A Seal Upon Your Heart

Chapter 10

She arrived at work at 7:30. Jen and Tim hadn't yet arrived and other than the receptionist, no one else was present on the floor. She liked the quiet and started the coffee brewing. The smell was intoxicating and it alone perked her up. The smell of coffee is one of the few things that she did remember from her life before the school and the nuns. Why, she didn't know. Only that the smell of it had always soothed her.

She wasn't sure what she should do to occupy her time until she was given her daily duties so she began with the file cabinets, checking to make sure that everything was filed properly—and of course it wasn't. It was like Jen has said. The temps before her hadn't cared or didn't understand and had put everything back haphazardly.

Tim was met with the smell of strong coffee and the sight of Jane busily straightening a file cabinet. She was so engrossed in her activity that she didn't even see him, and he took a moment to watch her. Her height still amazed him. She was pretty but somewhat dowdy. He didn't think it in a mean way. He realized that she had been raised in a convent and wouldn't have expected anything much different. She wore her hair pulled back into a bun that he hadn't seen on anyone since the '70s, and her skirt and blouse were outdated and ill-fitting. She was much too thin, but he didn't think that it was by choice. He suspected that she wasn't fed enough at that school for nuns. He'd seen her eat lunch yesterday. Jane was no salad eater.

"Good morning," he said.

Jane jumped and he thought she had nearly given herself a heart attack.

"Sorry," he said.

"I didn't see you!" She chuckled. "Good morning, Tim. I'll bring your coffee. You take it black?"

"Yes. Thank you, Jane." He went into his office impressed that she wasn't sitting there idly. He took off his coat, hung it, and sat in his chair. He did the same thing almost every morning. He turned on the radio then powered on his computer. His eyes fell onto the photographs on his desk and he sighed. Then he checked for messages.

Jane brought his coffee and set it on his desk then stood there for a moment. "What would you like for me to do for you today, Sir, um, Tim?"

He'd given the other girl a list of daily duties, but he supposed that it was too much to expect her to share them with this new girl. "I don't see any messages from the day before …"

"Oh!" Jane hurried back to the cubicle and located the messages. They were written on pink little message tabs.

He took them with a sigh then pointed to his daily planner. "It's imperative that my appointments be placed in this planner. If you see a conflict, you are to notify me immediately. Never leave a message for me on a pink sticky note. These are for your use. In the event that I'm not available to accept a message directly, you are to leave it on my voicemail, which I check several times throughout the day.

Jane was nodding and wringing her hands.

"Jane, relax," Tim said. "You're doing very well. I'm more than pleased with your work." He didn't realize that he was lecturing her until she began to look scared. Well, this was all probably strange for her. Corrine would have cautioned him to be patient. He would do what Corrine would have wanted.

"We'll start the morning getting you access to some systems. I have to be at court again today at one so it will be another busy morning." Tim continued talking and she tried to keep everything he said straight.

When Jane returned to the cubicle, Jen was already sitting in front of the computer with a cup of coffee and looking busy. Again, Jane noted the pretty clothes the other woman wore. Today it was a gray dress with a matching jacket. There was a slit in back and the dress hugged her perfect form. She wore gray pumps, not black, and they matched perfectly.

"Good morning, Jane," Jen said enthusiastically.

"Good morning." Yesterday they had found another office chair for her and she sat at the other end of the large desk. There were two desks that butted up against each other and formed two work stations. Jane noticed that Jen was looking at her personal email account. She leaned in to whisper to her.

"I heard him talking to you," Jen said. "What was he saying?"

"He wants you to help me get access to something called Axis …"

"Lexis Nexis?"

"Yes! That's it."

"And Westlaw. Okay, I just did it for myself, so I remember how to do that. Let's get started, shall we?"

The morning moved rapidly. Tim called Jen into his office to help with scheduling, and when the phone rang, Jane answered, remembering to sound professional the way everyone else did.

"Mr. Singleton's office. How may I help you?"

"Is Singleton in?"

"May I ask who is calling?" The man gave his name. "One moment, please." She placed him on hold and pressed the button for Tim's office.

"Tim. Mr. Rangbo is on the line."

Jane heard a pause. "There's no one on any lines." Jane looked down at the phone. No flashing lights. Oh no! She'd hung up on that man!

The phone rang again and Jane felt a prickly panic. "I'm sorry. I think I hung up. This is him again I think. Just a minute." She hung up on Tim and answered the phone again.

"Hello, Mr. Rangbo?" she asked timidly.

"Yes. It is me again."

He sounded far from patient. "I'm so sorry, Sir. I'll connect you."

Tim was standing at her desk when she looked up. He reached over and pressed a button. The correct button then retreated.

Jane covered her face.

Jen gave her arm a gentle pat and she almost jumped. "Don't worry Jane. Everybody does that, but only once." She chuckled with good humor.