Chapter I
Martin had no idea what to expect when they told him he was getting a temp. He had spent the past week in varying emotional states. They ranged from being irritated to being pleased and all the way over to stark terror.
He was irritated because he didn't think he had any need for a temp. He could handle his job quite well and was doubtful that an extra pair of hands would add anything to his work experience.
He was pleased because he saw this as an opportunity to help mentor a younger worker.
His terror came from the idea that the new temp might be a woman. Or more to the point, a young attractive woman! That could make things very awkward. At sixty years of age, he knew he wasn't likely to be on the wish list of many young women. But he had heard that many men had been subjected to sexual harassment suits by young office assistants in the recent past.
He was close enough to retirement age that an accusation like that wouldn't ruin his life. But he liked his work, and he wasn't ready to hang up his laptop. Not just yet!
He sighed audibly and stared absently out the window to the parking lot.
"I should call HR and tell them to send the temp somewhere else," he muttered quietly.
"That would be a shame!" a voice said from his doorway.
He looked up with a start to see Susan Wield, the HR director. Behind her was a mousey looking woman in her early twenties.
Susan was big, bold and brassy. She was in her forties, had bleached blond hair and enormous boobs. She always wore dresses that accentuated her curvy figure and high heels that thrust her ass out like the rear end of a tractor trailer.
She was funny and likeable though, and Martin always smiled when she came to see him.
"Cheer up Martin!" Susan said with a laugh, "You're getting a temp, not a replacement!"
Martin snickered and nodded uneasily.
"That's what you say now," he half-joked.
Susan scoffed and waved her arms forward and down in a gesture of dismissal.
"Nonsense!" she said, "And besides, this is a summer placement! Theresa hasn't even started college yet! Your job is quite safe!"
Martin sighed and nodded absently.
"Okay, this is Theresa," Susan said and pulled the woman who had been hiding behind her back forward, "She's going to help you in whatever way you find useful. She can type, she uses computers and knows how to file."
The girl, very short and slightly built, nodded shyly. She was dressed in a black pant suit, had large almost bug-eyed glasses on her face and long dark hair that fell halfway down her back.
"Be good to her and I'll be good to you!" Susan finished with a guffaw.
She left the room and Theresa looked toward him with wide eyes and a scared expression on her face.
Martin looked her over and then blushed slightly. He had been working himself up over this meeting for no good reason and he could see now that she was just a young girl who wanted a chance.
He sighed and did his best to show her an encouraging smile.
"Thanks for coming Theresa," he said uncomfortably, "I'm sure we'll find something you can do. Why don't you settle in at the desk in the outer office?"
The girl smiled shyly and nodded. Then she went to the desk outside his door.
She dropped her handbag on the floor by the chair and sat in the wooden roller chair.
Just then, Martin received an email. It was from Susan and had access and passcodes for Theresa to log onto the company computer.
He printed it out and then carried it out to Theresa's desk.
"You'll need these," he said and dropped the sheet onto the blotter in front of the girl, "I think it's self-explanatory, but I'll hang around until you've managed to log in."
Theresa gulped slightly but typed the details into the logon screen. Soon, she was looking at a welcome screen that guided her to set up her new email address. Within fifteen minutes she had everything she needed to get started.
"Well," Martin said with some surprise, "That was easy!"
"Yes it really was!" Theresa exclaimed happily, "I'm excited!"
Martin snickered quietly and looked at her. She was looking up at him like a child on Christmas morning. He felt something stir in him and he smiled in return. Then he coughed slightly and turned away.