Lisa replaced the receiver. It was like Connie to spend as little time on the telephone as possible. When she talked to people, she liked to do it face to face. A prospect that wasn't all that appealing at the moment. She gulped and turned to Giddon.
"I'll go pack now. Make yourself at home."
She beat a hasty retreat down the hallway, and paused breathlessly in the middle of her bedroom. Was she insane? And yet, the idea was enticing . . . almost an obsession. Without a doubt, it would be a diversion from the gruesome thoughts that had plagued her mind lately. So why not go? Because she hadn't known him long? How many people knew anything about their boss before they were hired? And hadn't he expressed admiration for her tenacity?
There was no point in stalling now. She was committed to the job. So, what should she pack? She took a suitcase out of the closet and swung it up on the bed. Snapping it open, she pulled out a dresser drawer and began tossing things in. In such a hurry, she was bound to leave something behind that she would need later. She grabbed her tablet and several pencils. Her make-up, though she used very little, and a couple of bathing suits. Her attention focused on a dangling cord. And her cell phone charger. She unplugged it and tossed it in the bag.
She was almost finished packing when the doorbell rang. By the time she reached the front room, Giddon had answered the door. Connie stared up at him in amazement.
Lisa tugged her friend by the arm. "Come in, Connie, and meet my new boss, Yancey Giddon."
Connie stammered out a prim salutation, still staring at him, and Lisa blushed at Giddon's obvious amusement. "Come on back and help me pack."
Giddon returned to his place on the couch, his eyes twinkling with humor and the slightest suggestion of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Lisa half dragged her gapping friend down the hall. The minute they entered the room Connie shut the door and turned to her with wide eyes.
"Holy smoke, Lisa. You didn't tell me he was gorgeous! Is he married?"
Lisa stared at Connie. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she might have been aware of his looks, but for some reason it hadn't been a conscious thought. She shrugged. "I guess I didn't notice. I don't know if he's married. I guess he is . . . or at least was. He has a daughter, but his wife must not live with him because he needs a sitter," she stammered. Actually, she knew very little about the man with whom she had promised to spend the summer. "I think he's wealthy . . . his house is beautiful."