with uncontained smile.
“Let me see.” James McClay took the papers and looked at it. “Have you ate breakfast?”
“Not really. I ate a piece of fruit. Why?”
“Why don’t you eat breakfast while I take a look at these? Make sure you take a hour lunch. If these are all done then I will let you have the rest of the day off. I have to go to a meeting in three hours. Jason is in meetings all day. Before I can teach you anything else I have take care of these meetings.”
“Ok. You have my number. Let me know either way.”
“I let you know.”
Loren almost left the office jumping for joy. The day for her was getting better and better. All of a sudden she realizes that she needed to thank Thomas for let her sleep in his bed. So she decided the best place to thank him was at his restaurant, but instead she went home. Only one hour after she got home she hears the doorbell. She opens it to found that a delivery service that gave her flowers. She looks at the flowers after she closes the front door. She notices that the flowers didn’t have a card. As she just put the flowers in a vase and on the table the doorbell rings again. She answers the door to find Thomas at her door with flowers and some breakfast.
“I thought I bring you breakfast and some more flowers. I know how gerbera daisies and tulips are your favorite.” Thomas said with smile.
“Come in. You said that you brought me more flowers?”
Thomas just looked into her eyes as if she completed the depth of him. Thomas didn’t asked if he could make coffee he just did. He knew how she like her coffee. He thought he knew everything about her. Loren had changed. Deep in her heart she was waiting for Robert and that didn’t change because Thomas was in the picture.
“Loren, I wanted to say I am sorry. First, I did take a look at your new address when you were sleeping at my house. Second, I am sorry that I just came over your house like that. Do you forgive me?” Thomas said while stepping right in front of her.
Loren didn’t know what was going at this moment. He bent down his head to kiss her. The kisses were first slightly light on her lips. The longer she was in the kiss the deeper the kisses became. She became light headed. She didn’t remember him kissing so well. She didn’t know why around a year of dry spell now she is trap between three men who wanted to be with her. Thomas was changed and she could tell. Thomas was the man she always wanted him to be. She did stop the kiss short.
“Why did you do that?”
“What do you mean why? Loren, I miss you since the time we broke up with you. All the things I was afraid to be. I end up being because you left. I still love you.”
Robert didn’t know that today out of all the days was going to be busy. One of Chris’s chefs was sick. Because the chef wasn’t just sick, but he was in the hospital he needed to find someone. He had to call in a favor from his father. He needed his father to come down. He knew how his father really doesn’t like to travel, but he called him anyway. His father would be coming there the next day. It looked like part of his learning lessons in the restaurants was fitting what could go wrong. He had three waiters that called in sick and that would have been a problem if it wasn’t for another three being two hours late because of traffic problems because of a wreak. Chris was calling in favors. One of the favors was from Loren.
Loren cellphone rang right when Thomas was telling her that he still loved her. It was James McClay. He told her that she didn’t have to come back to work. Right after that called ended then she got call from Chris telling her that she need to help him at the restaurant. She told him that she could be there in fifteen minutes. He told her not to take the highway where the accident was at. The whole accident covered and blocked the whole high way no cars could get through not until the three cars was removed from the highway.
“Loren, I know this gabble, but can you help us at the restaurant. If you know anyone that could help us in too that would be helpful.” Chris said over the telephone.
“I’ll see what I can do. I will be there in fifteen minutes. I don’t have to be at work to day.” Loren hung up the cellphone. “Thomas I have to go.”
“Where are you going?”
“My friend Chris has a problem at his restaurant. He is low staffed and the restaurants about to open in thirty minutes for the lunch crowd.”
Chestnut Brown And Cinnamon Happiness Page 16