Lost in Translation

This is my first story, so bear with me please. I hope you like it. Comments and critiques are welcome!

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Chapter 1

She was running late! She hated running late. Esther prided herself on being punctual, and given her busy schedule she needed to be. She was supposed to have been back in the office 15 minutes ago, but lost track of time at lunch with her friends. Sarah had just gotten engaged and had been showing off her ring. And then they had just gone on and on about wedding preparations.

'It's about time Chase got off his ass and asked her!' Esther thought, 'Oh, no! Not another red light!'

Esther was standing at a pedestrian crossing, checking if cars were coming and then hurried across the street. Then she jogged the last couple of blocks to her office building. Just as she turned the corner to hurry across the courtyard to the main entrance, she 'oofed' as she hit what felt like a wall and then was doused in coffee.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you coming" the wall said.

"Watch, where you're going! Oh, damn! My clothes are ruined! I can't go back to work like this," she aggravatedly checked her watch, "to which I'm really running late now!"

"Sorry, about your clothes, I'll pay for the cleaning. And at least now you have a good excuse for being late."

Esther looked up into the light blue eyes, with genuine concern in them. The eyes belonged to a man wearing a suit, which he filled out quite nicely, she noted. A dark blond lock of hair fell into his forehead as he looked down their clothes, both soaked from the coffee he'd been carrying. His other hand was at her elbow steadying her; else she would have landed on her bottom when they had collided.

She sighed, "No, it was my fault, too. I was in a hurry, and didn't really look where I was going." She smiled apologetically.

He returned that smile and then reached for his inside pocket pulling out a business card, "If you change your mind about the cleaning bill... or you need someone to verify your alibi for being late..."

Esther grinned as she took the card and then stepped around him, shoving it into her pocket, "Thanks, but I really have to get going now. Bye." Then without looking back she hurried into the lobby and into the elevator. As she turned around hitting the button for her floor she saw him still standing there, staring after her. 'Great, another first impression that could have gone smoother.'

Esther got off at her floor and walked past the reception desk and down the hallway to the office she shared with another colleague. She dumped her purse inside the door and then walked over to the restroom to clean up as good as possible. Just as she reached the door, she heard her name called out.

"Esther, you can't just come and go around here as you please. Do you know what time it is?" Max Eckhart, her boss, was not in a good mood today. Then he took in her clothes and asked, "What happened to you?"

"I know I'm late, Max. I was hurrying back here and ran into someone who spilled his coffee all over me."

Somewhat appeased, Max grunted, "Well, get cleaned up and back to work. I need those manuscripts translated and on my desk by the end of the day."

Esther nodded and headed into the restroom. After dabbing off most of the moisture and scrubbing a few of the particularly bad stains with paper towels, she ran a hand through her hair and tried to look presentable, checking her appearance in the mirror. She was a bit shorter than average, but made up for that by wearing high heels almost everywhere. Her long dark brown hair fell past her shoulders as critically examined a stain on her blouse over her left breast.

'As if they don't draw enough attention already,' she thought, 'here I go and make a spot right on the tip.' Groaning inwardly she tried covering up the stain by pulling her blazer over it. As she entered her office her colleague looked up from her work. Aisha raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a t-shirt and handed it to Esther.

"Thanks, you're a life saver! Why do you keep a t-shirt in your desk?"

"For just such emergencies. You know me, I have a talent for making stains on my clothes just before meetings, so I keep a spare just in case." Aisha grinned and turned back to her work.

They worked for a translation agency, translating texts for law firms and small publishing firms, or working as personal translators. Esther and Aisha were working on the same manuscript at the moment, a collection of essays from a psychology journal that were supposed to be published in book form. Aisha, her family coming from Turkey, translated the texts into Turkish, but also Greek and Russian.

