When Love's at Work Read online

  Purity was surveying the man, minus his family jewels, and noticing that his hands had been replaced by oven mitts. He was wearing glasses like a blind man might wear and his mouth had been covered with duct tape.

  The women switched drawings and Purity began to laugh. “Very nice,” she said to Courtney. “I wish I had those lovely earrings.”

  “What earrings?” Meg wanted to know, leaning over to look at the sketch again. She didn’t see anything special about the earrings, except they didn’t match. “What’s so special about them?”

  “They’re made from the genitalia of the guy in the other drawing,” Purity explained.

  Meg looked closer. Purity was right. Courtney was truly weird, Meg thought, but couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I wonder if I can get a pair of those online?” Purity asked aloud.

  “I drew them after your phone call last night,” Courtney explained.

  “Did you have another flashback?” Meg asked with concern.

  “Yeah. Derek called me yesterday and wanted to talk.” Pure relayed what she had already told Court.

  “That guy is unbelievable. What do you have to do to make him stay away from you?” Meg questioned.

  “I don’t know,” Pure answered, “but what I’m doing doesn’t appear to be working. I’m going to e-mail Brad Thompson tomorrow. Maybe he’ll have a suggestion. At the very least I need to report the violation.”

  “It just doesn’t seem fair. You’re the victim in all of this and he’s the one who got a little slap on the wrist and then let out of jail to do what he did to you to someone else,” Meg said, her anger getting the best of her.

  Purity put her hand on Meggie’s arm. She knew her friend was upset for her, but what could she do? She needed to work within the confines of the law. Hopefully Brad would have some advice for her.

  “Awesome drawings, Court, as usual,” Purity told her friend. “Any chance I can have these as a token of what should have happened to Derek?”

  “They’re yours, my friend, as a symbol of Derek’s emasculation.”

  “Here, here!” Meg added as she grabbed her drink. The three women drank a toast to Derek Worthington’s castration.

  Chapter Three

  At 7:30am Monday morning, Purity had already left invoices to be paid in Margaret Choi’s in-box, written personal thank you notes to all the vendors who had participated in the fundraiser, and begun plugging numbers into her spreadsheet

  Her job interview wasn’t over yet and she wanted to impress on her future employers that she was willing to go the extra mile on any task she undertook.

  Alex McCallister passed Purity’s temporary office. He stopped and leaned back, poking his head through the doorway. “Nice job on the fundraiser last weekend.”

  Turning from her computer screen to make eye contact with Alex, Pure replied, “Thanks. I think everyone had a good time and my preliminary figures show that we made a nice little profit, too. A win-win.”

  Judd Broadstreet appeared next to Alex and added, “Great job on the event on Saturday, Purity. My wife said it was the best fundraiser we’ve had in years.”

  Pure smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement of the compliment.

  Both men headed back toward their offices and Purity went back to deciphering her notes and entering information into her spreadsheet.

  Margaret Choi, The Kids’ Place accountant, e-mailed Purity with a couple of clarifying questions regarding the invoices and then confirmed that the checks would be written and sent today.

  All the loose ends were being tied up nicely. She shouldn’t have any trouble having a report ready for the board members by Wednesday morning. Her rough estimates showed that the event had made a profit of just under $2,500. The food cost had been the most expensive, but it had definitely been worth it. Purity’s mouth watered at the thought of Marsha Persimmony’s culinary delights.

  By lunch time, Pure had done as much as she could until a couple vendors returned her calls and e-mails, so she decided to head for home. She’d work on her final report tomorrow, when she had all the information she needed.

  Purity logged off her computer, tidied up her desk and then headed for her car, noting the temperature had climbed quickly. One minute it was raining, the next it was in the high 80’s. A swim in her apartment complex pool sounded lovely but, with school being out, she figured it would be loaded with kids trying to stay cool and enjoy some summer fun.

  She needed to run some errands and the note she had stuck to her steering wheel proclaiming “get gas” could no longer be ignored. That would be her first order of business.

  Purity pulled into the gas station she frequented regularly. It was the same location she had accidentally locked her keys in her car while getting gas one day. The staff had been extremely helpful in jimmying the lock. Her keys were sitting on the passenger’s seat, right next to her purse and cell phone. It was only after the event that she remembered she had AAA and could have called them to assist her.

  Three more stops, and a run through the McDonalds drive-through for a large Diet Coke, and Purity was parking her car in her designated parking spot in front of her apartment building.

  Two young children, who couldn’t be more than four or five, were sitting on a small patch of grass with a calico kitten joyfully crawling all over them. Cherry popsicles were dripping their sticky liquid down their arms. The kitten was taking great pleasure in licking all the sweetness off their skin.

  Purity walked over to the row of apartment complex mailboxes and retrieved her mail, then headed down the stairs and into her apartment. She could hear Ben and Jerry seducing her toward the freezer for the last of the Cherry Garcia ice cream. She grabbed the ice cream and a spoon and made her way toward her favorite recliner, kicking off her shoes as she went.

