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Disclaimer; This story was born out of the frustrations of my job, which has nothing to with accounting so my apologies to that fine profession, I already have a Travel Agent as one of my heroines, There should be a reflection of two ladies we all know and love but the story comes from my warped imagination.  

This is a Uber tale and there is a relationship between to consenting female adults. If this offends please move on to a general story there  are many lovely ones. Please enjoy and send feedback to: sarrabi@hotmail.com.

Behind The Black Cloud

By Ri 

Part 1

It was a desperate situation and Rosie really had no idea how to handle it any more.  She knew she was an outsider.  She could deal with that but to be ignored as if she didn’t even exist was not something she had ever had to deal with before.

She had only been at the job for a very short time and she was doing well as  junior in accountant in the prestigious accounting firm.  In prior positions she always fit in easily with most of the staff.  This time she felt so alone. She just couldn’t figure out how to build a bridge.

A collogue leaned into her office and asked Rosie a question, Rosie looked up and smiled sweetly answering the woman fully. The woman nodded briskly and left with barely a civil “Thank you,” floating over a stiff shoulder on her way out of the door again.

Rosie rolled her eyes and pulled back from her desk leaning deeply into her comfortable chair. ‘What the hell have I done to warrant this treatment?’ She thought as she got up, took her purse off the hook by the door and left the office, quietly telling her only friend, Britt the receptionist, that she was going out to get a cup of  coffee.

She briskly walked down the street to Starbucks mad as hell.  She tried to keep it in, But she never felt so picked on in her life. She knew she shouldn’t take it personally but she couldn’t help but feel hurt. She walked up to the counter her face a mask of civility but her green eyes were ablaze in frustrated anger.

She ordered her coffee and sat down.  She breathed deeply trying to calm herself down.  When her name was called she hopped up got her coffee and sat down at her table again. She was in a corner and sipped her coffee savoring each sip as she slowly calmed herself down.

A tall shadow fell over her and she looked up into kind sky blue eyes. “Is this seat taken?” The beautiful stranger asked her with a smile.

Rosie was very surprised; She wasn’t exactly giving off vibes of person inviting a guest.  Also there were other seats available.

“You look like you could use a friend.” The tall woman said quietly with a sweet smile.

Rosie suddenly found tears falling down her cheeks as nodded her head, “Yes, I do.”

The other woman gracefully sat down and took a small delicate hand into her own elegant larger one, “Why are you crying?”

Rosie shook her head and tried to withdraw her hand but found it caught in a very strong grip.

“No, I’m not going to let you go yet.  Please let me help you.” The taller woman said calmly gently stroking the back of the distraught woman’s hand.

Rosie swallowed a gulp of anxiety and look through teary eyes into the kind woman’s warm blue eyes and then down to where her hand was gently be held and caressed, “Why?”

The other woman smiled sweetly and shrugged good naturally, “Why not?”

This for some unknown reason struck Rosie as funny. She laughed quietly and shook her head as if she were trying to clear it. Finally, to the other woman’s amusement she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Yea, Why not? Um...you’ll find it very childish...”

“I doubt you’d be so upset if this was a childish reaction to something.”

Rosie nodded and took a breath, “I don’t know why but I’ve been at my new job for 6 weeks and I’m still treated like a stranger.  Not just a stranger but an intruder.  I’m as nice to them as I can be and they still treat me like I don’t exist...I...It hurts.” She said lowering her head.

A gentle finger lifted the little chin and when she had the girls attention she suggested, “Maybe there jealous of you?”

“Why? I have nothing to be jealous of. Why on earth would they be jealous?”

“Oh, I think I see a few reasons why they could be jealous.  Your smart and pretty to start with, and your very good at your job on top of that. You work hard and you don’t play office politics or games. That is someone to admire and unfortunately that creates jealousy. I... think your quite special.” The woman finished with an embarrassed smile.

Rosie’s mouth was wide open.  She slowly started to close it and swallowed, “How could you know all that? You don’t know me.”

“True, but... I know your work, Rosie...Um...My name is Robin Peters and I own Peters and associates.  We haven’t met yet but.... I do know you.” She finished and leaned over gently closing the mouth that had fallen open again with a sweet smile.

“How...I....How....”

