Minha Querida

You try to act as casual as possible, but after 4 PM when you’re packing up your stuff you can’t help but feel some nerves. You tell yourself to settle down, that clearly you and Jayne have an obvious connection and the night will go fine. Better than fine, it’ll be great! Right?

Unbidden, the thought flashes through your mind that TAM may not be directly influencing your relationship with Jayne since you are both Dormant on the PoI list but you probably could still see her scores. But that’s madness, and besides with your luck you’ll just be firing up the summary when Jayne will walk into your office and you’re pretty sure that would be a bad scene. And rightfully so. Still.... tempting.

With your laptop bag secured and your nerves slightly on edge, you leave your office and walk the handful of steps to Jayne's doorway. She's standing by her desk, grabbing her bags - she seems to have a small purse and also a larger shoulder bag that isn't quite a purse but is also not big enough to hold a laptop so who knows what mysterious function it serves - and she smiles at your arrival.

"Great timing, just ready to go here. Uh so," you can tell that, like you, she's at least a little nervous, "I think you know I park in the back lot so let's go?"

The two of you head out of her office and towards the back stairwell. At this time of day, you tend to see the same people also heading home and seeing you and Jayne chatting while leaving the building is nothing unusual, unless someone heard the rumours about your 'fight' maybe.

Still you feel almost furtive as you hit the ground floor and walk out the back door to the parking lot with Jayne. Normally you'd turn right to the sidewalk and then head north on Bathurst for a few blocks. But instead you continue walking with Jayne into the parking lot, both of you now quiet. A few random people you recognize see you but most of them are from the other floors and don't know you by name.

"Uh, this is me," Jayne says as she stops in front of a small blue car. You walk around to the passenger door, noting it is a fairly new Nissan Micra. You also note the passenger seat is full of paper and an empty takeout bag from Burger King.

"Ah shit! Uh, hang on," Jaybe quickly enters the drivers seat and grabs the bag and tosses it into the back, followed by the pile of paper, which she tries to shove into a large manila envelope before just half-shoving it behind her too. A small gym bag that was in the passengers footwell follows that. Finally, she unlocks your door and you open it, sitting down. You don't know what to do with your laptop bag so you hold it on your lap as you put on your seatbelt.

Jayne smiles as she shakes her head, "Well clearly if I had thought you would be in here today I'd have cleaned up my car."

You laugh, somehow reassured by her messy vehicle, "Don't worry, I'll be the one apologizing when you see my place. I should tell you now, it's clean but that's mainly because I have very little furniture. I'd say I just moved in and use that excuse but you know I've been here since February."

As she starts the car, you roll down your window. Jayne turns the radio down from whatever very loud music she had playing, and she's just about to say something when she pauses and looks ahead of her.

Kat Franklin, one of the PH coordinators, is walking 10 feet in front of the car, staring at you. She's clearly surprised, but as you both look at her she smiles and waves. "Oh, good night!" she calls out.

"Good night," you say through the open window, smiling politely. As Kat slowly starts to walk again towards her car Alice Voronkov, a rather unpleasant nurse known for her negative attitude and constant complaining, walks into view. Jayne is slowly pulling out of her parking spot when Alice notices you in the car and frowns.

A few seconds later, Jayne is pulling out of the parking lot and you are on Lennox Street. With an embarrassed chuckle, you tell Jayne to just turn onto Bathurst and then go all the way to Vermont.

"Sure thing, first though I may need to hop out of the car and fight Alice. What the hell is up with that dirty look!" Jayne says, and you burst out laughing.

"I don't know! I was wondering too. She's never liked me but she doesn't like anyone, I thought."

"Well true, she's kind of an ass to everyone now and then, but that scowl at you was a bit much. I'm afraid there may be some whispers about you tomorrow Zach. Well, more than usual."

You shrug, "I haven't noticed yet so whatever. I hope it's not annoying to you but, I guess if we're going to date - and let me state for the record I'm hopeful it's not a one time thing! - then I'll get used to it. Maybe she's a stickler for the rules?"

Waiting at a red light on Bloor, Jayne pauses and says, "Rules? What do you mean?"

Now you're confused. "The rules against dating at work? The guideline or whatever it was, the anti-fraternization thing?"

The light turns green, but Jayne turns to look at you and says, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A little embarrassed now, you say, "When I started I got that piece of paper that said the workplace had a non-fraternization policy. At the time I didn't care, but I did wonder why you didn't bring it up. Last week when I started really, well, imagining asking you out I found it again. It doesn't say it's against the law or anything but it does say the organization frowned on it and suggested it be avoided."

"Holy shit Zach! We don't work in prison! Did you get that at the HR orientation? Did Juniper tell you that?"

Thinking back, you say, "Hmm, no... it was Doris who gave it to me when she gave me the overview of the nursing side on my second day of work. It's just a sheet of paper, I have it in my desk. She just handed it to me but didn't really talk about it."

Stunned now, Jayne gives a short laugh and says, "Well that's insane. Trust me babe, no one else in that building got a piece of paper implying they can't date their coworkers! And if that did exist, it wouldn't be the nurse in charge letting you know."

