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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 78 из 234It was a good personality trait for a receptionist.
"Yeah, to see the boss."
She cocked her head to one side, eyes suddenly wary. "Why?"
"I should have an appointment to see Bert today, anyway. I told Craig to schedule it."
She glanced through the appointment book. "Craig did, and Bert canceled it." The smile was gone. "He really is very busy today."
That was it. I went for Bert's door.
"He's with a client right now," Mary said.
"Peachy," I said. I knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for permission.
Bert's desk took up most of the pale blue office. It was the smallest of the three offices, but it was permanently his. The rest of us had to rotate. He'd played football in college and it still showed. Broad shoulders, strong hands, six feet four inches tall and aware of every inch. His boater's tan had washed away with the winter weather. His white crew cut seemed a little less dramatic against the paler skin.
His eyes are the color of dirty window glass, sort of grey. Those eyes glared at me now. "I'm with a client, Anita."
I spared a glance for the man sitting across from him. It was Kaspar Gunderson. He was dressed all in white today, and it emphasized everything. How I could have ever looked at him and thought him human was beyond me. He smiled. "Ms. Blake, I presume." He put out a hand.
I shook it. "If you could wait outside for just a few moments, Mr. ."
"Gunderson," he said.
"Mr. Gunderson, I need to speak with Mr. Vaughn."
"I think it can wait, Anita," Bert said.
"No," I said, "it can't."
"Yes," he said, "it can."
"Do you want to have this particular talk in front of a client, Bert?"
He stared at me, his small grey eyes looking even smaller as he squinted at me. It was his mean look. It had never worked on me. He gave a tight smile. "Are you insisting?"
"You got it."
He took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, as if he were counting to ten. His flashed his best professional smile on Kaspar. "If you will excuse us for a few minutes, Mr. Gunderson. This won't take long."
Kaspar stood, nodded at me, and left. I closed the door behind him.
"What the hell are you doing coming in here while I'm talking to a client?" He stood up, and his broad shoulders nearly touched from wall to wall.
He should have known better than to try and intimidate me with size. I've been the smallest kid on the block for as long as I can remember. Size hadn't been impressive for a very long time.
"Yeah, to see the boss."
She cocked her head to one side, eyes suddenly wary. "Why?"
"I should have an appointment to see Bert today, anyway. I told Craig to schedule it."
She glanced through the appointment book. "Craig did, and Bert canceled it." The smile was gone. "He really is very busy today."
That was it. I went for Bert's door.
"He's with a client right now," Mary said.
"Peachy," I said. I knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for permission.
Bert's desk took up most of the pale blue office. It was the smallest of the three offices, but it was permanently his. The rest of us had to rotate. He'd played football in college and it still showed. Broad shoulders, strong hands, six feet four inches tall and aware of every inch. His boater's tan had washed away with the winter weather. His white crew cut seemed a little less dramatic against the paler skin.
His eyes are the color of dirty window glass, sort of grey. Those eyes glared at me now. "I'm with a client, Anita."
I spared a glance for the man sitting across from him. It was Kaspar Gunderson. He was dressed all in white today, and it emphasized everything. How I could have ever looked at him and thought him human was beyond me. He smiled. "Ms. Blake, I presume." He put out a hand.
I shook it. "If you could wait outside for just a few moments, Mr. ."
"Gunderson," he said.
"Mr. Gunderson, I need to speak with Mr. Vaughn."
"I think it can wait, Anita," Bert said.
"No," I said, "it can't."
"Yes," he said, "it can."
"Do you want to have this particular talk in front of a client, Bert?"
He stared at me, his small grey eyes looking even smaller as he squinted at me. It was his mean look. It had never worked on me. He gave a tight smile. "Are you insisting?"
"You got it."
He took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, as if he were counting to ten. His flashed his best professional smile on Kaspar. "If you will excuse us for a few minutes, Mr. Gunderson. This won't take long."
Kaspar stood, nodded at me, and left. I closed the door behind him.
"What the hell are you doing coming in here while I'm talking to a client?" He stood up, and his broad shoulders nearly touched from wall to wall.
He should have known better than to try and intimidate me with size. I've been the smallest kid on the block for as long as I can remember. Size hadn't been impressive for a very long time.