  Purity opened her laptop. She needed to call Brad Thompson, but she just didn’t feel like rehashing the whole thing about Derek oh the phone, so she wrote a detailed e-mail and asked Brad if he had any advice about how to stop Derek from violating the restraining order.

  The Nora Roberts book caught Purity’s eye just after she hit send. She logged off the internet, closed her laptop, and grabbed the book. Just a couple of hours, she promised herself, knowing full well that once she opened the romance novel she wouldn’t be able to put it down.

  The next six hours flew by as Pure was transported to another world where Derek Worthington and job interviews didn’t exist. As she finished the parting words and closed the book, a satisfied sigh escaped her lips. Movies and books held such magic. It was easy for her imagination to take flight. Coming back to reality was oftentimes a bumpy ride.

  Pure’s exercise bike was calling to her, and since she’d spent the latter half of the day in the recliner reading, she decided to answer its call. An hour later she felt energized, even though her butt was sore. She needed to get some kind of padding for that seat, she thought, which is what she thought every time she got off the exercise bike. One of these days she’d actually do something about it.

  Purity logged back on to the internet and found a message from Brad Thompson. He said he would report the violation and there wasn’t anything else to be done unless Derek actually tried to harm her.

  Great, just great. Not that she hadn’t expected that response. It was just that if he tried to do her harm, he would most likely succeed. There wouldn’t be a need to report that violation because she would be dead.

  Courtney wanted Purity to get a gun, but Pure was adamantly against getting one. Even Meg had agreed that it might be a good idea. Purity figured she’d end up accidentally shooting herself, or worse yet, what if Derek found the gun and used it against her? No, a gun was not for her. She did carry pepper spray with her, but she had back then, too. She never thought to use it.

  She decided to head for bed. It was only 9:00pm, but her early mornings and late nights were catching up with her.

  Pure followed her nightly routine and then snuggled in
to her bed, pulled her down comforter around her body, and closed her eyes. Alex McCallister’s lips invaded her thoughts. She imagined his strong arms wrapped around her and his lips leaving a hot trail of fire on the nape of her neck. She would have sweet dreams tonight.

  Sheila Martin was rooting for Purity, but the competition was stiff. Andrea Stiles arranged a wonderful carnival with clowns, balloons, games and concessions, bringing in a profit of around $2,200. Candice Atkins’ auction had also been a success, giving The Kids’ Place a tidy little sum of $2,000. Purity’s rain themed dinner brought in $2,400. It was going to be close.

  Final decisions would be made based on how well each candidate worked with the staff and vendors, as well as the amount raised. Sheila had been called in to the board meeting and asked her opinion on who should be hired. Sheila recommended Purity Zyetta.

  Purity, Andrea, and Candice sat facing all eight board members and the president sequestered behind a massive oak table. Each of the women wanted the position, but only one would walk away as the new events coordinator.

  The board members asked each interviewee to give a report on their fundraiser, which they all did. All of the events had successfully raised money for the non-profit organization and it was clear that personality, experience, and style of leadership were going to be key factors in the final decision.

  The women were thanked and then asked to leave the room while the board made their decision.

  Fifteen minutes later, Alex McCallister entered the small waiting room where the candidates were waiting anxiously. “Purity, will you follow me?”

  Great, Purity thought as she followed Alex back to the meeting room. I’m going to be the first one to get the “Sorry, but…” speech.

  She noticed that while her disappointment at not getting the job was evident, her disappointment at not seeing Alex McCallister again had a stronger hold on her.

  Alex motioned for her to take a seat in one of the recently vacated chairs. Purity sat down, thankful for the support as her knees were feeling a bit weak.

  “Ms. Zyetta,” Mark Watterson began, “your fundraiser was a great success. The vendors and staff spoke highly of your work ethic, thoroughness and follow-through. Our decision was unanimous. Welcome to the team.”

  “I’m hired?” Purity asked in disbelief. She had been certain she wasn’t going to get the job.

  “You’re hired,” Mr. Watterson confirmed.

  Purity beamed and said, “Thank you. Thank you so much,” as she stood and shook hands with each of the board members.

  When she got to Alex McCallister, she could feel her palm starting to sweat. Not now, Pure thought. He’s going to be a co-worker. You’re not supposed to get involved with colleagues.

  When their flesh touched, Purity knew it was too late. Fireworks were shooting through her veins and while she was delighted to have beaten out her competition, she was even more excited to have additional opportunities to spend time with Alex.

  She held his hand about two seconds too long. Why did she feel so awkward? Purity decided to ease her nervousness by talking. “I’m looking forward to working with all of you,” she said, including all the board members in her gaze.

  Mark Watterson said, “You can head over to HR. I’m sure Jocelyn has more paperwork for you to fill out than you can shake a stick at.”

  “Thanks. I will.”

  In a bit of a daze, Pure left the meeting room and headed to the Human Relations Department. She was now an employee of The Kids’ Place. She wanted to shout it from the rooftop, but needed to maintain at least a small amount of decorum.

  Purity already had a list of fundraisers for the future in her mind: a silent auction with big ticket items, a movie night, a talent show, another dinner with an Italian theme, a car show, and maybe even hot air balloon rides. Her mind spun and whirred with ideas.