Shaking your head, you reply, "Well I wonder what that is then and why Doris gave it to me. She's always seemed to hate me a little for whatever reason but enough about that, did you just call me babe?"

Flashing you a wide, sheepish grin, she says, "I guess I did? It really just slipped out. It does remind me though, I need to think of a nickname for you now."

“I don’t know Hallsy, you should leave that to the experts maybe.”

“Oh really. You know what Zachy baby that anti-fraternization policy is sounding like a good idea.”

“‘Zachy baby’? No, just no. I will jump out of this moving car. ” You try and fail to keep a straight face as you say it. “Just turn onto Vermont Avenue and then we’ll try to find a place to park, hopefully slightly closer than the parking lot at work.”

The parking gods smile on you this day, perhaps because it’s the first time in months you’ve needed a parking spot, and Jayne is able to squeeze into a small spot on the street not far from your building.

Walking up the sidewalk to your place at 51 Vermont you can’t help but grin at Jayne like a madman. Just having her walking down the street, with you, looking around is a thrill. Soon enough, you’re going around the lovely old house where you rent the basement suite. The door to your place is at the back, and Jayne makes some polite noises at the yard, with a few nice trees and a small patio set in the shade. You hadn’t really though of it before, but it is a really nice yard.

“Ah hello young man,” you hear your landlord before you see him walking around the house behind you. He must have seen you walk by and hustled out to catch up.

“Hello Mr. Ferreira,” you say politely. Your landlord, Aurelio Ferreira, is an older gentleman, short and thin with a darkly tanned face, always dressed very dapperly. While he has a slightly fussy attitude his house is immaculate and the suite you rent is very well maintained.

Nodding at you, he is clearly looking at Jayne and he says, “Just wanted to say hello, Zachary. I see you have a guest,” the slight tightening of his mouth indicates what your upstairs neighbor thinks about you doing anything in your apartment other than sleeping, or ideally, being somewhere else.

You are about to introduce Jayne when he gives a tiny smile and continues, “You have been a good tenant thus far, as long as you recall the room was offered to a quiet person. No parties or gatherings, right?”

“I know Mr. Ferreira,” you say patiently, “allow me to introduce you, this is my coworker, and friend, Jayne Hall.”

With a small bow, he offers his hand, but Jayne shocks you both by saying, “Boa noite senhor Ferreira.”

Pausing, his eyebrows rising, the old man replies, “Ah, boa noite para você também senhorita! Que bom conhecer uma jovem que fala português.”

Smiling, Jayne reaches out and takes his hand, “Sinto muito, só falo um pouco. A família da minha mãe… fala bem? Melhor que eu.” She is slightly hesitant in her speech, but clearly her meaning is understood.

With Jayne’s hand in his, your landlord sketches a surprisingly formal looking bow and kisses her hand lightly, saying, “De modo nenhum! Você fala lindamente. Com música em sua alma.”

“Música em sua alma?” Jayne repeats.

Straightening, his eyes warm, the older man says “With soul, with music in your heart. You speak it wonderfully. Prazer em conhecê-la, minha querida.”

Deigning to recall your presence, he says, “Well, you have a good night young man. Again, lovely to meet you Miss Hall. Might I be so bold as to ask about your mother’s family? They are from Portugal?”

“My mother’s maiden name is Santos, they are from near Porto and she was actually born there but moved to Toronto when she was young. Next year for her birthday my sisters and I are planning on surprising her and taking her there for a vacation, we’ve never been there.”

“Ahh, that is a fantastic idea! You and your sisters are wonderful daughters, to treat your mother to such a thoughtful gift! I hope to see you again, Jayne Santos Hall,” with another bow, Mr. Ferreira nods at you and winks, as if to say to hang on to this one. You’re way ahead of him.

Inside your apartment, you see Jayne look around. The space was remodeled a few years ago and is still quite modern and new looking. You can see she approves of your clean kitchen, and you silently thank god you almost always have takeout so you rarely use the kitchen to cook. Maybe she’ll just assume you’re naturally tidy.

“So, Miss Santos Hall, what was that about?”

You can see how pleased she is as she puts her bags down and says, “I just said good evening, he said it was so nice to see a young woman who speaks Portuguese, I admitted I only speak a little but my mom’s family is from there. He said something about I speak it with music in my heart, or soul, which is not technically true since I know my accent is appalling but I loved hearing it. What a nice man!”

Laughing, you say, “Well thanks to you I’m sure he likes me a lot more now. What did ‘meenya kirida’ mean?” You take a step closer to her, and she takes one closer to you.

“Minha querida? Means my dear or my darling.”

You slowly move closer, gauging her reaction, but Jayne isn’t one to play coy. She simply steps into you and tilts her head up.

“Minha querida huh. I may need you to help me with my pronunciation,” your lips are mere inches away now, and you both slowly wrap your arms around each other. Jayne is looking into your eyes and you can see the happiness and desire in them, and you know she’s seeing the same and more in your eyes. The thrill of kissing someone new, someone you are falling for and know is falling for you too.

“I told you Zach, my pronunciation is for shit. But I guess I can try to help you out, lemme see what I have to work with here first...” Closing the small distance between you, her lips lock on yours.

Standing just inside the door to your apartment, you lose yourselves into each other.