I shake my head slightly. I don’t have time to be distracted by trying to work out exactly what’s going on here. It’s none of my business and if at some point down the line, I do need to know about it, then I know I will be told.
Tending to another two calls, I fend off three calls for Mr. Connell, taking down the details and promising to pass them on once Mr. Connell is out of his meeting. While typing up some letters, I hear footsteps coming along the corridor. I look up from my typing to see a man I don’t recognize, making his way along the corridor towards me.
A little on the short side, he looks to be about the same age as Mr. Connell, although the years haven’t been quite as kind to him. He has a little bit of a paunch and his hairline is receding. He’s wearing a very expensive looking suit.
I wonder briefly if it’s to compensate for his hairline. I tell myself to stop being a bitch as I stand up and extend my hand. “Mr. Meyers, I presume?” I smile.
He shakes my outstretched hand. He has a firm grip, but his palm is slightly sweaty. His sweaty palm makes him seem nervous, as does the slight twitch in his right eye. He smiles at me as he nods his head curtly, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
“I’m Opal Collins,” I greet him. “Mr. Connell’s secretary. If you’d like to follow me please.” I step around in front of Mr. Meyers and lead him towards Mr. Connell’s office. My own palms remain dry, my confidence buoyed by the nerves of Mr. Meyers.
Knocking on Mr. Connell’s office door, I push it open when he shouts for me to come in. I stand back and gesture for Mr. Meyers to enter. “Your eleven o’clock Mr. Connell,” I smile. “Would you like any refreshments brought in?”
“No thank you,” Mr. Connell replies, answering for both men as he stands up to shake Mr. Meyers’ hand. “That will be all, Opal.”
With a nod, I step out of the office and gently close the door. I’m tempted to remain in place and see if I can work out who the mysterious Mr. Meyers is and why he clearly doesn’t want to be here, but I decide against it. It would be the height of unprofessional and I would be fired instantly if caught.
I return to my desk and try to forget about my curiosity. It doesn’t take long for me to lose myself in finishing typing up the letters.
When I hear footsteps approaching, I steel myself for an argument when I tell whoever it is that Mr. Connell is unavailable but I relax when I see it’s just Jessie, one of the other secretaries.
She’s practically skipping along the corridor, her auburn curls bouncing on her shoulders as she approaches. She’s grinning, a wide grin that makes her eyes sparkle.
I know that look. It’s the look that says she has something particularly juicy to share with me. I feel a mild streak of annoyance run through me at the interruption for something that clearly isn’t going to be about the business, but I decide to hear Jessie out.
Reaching my desk, she plonks herself down in the chair opposite mine. She’s so excitable she reminds me of a puppy. All she needs to do is start panting. “Guess what,” she says, her eyes shining with excitement. She can’t keep still on the chair, her whole body shifting constantly. She reaches up with one hand and twirls a curl around her finger.
“What?” I ask, smiling despite my earlier annoyance as I feel myself getting pulled into her excitement.
“You have to guess,” she insists.
I roll my eyes. “You got a promotion?”
She shakes her head.
“You were right about Martha from accounts sleeping with the mailman?”
“Yes, I was right about that, but that’s not it,” Jessie gushes.
“God Jess, I don’t know. Have you won the lottery or something?”
Jessie laughs, a musical sound that is infectious.
Now, I feel the last bit of annoyance leave me, even though part of me wants to shake her to get her to cut to the chase.
“Honestly Opal, you are so bad at this game,” she says shaking her head.
Even my lack of game playing skills don’t keep her down for long though and she grins again as she finally reveals her news, “Word is that the ever elusive Brett Connell, Mr. Connell’s son, has just pulled into the parking garage.”
“Rightttt,” I say, drawing the word out into a question. How the hell would I have guessed that? And why is Jessie so excited about it? I mean I know Brett is rather elusive to say the least, but still. After two years of working directly for Mr. Connell, I have never met nor spoken to his son. But then is that so weird? Brett’s a grown man. He probably has his own life that doesn’t involve coming to see his father at work.
I’ve heard plenty of rumors about Brett. Everything from him being the black sheep of the family who did time in juvie as a teenager to him being a recluse who refuses to leave his home. The truth is probably neither of those things. Obviously, the latter isn’t true, or he wouldn’t be here now. And if the former was true, Jessie would already have spilled all of the details of it to me.
None of this really helps to explain why Jessie is so excited about this though. Or why she thinks I will care about the news. “Seriously Opal, try to at least pretend to be excited.” She laughs.
“Ok,” I say. “I’m excited. There… I pretended. Now why is this something you’re so excited about?”
“Now, I am offended.” Jessie tries to give me a