  Alex caught up with Pure halfway to Jocelyn’s office. “Purity,” he said, when he was within earshot. Purity stopped and turned around to face him, no words coming to her lips. “Congratulations,” Alex said with a warm smile. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

  “Me, too,” Purity said. “Looking forward to working with you. I mean, I’m looking forward to working with you, too.” Oh sweet God in Heaven, why was she so tongue-tied? Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

  Sheila Martin approached the duo. She simply couldn’t suppress her excitement and gave Purity a hug and exclaimed, “Congratulations!”

  “Thanks so much, Sheila. I’m so excited that we’re going to be working together.” Sheila was a great asset and Purity knew she had been underutilized in the past. That would change now that she was in charge.

  See, she could talk with Sheila just fine, making complete sentences and everything. She had to get a hold of herself around Alex McCallister.

  “Ladies,” Alex said as he nodded his head and made his departure.

  “Are you headed to HR?” Sheila asked.

  “Yes, that’s exactly where I’m headed.”

  As she walked past the small waiting area where she had been riddled with uncertainty just moments before, she saw Alex leading Andrea toward the meeting room.

  Once Purity found HR and was filling out the stack of forms Jocelyn placed in front of her, Purity reflected on what had drawn her to the job opportunity at The Kids’ Place. She first heard about the organization when Courtney held a workshop there for blended families. Court brought a brochure with her when the three women gathered at Pure’s house for movie night and it had inadvertently ended up in between the couch cushions.

  The pamphlet was chock full of information about The Kids’ Place. Purity thought their tagline, Where Kids Can Be Kids, was intriguing. The main building had a day care, an after school activity center, and an education wing with access to books, DVDs, CDs, computers and the internet. A building toward the back housed a swimming pool, exercise facilities, a track, and even included indoor tennis courts. The third building held the counseling center, financial assistance and the administration offices.

  If you had a child one minute old or one day shy of 18 years old, The Kids’ Place had something to offer them at little or no charge. Of course, that meant they had to find ways to pay for services. That’s where the events coordinator came in. Sure, the agency applied for grants and state assistance to help fund their programs, but the more money they could raise themselves, the more self-sustainable the organization would be.

  When Purity saw the job posting in the local newspaper, her heart skipped a beat. She knew she wanted it immediately.

  Purity completed the last of the new-hire paperwork and headed for the office. It would really be hers now. It was no longer her temporary space.

  Purity Indigo Zyetta, events coordinator of The Kids’ Place. It had a lovely ring to it.

  Purity was in her office reading her job description and wondering who her direct supervisor would be. Surely it wouldn’t be Mark Watterson, since he was the president. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Sheila Martin appeared at her door.

  “Knock, knock,” Sheila said.

  “Come in, Sheila,” Pure responded, noticing the files Sheila was carrying.

  “I thought you’d like to review some of the events we’ve had in the past couple of years.” Sheila placed the files on Purity’s desk. “I don’t know if anyone told you, but you’ll be reporting directly to Judd Broadstreet. His official title is vice president of financial planning.”

  Sheila placed an organizational flow chart in front of Purity. It had Mark Watterson’s name at the top as president, then the eight board members and then four vice-presidents. Pure thought the flow chart looked very top heavy. Of course, that was the case with most organizations, but she had hoped that The Kids’ Place would be different. She hated when so much of the money an agency collected went to high salaries rather than resources for the people they were trying to serve.

  The organizational chart was a single page and she noted that supp
ort staff was not included. Was that an oversight?

  “Sheila, how long have you worked here?”

  “A little over eight years.”

  “Do you like working here?”

  Sheila sat down in a chair opposite Purity, “Mostly yes,” she said earnestly. “The pay is okay, although I wish it were more. I haven’t had an increase, other than cost of living, since I was hired. I could sure use a few more days off a year, too, but other than that I like the work. Honestly, Purity, I’ve had a couple of bosses who were really not team players and that just drags everyone down.” Sheila hoped she wasn’t being too honest with the woman she hoped would not only be her new boss, but a new friend.

  “I’ve been there,” Pure replied knowingly. “My last job was like that. I was working as an assistant to the executive director of a foundation. No matter how hard anyone worked, the only person who took credit was the director. It made us all mad as hell, but what could we do? Finally, we all banded together and quit. Of course, new people were hired, but we just decided we weren’t going to contribute our knowledge and skills to an agency that didn’t value or acknowledge our contributions.”

  “It will be nice to have a real team player on board,” Sheila said, reassured by Purity’s words and actions.

  “How long has Alex McCallister been a board member?”

  “Let’s see,” Sheila began thinking back to who was around when Alex accepted the invitation to be a board member. “Must be about five years ago. Mark Watterson solicited his service the first year he was president. They’re old college buddies.”

  “Is he married?” Purity knew she sounded like a school girl, but she couldn’t help it. Alex wore a gold band on his wedding ring finger and she just needed to know if he was off limits.

  “Yes. Well, actually yes and no. He’s been trying to get a divorce for a couple of years now, but his wife is being stubborn about the whole thing. Are you interested in him?”

  “Dating co-workers is usually frowned upon.”