Page 9 of A Girl Like Janet

The door between the rooms was open and Janet smiled as she walked in to hand Reese the letters ready for his signature.

“I’m leaving now if there isn’t anything else.”

He didn’t glance up. “As a matter of fact there is. I’ll need this report as soon as possible.”

A wary light crept into her bright blue eyes as she accepted the thick folder. Flipping through the handwritten pages, she

estimated it would take several hours to complete.

Reese glanced up and leaned back in his chair.

The dismay was clearly etched in her features and she swallowed the objection.

“I wouldn’t ask you, Janet, if it wasn’t necessary.” The quiet authority in his voice silenced the building anger.

“Of course,” she murmured reluctantly. “I’ll do this right away.”

At her desk, Janet reviewed the material and heaved a sigh. There didn’t seem to be anything in the report that looked that

important. After pushing her glasses up on her nose with her index finger, she phoned her mother.

“Something’s unexpectedly come up and I won’t be able to make it after all,” she told her, not bothering to disguise her own

disappointment.

“Oh dear, maybe you’d better talk to Joel, you know how disappointed he’s going to be. Wait a minute; I’ll get him.”

The line was silent until she heard her brother’s familiar voice. “Hi, Janny, I’m all ready. When will you get here?”

“Not until after the zoo closes, I’m afraid.”

“But I wanted to go real bad. You said you were going to take me,” he pleaded.

“I know, but there’s nothing I can do. I have to stay late. Try and understand.”

There was a long silence at the other end of the line, as if Joel was struggling within himself. “All right, Janny. I love

you.”

“I love you too. We’ll talk later.” Gently she replaced the receiver and glanced up to see Reese standing in the doorway between

the two rooms. His face was twisted in a scowl, his blue eyes frigid cold and menacing.

“I don’t pay you to make personal phone calls on my time. See that it doesn’t happen again, Miss Montgomery.”

Janet opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. She was so angry even her breathing was labored. Begin again? Her mind vaulted

out Reese’s words in accusation. Reese Edwards claimed he wanted to start again? Slowly Janet lowered her hands to her lap

and prayed that God would help her control her temper.

By the time she had finished the prayer she felt better. She was still angry, but more in control of her reactions to that

anger.

The report took three hours and it was almost seven before she placed it on Reese’s desk. She was glad he wasn’t there. He’d

left the office without a word at six-thirty. No doubt he was meeting that woman. Janet had watched him walk out of the room

and her fingers had jammed the keys, causing mass confusion on the computer screen. Luckily it didn’t take more than a minute

to revise. For a second she didn’t know if the reaction had been from the anger of doing this unnecessary report or the thought

of him in Bunny Jacobs’ arms.

The next morning there was a large floral arrangement waiting for Janet on her desk. She walked into the office and paused

in midstep. Autumn-colored chrysanthemums in a beautifully designed ceramic vase. It was beautiful, her favorite flower. The

attached card caught her attention and without taking off her coat she walked to her desk and removed the small white envelope.

It read: thanks for staying yesterday. r.

“I see you found your present.”

Her head shot up, bewilderment clouded her face. “Yes, it’s not even Secretaries Day. Have you gotten your months confused?”

“Not at all.” Both hands were in his pockets as he leaned indolently against the doorjamb. “I thought you deserved something

extra for service above and beyond the call of duty.”

Reese was apologizing the best way he could. Janet was shocked, but pleased. “I deserve something all right,” she said with

a bright smile, “two hours’ overtime.”

“You’ll get that too.” His voice was filled with humor. Their eyes met and the smile faded. “Peace, Janet.”

She nodded, lowering her gaze. “Peace.”

Samuel Edwards came into the office before lunch. “Good morning, Janet,” he greeted her warmly. “Is that son of mine giving

you gray hair?”

Her glasses were perched on the ridge of her nose and she twitched it in a futile attempt to place them where they belonged.

“Not yet.”

He chuckled to himself. “You certainly are a good looker.”