Esther translated into German, Italian and Korean. Her father had been a German air force pilot, her mother a Korean nurse. She had grown up moving around a lot, and learning the language in whatever country they were living in. She was proud of her language skills, as she spoke seven languages fluently. These skills had made her rise quickly in the agency, being a senior translator at age 26. She would probably be junior partner within the next three years. At least that was her plan.

After changing into the t-shirt Esther worked silently, occasionally checking terminology in a dictionary. After about 2 hours there was a knock on the door and Steve, who worked in the office next door, poked his head in.

"How far along are you guys? About ready for a coffee break?" Aisha and Esther looked at each other and broke into laughter. Steve looked confused, "Something I missed?" Esther filled him in on their way to the break room.

"So, who is this guy?" Steve asked.

"Don't know. Haven't seen him around before, probably a client of someone in the building. He gave me his card, in case I change my mind about the cleaning bill."

"And..?" Aisha was curious.

"Where did I put it...? Ah, here it is: Andrew T. Carrow, Marley Electronics. There's a cell number here, and an e-mail address, but that's it."

"You should call him!" Aisha urged, "From what you say he's cute, and you haven't been on a date in ages. You could ask him to meet you for a cup of coffee!" she grinned.

"Ha, ha, very funny. And what do you know about my dating habits? He probably just pitied me, anyway."

"You give yourself too little credit, Esther." Steve tried to put in.

"No, I'm just realistic. I ran into him, spilled his coffee over both of us, and then took off running. No way would he want to see me again. Now, let's get back to work. I want to get out of here at a decent time for a change."

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Drew watched as she left the office at 6.30 that evening. She had a gym bag thrown over her shoulder and headed for the subway station. She was not quite what he had expected. But not in a bad way. He enjoyed the view of her swaying hips as she walked down the street. Not bad at all...

Of course, she was a lot shorter than he was used to, about 5'3'', almost a foot shorter than he. But she had felt nice when they had bumped into each other, curves in all the right places. She didn't have a model figure, she had some exceptionally nice breasts though, he noted, and he had felt a toned body under that suit of hers.

He was already looking forward to meeting her again the next day. He wondered how she would react to the encounter. Today's run in had been a coincidence, tomorrow would be a planned professional meeting. She hadn't seemed too impressed by him, maybe tomorrow he could change that.

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Esther hurried into the Tae-kwon-do studio. Wednesday's was her day to start the warm up. So she quickly changed and bowed before she stepped onto the mats.

She had studied Tae-kwon-do since she was a little girl; it had been her one constant wherever she had moved growing up. She had joined other school sports as well, basketball and softball, and had excelled in other activities in her early youth, ballet and gymnastics. But depending on where they lived school sports were not always an option, and puberty had messed up her balance and body build to go on with ballet and gymnastics.

Her mother had first introduced her to Tae-kwon-do, giving her active children an outlet for their energies. At the age of 9 Esther had joined Tae-kwon-do studios wherever they lived earning her way up the ranks even when she had to find a new place to train every 3 or 4 years. Today she was one of the best black belts at her studio and her master had even talked with her about taking master training.

After class many of the group headed out for a drink, Esther decided to skip this week. She was tired. She had been able to finish that manuscript just in time and then had been told, that she would be meeting a new client the next day, who had requested her as a personal translator. She had been asked to prepare for simultaneous translations of Italian, Korean and Chinese, and to brush up on technical terminology.

Work didn't always end at the office. Like this time, she had to do some preparation on her on time. But she loved her job. It allowed her to do a lot of reading, luckily often not as boring as psychological essays, and interact with people. She had translated for business men, actors, diplomats and politicians, even taken few trips when she had to travel for a job. Those were her favorites; growing up moving around a lot, settling down wasn't easy, but she had decided it was best for her career, so when she got to travel, it gave her a glimpse of her world back, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

At home she drew a bath. She had only showered quickly at the studio, washing off the sweat of the workout, now she was planning to relax. She put on Alicia Keys, lit some candles and generously added bubble bath to the water. Afterwards, she wrapped herself in a soft robe, sat on the couch with a glass of wine and her laptop. On the laptop she had a translation program where she pulled up the terminology and languages she needed to prepare.

