Chapter Four

Cliff

I was standing at the reception desk for the floor when I observed an interesting encounter. Interesting because it involved Forrest, who I was not doing a great job of ignoring, and Frank, another employee at his level who had the unfortunate tendency to act as if he was a level higher than he occupied. Most of the staff ignored him, but Forrest hadn't been there long and was too good-natured. Probably it wasn't hurting anything because Frank was harmless and generally meant well. He was well qualified to help Forrest pick up anything he hadn't so far, and he for sure wouldn't steer him wrong.

"Cliff?" Belinda the receptionist asked, returning my attention to our conversation. "I was able to get coverage for the last week of the year, and HR approved my time off."

"That's fine." I wasn't sure why she had to tell me any of this. Everyone had an allotted number of days off, although she was a great face for the company. So, that made the quiet week between holidays a perfect time. "You didn't have to track down someone to cover."

"No, but I know how much you like having a friendly and professional person at this desk."

It was true. Belinda was not the young, minimum-wage worker some companies preferred for the job. She knew our business well and represented it in person or on the phone in a way that reflected positively on our operation. And we paid her appropriately.

"True, but you do enough without taking on more responsibility." I said this a lot here, where I never had to at other jobs. "But thank you. I hope you have a good vacation."

She smiled, the fine lines around her eyes crinkling. "My mother asked us all to come for a big holiday get-together. She's getting older, although she claims we are, and she lives where a white Christmas is almost guaranteed. Everyone is coming! Can you believe it?"

I would not have asked her for details because I never wanted anyone to feel like they had to explain why they chose their time off, but Belinda was chatty and had told me many stories of her large extended family. She'd never married, herself, but had dozens of nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews whom she adored. "Can you all fit in the house?" I never had the impression her mother lived in a mansion.

"No, but there are a couple of Airbnbs on her block. Usually she grumbles about it, but now…"

"Now, not so much?" I chuckled. "What a great time you'll have. I hope you take lots of pictures." Again, not interfering, but she did love to show off her beloved family.

"You know it. I'll fill up my phone. I'm going to gain ten pounds just eating all the food Mom and my sisters and brother will prepare, too. You know I don't cook."

"So you've mentioned." Many times… "Well, then, I'd better get back to my desk. Hey, who is covering while you're gone?"

"Sandy. You know him, the VP of operations assistant? His boss will be off, and he could have been, too, but he used his vacation over the summer and well…perfect, right?"

Sandy wore a bow tie and button-down shirt every day and often a vest. He was friendly and would enjoy the front seat here. "Absolutely perfect."

I bid her goodbye and started down the hall when something glittery caught my eye. Bending down, I saw a ribbon peeking out from behind a potted palm near the elevator. I tugged it out to find a sparkly gift bag. I shook it and something bumped around inside. Not a discard, then. I examined it carefully, but there was no tag and no name written anywhere among the gold-and-silver reindeer and elves.

Maybe Belinda…but she was not at her desk when I turned around. Probably gone to the restroom or to take a delivery to someone's office. Calls were forwarded whenever she stepped away. When she was at lunch, various assistants filled in, but for a minute or two it didn't matter. So who lost this present? I was all alone in the elevator lobby at the moment, but maybe someone in one of the nearby offices would know. I was on my way back from finding out nothing when I spotted a certain newish employee crawling around on the floor near the potted plants.

Interesting.

Doing my best not to stare at the way his pants cupped his ass cheeks in this position or let my naughty mind carry me into images that were definitely NSFW. Especially when he backed up, on hands and knees, and banged right into my legs. But anything inappropriate was flushed from my thoughts when he tipped his face up to look at me. His lips were parted with quick breaths, his eyes wide, and his entire posture held a panic that struck right to my daddy heart.

I held out the bag. "Looking for this?"

"Um, yes, sir," he said, still on his hands and knees. Someone like him calling me daddy in that pose…the naughty vied with the comforting, but the daddy won out.

"Not ‘sir.'" I reached down and took his hand. "Cliff. People call me lots of things, but not ‘sir.'" In all the meetings and times we were together in the past weeks, had we never had a direct conversation? He'd know I only let people call me by my first name if we had spoken. He occupied so much of my thoughts, I'd had imaginary conversations with him. Even though nothing could come of it. I helped him to his feet and managed not to brush imaginary dust off his pant knees. "Here." I handed him the bag, but he was still not looking together, so I led him over to the chairs in the reception area. "Take a seat a minute and catch your breath." I sat in the next chair and folded my hands in my lap. "Want some water or something?"

"No. I just…thanks for finding that. I dropped it earlier."

"No worries." I did wonder who the gift was for and couldn't help hoping it wasn't for someone who was already his daddy. But wasn't that selfish? When I couldn't fill that role. I should hope he was happy and had someone to love and comfort him. "Just relax a few then you can head back to work."

He hopped up without another moment passing. "No. I'm good. I just am very relieved this wasn't lost. It's not mine."

After he left, I had to sit until things settled with me, though, leaving just as Belinda returned. She looked surprised to see me there but didn't ask, and I didn't offer any explanation either.

A couple of hours later, there came a tap on my doorframe. "Come in," I called without looking up from the spreadsheet I'd been studying. "Sit and give me just a minute."

"Okay."

Forrest.

My interest in numbers plummeted. "Hey, what's up?"

"I didn't want to interrupt you," he said. "I just wanted to bring you something to thank you for earlier." He placed a king-sized chocolate bar on my desk, the one with fruits and nuts I adored and only allowed myself as a rare treat. "Your PA said you like this."

"I love this, but it wasn't necessary. I found the package is all."

"It's not that. You made me feel better. Bumping into you while crawling around on the floor. Most people would not have taken it like that."

I shrugged. "You were looking for something you lost and I happened to find. Just doing my job, making sure you were all right."

He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Yeah, um well, sometimes you don't feel like my boss."