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CARLISLE
Carlisle never really sought a true smile from the Closet Witch, or was that the Coding Witch? Or maybe even the Programming Witch? He wasn't sure what to call her, but he needed a catchy name. He didn't like the titles Rhoda and some of the other interns had given Shandie. His was more half-hearted fun, whereas the names they used were just mean and downright cruel.
After Colin left, he wasn't quite sure what to say. Carlisle continued to shift on the stool and look around at the simply designed house, which actually was more elegant in its simplicity. He found his awkwardness held him in his seat, but every time he reached down to take a drink of his coffee he was again struck with the quality of the bean as well as the home.
Shandie better not be one of those women who was a surprise as you got to know her. He wasn’t prepared for that and he preferred to be prepared for everything.
If nothing else, the woman knew how to live. Carlisle had a feeling she was going to teach him about quality as they worked together.
Shandie put her cup down, and then disappeared into a room off the side of the kitchen. She took the stack of papers with her. After a moment, she called out to Carlisle, “You're welcome to join me in the office. This is where we can work. Unless you prefer the kitchen?”
Carlisle grabbed his cup and slid from the stool, padding softly across the tiled flooring. He entered the office and tried not to be obvious as he studied her area. The office was decorated with dark-stained oak shelving and a massive contemporary metal desk. It had three monitors on the top as well as multiple mouses and some keyboards. For some reason her serious attitude about her programming was endearing.
The walls were bare except for an interesting aerial map of Pend Oreille Lake positioned above her chair on the opposite wall between the shelves. The aerial shot had to be from the 1960s or 70s. Carlisle was drawn to its lines and the sepia tones that were discolored along the handling creases.
Shandie didn't say anything from her seat at the desk as Carlisle moved around the room.
He turned and motioned toward the map. “Wow, how did you get this? It’s amazing.” He’d never seen such a great shot of the town.
Shandie had the parameter papers stacked in front of her and she was slowly going through each one, taking notes while she read. She glanced over her shoulder, mumbling, “My dad used to fly airplanes before he died. He took that for my mom when they were dating.”
“Was it in the 70s? It’s a great shot.” Carlisle perused the picture again. It was an easy twenty inch by twenty inch print with a simple black, one-inch frame around it. No matting or other design. There wasn’t even a small plaque or label on it.
Shandie didn’t look up from the paper. “Yeah, they were together a long time before they had me.” Her pencil scratched on her notepad as she wrote.
“Have you lived here your whole life?” Carlisle wasn't asking just to ask. He actually wanted to know. Especially if they were going to be working together for a while. He made his way back around the desk toward a chair set up across from her at the desk, waiting for her reply.
She looked up, distracted. After studying him for a long moment, she sighed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, I'm not very much into the whole Q and A. Can we just work and get this done? I'm not a very social person and distractions just get in the way of productivity.” She flicked her hands over the projects on her desk and gave what she probably thought was a friendly smile.
Instead of being offended, Carlisle stepped toward her, tucking his hands in his pockets. He watched her as she didn't even wait for his reaction or his reply before returning to the paperwork. He tilted his head to the side, his fingers tight in his pockets. He wasn’t offended or even upset, but she had taken an innocent question and flipped it on its rear. “Shandie?” He waited for her to look up from the papers before continuing with his question. “Why are you like that?”
She blinked, her lips parting in surprise. “Like what?”
Carlisle knew he wasn’t asking a confusing question. As far as he could see, it was obvious she was rude and impersonal. Did she not see that? “Why are you antisocial? I was just trying to —”
Waving her hands in the air, she closed her eyes. After a second of silence between them, she lifted her lids and pierced him with her gaze. “I know what you’re trying to do, but I'm not interested in anything resembling a relationship. I'm not trying to be rude. I've been given a job and until I get that job done, you're going to be in my house. So it's best, if we just keep things simple. I’ll create a list of tasks and you’ll stay busy doing that and I’ll do what I’m being paid for.” She shrugged, an over bright smile on her lips. “Perfect, right?”
There were too many things he could argue with in her little speech, but he had focused on only one. “Me interested in you? Is that what you're trying to get out? You think I’m hitting on you with all my questions?” Carlisle laughed, ignoring her cute look of dejection. He wasn't going to be accused of hitting on her when that wasn't his intent. Sure, she was extremely attractive with her soft caramel colored hair which took on a dark hue when she leaned forward a bit. Her eyes were hypnotic when she actually looked up from her desk. And, Carlisle suspected she spent her fair share of time in the gym with the lean feminine but strong look to her body. She carried herself with the confidence of someone who was strong and knew they were physically fit.
Carlisle would recognize that attitude anywhere.
She stiffened in her seat, flipping the pages a little more furiously as she wrote tightly on the page. “I apologize for my assumptions. It won’t happen again.”
Carlisle shook his head, claiming the seat across from her. He stretched his legs out and watched her. After a few moments of silence, he leaned forward, clasping his hands between his knees. “What do we need to do? Is there anything I can do that doesn’t require coding? I’m worthless with anything but basic html.”
She answered without looking up. “We need to test the compatibility questionnaires.” She tapped the computer screen and then looked back down at the parameter list. “Then we need to map out the alternatives and the probabilities as well as test images and coloring on the international levels. Find out which version of red works best as well as how much white space works best.”
It all sounded really boring to Carlisle. As interested as he was in helping, he wasn't sure he was the guy who was right for the job. The quietness of her office was getting to him. “Do we have to be in here? How about we go to the office or a restaurant or something? We can go somewhere else, break up the day a bit.” Carlisle shoved up from the chair and smiled at her, certain she would be excited about that.
But she wouldn't meet his gaze as she looked around the office. “But all my stuff is here.” The way she bit her lip and kept the pile organized with tapping on the edges made Carlisle think maybe there was more to her than meets the eye. Time alone with her might not be so bad anyway. He was looking for a break from the daily routine. He doubted she'd be fun to hang out with, but sometimes he just had to put up with things to gain a different perspective.
It would be refreshing to be around a girl that didn't expect something from him. She'd already very clearly pointed out she wasn't interested. Too bad Carlisle had to lie and say he wasn't either.
