BE MINE Blondie & The Bodyguard *Alabama and Jeremiah*

Crazy man

Alabama

I make the calls, input the data. The morning flies by and Kevin is already waiting here for us to go to lunch. I shut down my computer, happy with how far I have gotten so far. I think I am going to be a great secretary. I am actually proud of myself. I am really k!lling it. I haven't gotten the need to go outside just yet, which is new, because I would be suffocating by now. I glance over and see that Jeremiah still has his door closed. He slammed it shut earlier, and hasn't come out of his office since.

"I was thinking we could go eat at my favorite Mediterranean spot," Kevin says, "That sounds great," I say. We walk down the street, and he mostly talks about his work department. He tells me a little work gossip, like how mean Jeremiah is, and how they aren't used to him being in the office all day, or hardly ever. He says that he comes in for Monday meetings then leaves and sometimes is seen dropping things off in the afternoons, but he is always out, working the field, on duty, meeting with clients or whatever it is that he does. He tells me how the copy machine gets stuck, and you have to bang it 4 times with your palm for it to start working again. Yes, 4 times, not 1, 2 or 3, but 4, otherwise it won't work. "Why not just ask the boss-man to buy a new copy machine?" I ask and he laughs. "It is new. We have no idea why it does that, but once you bang it, it works just fine," he tells me. I kind of feel like he is playing a prank on me. I am not sure if this is really true or if I should take this guy seriously.

We arrive and get a small table in the corner. The waitress takes our order and brings us our drinks. "So, do you have a boyfriend?" he asks me as soon as our food is brought out. What does that have to do with work? I see where this is going, and I do not like it. "No, I am single." I tell him and take a bit of food. I moan. This is amazing. "Good, huh?" he watches me intently. I nod. I have lived on nothing or cr@p food before. This small hole in the wall is like a 5-star restaurant meal to me. They also serve huge portions, and I know I will not be able to eat it all. We get to know each other as coworkers. I do not get personal with him at all.

He tells me that every Friday, they end the week by all going out to the bar next door for drinks and to unwind from the weekly load. He tells me I should come. He asks me about my family, but I just say I have a big family. Again not wanting to get personal. Then he tells me about his. One thing about me is that I am not someone who ever asks about people's personal lives. If it is not my family, I try my best not to get close to others. That is why I am not sure going out with coworkers is a good idea. Coming here with him, I realize it wasn't a good idea. He isn't really talking about work. I check my watch and ask for a to-go container. I still have half of this meal left. I grab a refill on my drink, and we head back to work.

"So, how are you liking it here so far? I know Mr. O'Connor can be hard to deal with. He is probably very demanding of you. Everyone around here is afraid to even speak when he is in. Unless you are a pretty woman, then he is nice and very welcoming," he winks at me. Was that supposed to do something for me? He laughs, but my stomach turns. "His personality is rough and all," he adds. I smile and nod, not going to speak badly about Jer. I think we see him differently and have different opinions about him. "I actually like it here. I am glad Mr. O'Connor gave me this opportunity. He seems like a great person to me. His private life or whatever he does with women is none of my concern. I actually like his personality. I think he and I are very similar. Rough around the edges, hard to understand," I say. Kevin just looks me up and down and gives me a forced smile, nods and says he has to go. I wave at him as he gets in the elevator. I decide to take the stairs, needing to calm down before I get back to work.

Coming back from lunch, I do my last task on the list, which is to schedule a lunch meeting for him. I call the number he gave me. It rings and rings and rings, but no-one picks up. I hang up and check the number to make sure I am dialing correctly. I call again and after the second ring a woman answers. "Hello, how can I help you?" she says. "Hello, I am calling to schedule a lunch meeting with Mr. Brian Sinclair. I am Mr. O'Connor's secretary," I tell the woman. "Of course, I was waiting for your call. What time would be best for Jeremiah?" she asks. I am taken back. First-name basis with this woman. Hmm. "2pm" I tell her. "Perfect, I will put that down. Tell him Michy, which is me. I am Mr. Sinclair's secretary will make sure they get his favorite table at his favorite restaurant. I am so excited to see him," she tells me. "I will let him know," I say and hang up. I take a deep breath in, and release it. I add it to his calendar. He should get a notification, so he will be aware. With nothing else to do, I decide to check emails once again. A minute later, I hear my name. "Alabama, come here," he shouts from his office. I stand up and make my way inside.

"How can I help you?" I ask him. "You already input all of these files. That was fast," he says. "Yeah, it was easy. If you need me to do more, I have nothing else to do now," I say. "Did you take your lunch yet?" I nod. "Oh. He checks his watch. I should probably get something to eat too," he says as he eyes me, his eyes going to my skirt. He smirks. I shift uncomfortably. "I brought my leftovers, it was just way too much food if you want them?" he nods, so I run to my desk, grab the food and the refilled drink and hand it to him. He opens it up and begins eating it. Doesn't even bother warming it up or getting new utensils. But then again, he has had his tongue in my mouth and other body parts, so I don't think he cares if I used a fork before him.

I can't get out Michy's whiny voice out of my head and decide to find out who she is. I will casually ask him. "Did you get the notification about your lunch meeting?" I ask him and he shakes his head. He does some clicking on his computer and nods. "2pm, perfect," he says and turns his attention back to me as he eats. "Yeah, Michy said to tell you that she is so excited to see you, and that she will make sure to book a table at your favorite restaurant," I say. His begins coughing, choking on the food. "Oh," he clears his throat. "Alright, thank you," he says, now looking away from me. "What, who is she?" I ask. "Who, what? Who is who?" he asks, opening drawers on his desk and closing them, looking nervous. "Are you alright?" I ask him. "I'm fine Alabama," he says. "So who is Michy? She called you by your first name. Do secretaries always call clients or business partners of their boss by their first names? I have never worked in this position. I want to make sure I am doing everything to please," I say. His eyes widen at my words. "She is no-one. Brian's secretary. Do not call any of my clients or business partners by their first name. Do you understand?" he asks me. The way he is acting, I can tell that he had something to do with her. "Is she your ex-girlfriend?" I push, not wanting to know, but wanting to know. I want to know kind of meeting I will be attending. " No, she is just crazy. Now don't ever bring her up ever again. Be ready to go at 7am in the morning," he tells me and I frown. "So early in the morning? But the meeting is until 2pm," I say. "Yeah, but we will be flying. The lunch is in London, so we need to leave early in the morning," he says so casually. "Excuse me!" I scream shout. First, the woman did not sound like she had an accent on the phone, so I never thought that the meeting would be anywhere but here. And second, I can't just fly to London with him. Jeremiah is crazy.