First Date- a Novella Read online

  “Look familiar to you or anyone you’ve heard of?”

  “Nope, and whoever it was, was very good,” Kenneth said and looked back at the stack of papers they were studying.

  Daniel shook his head, grinning at the stooges, and walked out. Moving through the cubicle maze, he headed to the far side to the offices along the wall. Looking around, he only saw a few people when there should’ve been over a hundred.

  Looking through the window to Ginger’s office, Daniel grinned, watching her hands blur across the keyboard as she chewed on an ink pen. He counted four more ink pens and one marker shoved in the back of her hair, giving her a porcupine halo. “Where is everyone?” he asked, walking in.

  “Huh?” Ginger said, never looking away from the screen.

  “The rest of the staff, where are they?”

  Registering who it was, Ginger looked up, spitting the pen out of her mouth. “Oh, umm…” she said, embarrassed that Daniel caught her chewing on a pen like a cigar. “Getting flu shots,” she finally said. “Memo was put out last week that everyone could take three hours off with pay to get their flu shots but only from ten to noon, but you could tie your lunch on at the end.”

  “I don’t remember that,” Daniel mumbled.

  “VP Gordon put it out. He said it would save the company money in the long run.”

  “No wonder; I never read what he sends,” Daniel said with grin. “Hey, it’s not part of our date, but you want to head over to the food court and grab some food?”

  Ginger smiled then glanced at her computer screens, and the smile fell off. “Ah, I really want to, but I need to figure out what is wrong with this program,” she said then looked at her watch and saw it was almost lunch. “How about in an hour?” she asked hopefully as she prayed silently that she hadn’t made Daniel mad.

  “How about I get us something, and we eat in the break room in an hour?”

  Sighing with relief, Ginger spun around in her chair. “Well then I’ll buy,” she said, reaching for her backpack.

  “Ah, Ginger,” Daniel said in a snappy tone that made her look up in alarm. “Darlin’, I’m from Louisiana. That’s the south in case you’re wondering. If I was to allow you to buy me food, everyone I know—friends and family—would come to kill me, and it wouldn’t be pretty. I don’t know how it is up here, but a beautiful woman that you’re going to take out, you have to be a gentleman at all times. Hell, my own momma would tar and feather me for disrespecting you like that.”

  With her mouth hanging open, Ginger flopped back in her chair, flabbergasted. “I don’t want you to get in trouble with your family,” she muttered in shock.

  “You like the Chinese place?” Daniel asked with a warm smile, and Ginger just nodded, still in shock. “I’ll get us something.”

  When Daniel left, Ginger grabbed her chair and kicked off into a rapid spin. “He said I was beautiful!” she cheered. Stopping the chair, she felt her head become light. Ginger calmed down and concentrated on the screen again. “Shit, if it doesn’t work out with Daniel, I’m asking for a transfer to our Texas plant if southern boys act like that.”

  As Daniel walked by the reception desk, he saw Teresa hanging up the phone. “Glenda go get a flu shot?” he asked, stopping.

  “Yes and to buy my kids something, I’m sure,” Teresa huffed.

  Laughing, Daniel walked over and leaned on the desk. “Hey, I’m going to get Ginger and me some food from the Chinese place. Want me to bring you something?”

  Teresa smiled and reached for her purse. “Oh, would you please? I’m starving. I’m not getting my flu shot, so I don’t get this three-and-a-half-hour break.”

  Offended, Daniel pushed off the desk. “I have it,” he snapped. “What the hell is wrong with you women? I said I was going to get some food. When a man says that, it means he’s buying.”

  With her hand halfway in her purse, Teresa froze, staring at Daniel. “Ah, no it doesn’t,” she said then quickly added, “just the ones I’ve met.”

  Daniel nodded, turning around. “Well, you’ve met assholes,” he said, walking out.

  Dropping her purse in shock, Teresa nodded. “You can say that again,” she said, kicking her purse under the desk. “I wonder if he has a brother; right now, younger or older doesn’t matter to me.”

  As Daniel walked down the hall across the building, he passed a doctor’s office. Looking through the glass wall, he noticed it was rather full, and several people were holding buckets in their laps. “Damn, they look sick as shit,” he mumbled, glad Ginger wanted to eat in the break room.

