Infatuation?

"I hope you're not here to break any vase." Josh said, his gaze fixed on Mandy.

"First of all, I didn't break any vase," Mandy retorted.

"And what is the 'second of all'?" Josh teased.

"What do you mean?" Mandy asked, confused.

"Well, you said 'first of all' so I am waiting what the 'second of all' is."

Mandy was thinking what a good "second of all" could be.

"Well, second of all," she started, "I… I don't plan to break any vase anywhere."

"Although I can break any vase here if I wanted to," thought Mandy. "I own the place."

"That's good to know," replied Josh. "I don't want to have to keep an eye on you all the time. And I definitely don't want to clean up after you." Josh smiled but Mandy was starting to feel irritated.

"The nerve of this guy!" Mandy said to herself. Whatever infatuation she felt for him that morning had quickly evaporated into nothingness. Right now, she would fire him if she could.

"Hey I was just kidding! Relax!"

Mandy didn't answer nor did she smile. She wanted to storm out of the room, go straight to the parking lot and to her apartment.

"Oh Josh you're so funny!" Jane butt in, then laughed. The sound she made was so silly it made Mandy more irritated.

"Maia said you have the honor of training her. So please play nice," Rae said without taking her eyes off the computer monitor.

"Oh, did she, now," Josh was being playful.

"Amanda, this is Josh. Josh, this is Amanda. Though judging from your conversation, I think you've already met," Rae looked at both of them, studying their reactions.

"We met at the lobby," Josh winked. "I saved her life."

"I remember you saved the VASE, not my life."

"If you broke that vase believe me, Josephine would have killed you. So in essence, I did save your LIFE."

"That vase costs a month's minimum salary, can you believe it?" Jane said, her eyes bulging out as she said it.

Mandy could, especially if her dad had picked that vase himself.

"Okay," Carla interrupted. "Enough with that vase. Josh, you should go train her before Maia checks in on her."

"Ok then, let's go! Allow me to tour you to the happiest place on, uhh, on this building," Josh smiled as he extended his hand to Mandy to help her up from her seat. But Mandy didn't take his hand. She stood on her own, straightened her blouse and looked at Josh, her face serious.

"Okay…" Josh retracted his hand. "Right this way, Madam." He made a low bow and extended his arm to point Mandy to the direction they will go.

Mandy walked forward, but looked back after a few steps to see if Josh is behind her.

. . .

It has been almost an hour since Josh started to show Mandy the kind of work she is going to do. Most were simple tasks and Mandy thought she could do them without any problem. Some were a bit more complicated and still others involved equipment, like the copier. Mandy is not very good with machines, especially those that were advanced. Mandy was never the techie type. Until now, she prefers to use paper and pen over the digital notepad on her mobile phone.

"Do you have any questions so far?" Josh asked Mandy, after he showed her how the copier works.

"No," Mandy replied, her voice cold, and Josh felt it.

"Hey, look," Josh said. He turned off the copier and faced Mandy. For the first time, Mandy could see how tall he was. She barely reached his chin, and she was already wearing heels.

Josh bent down a little so that his face was almost at level with hers.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot back there. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I thought I was just making things light on your first day. I know how nervous you must be. I remember I was." Josh smiled at Mandy.

Mandy was surprised. She didn't expect those words will come from someone she has just met a few hours ago.

"Don't worry about it." Mandy smiled in return. She felt her heartbeat race.

"How about we start over again? Hi! My name is Josh. I'm pleased to meet you." He extended his hand to Mandy.

Mandy hesitated but took Josh's hand anyway.

"Hello, my name is Mandy. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mandy's eyes grew big. She had introduced herself as "Mandy" instead of "Amanda".

" 'Mandy'? I thought your name is 'Amanda'?" Josh was confused.

"Oh yeah, my name is really Amanda, it's just that my friends call me Mandy, you know, for short."

"Ahh I see. So what would I call you then? Amanda or Mandy?"

"Amanda. Call me Amanda."

