“I’m sorry about that,” he says quietly, leaning in so no one else can hear our conversation. “She’s the wife of one of my clients and she seems to have taken a liking to me. I have to walk a very fine line between being attentive enough not to upset her and have husband fire me and no so attentive that I give her even the slightest hint that I’m interested in her. Which I’m not.”
I feel slightly better about being ignored since he’s explained the situation. I know exactly where he’s coming from. There’s always that one client or client’s partner that needs to be made to feel special. I also couldn’t help but notice he made a point of letting me know he wasn’t interested in her. I want to read something into this, but the rational side of me won’t let me read anything into it. It was just the fact he didn’t want me to think he was pursuing a client’s wife.
We finish our starters and the team of wait staff clear the table quickly and efficiently and bring out our main courses. The main course is a beautifully presented chicken breast wrapped in flaky pastry and stuffed with cheese and pancetta. It is served with a medley of roasted vegetables and creamy looking mashed potato. I cut into the chicken and chew it slowly, relishing the flavor. It is cooked to perfection, moist, juicy and utterly delicious.
“So are you having a good time?” Brett asks me.
I smile and nod. “Yes. It’s fascinating to see how other people live isn’t it?” I say. “Although I must admit I was starting to find it overwhelming keeping track of everyone earlier. Don’t worry though, I have the important people to the company memorized.”
“Relax Opal.” Brett laughs. “It wasn’t a test. I was just making sure you were enjoying the evening. I know what a drag it can be when you have to attend these things regularly and I wanted to make sure you weren’t too bored.”
I laugh softly with him and shake my head. “I’m definitely not bored,” I say. “And to be honest, it’s very rare I come to these things. Your father usually comes alone or brings your mother. I only step in when he can’t attend for some reason.”
“Ah, so it’s all still fairly new to you then,” Brett says. “Don’t worry, you’ll start to dread them soon enough.”
“So you were dreading this evening?” I ask.
“Actually, I thought this evening might be a bit more entertaining than normal. You know, because I thought it would be nice to get to know you a little better, outside of the office.”
My heart skips a beat. Did he really just say what I thought he said? He did. I know he did. He didn’t mean it in the way I wish he meant it, but it’s good to know he’s at least willing to give us a chance to be more than formal colleagues.
“I’m sorry, was that crossing a line?” Brett frowns.
I realize I have been quiet too long, stunned into blissful silence by his revelation. I shake my head. “No. Not at all,” I say quickly. “I was just a little surprised by it, that’s all. I’ve worked for your father for three years now, almost a year as his personal assistant, and he’s never once made an effort to get to know me as a person.”
“Yeah, he’s old school,” Brett says, waving his hand dismissively. “He still thinks there should be a professional distance between employees and their boss.”
“And what do you think about that?” I ask, the wine and Brett’s sudden friendliness making me brave.
“I think people generally work better together when they know each other socially. I think it’s good to get to know the people I work alongside. There’s a time and a place to be formal, but there’s also a time and a place to be something a little more.”
I can’t decide if he’s flirting with me or not. I don’t think he is. I’m sure if he were, he would be a lot better at it, leaving me in no doubt about it. But I so badly want him to be flirting with me that I allow myself to believe that maybe he’s testing the water a little bit to see if I would respond if he did so. “I agree,” I say. “I don’t think there’s any harm in people getting to know each other, outside of the office.” My cheeks flush as I speak. I quickly pick up my wine glass and take a drink so I can look anywhere but at Brett’s intense, probing eyes.
“So tell me something about you,” he says. “Something that you wouldn’t bring up at the office.”
As I set my glass down, I wrack my brains trying to come up with something mildly interesting. When I’m put on the spot this way, I realize how boring my life is. How normal and run of the mill I am. It’s like when someone asks what my hobbies are. I’d love to be able to say white water rafting, or parachute jumping or something interesting, instead of reading and watching movies. “I was once the captain of the girl’s football team when I was in school.”
“Really?” Brett tilts his head at me. “And did you guys win anything?”
“Not that I remember.”
“You wouldn’t remember if you had?” he says, raising an eyebrow.
“Probably not. We were six at the time.”
Brett throws his head back and laughs.
“What about you?” I say, feeling brave again, since he’s laughing. “Tell me something about you.” Please don’t say you’re a train spotter or that you collect anything vaguely train related.
“On my gap year,
