"Riley!" I protested.
"Sorry," she mumbled with her hand over her mouth. "Got excited."
"You're a piece of work, kiddo," I laughed as I took a bite of my own lunch and chewed thoughtfully.
"I think Jack likes you, Leah," Riley repeated once she swallowed.
"How can you tell?" I laughed. "He's my boss. He needs to be nice to me so that I do good work."
"No, that's not it," she said, thoughtfully tapping the side of her soda bottle as she tried to formulate the same thoughts I'd had but had failed to find words to describe. "I think he likes you because he says nice things, and he wants to hang around you."
"That seems like it could be anybody," I pointed out. "There are tons of nice people who say nice things and hang around."
"But they're paid to do it," she said as she pushed the remainder of her lunch around on her plate while she thought out loud. "He doesn't have to pretend like he likes you. He's the boss. Plus, he's a cute boy and you're a cute girl. That's how it always works out."
"You're kidding me, right?" I laughed. "You're suggesting that my boss likes me because he's nice and he's cute?"
"Yes," Riley said impatiently. "Seriously, Leah, what else do you want? That's how it's supposed to work! The cute boys pick the cute girls, and they live happily ever after. Well, unless you’re gay, then the cute boys choose the cute boys and so on."
"I'm not sure what fairytale land you're living in, but okay, we'll go with it," I said, shaking my head as I chuckled. "What are you going to do after lunch?"
"I'm going to finish my math and spelling homework, and then Burt told me I could come watch the guys work in the warehouse if I was quiet and didn't get in their way," she said. "What are you going to do?"
"I have to print out the orders, give them to Burt, and then go up to the office for a meeting," I said as I mentally organized the tasks I needed to complete before the meeting. "Let's work in companionable silence for a while, shall we?"
"What's companionable?" Riley asked, then paused and sighed heavily, "I know, I know. Look it up."
"Good girl!" I laughed as I cleaned up the remains of lunch and tossed everything in the trashcan. "Now, let's work!"
*
"Hey, sugar!" Norma called as I walked into the office. "How's it shaking?"
"Good," I laughed. "I'm here to meet with Jack about the warehouse renovations and how we're going to keep business booming while the construction's going on."
"He's almost ready. Hey, where's that darlin' little girl of yours?" Norma asked as she pulled a bag full of treats from under her desk. "I went on a little shopping spree over lunch, and I thought she might like some of my purchases."
"Norma, you're going to spoil that child rotten!" I laughed as she held out the bag. "She's finishing her homework, and then Burt's got some adventure for her to go on."
"I'll just wander down there a little later and see how that sweetie is doing," Norma said as the phone rang. She turned to answer it as Jack opened his door and motioned for me to join him.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked.
"Let's talk about how we're going to manage the orders that are coming in while the construction is going on," he said as he pulled up a set of plans on his computer and motioned for me to pull up a chair. "The way I see it, we keep the boxes over here, and we have the warehouse crew alter their fulfillment route according to where the construction crew is positioned each day."
I leaned in and looked at the plans as he clicked through each day of construction. He'd obviously spent a lot of time planning the moves, and he knew the warehouse almost as well as those of us who worked in it. I was impressed.
"That's a great plan," I said and pointed to one part of the plan that I thought was a little shaky. "But I think that if you mo
ve things over here rather than here, we'd be more efficient and the crew would be happier."
Jack leaned in toward me, and I suddenly realized that we were only inches away from one another. I turned my head, and he stared at me for a fraction of a second before leaning in. I could feel his lips almost brush mine, and I closed my eyes in anticipation.
"Well, well, well, isn't this just cozy!" Sloan said in an overly cheerful voice as she walked across the office and set her purse down on Jack's desk. "You two working everything out in the warehouse, are you?"
"Yes," Jack said clearing his throat and moving out of kissing range. I suddenly felt ashamed and wondered if he did, too.
"How are you, Leah?" Sloan asked in a voice dripping with fake interest. "Everything working out well down there while we're setting up construction?"