A Heart Worth Healing

Chapter 2

"Let me give you a ride back to your office, then," Derek suggested. "It will give us a chance to talk some more."

"You don't have to do that," Kirsty replied. "It's a short distance away."

Kirsty stood up and so did Derek. He did not want to let her go without making plans to see her again.

"Please, I insist," he said firmly, sounding suddenly like a man who was used to getting what he wanted.

Kirsty shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, if you want to," she said, smiling up at him because he was taller than her.

Derek smiled back. Their eyes met and locked for a long moment before Kirsty had the courage to look away.

As Kirsty went to pay her bill, Derek went over to his table and put his papers into his briefcase. He joined her in the lobby and they went outside.

"My car will be here in a moment," Derek said, conscious that Kirsty was in a hurry.

Kirsty tried to contain her surprise when she realized that a limousine was coming toward them. When it stopped right in front of them, Derek opened the door and motioned to Kirsty to step inside. Speechless, she could only obey him. Derek got in beside her and she told the driver where her office building was. She had never been in a limousine before and she was sure it was obvious in her manner. The car was very spacious with a luxurious interior. Kirsty would have laughed out loud at the comfort of it if she was not sitting so close to a stranger.

Derek could tell that Kirsty was holding herself back from commenting on the car, somehow sensing how impressed she was with it. To make her feel more comfortable, he said, "I hope your boss doesn't mind if you join me for dinner tomorrow night."

He had intuitively grasped that Kirsty hated her boss and his tone of voice made her laugh. Then she realized what he had said. Suddenly flustered, she said, "I don't know if I should."

"Why not?" Derek asked her curiously, interested in her answer.

"Because....I don't usually do things like that," she replied shyly.

"What? You don't eat dinner?" Derek teased, making her laugh again.

"No," she answered, shaking her head. "I don't usually eat dinner with men I've just met."

"Who do you eat dinner with, then?" he asked curiously.

"Nobody," Kirsty replied, and the honesty of her answer surprised him. In his experience, women usually threw themselves at him.

"Well, that's not much fun," Derek replied. "I'd like to see you again. Won't you give me a chance?"

Kirsty looked at him. His face was in shadow, but she could hear the gentleness in his voice.

"Okay, I guess I will," Kirsty replied, feeling flattered and nervous.

"Great," Derek replied, and she could see him smiling at her.

All too soon, the limo stopped in from of her office building. Kirsty gave Derek her home address and she got out of the car.

"I'll pick you up at eight'o'clock tomorrow," he said. Kirsty waved back at him as the car drove away. Sighing, she turned to go inside, feeling somewhat lightheaded and confused about what had just happened.

When Kirsty went inside and sat down at her desk, Mrs. Templer came bounding over to her desk and demanded, "Where have you been? You are two minutes late."

Kirsty noticed that Mrs. Templer's glasses were always in danger of sliding off her nose. This occasion was no exception.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Templer, but I got held up at lunch," Kirsty replied, trying to make her voice sound respectful.

"You are not paid to eat lunch, McLaren," Mrs. Templer stated. She never called anyone by their first name. She thought it put people in their places. And she was right.

"I'll make up the time at the end of the day," Kirsty suggested, wanting to be left alone so she could contemplate her meeting with Derek.

"You had better not let it happen again, McLaren, or I'll put it in your file," Mrs. Templer threatened, sticking her nose in Kirsty's face. She was always threatening to put things in people's files. Kirsty often wondered if such files existed.

After another admonishing glare, Mrs. Templer stalked back to her office. Kirsty breathed a sigh of relief. She had gotten off easy this time. Her boss must be in a better mood than usual.

Turning on her computer, Kirsty felt a tap on her shoulder. It was one of other girls who worked in the department.

"She's like a vulture, isn't she?" the girl whispered into Kirsty's ear. "I saw her eyes light up when she noticed you were late. God, she's a witch!"

Kirsty could only nod, for fear of laughing out loud and incurring more of her boss's wrath. She was glad she was not the only one who Mrs. Templer picked on. She suspected that Mrs. Templer got much pleasure out of badgering people. She had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Kirsty often felt a pang of sympathy for Mrs. Templer's husband, whoever the poor soul was.

Kirsty had a difficult time concentrating on her work for the rest of the afternoon. She could tell that Mrs. Templer was watching her with her beady little eyes, but Kirsty didn't care. All she could think of was Derek's smile and her work seemed unimportant somehow.