"Can I get you anything else?" Alex asked, expertly putting her coffee down next to her. She glanced down. Two creams and no sugar. Just the way she liked it.
Dana looked over at him before turning her computer on. "Um, no, thank you Alex."
"Ok. Oh, I have to call Brian at the Westwoods Agency to let him know we got the quote in last night."
"Yes, of course. Thank you." She said, pulling up her inbox.
Alex was her intern. She hired him as a temp during the summer months to help with the midyear rush. And he was awesome.
Dana felt a small flush as she caught herself watching him walk out of her office. There was something arresting about his demeanor. His voice. The way he looked at her. She hated admitting how nervous she felt around him lately.
Dana was divorced. She had a ten year old son. She was in her mid-forties - easily a good 20 years older than her protege. Also she was a self-proclaimed man-hater. But as hard as her outer shell was, she couldn't completely shake the longing she felt whenever she was near her intern. Part of her almost wished summer would hurry up. When he went back to college, she would be able to focus completely on work again.
Alex went back to his desk to make some phone calls. He really enjoyed working for the brokerage firm. It was challenging and fast paced. But he had a good boss. He had learned a lot from Dana in the few short months. He felt comfortable and confident.
And, while she was probably totally out of his league, he felt an attraction towards her. She had obviously been through a lot. Every day he brought his best game to work. She motivated him to be the best he could be.
He was supposed to help her with the backlog, but over time, he slowly learned her habits. How she liked to have lunch quietly at her desk while studying the market. How she avoided the office gossip. How she commanded respect and led the team in a positive and upbeat way. How she preferred her coffee. He liked to think of himself as her personal assistant.
Today was Friday. Every Friday, he knew she usually met up with her sister at a local restaurant across town. Alex knew this because he was given the privilege of checking up on her inbox when she took a week off in June. And forgot to disallow his access.
The morning carried on. The mood of the office was upbeat. Everyone was glad it was Friday.
Alex saw an email come in from Karen, Dana's sister.
"Hey I can't meet up with you tonight. But go have dinner without me. Go get that cute bartender's number. Love ya!"
He could hear Dana sigh loudly in her office and he chuckled quietly.
A few minutes later he checked the sent items. "Ha Ha I don't think so. But I will probably go anyway. Cheers."
Alex waited awhile before checking to see how she was doing. She looked tired. Her hair was down, halfway covering her face.
"Dana. Did you get the bind order for that golf course yet?"
She looked up, her brown eyes studying him. He was a good looking kid. "Uh, no, they didn't call back yet."
"Let me know if you want me to reach out."
"Thanks Alex."
The day carried on. Finally they started packing up. Alex waited for her to pack up and they walked out together. Every night they walked out like this. Sometimes they talked. Sometimes they enjoyed the silence. They got to their cars and said goodbye.
Dana saw the slight grin on his face as he waved. God he was a cutie. She could imagine doing all sorts of things to this young man. It was so wrong. She was probably close to his mother's age. She never asked him but she assumed he probably had some hot young girlfriend. Oh, to be young, she thought as she turned down the road to The River's Edge.
She got a small table overlooking the large expanse of water. It was her favorite restaurant. She ordered a glass and her favorite dish - chicken parm. She sat, sipping and watching the casual boat drift by.
In the meantime, Alex stopped by his apartment to freshen up. He showered and put on a clean shirt and stopped and looked at himself in the mirror. His five o'clock shadow showed but he thought it made him look older than 22 which is what he wanted. He dabbed some fresh cologne and jumped into his car. He was nervous. But he was more nervous about missing out on destiny.
Dana finished up and requested one more glass, and the check. Time seemed to melt before her as she focused on watching the waves sparkle in the dying sun.