"Okay, I understand. Maybe when we are friends I can call you 'Mandy', yes? Because right now I guess I am on the "acquaintances" category, right, Amanda?"

Mandy was thinking of a good excuse why she doesn't want to be called "Mandy" in the office.

"Don't worry about it, Amanda. Someday I'm going to think of a name I will call you so that I am neither just a friend nor an acquaintance."

"Whatever you want, as long as it's a good name." Mandy is so eager to drop the subject.

"Okay, then, let's continue." Josh started to walk and Mandy followed closely behind that when Josh suddenly stopped, she bumped onto his back.

"Wait a minute, what time is it?"

"It's 9:35am," Mandy replied as she looked at her watch. She missed her favorite watch. She couldn't wear that watch here. She was wearing the one she bought the previous day.

"Oh good! It's coffee break. Come on! Since it's your first day at work, I'll treat you."

"Oh, no," Mandy declined. She wants to spend her coffee break alone.

"Please, let me buy you coffee. Actually, there's coffee back in the office but it doesn't really taste that good." Josh made a face. "Please? I want to make it up to you," Josh insisted.

"You don't need to do that. I already said it's okay." Mandy was determined to spend her coffee break alone.

"Please." Josh clasped his hands together, begging Mandy.

Mandy felt Josh was being sincere.

"Alright, then. But this is not a date." Mandy already let the words out before she realized it.

"Of course it's not! Why would you think that?" Josh exclaimed.

"I don't know. Just let it go, okay?"

Josh smiled. "Sure. Let's go get coffee."

Mandy followed. For the first time today, she started to relax.

. . .

The nearby coffee shop was packed. Mandy scanned the shop for an available table but to no avail. They decided to buy coffee first to save time while they waited for a vacant table.

"What will you have?" Josh asked Mandy as they stood on queue.

Mandy was looking at the menu on the counter. She wanted to buy a macchiato but was having second thoughts because it might be too extravagant for Josh to buy.

"I will have whatever you will have," Mandy smiled.

Josh looked at her, studying her.

"Okay then, you look like a macchiato kind of person. Let's get that." Josh winked at her. "Will that be alright with you?"

Mandy was surprised. It was as if Josh was reading her mind.

"Sure, whatever you want."

Josh ordered their coffee.

"Good morning Sir Josh! What will you have today?" The female cashier asked him. Mandy was surprised the cashier knows him.

"Two tall hot macchiatos please," Josh answered.

"Will there be anything else, Sir?"

"That will be all, thank you."

The cashier told him the total bill.

Mandy looked away as he opened his wallet. She doesn't want to embarrass him or anything. A part of her wanted to pay for the coffee.

After paying for their coffee, they stood aside and waited to be called.

Mandy checked her watch. It was almost time to go back to work. Josh noticed her looking at her watch.

"Don't worry. We'll be on time." Josh assured her.

"Two tall hot macchiatos for Sir Josh." The barista called.

"That's us." Josh showed the receipt and got the coffees.

"Unfortunately we can't sit anymore. We should head back to the office." Josh said as he handed Mandy her coffee.

"Yeah, I agree. I don't want to get in any trouble on my first day."

They started to walk back. Both of them were just holding their coffee. Mandy couldn't sip the coffee because it was too hot for her.

She looked at Josh from the corner of her eye. He was walking tall, his strides were smooth. He was looking straight as if thinking what to say. He didn't look worried that they might be late going back to work. For the first time since Mandy met him, he was quiet. If Mandy didn't know what his work was, he could easily pass for, at least, a supervisor. A soft wind blew that tossed some of his hair strands to his face. He ran his fingers through his hair to put them back. Mandy felt her heart race again.

"What's wrong with me?" Mandy thought. "I cannot possibly have a crush on someone I just met!"

"This way, Amanda."

Mandy was deep in thought that she didn't notice she passed their building. Josh was standing by the entrance.

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

Mandy joined Josh, and together, they entered the building. Mandy looked at the time. It was 9:50am. They were five minutes late.