Janet flushed. “Thank you, Mr. Edwards.”

“Has that fool-headed boy asked you out yet?”

Uneasily Janet lowered her eyes, afraid her look would betray her feelings. “No, but I’m free Saturday night in case you’re

interested,” she teased.

“Darned if I’m not,” he chuckled. “Darned if I’m not.”

Soon after his father’s visit, Reese left for a meeting. “Janet, I can’t find the Bressler file,” he called with marked patience.

“Will you see if you can locate it. I need it before noon.”

It was a wonder he could locate anything at all with his desk a picture of chaos. Janet didn’t know how anyone could head

and maintain a company as involved and far-reaching as Dyna-Flow and have such poor organizational skills. Hands on hips,

she stood staring at the stacks of files and correspondence that littered the desk and work area. There wasn’t a single inch

of space left uncluttered.

The first thing she did was to completely clear off the desk and organize everything into neat stacks. She located the missing

file within minutes. Although his desk was usually a disaster, Janet knew that Reese kept everything systemized in his mind.

It was only when he couldn’t locate the actual item that he became frustrated and irrational. With a soft smile Janet placed

the missing file along with phone messages in the center of his desk.

There was an accumulation of throwaway material she was about to dump in his trash can when she saw the picture. It was another

of Reese’s caricatures. Janet paused, withdrawing the paper from the wastepaper basket. It was one of Malcolm Hayes, the vice

president, and so like him that Janet couldn’t prevent a gentle smile. Reese was talented. Why he chose to throw his work

away she didn’t know.

It was obvious that he had sketched it during some kind of meeting. It was drawn on an ordinary piece of company stationery,

and the quality of work was excellent. Janet took it and placed it in her desk drawer beside the one of Reese’s father she

had discovered the year before.

Reese grabbed the file on his way out of the office later. “Thanks, Janet,” he called. “I won’t be back until four, and, Janet,

darn”—he ran his fingers through his hair—“order flowers for Bunny. It’s her birthday tomorrow.”

Automatically Janet reached for the phone and tasted resentment. Would it always be like this when he asked her to do something

for one of his dates? She’d ordered flowers so many times in the past she didn’t need to look up the phone number.

“Helen, this is Janet from Dyna-Flow. I’d like to order a dozen red roses from Mr. Edwards.” Not only did she know the number,

but she knew the girls who worked there. She should, she’d talked to them often enough.

“Oh, hi, Janet,” Helen said, her voice slightly high. “Say, I finally met that boss of yours; he was in this morning. Practically

pounded down the door.”

“Mr. Edwards?”

“That’s who he said he was. I put the bill on his account. One of the best-looking male specimens I’ve seen.”

Janet sighed. “That’s him. What was he doing at your place?” To her knowledge Reese had always left ordering flowers to her.

“He said he needed something extra special. I asked him about the roses—that’s what you normally order for him—but he shook

his head. He must have spent fifteen minutes looking everything over. He said this girl would be offended if he sent her roses;

what she deserved was orchids, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her. He finally decided on my biggest display of chrysanthemums.

Gorgeous fall colors. The vase alone is worth a small fortune.”

Silly tears of happiness misted Janet’s eyes as her gaze rested lovingly on the arrangement that dominated one side of her

desk. Helen claimed Reese had said this girl deserved orchids; Janet loved orchids.

“Now who did you say I was supposed to send the roses to?” The voice effectively sliced into Janet’s musings.

“Oh yes, the roses. Bunny Jacobs, Miss Bunny Jacobs.”

Janet stared at the phone for a long time afterward. Get your head out of the clouds, Janet Montgomery, she told herself.

It doesn’t mean a thing, not a darn thing.

Gail came into the office at five and Janet was putting on her coat when Reese stormed into the room. He was more angry than

Janet could remember seeing him in a long while.

His eyes spit fire from one girl to the other. “I’d like to speak to you in my office, Miss Montgomery. Now!”