too?”
She laughed. “You’re twenty minutes from home. This place is forty-five. You have loud banging machines, not little drills whirling a hole in my head eight hours a day. Errrrr .” She made an irritating sound in his ear. “And what you’re willing to pay is more than I’m earning here.”
This constituted a no-brainer for Jess. He and Tamara had clicked when they first met at the support group. The job might be beyond her abilities but that didn’t matter. Amputees knew better than anyone the emotional difficulties each faced. Her spunk and ability to go on like all the pieces were still in place had taught him a lot. He also knew the job was a jumping stone until Tamara could find something that challenged her. He could see new strength build in her on a regular basis. “Nancy leaves the end of year. That gives you two weeks to give notice then come here to spend a little time together.”
“Boy. You just lit up my universe. How about Maddie? She light up yours?”
“She’s not ready to date.”
“Uh-huh. Since when you let not ready stop you?”
“I don’t want to push. She’s special.”
“Ah. Special. As in long-term relationship special?”
“Yah. Long term. So stay out of it. See you December twenty-seventh?”
“Can’t wait. And, thanks. I appreciate cutting my drive time in half.”
“Just don’t think you’re going to run my love life.”
“Who? Me? Never.” She hung up with a laugh.
Jess knew better. She would interfere. In fact, she was interfering by throwing down the gauntlet with a challenge. He did kiss on the first date and intended to get a second chance. He pushed back from his desk and grabbed his coat as he headed out to Nancy’s desk. “Stop accepting interviews. I’ve hired. We’ll need to send letters to those I’ve already seen.”
Nancy leaned back in her chair with a furrowed brow. “Please don’t tell me the ditsy redhead.”
“What? She was smokin’ hot.” Jess grinned openly then raised his hand at Nancy’s protest. “I hired Tamara Johnson.”
“We didn’t interview any Tamaras.”
“You’re right. I did. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
With that, he headed for the warehouse. His truck was parked out back. As he drove to Madeleine’s office, which turned out to be five streets north of his own business, he wondered how Tamara knew the right buttons to move him off his butt. Since when you let not ready stop you? Once the “old Jess” knew what he wanted and set his sights on the prize, he hung on like an aggressive dog with a meat bone.
With persistence, he could woo Madeleine into seeing him as a good guy. Then she wouldn’t notice his missing arm. It amazed him how having the right woman in his crosshairs put aside his insecurities. At least, for the moment, while a good dose of brazen insanity kept them beneath the surface. Where’s the risk, he asked himself. Rejection he couldn’t overcome? Somehow, he knew this risk worth taking a chance.
Computers That Run sat in a row of nice brick-faced offices in a slightly classier area than his tool and die shop. He entered the front door and wiped his feet on the floor mat. An empty receptionist desk faced him. The area was corded off from the rest of the office with cheap fabric panels so he couldn’t see beyond where he stood. The place smelled brand new.
Where was everyone? He would never stand for this at his place. About to call out a “hello” he checked himself. What was he doing here in the first place? Tamara’s challenge had propelled him into action. Foolish action. He turned to leave.
“Jess?” He swiveled around to see Madeleine’s beautiful brown eyes wide and full of surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Uh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if you’d like to get some lunch.” Her glance at a wall clock made him realized the day had barely begun. “Uh, I mean later. At lunchtime. Say noon? Or any time you can get away.”
She laughed. “You’re twenty minutes from home. This place is forty-five. You have loud banging machines, not little drills whirling a hole in my head eight hours a day. Errrrr .” She made an irritating sound in his ear. “And what you’re willing to pay is more than I’m earning here.”
This constituted a no-brainer for Jess. He and Tamara had clicked when they first met at the support group. The job might be beyond her abilities but that didn’t matter. Amputees knew better than anyone the emotional difficulties each faced. Her spunk and ability to go on like all the pieces were still in place had taught him a lot. He also knew the job was a jumping stone until Tamara could find something that challenged her. He could see new strength build in her on a regular basis. “Nancy leaves the end of year. That gives you two weeks to give notice then come here to spend a little time together.”
“Boy. You just lit up my universe. How about Maddie? She light up yours?”
“She’s not ready to date.”
“Uh-huh. Since when you let not ready stop you?”
“I don’t want to push. She’s special.”
“Ah. Special. As in long-term relationship special?”
“Yah. Long term. So stay out of it. See you December twenty-seventh?”
“Can’t wait. And, thanks. I appreciate cutting my drive time in half.”
“Just don’t think you’re going to run my love life.”
“Who? Me? Never.” She hung up with a laugh.
Jess knew better. She would interfere. In fact, she was interfering by throwing down the gauntlet with a challenge. He did kiss on the first date and intended to get a second chance. He pushed back from his desk and grabbed his coat as he headed out to Nancy’s desk. “Stop accepting interviews. I’ve hired. We’ll need to send letters to those I’ve already seen.”
Nancy leaned back in her chair with a furrowed brow. “Please don’t tell me the ditsy redhead.”
“What? She was smokin’ hot.” Jess grinned openly then raised his hand at Nancy’s protest. “I hired Tamara Johnson.”
“We didn’t interview any Tamaras.”
“You’re right. I did. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
With that, he headed for the warehouse. His truck was parked out back. As he drove to Madeleine’s office, which turned out to be five streets north of his own business, he wondered how Tamara knew the right buttons to move him off his butt. Since when you let not ready stop you? Once the “old Jess” knew what he wanted and set his sights on the prize, he hung on like an aggressive dog with a meat bone.
With persistence, he could woo Madeleine into seeing him as a good guy. Then she wouldn’t notice his missing arm. It amazed him how having the right woman in his crosshairs put aside his insecurities. At least, for the moment, while a good dose of brazen insanity kept them beneath the surface. Where’s the risk, he asked himself. Rejection he couldn’t overcome? Somehow, he knew this risk worth taking a chance.
Computers That Run sat in a row of nice brick-faced offices in a slightly classier area than his tool and die shop. He entered the front door and wiped his feet on the floor mat. An empty receptionist desk faced him. The area was corded off from the rest of the office with cheap fabric panels so he couldn’t see beyond where he stood. The place smelled brand new.
Where was everyone? He would never stand for this at his place. About to call out a “hello” he checked himself. What was he doing here in the first place? Tamara’s challenge had propelled him into action. Foolish action. He turned to leave.
“Jess?” He swiveled around to see Madeleine’s beautiful brown eyes wide and full of surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Uh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d see if you’d like to get some lunch.” Her glance at a wall clock made him realized the day had barely begun. “Uh, I mean later. At lunchtime. Say noon? Or any time you can get away.”
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