Robin shook her head and her smile broadened, “I’ve been out of the country for three months. I heard alot of good things about you. When I returned yesterday I quietly observed the staff meeting from the back of the room.  I saw how my staff was treating its newest member.  I saw you storm out this morning and I decided to follow you. Please don’t let petty jealously stop you from being yourself.  You are a wonderful young woman with alot to offer and I’m very proud to have you on my staff.” Robin finished with a large lopsided grin.

“Wow.” Was all Rosie could say.

Robin laughed and said, “finish your coffee and well go the office together. I want you to be my new assistant, Rosie.   There will be new responsibilities, and I’m afraid you will have to deal with me on a regular basis. Do you think you could do that? Would you want to?” There was an unconscious tension in Robin’s question that even she was not aware of at the moment.

“Yes Ma’am.” Rosie answered with a huge smile on her pretty face.

“Good girl, now relax and tell me more about yourself. Anything you want, I’m interested in anything your willing to tell me.” Robin leaned back into the booth and listened to Rosie launch into a mini-autobiography of herself. The young woman had a beautiful delighted smile on her face.  Robin had a matching grin and listened to the soothing voice of  her new employee and hopefully friend. ‘Yep I’m going to enjoy getting to know her better.’

Part 2

Robin Peters was relaxing in her plush apartment thinking about the last 24 hours. Only one thing she did was out of character but that one thing truly amazed her.  She hired and assistant. She would never of admitted that she needed help under normal circumstances.  These weren’t normal circumstances.  She had an unnamed deep need to keep Rosie close to her and that was the best she could think of under fire to come up quickly with an idea.  This was the best and most professional way.

Her smile widened and she sipped her tea, ‘Well not entirely professional’ She thought to herself as she let the peach tea soothe her restless spirit.

The moment she saw how jealous staff was of the young blonde her instinct was to help and protect her.  She put the brakes on herself from taking immediate action. She just watched as the down hearted young girl was treated like a respected leper.

She admired her strength and her ability to keep her grief private. Robin could see the hurt in sea green eyes and broke her heart.  She was more then a little angry at her staff.  She was out of sight in the back of the room as not only Rosie’s suggestions were ignored but she was not even acknowledged by her   coworkers.  She decided that she would not put up with this.  She watched the down hearted girl head to her office, her head down as if she had done something wrong.

Robin walked straight to Fred Brewer her manager and said briskly, “My office, now.” Then she turned her back on him and strode into her palatial office with out another word.

Fred knocked and then entered Robin’s office, “Hey Robin. I didn’t even know you were back...” His voice trailed off as he saw the fire blazing in her ice blue eyes.

“Would you mind telling me why a qualified member of my staff is being treated like a leper?”

“What?”

Robin breathed in a few calming breaths of air, “Not you  personally, Fred, but why is Rosie Obrien being treated like she is some kind of disease and the rest of the  staff are anti-bodies?”

“I...Uh...didn’t notice.” Fred stuttered embarrassed by his unusual treatment from his usually casual boss.

“Why the hell not? “The blue eyes flashed deepening  to violet.

“I don’t know. She does her job, she doesn’t cause trouble.  She didn’t say any thing, Robin. I’m not a mind reader...”

“Don’t you observe?  What is the poor kid suppose to do? Its a new job. Is she suppose to say the other kids didn’t want to play with her? Damn it, Fred.  That’s a talented woman. We’ll lose her if this keeps up...”

“I’ll call a staff meeting...”

“No, you won’t.  You want to embarrass her further? No, let me handle it.”  She said turning toward her computer briskly. Uncharacteristically dismissing her manager with out a word.

Robin smiled as she took her tea cup and brought it into her kitchen.  She knew she was already hooked then; She had never spoken to Fred that way before.

Then the next day she told the receptionist she wanted to speak to Rosie only to be told that the young woman had headed out for a cup of coffee.

She left briskly and she arrived at Starbucks to watch the angry young woman claim her coffee and take her seat.  Robin shook her head at the irony of it all.  The only thing she wanted to do was to keep her as an employee; to ask her to become her assistant came from pure impulse of the moment. She shut the dishwasher and headed toward her bedroom to change into her bathing suit.

To Be continued...