When she went to bed, it was after midnight. But she felt well prepared for the meeting the next day. As she fell off to sleep, she remembered a warm firm body and smiling blue eyes.

**********

The meeting was at 10 the next morning. Strangely, Esther had not been given any information on the client or what kind of job exactly this was going to be, save that she should familiarize herself with technical terminology. When questioning Max, her boss, he just said that the client had come in the day before, requested her specifically and explained that all details would be discussed only with her personally.

It was not the usual procedure, but occasionally, sensitive information was handled by them, so she just left it at that. She finished up some paperwork before preparing to go into the meeting. She grabbed a notepad and a pen, pulled on her blazer, and checked her appearance in the small mirror from her purse. She always made sure to make a professional impression, as there had been instances, where clients had not taken her seriously, given her age and looks. She had always proven them wrong, of course, but had found, if presented with a serious suit and a pair of glasses, people tended to be more impressed.

As she entered the meeting room, Max was already there talking with the client. She couldn't see him, as Max was standing in the way, but that voice sounded vaguely familiar. Then Max stepped aside and she found herself staring into smiling blue eyes once more.

"Esther Wieland, this is Andrew Carrow from Marley Electronics. Mr. Carrow, Ms. Wieland is one of our best interpreters. I'm sure she can fulfill all your expectations. - Esther, all further details will be discussed with Mr. Carrow. The rest of your assignments for this and next week have been cleared. Mr. Carrow has requested your full cooperation and access at all times." After introductions he made move to sit down at the table.

Esther raised her eyebrows looking from Max to her new client and back. This was not how this usually went, and clearing all her assignments was something only done when there was travel involved. So far nothing of the sorts had been implied. Shaking her head mentally, she reached out her hand to Mr. Carrow, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Carrow. I hadn't expected to see you again so soon."

Taking her hand Drew answered, "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Wieland. Did make up your mind about that cleaning bill? I do hope the damage wasn't irreparable."

Max was confused, so Drew explained quickly, that they had had a little run in the day before, as he had left the agency.

"So it was you who had spilled the coffee over Esther!"

"Yes, though at that point I hadn't known that I was dealing with my interpreter. I'm sorry for any delay I might have caused her by the incident." Drew smiled apologetically, and then took his seat at the table pulling out some files from his briefcase.

Before Max could answer, Esther interjected, "No problem at all, Mr. Carrow. Thank you for taking this so lightly. Now, why don't we get down to business? Other than preparing for translating technical terms, I haven't been told much about this assignment. Would you please fill me in?"

"Of course. However, you will be dealing with some very sensitive information, so I would ask you to sign this confidentiality statement first."

Drew handed her a three page contract, which she skimmed quickly. She knew this kind of statement, she had signed them before, but this one was a bit more extensive and severe. She knew Max was about to offer their legal team take a look at it, when she took the pen and signed it. This assignment was getting more intriguing by the minute.

She handed it back to Mr. Carrow expecting him to give the same contract to Max. But instead he just handed her a copy for herself and turned to Max, "I must ask you now to leave, Mr. Eckhart. I know this is unusual, but I must insist, that only Ms. Wieland be fully aware of the details. She will inform you of any developments that concern you and your agency, but everything is purely on a need to know basis so I would beg for some privacy, please."

Even Max was surprised by this, but after a moment, he just nodded and got up. "If you need anything please feel free to ask. I will be in my office. Esther, please see me afterwards. Mr. Carrow, it was a pleasure meeting you. I'll leave you to it now." With that he left.

Esther was surprised he hadn't argued about it, but suspected, that Mr. Carrow had negotiated some specific terms before her arrival. Max would probably let her know later. She then took her seat across from Mr. Carrow and looked at him expectantly.

"I know that this might seem a bit like overkill to you, but my company is on alert for corporate espionage, so we take as many precautions as we need."

