"When did this get here?" Nicholas Beauchene asked those around him, holding up an interoffice mail envelope. In the "Tombs," as the rest of the Beverwyck Insurance Company calls the main office's information technology department, interoffice mail never arrives before noon and Beauchene had just arrived at his desk.
"It was here when I got here," fellow programmer Natalie Harrison answered. She shook her head. "I don't know. Someone must have deemed it important I guess."
He shrugged his shoulders and opened the envelope. Inside was a plain white letter-size envelope addressed to him. He opened it and pulled out the letter. He sat after reading the first sentence, finishing it quickly. He slowly looked up and stared blankly.
"What's wrong?" Harrison asked. She walked to his desk and took the letter from his hand. She skimmed quickly the words, coming to the end and understanding the reason for his expressionless face. The letter was from a secret admirer, a woman that has a crush on him. She's invited him to lunch on Saturday, the following day. She will be distinguished from the other women at the Passion Café by wearing red.
"What are you going to do?" She placed the letter on his desk and stood over him like a big sister.
He slowly turned his head to her. "I don't know." He inhaled and closed his eyes. He did a quick inventory of those women at the company that could have sent him such a letter, those single and divorced women who could have such feelings for him. The list wasn't long, a few secretaries on the executive level and a few more file clerks throughout the building came to mind, even some of the divorced mature women in claims. He dismissed them all; not believing any of them could write such a letter to him.
"I think you should go," she said. She giggled and added, "Hey, you never know. You might get lucky."
He gave her a sarcastic laugh and put the letter in his desk. He went to answer, give a good funny quip, but left it within his mind. "Yeah, I guess so."
She laughed at her desk. "You do need it."
"You think so?"
"I know so. It's been far too long since the bitch left you and the divorce is official."
"I went for an annulment."
"So your future bride, if any, could have a Catholic church wedding?"
He nodded. "I think that was the best thing, since she basically abandoned me for that prick when he flashed his cash in her face."
"You're better off without her," another woman added. Jennifer Matthews was another programmer, an older woman who was there for him when his marriage crumbled.
Nicholas spun his chair towards her direction. "How times have I told you that you were right?"
She sat on her chair and smiled broadly. "Not enough times."
He rolled his eyes and turned to his monitor.
"I guess that means he doesn't want to play anymore," Harrison said.
"Yes it does," Matthews added as she turned her computer on.
*****
It was difficult for him to concentrate on work: his mind wandered too often on who could have authored the letter, who was his secret admirer. He didn't speculate aloud. He knew no one get any work done and the two women would ask him personal questions, ones that he was not ready to answer. He came up with a list of five possible women.
The first that came to mind was the 18-year-old in claims. Carla Warrington began working last June and immediately took a shine to him, followed him around during the summer picnic and danced with him twice at the Christmas party. He admitted to himself that being with her wouldn't be such a bad thing, but there could be drawbacks: clinginess and marriage on her mind were two.
The second most logical woman was Belinda Jackson. Belinda worked in claims as a representative. At 29, she was older than Nicholas was. She was also divorced. She had no children and from their conversations, she was happy with it. Nicholas wasn't sure if she had the feelings for him professed in the letter, but he really didn't know her feelings for him beyond being a good friend.
Next on his list was Marie Hightower. A redhead and very outgoing, Marie would spend much of her free time around his desk, trying to get him to get out of IT and into her department: Production. She was his age and had the same level of education. He felt, though, if she had romantic feelings for him, she would tell him to his face.
Fourth name to come to him was Charlotte Nance. A blond-haired beauty hired a month earlier; she worked with the executive assistants as a general office person. She was curvy, a female feature that all too often made him drool without him realizing. He knew she was single: she was one of his dance partners during the Christmas party.
Finally, Phyllis Simmons came to his mind. An older woman -- 47 and divorced -- she was the Claims Department manager, making any relationship tricky. He knew she had some feelings for him: She tried to kiss him at the summer picnic. He didn't believe, though, she would write a secret admirer letter. She was the type that would tell him to his face her feelings for him.
