9. Good Samaritan

It was a dreamless night, at least nothing I could remember.

The next time I awoke, I was being taken to perform a scan and prep for the surgery. I heard my mother talk to the doctors and to my father. Soon they were wheeling me to another area. The last thing I heard was a woman saying, "We are ready."

As I opened the door, a frenzy of activity welcomed me and I stopped the nearest designer and asked him what was going on. He excitedly said, "It worked" and ran off busily grabbing layouts.

I walked to my seat and looked into Carol's room. She was having a meeting with a couple of Asian gentlemen. When she saw me, she gestured for me to enter. I stood up, walked over and knocked at the door before entering. I asked, "Carol, what can I do for you?"

She responded, "Please bring in some tea, coffee and snacks. Then come in and take notes."

I nodded and left to grab the refreshments and returned moments later to start taking notes. I sat down in a chair outside of their meeting circle and started writing. I looked at my pants and started thinking I would have worn something more appropriate if I had known that this meeting was happening.

From what I gathered from their conversation, those gentlemen in her room were from Long Sing and they were here to talk about producing games for their mini series, Thousand Peach Blossoms and Era of Dreams.

The two executives and Carol talked about the different ideas and themes of the two mini series, both were of ancient times and somewhat of a fantasy. I diligently took notes of the details discussed. Finally an hour into it, the meeting ended and I showed the gentlemen off. When coming back in, Carol squinted her eyes at me, and gestured for me to get closer. When I got close, she screamed, "Ah!" "Hell no, what the "f" just happened? I thought it was great just to have finished the last project and get some recognition but WOW this is now on a whole different level!"

We screamed and hopped around like school girls, happily yelling back at each other about thoughts and details of the new products. Carol suddenly got really serious and said, "Hey, since it is summer break in a month, can you work full-time for a couple of months?"

I enthusiastically replied, "Hell yeah!" I was thinking that I was just going to ask her for more hours because I need to make enough money for tuition next semester. This worked out really well.

Carol said, "We are going to be busy for quite some time and can definitely use the help, so during your breaks come on back and help out." Then rubbing her chin and then seriously said, "Talking about that, I think I will recruit one other person as well." With a devious smile, as she waved for me to go out and close the door, she picked up the phone and started dialing.

Carol hung up and walked out. Hanging by the doorway, she eyed the desk next to mine, which was now used as a storage of file folders. Looking at it a little more and then panning the room, she came back to that desk. Then she yelled out, "Order a filing cabinet. Clean that desk out by next week. Order a tall desk chair, something contemporary."

I replied with a question, "How much can I spend? Both on the chair and the cabinet unit."

Carol looked at me, "You're not going to ask me who it is for?" Paused and mischievously asked, "Aren't you curious?"

"If you wanted to tell me, you would have already." I retorted back.

She pouted and turned to walk back into the room, but also shouting back, "Just spend as much as you think a second assistant deserves."

So I went shopping at the city center mall, for a comfortable, reasonably priced high back chair and a cabinet that would fit the office. I'm frugal but I value comfort more than money. So as long as I felt it was good quality, even if it is not the cheapest, I would still buy it.

As I did drive, I asked the store clerk for assistance in placing the disassembled chair in the trunk and the box for the shelf in the back seat.

While I moved and adjusted the items that just would not fit in the car, parked across from me was a guy looking amused as he watched me struggle to get everything in my dad's Honda Civic.

Just when I was deciding to have it delivered after all. The stranger sashayed over and asked if he could help. I answered, "Unless you know magic and can shrink the items, they are just not going to fit."

He pointed to his truck, "Well they will fit in there."

Tilting my head to look pass him at the truck. I thought, well that is true but can I trust him? I was questioning his motives. Would he just drive off with my items? Is it worth the risk? Then thinking about how much delivery and assembly cost. I thought, "What the hell, let's do it!"

I answered him, "Okay, thank you" "I haven't even gotten your name. My name is Caitlyn."

