Now she really was getting carried away.
The boss returned in time for the afternoon session. They were broken into competitive teams and given a kit of materials and instructed to build an ‘anti-grenade’ that would protect the shell of an egg. The time limit was thirty minutes.
Sally was hopeless at this and happy to cheer on her team mates. After they’d built their device from reinforced cardboard and crumpled paper, they went to a ‘test site’ in the park, where they had to throw their constructions.
Sally’s team broke their egg.
The boss’s team won, launching their device the furthest distance and keeping the egg intact.
He hadn’t been in Sally’s team for any of the day’s team activities, and he’d paid her no attention, but during the entire time she was ridiculously super-aware of him. It was awful, like having a high school crush on a senior boy, but so much more painful because it was so pointless.
Because it wasn’t supposed to happen.
After a scrumptious afternoon tea of scones with strawberry jam and cream, along with piping-hot tea, Janet announced that it was time to draw some conclusions from the day’s activities.
‘But, before that,’ she said, ‘I’d like you to return to the pairs you were in this morning, when we had that first ice-breaker session.’
Sally’s stomach tightened. From across the room, she saw Logan stiffen and glance her way. But his expression remained deadpan as he beckoned to her to come and join him.
Flashing hot and cold, she crossed the room.
‘This time, I’m going to give you a list of questions,’ Janet said as she moved between their tables, distributing sheets of paper. ‘Feedback from others is the most important form of reality check we can have. It’s a matter of lowering your façades and seeing yourselves as others see you and it’s very illuminating self-knowledge.’
Sally cringed. Receiving feedback from her boss would be bad enough, but giving it would be incredibly risky!
With trepidation, she read the questions on the sheet.
What was your first impression of me?
Why did you have that impression?
Who did I remind you of? Why?
How accurate do you now think that impression was?
Ouch! How could she be honest about her first impression? She’d met Logan Black on the day of the interview when he’d found Rose under his desk and she’d thought he was an arrogant prig.
Looking up at him now, she saw a dark red stain creep up his neck. He’s as uncomfortable with this as I am. She dropped her gaze to her hands and twisted them nervously.
Logan made a small throat-clearing sound. ‘Trust Janet to save the punchline for last.’ He shot Sally a piercing look from beneath half-lowered lids. ‘Would you like to start?’
She tried to smile and failed. ‘I’d rather not.’
Drawing back an immaculate white cuff, he looked at his watch, which was, of course, beautiful and gold and very expensive-looking. ‘Actually, I’m not sure we can do this. I have a meeting at four.
‘Yes, you mustn’t miss your meeting.’ Sally was as glad to escape as he was.
Logan stood, but Janet Keaton was too quick for them.
‘I hope you’re not planning to wriggle out of this, Logan,’ she said, loudly enough for several others to hear.
‘I have an important meeting at four,’ he said, jaw jutting at a distinctly antagonistic angle.
‘That’s fine. You still have plenty of time for a quick recap.’
Sally waited for Logan to pull rank and to insist that he couldn’t possibly stay. It would be dead easy for him to leave now. But, to her surprise, he caught her eye and smiled conspiratorially. ‘I guess we’d better do as we’re told.’
As Janet moved away, he sat down again, rested his elbows on the desk and leaned closer to Sally. ‘Don’t look so worried, Sally. I’m not going to eat you. As a matter of fact, I’m prepared to admit straight out that my first impression of you was completely off track.’
Sally gulped. ‘Really?’
‘I assumed you were a single mother,’ he said. ‘And a rather careless one at that.’
‘When I was actually a careless aunt,’ she suggested with a small smile.
The responding warmth in his eyes sent a sweet shiver over her arms. She was about to comment that Logan seemed to enjoy his role as an uncle when he asked, ‘How is the little boy who had the asthma attack?’
Sally swallowed her surprise. She had no idea her boss knew about Oliver. ‘He’s much better, thank you. They’ve put him on some kind of preventative medicine that seems to be doing the trick.’
Logan nodded, then looked down at the sheet of questions. ‘I’m expected to say who you remind me of.’