He had the list thought of and for the most part dismissed before leaving for the day. He didn't tell either of his female co-workers he had a list of possibilities but did tell them both he would go and meet this secret admirer and have a report for them on Monday morning.
*****
"What the Hell am I doing?" Nicholas asked himself in the mirror. He stood in front of it while he brushed his hair. "Do I really need to meet her, know who she is?" He shook his head and placed the brush on the shelf.
He was dressed, deciding to wear a colored t-shirt under one of his dress shirts and a pair of black jeans. He left the top shirt untucked. He debated on whether to wear a pair of hiking boots or sneakers. He decided the boots would be best: winter weather is always unpredictable. He looked at himself once more, to make sure he looked presentable, before leaving the house.
The drive downtown took less than five minutes, but the search for a parking spot took twice as long. Once he found a spot and parked, Nicholas exhaled deeply and readied himself, giving another thought of who it could be. He didn't have a clue as to who was his secret admirer. He smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and headed out.
"Welcome to Passion Café," a young raven-haired teen told him as he entered. Her light blue eyes had a twinkle when he returned the smile.
"Are you taking out or dining in?" she continued.
"I'm supposed to meet someone, so I guess I'm eating in."
She smiled and walked to the host station. Picking up a small piece of paper, she asked, "Are you Nicholas?"
He smiled. "Not going to attempt to say Beauchene?"
She shook her head and pointed towards the booths in the back. "The woman is in one of the back booths. She said you know what to look for."
"Thank you," Nicholas said. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes in an effort to calm his nerves. He was ready for this, he told himself. There's nothing to fear. He exhaled and walked to the back.
She was sitting with her back to him, to the door. She was wearing a red sweater. He noticed that she had long brown hair, done up in a bun. He knew that hairstyle and it shock him that she was his secret admirer.
"Hello," he whispered.
She jumped slightly, frightened by his silent walk. She turned and faced him. Her dark brown eyes lit up when she smiled. She stood and held out her hand.
"Nicholas you came," Sylvia Heywood said, barely above a whisper. "I didn't think you would come."
Sylvia was an executive assistant to one of the vice presidents, Nicholas was unsure of which one. He knew that she had been with the company a few years before he was hired. He didn't know her age, but was sure that she was older, in her mid-30s. She didn't look it: to him, she could have not yet turned 30.
Being honest to himself, he had a crush on her since the first time he saw her, during his introductory tour through all the departments. He noticed her curves, noticed that that her breasts strained her blouse's material. He knew that nothing would amount to this feeling, however, since he was married to a similarly built woman.
Taking her hand and gently squeezing it, he tried to calm her fears. "Why would you think that?" He sat in the bench across from her. He noticed that she had a cup of coffee and a croissant while waiting for him.
She exhaled and looked down at the crumbs on the table. "I've seen you around the women in the office. You seem to be surrounded by women that are younger and skinnier than me."
He reached across and picked her chin up. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Have you heard of me dating them?"
She shook her head.
"And you won't." A wicked smirked came to his face as he continued, "My taste in women, in spite of what my former wife did, runs towards the curvaceous, the wide hipped, the ample-bodied."
Her eyes widened and a small grin began to appear. "Then why do you spend time with the skinny chicks?"
"It's not me that does the hanging, but the reverse is true. They come to me." He swallowed hard, knowing that he was about to share some personal information. "It's like since my wife left me those are the women that want to know me better, like they want to help me get over her."
She reached out and touched his hands. "I didn't know that. I am so sorry. If I may ask, when did she leave you?"
He chuckled and grinned. "You can ask. I'm over it. She left me about a year ago, left me for someone she worked with, someone with money."
"I know that you have an annulment. That was spread through the company." She held his hands a beat longer before taking hers away.
For the first time since he sat, Nicholas noticed that he was very comfortable with her. He didn't feel nervous any longer. He felt that he could be open and honest with her. He had a question to ask her, but it stayed unasked. A server showed up at their booth.
The young blonde smiled. "Would you care to order something now, or do you need a menu?"