"Daniel", he answered.

"Daniel, thank you. Let's move the items over" "I am bringing them back to work, if you don't mind following me to 1675 Canterbury Street."

"Sure," he responded. So he and the clerk moved the two items onto the truck bed and thanking both of them, I got into my car and asked Daniel to follow me.

We drove the six miles back to work and stopped in front of the building to off load. My plan was to call the facilities staff to please help move it up to Lok Gaming Designs, but of course I couldn't find a single person to help. So, displaying my most sincere puppy dog eyes, I pleaded for Daniel to also help me move it upstairs.

"No problem. I did offer to help. Might as well finish the job," he replied.

We moved both items into the lobby and pushed them into the elevator. When we got up the 15th floor, I discovered that everyone had gone out to lunch.

So he helped me move it to the empty desk.

"Do you need help assembling these too?" he asked.

While waving both hand, "Oh, no, no, no. I can do that. I have already taken up too much of your time. How about this, let me treat you to lunch, there is pretty good Chinese place down the street or the Italian place is pretty good too."

Daniel looked a bit surprised when he replied, "I actually have to get back to a project, I was just out getting some supplies"

"Well I really would like to thank you for all your help. Here this is my card, call me if you are ever in the area again." I said as I handed him my business card.

We said our goodbyes at the door, and when he left walked back up to the office.

Since it was nice and quiet, I opened up the box for the shelf and started assembling it. Thank goodness I bought the one that came with the little tool for assembly. I then made a mental note that next time I will need to buy a simple tool kit for the office.

Carol and most of the staff came back from lunch as I was working on installing the last shelf. Amazed at the mess of cardboard, shrink wrap and instructions littered everywhere, they all looked at me with an amused look on their faces.

Carol walked up to me and asked, "Did you move this yourself? Why didn't you just pay for delivery and assembly too"

I answered, "Why pay for someone to do something I can do myself."

"These items are heavy, how did you move it from the store to the office?" Carol asked.

" I had help" I answered.

"Who?" Carol questioned.

"Daniel. I met him in the parking lot and he offered to help me and in exchange I offered to buy him lunch sometime," I replied while finishing cleaning up the off,

Carol looked stunned, "So you picked up a random guy off the streets, who could possibly have been an axe murder, what did you promise him?"

"Just lunch, sometime," I said but now feeling a little more doubtful of my decision.

"Nick is right, you are too naive!" Carol huffed and walked back into her office.

"I thought I was already being cautious. What did I do wrong?" I mumbled. Now I questioned every move and questioned every word I spoke to Daniel.

I wasn't feeling as peppy and energized as I was before. I was now worried that maybe Daniel was a bad person and now he knew where I worked too.

The neurotic side of me started thinking about all the most horrific outcomes, like how about he was a stalker or a serial killer, would he follow me home, would he harm my family?

"Okay just calm down." I slapped myself and started reasoning with myself. He had not done anything yet and he may not even call. So stop freaking yourself out for no damn reason!

The phone rings, and I jump. I pick it up and nervously said, "Hello"

"Now you know to be scared!" Carol mused.

I glared over at Carol in her office, as she was smirking and waving.

"Really?!" I retorted back

She just busted out laughing and hung up.

After that I pouted and I was in no mood to finish assembling the chair. So I just looked out the window for a bit. When my mood had settled and I had convinced myself that I was just over thinking things. I got back to work.

I just love the Spring months, the days and nights are warm and it doesn't get dark until eight or nine o'clock. I got to my car and saw a piece of paper on the windshield. I picked it up and read it. It was from Daniel, he was giving me his number but he promised to call soon.

I thought to myself, he really doesn't seem like a bad guy. I just need to believe that there are still good wholesome people in this world. Those that will do things out of the kindness in their hearts. I threw the sheet of paper in the glove compartment and drove home. Not knowing that another surprise was awaiting me when I got home.