A Seal Upon Your Heart

Chapter 8

Jen returned a few moments later, beaming. "Jane, can you go out and get lunch? Mr. Singleton was very happy and he's treating us all!"

Jane's eyes grew big and her stomach growled again. "I don't know where anything is located. I've never been downtown before."

Jen's brow gathered. "Are you serious? This is the first time you've ever been downtown?" Someone from the outer office glanced in their direction, and Jane nodded, embarrassed.

"I'm afraid that I don't know the city very well."

"Well I'll go. You just need to stay here and man the phones. Take good messages and say, 'Mr. Singleton's office. How may I help you?' Got it?"

Jane nodded.

"He wants me to order from Shanghai Mama's. What do you want?"

"Um …" Shanghai Mama's? "What are you going to have?"

"I usually have the house salad with ginger dressing."

Jane was much too hungry for only a salad. "I'll have whatever Mr. Singleton is having."

Jen nodded and grabbed her coat and purse from a cubby.

"Why don't you re-file these and when he leaves I'll show you around." Jen didn't wait for an answer and soon had her cell phone out and was placing the order as she hurried down the corridor.

Jane stared at the folders piled on the desk and floor and sighed. She had nearly cleaned everything up when Mr. Singleton opened his door. His blue eyes scanned the area in surprise. He had lost the scowl but seemed far from happy. It was as if his face didn't know how to be happy anymore. But at least he wasn't angry.

His eyes locked onto the blue mug and he seemed to blanch. His already pale face paled even more and he looked away.

"Is that coffee I smell?"

"Yes, sir. I'll pour you some—"

"No, I'll get it." He went back into to his office and returned with his own mug. "I'm sorry that your first day has been so hectic. It wasn't my intent to throw you right into the fire. But this is how it can get around here. If you prefer, I can place you into the typing pool or even the mailroom."

"Oh no, sir. I'm fine here."

He nodded and Jane watched as he took a sip of his coffee, noting that he took it black. "Mmm." He looked into the mug and she saw his lip twitch upward into an almost smile. "You made this, I gather?"

"Yes."

"I want you to make the coffee every morning."

"Yes, sir."

"You got this cleaned up very well. And you re-filed everything properly?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you have … any difficulties putting everything back in order?"

"Not at all, Mr. Singleton. Once I knew that everything was filed in date order, it was very simple." He seemed pleased by her response.

"This is probably a little late, but I'm Tim Singleton. If you work for me I expect you to call me Tim and not sir or Mr. Singleton. And I'll call you Jane. There are a lot of responsibilities working as an assistant. Many people work very hard for an opportunity to get out of clerical or secretarial to become an assistant. You've fallen into the job. However," he said as his eyes studied her closely, "if you can't cut it, you will be demoted."

"Yes, s-Tim."

"The hours are a little crazy," he continued. "The other girl will tell you how to track your time so that you get paid. Some days you might leave early, some days you might leave late. If I allow you to leave early, you will still get paid your full eight hours. You live in the … convent, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, is that going to be a problem?"

Jane couldn't foresee a day when he would ever expect her to work twelve hours. She didn't think it would be a problem. "I just have to be back by eight."

He nodded. "This position does come with a higher salary. You'll start out at twelve dollars an hour. After ninety days the job will be offered to you permanently, with a raise … if you want it. Do you find this acceptable?"

She nodded happily.

Tim spent another few moments talking. He explained that after he left for court, she was to go to the personnel office to fill out her employment paperwork. He finished his coffee and placed his empty mug in the sink then retreated down the corridor and disappeared.

Jane smiled to herself. He kept referring to Jen as that other girl, but he had remembered her name.

Tim headed for Marx's office thinking about the girl. He had been surprised by her height. It was rather odd to see a woman that tall. She typed fast and accurately, not to mention she knew how to make a decent cup of coffee. He rather liked the new girl, much better than the other, who had referred to his wife's filing system as "crazy." His wife had been his assistant for twenty years! It was due to her "crazy" filing system that he was able to work himself up to partner. Who was she to criticize when he kept catching her on her cell phone when she should be working? It was no wonder she had rushed through that report. Well, after she got the new girl trained, Tim intended to let her go. Or maybe he wouldn't even wait that long. He didn't want her teaching …Jane, yes Jane, any bad habits.