A Place to Rest My Heart by Galen Rose

appreciation. Long glass cases were filled with food. You could get deli sandwiches, pastas, salads, fruits of every type, baked goods, and the dessert case alone was staggering. “Why would anyone go anywhere else?” I commented as my mouth watered at the fresh blueberry muffins.
    “You know, I ask myself the same thing.” He smiled.
    I was usually a bottomless pit when it came to food. My metabolism ran high and I sometimes had trouble keeping up with it.
    I must have looked a bit overwhelmed. Hell, I was overwhelmed. I had never seen a company like this. Chase just patted me on the back and we went back down to the cubicles. Chase had a meeting to go to so I was handed over to a young woman named Mindy with bright pink, spiky hair.
    “Come on, Laney. I’ll get you squared away at your desk and online and I won’t even ask you about how it felt to deck Sean.” I had to laugh. It was going to be one hell of an experience working here.
    I spent the rest of the morning learning the computer system. Not hard just tedious. At noon a handful of daisies fell on my lap as Mike came around the cubicle. “You ready?”
    “No.”
    “Okay, I’ll wait.”
    I turned around in my chair and stood up. “You can wait until hell freezes over, Mike. I am not going to lunch with you.”
    “Why not? I’m a great guy.” He flashed me a charming smile. His eyes said he knew he was full of it.
    “Because.”
    “Well that’s a good reason. I like ‘because.’ But I think you’re afraid of me.” Mike leaned his hip against the desk. “I think you felt something the other night when I almost kissed you. I would have kissed you had Sean not interrupted us.” Mike had slowly been sliding along the edge of my desk until he had me almost pinned against the wall.
    I sighed, “I think that you are entirely full of yourself and I am not afraid of you.”
    “Prove it.”
    “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
    “Good, then let’s go. I’m hungry.” He stepped back and turned to walk out of the cubicle, then looked back at me.
    His voice softened. “Laney, it’s only lunch. I just want a chance to get to know you.” Of course he did. I was being silly. Other than being very late for our first date he had really done nothing wrong.
    “You’re right. I’m being silly.” As I walked out of the cubicle, Sean came walking down the hall toward me. He stopped in front of me ignoring Mike. “Laney, can I have a word with you?”
    “I am going to lunch right now. Maybe later?” Sean glared at Mike. “Sure. Fine. As you wish, your highness,” and he walked off toward the elevator.
    I stood there watching him walk away and shook my head. “For the life of me I can’t figure him out. I just don’t get it.”
    Mike took my hand, a thoughtful look on his face. “You really don’t understand do you?”
    “No. I don’t.”
    Mike just smiled and tugged me along toward the front door. “So apparently you understand what Sean’s problem is. Do you care to explain it to me?” I was really becoming quite exasperated.
    “Nope,” Mike said with a sly laugh.
    “Why not?”
    “Because, Laney my love, some things are best kept a mystery until it is time to solve them.”
    “Argghhh.” I tried pulling my hand free of his, but he only tightened his grasp. “You people are going to drive me nuts!”
    Mike laughed harder and pulled me along after him.

Chapter Seven
    When I returned from lunch most of the cubicles were empty, so I took a few minutes to just sit and take stock of my new place in life. Sitting on my desk was a vase with a pink rose in it. No note as to who it was from. It smelled lovely so I said thanks out loud hoping the deliverer would hear it if they were around. Also on my desk were my business cards. I pulled one from the stack and looked at it. I felt like jumping up and down and yelling, “I’m somebody! I’m somebody!” I kept quiet because I didn’t think anyone else would understand, and