  Passing an expensive clothing store, he saw two of the employees sitting down with their heads between their legs. Stopping in the open door, Daniel called out, “Hey, you guys okay?”

  One of the women looked up, and Daniel took a step back. She was pale, and her eyes were red. “Yeah,” she croaked. “All of a sudden, I just don’t feel good.”

  “Why don’t you go home? Not meaning to sound rude, but you don’t look so hot.”

  “I called the other managers and can’t find anyone to cover for me or her,” the woman said, nodding at her co-worker, who still had her head between her legs.

  “Hope you get to feeling better,” Daniel said as he waved, not wanting to get close to them. The woman gave a half wave and dropped her head between her legs before he turned away. “Shit, if that’s the flu this year, I might need to think about getting the shot,” he mumbled.

  Walking into the food court, Daniel looked around and noticed several people with their heads on the tables. Then he realized there were nowhere near the number of people that should’ve been there even if lunch was an hour away. “If they look sick at the restaurant, we eat out of the vending machine,” he said, heading to the Chinese restaurant.

  Happy to see the staff healthy, Daniel placed his order then glanced around and noticed only a few of the booths and tables had costumers. “If this flu shot works, I’ll get one,” he vowed. It didn’t take long for the hostess to bring him his order, and Daniel fought the urge to run back to the office. A few more people were in the food court. Even the ones that didn’t have their heads down looked sick.

  Looking at his watch, Daniel thought out loud. “Maybe I can to get a flu shot real quick.” Hearing his own voice, Daniel stopped and heard his Ranger instructor’s voice. “A hasty action always causes harm either to you or someone else. Make sure you know which and can live with it. A decision or action that comes from training is what you always fall back on.”

  “I’ll wait,” Daniel said and walked off but did speed up the pace. “If the shot works, I’ll get it in a week or so, and if not, I’ll just have to suck up being sick as shit.” Coming around the corner, he saw several people getting off the elevator, and only a few looked sick. Luckily, the ones who were staff at SCC didn’t look sick.

  Teresa saw Daniel and other employees coming down the hall and pressed the button under her desk to open the doors. Walking in, Daniel let the others pass as he stood off to the side. When they were gone, he walked over to Teresa. “I’ll put the food in the break room, and you can eat with us. You know how the bosses get when they see someone eating at their workstation.”

  “Thank you,” Teresa smiled. “Ginger won’t get mad, will she?”

  “Ah, why?”

  “You bought food for me.”

  Totally lost, Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know, but is this like poking fun at us southern boys?”

  A smile filled Teresa’s face as she laughed. “No, but if she gets mad, I’m giving you money.”

  Not saying another word, Daniel spun on his heel as another group of employees came in, and he followed them through the doors leading to the cubicles. Dropping off the food, Daniel walked back to Ginger’s office. He found her studying the screen as she scrolled with her mouse. “Ah Ginger, can I ask you a question?”

  “I can use chopsticks, and I like my fortune cookie, so I’ll wrestle you for it,” she said, never lookin
g away from the screen.

  Daniel laughed as he walked over and noticed in her other hand was a chewed-on pen. “No, I bought Teresa’s food, but she said you would be mad. Are you?”

  A pang of jealousy hit Ginger as she looked up and saw an innocent look on Daniel’s face. “No, am I supposed to be mad?” she asked. She wanted to admit the jealous part, but honestly, she wasn’t mad.

  “Not according to the way I was brought up,” Daniel said, sitting down and looking out the window as more employees came back. “If a man offers, he can’t accept money. Hell, I watched my dad spank my brother because he let his girlfriend buy her own popcorn at the movies. My brother said she insisted, but Dad said he needed to dump the bitch if she didn’t like being treated like a lady.”

  A grin slowly spread across Ginger’s face as that one statement opened a vision into Daniel’s world. “Well, if you offered, I would be very disappointed if you had taken money,” she said, and Daniel let out a huge sigh of relief.

  “I was beginning to wonder about you northern girls for a minute,” he droned.

