Talks of promotions

April went to walk through the crowd of people, but got stopped more than once for pleasantries with coworkers causing her to lose track of the girls. “Well, it is a good thing I took that photo then.” the dark-haired woman said pulling out her phone and about how she got it.

When the three had exited the vehicle, April had an idea “Bailey be a dear why don’t you go stand next to your mom so I can get a mother daughter photo.” the two people standing before her were a contract in facial expressions. Bailey ready to refuse, while Amanda’s eyes lit up at the idea of having a photo of the one day, she was able to have a daughter even if it was just for pretend.

Waving and saying good morning to a passing coworker April thumbed through the few photos she could take before pressing the issue, one with the two-standing next to each other. The last was of them posing, Amanda with her back to the car her brown leather handbag in front of her while she dug through it as if looking for something, while Bailey held her floral phone up at an angle taking a selfie. Sending all three to Amanda she quickly cropped the posing photo to just show Bailey and sent off a quick text with it to her brother August.

Text: “This is Bailey, Ms Best’s daughter. If you see her around try to look out for her. She did not inherit her mother's intellect and I would hate for her to get into any trouble.”

Text: “whoa, she is a ten! How old?”

Text: “Slow down their cowboy, she is three years younger than you. No buying her ****, you are to keep her out of trouble, not cause it.”

Text: “Spend time with a hot girl at a picnic, I can do that.”

Text: “Good and she should be with another girl named Candace who is beyond off limits, she is my bosses, bosses' boss!”

Text: “Sorry can’t hear you, the text messages are breaking up.”

With a wide smile on her face April put her phone into her back pocket thinking how her brother could be a goober at times, but was a good kid. Man now, she corrected herself with him being twenty-one. August would help Bailey stay out of some trouble, but she had no doubt he would be flirting with what he thought was a pretty girl. She just hoped it taught Bailey a lesson when he had to deal with unwanted advances and dealing with someone mansplaining to him. “It is really sweet for him to do this for Amanda, but he just had to do it in the most sexist way possible.”

The classic red and white large checkered blanket laid out on the green grass, a pair of coolers resting on two of the blanket's corners one a large sixty-quart cooler, the other a smaller twenty-five. Derrick sat down near the center cross legged in his dark khaki shorts, pale-yellow polo shirt and boat shoes. With his charming smile he looked over to Amanda as she just less than an arm's length away, her feet together to the side so that the wedge shoes were off the blanket. “You know I don’t like her going by Candi, and you had to encourage that did you? Derrick said raising an eyebrow. “She is a what a seventeen-year-old girl, her dad telling he she can’t go by the name she likes isn’t winning you any favors. I went my Mandy for years, in fact my last boyfriend called me that. “

Derrick took note of the word last as in past tense, but gave ground on the losing battle of his daughter's name. “I doubt you remember me, but actually got to meet once at a conference some nine years ago, I think.”

“You cannot remember that, that was so long ago and I wasn’t even in management then.”

“Part of my job as regional manager is to spot talent and encourage it to grow. Or it could have been coincidence that when you returned back to your office after the conference you were offered to take some management seminars and the Lean Six Sigma certification. But if you still doubt my memory how about this. You were part of the accounting team, had your CPA certification for two years at that point, worked as a secretary to your offices vice president of finance, and you were polite enough not to stare or point out the coffee stain I had on my shirt.” the grin never wavered, but even as he spoke to show off his memory it never came across as smug.

“We didn’t talk about any of that, you only introduced yourself and asked where I had gotten my doughnut.” Amanda replied when her now caseless phone gave indication, she had three new messages pending. While he was talking Amanda couldn’t help herself, but to lean in a little closer and do what she could not to be drawn into his green eyes. She loved that color and had spent much time over the years with Bailey looking into his.

Watching her Amanda open her phone quickly it looked like she was worried something might be wrong. “Is everything okay?” he questioned worried for the girls.

“No, everything is okay. Bailey... well, Bailey does not have many friends and I was worried she needed help. Though it was just April showing me some photos she took of us when we got here, see?” Amanda said as she slid her phone over to Derrick. “These are wonderful photos, always nice to have them for memories and you look terrific in them. You are rather photogenic; did you ever moonlight as a model?”

“Lying and now flattery, you know I’m the one who is supposed to be trying to impress you.”

Derrick only laughed at the statement touching a few things on her phone before handing it back. “I added my personal cell phone to your contact list in case you ever need to talk after you get promoted. Nothing is a done deal yet, just from what I hear you don’t need me to nudge anything along. When someone is outstanding, they get noticed, much like I did at that conference. You are right thought I didn’t remember you telling me all that. I remembered my secretary telling me about you after you impressed me with your talks on cost savings. A conversation you were animated about, the passion you had when you went on about what the company could do with the extra capitol to invest back into local projects for the communities, and how the money helping others would lead not only to more per dollar PR than a billboard or television commercial, it would actually help people. So yes, I do remember you Amanda, I remember your passion, kindness and mostly because you told me where I could get a doughnut when I was hungry.”

