He Sent You

FIVE

We finished all ten floors before lunch, I met with my floor manager and I am pretty impressed and ashamed to say that I'm actually excited to get started. But my nerves haven't settled, Miss. King is standing at Mr. Memphis's PA's desk, chatting with her.

I hear the door click and the deep voice from before.

No, this can't be.

I look up to see the man I met from the hardware store, the one where the little boy came to my door with cookies, the man who offered me a ride in his monster of a vehicle, the man I rudely declined a ride from. He stands before me, smiling. I look up to meet his gray, eyes.

"You must be Juniper." He says confidentially. He stands in an expensive navy suit, he smells like mint and pine, truly an man scent. His beard looks neat and clean, stuck to his chiseled jaw line.

I finally catch myself staring and not speaking. "Um, yes. Nice to meet you." I say breathlessly. I feel myself blush.

"Pleasure is all mine, Miss. King you're free to go for lunch, I'll show Juniper around the top floor and then take her back down to Martin." He smiles finally breaking eye contact with me to look at Miss. King.

She nods and steps away from the desk and makes her way to the elevators before stopping to look at me. "It was nice to meet you, Juniper, I hope you enjoy your first day, I showed you where my office is if you ever need me." And with that she's off.

I turn back to find Mr. Memphis staring at me again. "So we have met?" He smiles widely.

"I suppose so." I whisper.

"Did you enjoy the cookies?" He asks innocently.

I look around to see we haven't moved from the middle of his lobby office, him staring down at me and me looking at my hands. "They weren't bad." I smile.

"Well I'm glad they were mediocre." He teases. "Now come on, before we get in trouble." He winks at me and I swear I feel I'm going to puke with the amount of butterflies.

He shows me around the top floor, moving really slowly. We stare out the large windows in his private office overlooking the North Park.

"Portland is very beautiful, especially in the fall and spring and I guess every season." He drones.

"Mr. Memphis-" I start.

"Please call me Aiden." He intrudes.

"Aiden, I really should be getting back down to my floor and continue with Martin, I'm eager to see the job load waiting for me." I say backing away from the window.

"I'll walk with you down?"

I sigh and nod, he leads the way out of his office toward the elevators.

"What do you think of all this?" He finally asks after a beat of silence.

I'm still thinking of a way to form my thoughts into words when the doors of the elevators close. He finally turns to me. "Well? Be honest."

"I think it has a very calm feeling." I finally say.

"That's it?" He laughs, catching me off guard.

"Well sure, its charming, well built, a beast if you will. It isn't like other skyscrapers, at least the ones I've been in previously. Its calming, tranquil, beautiful. I'm very surprised - In a good way."

To that he nods, and puts us back in silence the rest of the way down.

We hit the fourth floor, and Martin comes into view, he smiles at me until his eyes meet Aiden's and the smile leaves his face. Finally Martin marches up to us.