“We have conference rooms for large presentations on Thursday and Friday. But I’m assuming you’ll have your meetings here earlier in the week. That’s what you’ve always done before.”
“We did?” He was so distracted. His concentration had been shot ever since the interview with Anne Best. He kept replaying the episode over in his mind. Remembering the thrill of the confrontation. Reliving the spark of her touch.
“Yes, we did. I can’t believe you don’t remember.”
“Okay. But we might want to reserve one larger conference room for Tuesday and Wednesday, depending on what our attendance is. How’s it looking?”
“Early reservations are up twenty percent from last year, so...”
“Right. Better to have the space reserved. We can always cancel if we need to. Now about flight reservations...”
“You know, Ms. Best will be taking over some of these responsibilities. She’ll be here a week before the International Business Conference. And I’m going to be out several days the week of the conference.”
He swallowed hard. He’d second-guessed himself multiple times about hiring Anne Best as his executive assistant. It was such an irrational choice. He’d never done anything so spontaneous where business was concerned. He always planned and calculated, carefully considering all of his options. Yet, he’d made this hiring decision based on his feelings rather than his intellect. And later, he realized he didn’t even know if she was single. Her resume indicated she had two grown daughters, but it didn’t mention a husband. He assumed she was divorced, but he didn’t know for sure.
“Where did you make arrangements for Ms. Best to live?” he asked, attempting to keep a casual tone in his voice.
“I assumed you’d provide the apartment as part of the package like you normally do for new employees who move from out of town. Was that correct?”
“Yes, of course. Especially since we have her on a trial basis.”
Katie narrowed her eyes. “Wait a minute... You’re not planning to let her go after three months and try to get me back again, are you? Because I won’t do it.”
“No, no,” he said impatiently. “I just wondered about her apartment.”
“There’s a studio apartment available in my building. I assumed you’d want her there, since it’s close to work.”
“But, will a studio be big enough? I mean, will she have any family living with her?”
“No, her children are grown,” Katie said. “That was on her resume.”
“Yes, but if she had a spouse, they would probably need a one bedroom instead of a studio,” he reasoned.
Katie gave him a half-smile. “She doesn’t have a spouse. She’s a widow.”
“Good,” said Gherring. Then he realized what he’d said. “I mean... good that a studio will be big enough for her, not good that her husband is dead.” Katie cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing. He blundered on. “When did he die? Do we know?”
“No.” Katie grinned. “We don’t know when her husband died. Do you want me to call and ask her?”
“No,” he spat. “Of course not. I just wondered if... if she might need counseling or something, you know, if it hasn’t been long. We have insurance that covers that sort of thing, don’t we?”
“I really don’t know,” said Katie, shaking her head, her expression baffled.
He wav
ed his hand, with irritation. “Anyway, I’ve been wanting to remodel that studio. It really needs updating. I think I’ll put her at the West Fifty-Seventh location for now.”
“You want her in your apartment building? But, it’s a lot farther away from Gherring Inc.”
“Just until we get the other studio remodeled. Bring in the architect we used on the East End project and have him put together a proposal.”
“Okay,” she said her voice full of confusion. “Do you want him to do the guest apartments as well?”
“Yes, sure.” His mind was already spinning. He hadn’t really intended to remodel the studio, although it was probably a good idea. But he felt Anne needed someone to watch over her when she moved to New York City. She was obviously innocent and unsophisticated. New York could be a dangerous place to live. No, she wouldn’t be safe living all alone in the other building. At the West Fifty-Seventh location, he could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t get into trouble. And she’d be none the wiser. It really had nothing to do with wanting to be close to her. After all, he barely knew her. And she really wasn’t his type.
Another thought occurred to him. “Do you think Ms. Best can handle this job?”
Katie laughed. “It’s kind of late to ask me that question. But, yes. I think she can handle it. It’s not brain surgery. The most important thing is to be able to put up with your moods.”