It was Veronica's first day going to her new job. She was so excited to be starting a new life in a new city. She had been told that traffic was really bad due to construction, so she was taking the bus to work today. She had looked up the bus route but was a little unsure about where to get off. She asked the bus driver but he just mumbled something that she couldn't hear. Sitting down, she heard a man's voice say "Don't mind Sam. He never talks to anybody but he is always on time. Where do you get off, maybe I can help?" With that, Veronica turned to her seat mate and, for the first time, noticed this handsome black man. He was perhaps 40 with a strong face moderated by a twinkle in his eyes. "Thank you. I looked it all up but now I am not so sure."
"I understand, it was that way for me my first time on the bus. Where are you going?"
"22nd and Aims. I work at the Plaza Building."
"Oh, I work near there. Just get off when I do."
With that, they exchange names (his was Charles) and chat about the area where they both will be working.
"Well, here you are. I guess you don't know what time you are leaving. But if you get off about 5 there is a 5:15 bus. That's the one I usually take."
"Thanks. I hope to see you then."
With a nice start to her new adventure, Veronica strode confidently into her new place of employment. She asked the receptionist where to find Mr. Brandon, her new boss and was directed to the 15th floor. As she got off the elevator, he was there to greet her. "Veronica. Welcome! I can't tell you how anxious we've all been for you to start. We've been swamped recently and really need someone with your talents. But first, let me turn you over to HR for orientation." That began a whirlwind morning of filling out forms, listening to presentations on benefits and what the company did. There were 5 other people in her orientation session and all of them were really nice. After a nice lunch provided by the company, she was sent back to see Mr. Brandon.
"Mr. Brandon, here I am ready to get started."
"First, it is not Mr. Brandon. I am Fred. We don't use last names much around here. We're pretty informal, people are valued for their skills, not their titles. With that, I am going to turn you over to Charley. She has been doing your job in addition to her own for two months now and, boy, is she excited you are here."
It was almost 5:30 before Veronica got out of the office that day. It had been one of the most exhilarating days of her life but now she just needed to sit. Leaving the building, she realized she had missed her bus and the next one wasn't for an hour. Noticing a restaurant across the street, she made her way over there but was dismayed when she realized how crowded it was. Figuring it would be impossible to get a table, she walked over to the bar to get a glass of wine to sip while considering her options. As she approached the bar, she heard her name being called.
"Veronica, isn't it? Did you miss the bus too? One problem with Sam being on time, he leaves exactly when he is supposed to and won't wait a second longer. Are you here for dinner? It will be impossible to get a table now, but I have some pull with the maitre de and he is setting a table up for me in the back. Would you do me the honor of joining me?" It was Charles from this morning. Veronica was flustered by his manners and by how excited she felt seeing him again. She couldn't believe it, but his voice made her wet! Taking her silence as agreement, he took her elbow and guided her toward the back of the restaurant where his table was. "It's a good thing I got up to wash my hands or I never would have seen you." When they reached his table, she understood what he meant. The table was in a dark out of the way nook that looked like it was used for storage at times. But it was quiet and very private. Better yet, it had a curtain that Charles pulled across to shut the world out before drawing her chair out for her to sit.
Very quickly, the waiter arrived with a bottle of white wine. "Terry, as you can see I have been joined by this lovely lady. Can you bring another place setting? Oh, and bring her the special too. I hope you don't mind my ordering for you?" He said as he turned back to her.
"No, I am sure whatever you ordered will be fine. The smells in this place are heavenly."
Within minutes, the waiter had returned with a place setting. He quickly set the table and poured the wine.