Ask if he knows where I will be working

I know my brother well enough to realize that if I stick around until he is done, he’s going to try to embarrass me in front of Eric. Even though I just met the guy, I can tell he’s the kind of fellow I’d like to get to know better. In fact, if I didn’t already have a boyfriend, I’m pretty sure I’d be flirting with him right now. It’s probably best to get away from here until I can talk to Jeremy on my own terms.

“You don’t happen to know where I’m supposed to be working, do you?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” he replies. “I had to run an errand over to your mother’s office, and I saw there was a desk set up in her waiting area, and it had your name on it.”

I thank Eric for his help. “Don’t mention it. I hope we get a chance to talk again soon,” he replies with a gorgeous smile. I assure him I’d like that, as well, and I head out the door, looking for my mother’s office.

I don’t have to look too long. The top executive offices are all in the same area. Just a short walk from Jeremy’s office suite I see the doors to Mom’s and Dad’s office suites, facing each other. I choose the door with my mother’s name on it and walk inside.

The waiting room of the suite is about the same size as the one in Jeremy’s area, but mother’s is decorated more tastefully. In addition to some seating for guests, there are two desks. One has my name on it, filling me with a measure of pride. The other desk is occupied by a man who seems strangely familiar. It takes me a moment to place his face.

“Bryce? Is that you?”

Bryce Trebaum was one of my brother’s friends from elementary school, all the way through graduation. The reason it took me so long to recognize him is because he bears little resemblance to the geeky, near-sighted, scrawny kid who used to follow me around and make obnoxious comments. The fellow who rises from his seat is 6 foot tall, about 170 pounds, and in very good shape. His blond hair looks nice, now that it is short and well-groomed, rather than the long, greasy, unkempt way he used to wear it. His thick glasses are gone, evidently replaced by contacts. He steps around the desk and extends his arms for a hug.

“In the flesh,” he responds. “It’s been a few years, hasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve seen you since I graduated from high school.”

We spend a few minutes catching up on his life. He tells me that he went off to college, got a degree in business administration, and has been working here for my mother for the past year.

When he finishes, I just stare at him for a bit, shaking my head. “Wow! You’ve really grown up! It’s hard to believe you’re the same guy who practically lived at our house.”

Bryce grins sheepishly and says, “Yeah... I was a bit of a geek, wasn’t I? And I’m sure I annoyed the hell out of you. I kind of had a crush on you, you know.”

I chuckle and say, “I sort of figured that out after the third or fourth time I caught you hiding in my closet, under my bed, or in a closet in the bathroom, trying to spy on me while I changed clothes.”

“Yeah.... Sorry about that.” He runs his fingers through his short hair and looks down with an embarrassed smile that is truly adorable.

After we finish catching up on the past five years, I ask Bryce if he has any instructions from my mom about what I’m supposed to be doing.

“Yeah, she said she would check in with you sometime today, but in the meantime, she just wants you to get as familiar as possible with how things work around here. You’re welcome to wander around on your own, or I could arrange a tour guide for you. Oh... and there’s one other thing...” He rifles around on his desk, looking for something. At last, he withdraws a pink slip of paper and says, “And it looks like you have a message from someone who wants to see you.”