Esther nodded at that and then got curious, "Thanks for the clarification. What exactly is my job here? I assume that your company has developed some revolutionary prototype, that you don't want to get out, but what do you need me for?"

"You have a quick mind. You are right, some revolutionary prototype has been developed, but not by my company. A Chinese company claims this right and is willing to show it to a select group of scientists and engineers to discuss its further development before announcing it to the public. Why do I need you: my company does have its own interpreters, but they are specialized in only one or two languages each, and as I will be working with scientists from around the world, I need someone who speaks a few more languages. Each guest scientist is allowed only one interpreter, so I seek you your services. This project is top secret; I'm not even sure exactly what will be presented."

At this Esther got more than a little excited, although not showing it. She knew she had to keep up a professional front. This is the kind of job she had always dreamed about: travel, adventure (at least a little), translating several languages at once, and all topped off with a sexy client she was looking forward to working with closely. Of course, the nature of their relationship would remain purely professional, but eye-candy didn't hurt.

"What exactly will my services entail? I assume I will be given a list of the other participants, so I know what languages I will be dealing with. Maybe some background info on this Chinese company would also be helpful. Where is this presentation taking place, in China or somewhere else? How long will you need my services, and when exactly is the presentation?" She went through her notes, in case she had forgotten any important questions.

Drew smiled approvingly, she was a lot smarter than one would expect, and that boded well for their further relationship. He needed to get to know her a bit better, before he revealed all that he knew, but for now all signs were on go.

"We will fly to Shanghai next Tuesday, where we will stay for five days. Please do not inform anyone of our destination. All flight arrangements have already been made. I will have dossiers of the other scientists and of the Chinese for you tomorrow. Please do not study them in the presents of others. Any time you spend working on this at home will be compensated. We will be working together closely, and I will expect you to anticipate some of my actions. So I suggest we get to know each other on a personal level as well a professional."

At that Esther looked up from her notes. What was that all about? She had never had a client ask to get to know her on a personal level. Well, not that way. Was that a sly way to ask her out or was it really just as he said.

Before she could question him, he went on, "I suggest that we have dinner together tonight! That way, away from work we can see if we connect personally as well. It will make this assignment that much easier."

Ha, she knew it. He was hitting on her. Admittedly, very smooth, but she made a point of not getting involved with clients. "Mr. Carrow ..."

"Drew, please. May I call you Esther?"

"Mr. Carrow! I don't think getting personally involved is such a good idea. I assure you, that I will be perfectly capable of doing my job without having a personal relationship with you." Esther almost glared at him, but was able to keep her expression neutral.

He realized then, that he might have come on too strong. Normally, this wouldn't have happened to him, but she had him a bit off. God knows why!

He tried to smooth over with honesty, "Ms. Wieland, Esther, I'm sorry if I have offended you. I realize that you will perform at your best no matter the circumstance. But I would actually like to get to know you. And this is a purely personal notion. I admit you intrigued me yesterday. If we hadn't met again here, I would have asked around for you after this meeting trying to find you and ask you out. I know this is completely unprofessional, but would you have dinner with me anyways?"

She wasn't sure how to respond to that. On the one hand, she had a rule against dating clients, on the other, had he not been her client, she would have accepted his invitation. He seemed like a great guy, intelligent, good looking, a sense of humor... Maybe she should give him a chance, and bend the rules just once. Who knew, maybe she would be passing up Mr. Right. She couldn't know unless she tried.

"Alright, Mr. Carrow... Drew. But if this does not work out, I expect you to still act professionally until this assignment is over. It will be difficult to find anyone with my skills; you know that as well as I do. And I'm actually looking forward to this one."

He smiled and took her hand, "I promise that I will be absolutely professional. But I have a feeling that this will work out just great. So... pick you up at seven?"

She grinned and nodded. She gathered her notepad and pen and walked to the door, "See you tonight. I'll leave my address and number at the reception for you." With that she left the room and headed for her office.