parking lot of Anna's office building,
her central nervous system felt as though it had been run through a blender.
There weren't many cars on the road, but unfortunately, people who had little
or no experience in navigating on icy roads were driving them. Twice they
narrowly missed being hit by drivers who seemed to believe that poor road
conditions were no reason to reduce their speed. She could feel her insides
trembling when she handed the keys over to Anna.
"If I wasn't afraid my
lips would stick to the pavement, I'd get out and kiss the ground," Anna
said as she took the keys.
A sudden image of such a scene
made Rona laugh aloud. She stopped when she saw Anna watching her.
"You have a nice
laugh," Anna said as she gazed at her.
Rona quickly opened the car door.
The trembling in her stomach now had nothing to do with bad drivers.
Chapter Thirteen
Rona followed Anna to the
front entrance of the building she'd once had to sneak into through the back
door. How ironic that she was actually going to be working here. She turned her
back to the cold wind as she waited for Anna to unlock the door. The jacket
Anna loaned her wasn't thick enough to block the frigid wind. After they
stepped into the warm interior, it surprised her to see Anna lock the door
behind them. She was grateful that the wide-shouldered man who was usually the
first one in wasn't as conscious about security as Anna was, or her first stay
here could have ended very differently.
Her long stride took her to
the elevators a step ahead of Anna. She pushed the button and was slightly
surprised that the doors opened immediately. She stepped in and selected the
third floor. They rode in silence. When the doors opened, Anna was busy digging
in her purse. Rona stepped out of the elevator and automatically turned to the
right. She knew from her previous visits that the investment firm was the
second door to the right.
"You seem to know your
way around here pretty well," Anna said as she came over to unlock the
door.
Stunned by her own stupidity
Rona could only stare at her.
"How did you manage to
avoid the security guard?" Anna asked as she unlocked the door and stepped
inside.
Since she didn't ever intend
to have to sneak into another building, she saw no harm in telling. "Each
night after the cleaning people left, he went to the lounge and slept. He would
set his watch to wake him up at midnight and again at five in the
morning."
Anna nodded. "Where did
you stay? I thought all the offices were locked."
"There's a restroom on
the fourth floor. It's outside the training center. I guess that's why they
never bothered to lock it."
"So, how many people
sleep here each night?"
"As far as I know it's
just me. I found the place by accident. The night we met you was the first time
I brought anyone with me."
Anna led her through a
reception area to what looked like a small conference room. "This is where
you'll be working. Two other people work here, but neither of them will be in
today. Sharon is my admin specialist and Neal is a sales assistant. He's working
at getting his master's in finance. As soon as he does, and he acquires his
certification, I'll make him a junior associate." She pointed to a room
across from where they were standing. "That's his office." She
motioned for Rona to follow her into a room that looked like a small kitchen.
There was a microwave and a coffeepot on the counter and an apartment-sized
refrigerator. Cabinets filled the space above and below the counters.
"This is our everything room. We use it as a break room, a coffee
shop and supply room. My office is at the end of the hallway. The restroom is
down the main hall to the left."
Rona nodded. She knew where it
was.
Anna was fumbling with the
thermostat on the wall. "I don't know why I bother. I don't think this
thing is connected to anything. We complain that it's too cold and the building
manager eventually sends someone out who swings this little gadget around in
the air and
her central nervous system felt as though it had been run through a blender.
There weren't many cars on the road, but unfortunately, people who had little
or no experience in navigating on icy roads were driving them. Twice they
narrowly missed being hit by drivers who seemed to believe that poor road
conditions were no reason to reduce their speed. She could feel her insides
trembling when she handed the keys over to Anna.
"If I wasn't afraid my
lips would stick to the pavement, I'd get out and kiss the ground," Anna
said as she took the keys.
A sudden image of such a scene
made Rona laugh aloud. She stopped when she saw Anna watching her.
"You have a nice
laugh," Anna said as she gazed at her.
Rona quickly opened the car door.
The trembling in her stomach now had nothing to do with bad drivers.
Chapter Thirteen
Rona followed Anna to the
front entrance of the building she'd once had to sneak into through the back
door. How ironic that she was actually going to be working here. She turned her
back to the cold wind as she waited for Anna to unlock the door. The jacket
Anna loaned her wasn't thick enough to block the frigid wind. After they
stepped into the warm interior, it surprised her to see Anna lock the door
behind them. She was grateful that the wide-shouldered man who was usually the
first one in wasn't as conscious about security as Anna was, or her first stay
here could have ended very differently.
Her long stride took her to
the elevators a step ahead of Anna. She pushed the button and was slightly
surprised that the doors opened immediately. She stepped in and selected the
third floor. They rode in silence. When the doors opened, Anna was busy digging
in her purse. Rona stepped out of the elevator and automatically turned to the
right. She knew from her previous visits that the investment firm was the
second door to the right.
"You seem to know your
way around here pretty well," Anna said as she came over to unlock the
door.
Stunned by her own stupidity
Rona could only stare at her.
"How did you manage to
avoid the security guard?" Anna asked as she unlocked the door and stepped
inside.
Since she didn't ever intend
to have to sneak into another building, she saw no harm in telling. "Each
night after the cleaning people left, he went to the lounge and slept. He would
set his watch to wake him up at midnight and again at five in the
morning."
Anna nodded. "Where did
you stay? I thought all the offices were locked."
"There's a restroom on
the fourth floor. It's outside the training center. I guess that's why they
never bothered to lock it."
"So, how many people
sleep here each night?"
"As far as I know it's
just me. I found the place by accident. The night we met you was the first time
I brought anyone with me."
Anna led her through a
reception area to what looked like a small conference room. "This is where
you'll be working. Two other people work here, but neither of them will be in
today. Sharon is my admin specialist and Neal is a sales assistant. He's working
at getting his master's in finance. As soon as he does, and he acquires his
certification, I'll make him a junior associate." She pointed to a room
across from where they were standing. "That's his office." She
motioned for Rona to follow her into a room that looked like a small kitchen.
There was a microwave and a coffeepot on the counter and an apartment-sized
refrigerator. Cabinets filled the space above and below the counters.
"This is our everything room. We use it as a break room, a coffee
shop and supply room. My office is at the end of the hallway. The restroom is
down the main hall to the left."
Rona nodded. She knew where it
was.
Anna was fumbling with the
thermostat on the wall. "I don't know why I bother. I don't think this
thing is connected to anything. We complain that it's too cold and the building
manager eventually sends someone out who swings this little gadget around in
the air and
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