  “Just don’t go thinking I’m a girly girl,” Ginger chuckled.

  Daniel looked over at Ginger with a straight face, and she stopped chuckling. “My momma could out shoot my daddy and my older brother. One night, Daddy got drunk and pissed her off. Momma broke his jaw with her fist. Now, she also broke her hand, but Daddy was knocked out,” Daniel said, leaning back in his chair. “A lady is tough but should always be shown respect. No matter if it’s your wife, girlfriend, or a woman on the street. Momma worked and helped take care of the farm plus raised three kids. My momma was a lady.”

  “Whoa,” Ginger said, falling back in her chair.

  Daniel glanced over and saw the stunned expression. “You ready to eat?”

  “I’m not going to offer you money,” Ginger said.

  “I didn’t ask that. I asked if you were ready to eat.”

  Ginger got up, staring at him. “If Teresa insists on paying you back, I’ll take her to the bathroom for a girl talk.”

  “Don’t threaten her, or they could fire you,” Daniel said, getting up. “They’ve almost fired Gary for that a dozen times.”

  “Gary’s a dick,” Ginger said, walking around her desk.

  Walking out of her office, they heard the buzz of chatter all around the cubicles. As they walked to the break room, Daniel noticed more than a few frightened faces. He saw the stooges talking to another group, and they looked worried. “You getting your flu shot this year?” he asked.

  “Nope,” Ginger said. “If I get it, I get it. I’m all for immunizations, but the flu shot’s pushing it. Most of the time, flu shots are less than thirty percent effective. If I made an anti-virus program that was thirty percent effective, I would be fired. I’m not putting something in my body that’s thirty percent effective, especially when my body will do the same damn thing.”

  Really liking that reasoning, Daniel nodded. “About how I feel,” he said, opening the door to the break room. He led her to the back corner table where he had set the food. “Unsweetened tea,” he said, pointing at her cup.

  Moving over to the coffee table, Ginger grabbed a handful of sugar packets. “Never seen you drink that before,” she said, tossing them on the table.

  “All they had ready.” He pulled out her chair. The door to the break room opened, and the three stooges looked around the few occupied tables and saw Daniel. Like ducks, they fell in a straight line and walked over. “I’m so not in the mood,” he mumbled, sitting down.

  “Hey, Daniel, did you hear?” Ken said, stepping up to the table, and Joe and Don moved to either side of him.

  Letting out a sigh as he closed his eyes, Daniel asked, “Hear what?”

  “Like a dozen people downstairs had seizures after they got their flu shot. Several were taken to the hospital by ambulance,” Ken said, looking from Daniel to Ginger. “You two dating?”

  Ginger just smiled and started pulling food out of the bags as Daniel opened his eyes, wanting the stooges to go away. “Our first date is tonight, so not really,” Daniel said. “And no, I hadn’t heard about the people downstairs.”

  “I thought I saw you at the dojo where Ginger teaches,” Don said as he looked at Ginger, who was chuckling silently.

  “Yes, I’m taking Krav Maga under her,” Daniel said.

  “You said you knew martial arts,” Joe butted in.

  Removing the top from his tea, Daniel took a deep breath. Ripping open several packs, he dumped them in. “If you must know, I’ve studied four different forms and have black belted in each one. I’ve always wanted to learn Krav Maga, so I’m taking it, and it just so happens where I’m taking it, Ginger teaches it. Now how this is any business of yours, I don’t know.”

  As one, all three took a step back. “Dude, you need to chill,” Ken said, shaking his head, then looked at Ginger. “I’ve asked you out like a hundred times since we went out last year. I can take you out.”

  “Sorry, Ken,” Ginger smiled. “You’re a good friend.”

  Groaning, Ken looked back at Daniel. “So did you hear all three doctors’ offices on this floor are filled to capacity?”

  “Nope, but I saw one, and it was standing room only in the waiting room,” Daniel huffed, looking at the door as Teresa walked in. Glancing around, she saw the stooges talking and came over then pulled out a chair and set her purse down.

  “Teresa, if you offer Daniel money for the food, you and I will have to visit the girls’ restroom,” Ginger said, passing over a paper plate and utensils.