A large blush came into Amanda’s cheeks and she had to look away from Derrick. “Mr. Connors, you are too..” she was cut off when she felt a light tap under her chin causing her to look back up into his green eyes. “I told you, call me Derrick. I mean it.” with a hard swallow she nodded. “Derrick, you are more than kind. Say what is in these coolers? we have caterers bringing everything we need today.” she said trying to change the subject.

“I use this bigger cooler when I go fishing, for now it is just full of ice and bottled water, I’m sure the caterers have plenty for everyone. But I’m the type of person who worries and I wanted to make sure we had at least this for people.” he said as he opened the cooler, pulling out a bottle and handing it to Amanda. As she took it their hands lightly touched and she felt the blush come back to her cheeks, not as intense as a second ago but back just the same. Mentally she was kicking herself, she wasn’t a school girl and she had a boyfriend. “Thank you, what about the smaller one?” she said opening the bottle and taking a few small swallows of water.

“That is me being a little selfish, it has some of my favorite beers in it, but you can have one of those if you like.” shaking her head Amanda replied as she put the cap back on the bottle. “No thank you, not much of a beer drinker, I prefer a good bottle of wine.”

The two continued to talk, the conversations would drift between work and personal life, each one learning a little about each other. Like how Derrick lost his wife six, almost seven years ago and how Candace was the biggest tomboy before that. How she would cry if they tried to put her in a dress and how that all seemed to change a year after his wife’s ****. Amanda for her part tried to steer the conversation away from “her daughter” but with how open he was being she couldn’t just tell him no. So, in the end she told him the truth about Bailey’s father passing on, but leaving out the fact she had never actually met the man, and instead said how they just never connected in that way. Because of that they never married, but she had Bailey because of him. None of that was really a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either and Amanda did not feel good about this. She did her best to stick to the story, picking some real-life facts to add credibility. Like how Bailey spends most of their time at home, and how it makes her happy when she hears Bailey singing in the shower and how she wished she could spend more time with the ones she loved, but has been so focused on work that she missed her last birthday.

“Candace actually turns eighteen the Monday after next. It is a shame we are only in town for a week we could celebrate their special day together. Truth be told I have been absorbed with my work lately myself, do you think you could help me pick out a gift for her sometime before we leave. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about what to buy a teenage girl, say what did you get Bailey? Maybe that will give me an idea.” Amanda started to drink more of her water to buy some time before an idea came to her that fed into the story and something any eighteen-year-old would like.

“Derrick Connors it is less than two weeks before your little girl is legally a woman and you don’t even know what to get her, how can someone who remembers something from nine years ago and forward thinks enough to bring extra water to picnic not have a plan for this?”

Derrick leaned back onto his left hand to support himself, bringing the other up to his neck and rubbing it. “Candace is a driven girl, it is something she gets from me and when she wants something she has to problem saying what she wants and working towards it. She has already just told me what she wants me to get her for years now, but this year she hasn’t said a word beyond the normal everyday requests. Now what about you?”

Amanda could feel her heart melting a little, a single father not having any idea what to give his girl and for years relying on her to be mature enough to vocalize her desires. He was doing the best he could and maybe she could help him with some ideas and some online shopping while he was in town.

“That is too bad you will be gone for Candi’s birthday, if the girls get along, I’m sure Bailey would have loved to celebrate their big day together. For a starter mister you could get her a simple gold necklace that spells out C A N D I, or Y if she prefers. Laster this week maybe if we can pull ourselves away from our desks, we can shop on Amazon together to look for ideas. Now for Bailey, she does test well so her grades were not what I had gotten at that age so she hasn’t even got her learners permit. Me missing her last birthday I know hurt Bailey. It wasn’t that I forgot, it is that we just didn’t do anything to celebrate. I umm.. Gave Bailey some extra attention and personal time when I came home from work, but no present perse. Honestly money has been tight lately, my apartment was much more affordable when my umm last boyfriend was getting a paycheck. So, I figured soon as I can, I will take Bailey to get her learners permit and forget the punishment for bad grades."

"Sounds like we all have our struggles, my Candace is what you would call a straight C student, but I can tell she applies herself so that is enough for me. You were honest and **** with me so I will reciprocate. It is hard for me to tell her no or have a firm hand like you were saying you give Bailey. I never even considered not letting her get her learners permit and she has already made me promise that we would get her license my next day off after her birthday.” Derrick laughed a hearty chuckle. “That girl would make me rue the day if I thought about saying her license was a birthday gift.”

It was Amanda’s turn to give the warm smile to Derrick this time. He had a strong independent girl blonde girl with the same green eyes he did and it was plain to see that he appreciated her and it made her wish just for a second Bailey really was her daughter so she could feel what he felt.

The welcoming conversation was brought to a close as one of her old work colleagues that was no longer a direct report to her came over to say hi and exchange pleasantries. “I guess it is time for us to mingle a bit and make our rounds before they serve any of the food or start the games. Say you wouldn’t be interested in partnering with me in the three-legged race, would you?