  Shocked by the statement, Teresa stared at Ginger. “Um, okay,” she finally said.

  “You’re dating both of them!” Ken cried out, making the other people in the break room look over.

  Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut. “I’m getting a goddamn headache.”

  “Ken,” Ginger snapped, throwing down her fork. “No, he’s not. Daniel is being a gentleman to Teresa by buying her lunch so she could eat with us. Now go away.”

  Clearly confused, Ken turned to look at Don then turned to look at Joe. They both just shrugged at him. “Well, I was just clarifying what it looked like,” Ken mumbled as he turned around with Joe and Don falling in behind him. They walked to the front of the break room, grabbed their lunch boxes off a table, and sat down.

  Teresa looked over at Daniel, who was still pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut tight. “Daniel, you okay?” she asked then glanced over at Ginger, who reached out, brushing Daniel’s cheek with her fingers.

  “Yes, and you know I like the three stooges, but my God, they can worry the horns off a buffalo,” Daniel said, opening his eyes and dropping his hand to the table.

  “Three stooges,” Ginger snorted, still brushing his cheek. “That is the best description I’ve ever heard of them.”

  “Let’s eat before they come back,” Daniel said, smiling at Ginger.

  Teresa took the top off her tea and dumped sugar in. “You think they are coming back?”

  “I know they are,” Daniel said, and Ginger nodded as she shoved rice in her mouth with chopsticks.

  The door to the break room opened, and Glenda looked around, spotted Daniel, and trotted over quickly for an older woman. As she neared, they noticed she looked at little pale. “Daniel, Malik needs you in the hallway outside of reception,” Glenda said, wiping sweat off her brow.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, standing up.

  “A woman collapsed, having a seizure,” Glenda panted. “And there’s reports of a big fight downstairs in the main lobby.”

  “My job isn’t physical security of personnel. In fact, my contract strictly forbids it, as does Malik’s. And besides the first aid I learned in the Army, what the hell can I do about a seizure?” Daniel asked, buttoning his coat.

  “Can you just come and see the woman? She doesn’t look good,” Glenda pleaded.

  Daniel stepped away from the table a
nd nodded. “Okay, but Glenda, you look a little queasy yourself.”

  “Just feel hot,” she said, following him to the door.

  When they were gone, Teresa looked over at Ginger. “You got a keeper with that one,” Teresa said breaking apart her chopsticks. “I hope it works out for you.”

  “Thank you,” Ginger said grinning with a mouthful. Swallowing and grabbing her tea, Ginger noticed Teresa looked a little dejected. “I hope you’re not mad at me.”

  Looking up with a smile, Teresa shook her head. “No, I see what someone explained to me. You’re his type.”

  Ginger smiled back. “Thank you,” she said and continued shoving food in her mouth.

  Daniel walked through the reception area as Glenda got behind the desk. Walking out the door, he saw a stocky black man kneeling beside a woman on the floor with several others standing around them. As Daniel walked up, the black man turned around. “What’s up, Malik?” he asked, stopping behind him.

  “Not sure. She’s sweating bullets, but her skin is cold as ice,” Malik said as a nurse ran down the hall toward them. Shifting his gaze to the woman on the floor, Daniel stepped back. She was so pale she looked gray with frothy foam around her mouth.

  When he looked up at those gathered around the scene, most didn’t look much better. Besides the nurse running toward them, only he and Malik looked healthy. “Malik, we really need to get back to the office,” Daniel said, grabbing Malik’s shoulder and trying not to breathe deep.

  As Malik stood up, Daniel pulled him back from the crowd. The nurse knelt down beside the woman, touching her face. She looked up and pointed at four people. “Help me get her to the office; the ambulance can pick her up from there.”

  Even though they weren’t picked, Malik moved forward to offer assistance, and Daniel grabbed his jacket hard, pulling him back and almost off his feet. Malik spun around. “Dude, you need to chill.”

  Daniel leaned close but kept his eyes on the group as some picked up the woman and carried her down the hall. “You have a wife and kids, Malik. Look at those people; they’re sick as shit. You really want to bring that home to an infant and two small kids?”