As he led Helen down the stairs to the subway, Hector was filled with relief. No longer could he hear people's thoughts in his head. After the day he'd been
through, it was a very good thing.
As though everything was falling into place, the subway arrived just as Hector and Helen made it to the platform. Hector escorted Helen through the crowded
subway car and offered her a seat. She did so gratefully, but looked at him in concern.
"Don't you want to sit down? You've had quite a day."
It was true and he wanted to oblige, more than she knew. But it wouldn't be right. Men were expected to stand when a lady was present and they deserved to
sit after a hard day's work. Besides if it weren't for Helen, Hector would never have convinced Mr. Bagby to give him a much deserved raise and promotion. He
held tightly to the pole, wincing at the ache in his back. He hadn't planned on getting hit by a car before coming into work, but as they said, life doesn't always
turn out the way you plan.
When they reached 44th Street, Helen stood. "This is us."
Hector's heart warmed at the thought of the two of them sharing a home and then he wondered where the thought had come from. But he said nothing and
simply smiled, offering her his arm.
"This is awful nice of you, seeing me home like this, Hector."
"It was my pleasure. And after what you did for me, it's the least I can do."
"You deserved that promotion and you know it. Mr. Bagby was just too stubborn to give it to you."
They came to a stop in front of a modest apartment building. "Well, here we are. Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?"
"Well I probably should be headed home."
Her face fell. "Oh…"
"But on second thought, I'd like that very much."
She unlocked the door and opened it. Almost instantly he was hit with the scent of lilac and roses.
"Wonderful! Just make yourself at home and I'll get the coffee ready in a few minutes."
He sat down at the sofa and looked around her apartment. The décor was just as he imagined it. True to her word she returned minutes later with a tray of
coffee cups and a steaming pot of coffee.
"Here we are."
"Thank you so much, Helen."
They talked for what felt like hours about everything and anything; getting to know each other in a way they'd never done before. When the evening was over,
Hector felt like he'd discovered a whole new side to this beautiful woman, who, until that point was merely an employee of the Accounting Department. It
suddenly occurred to him that as head of the department he would soon become her boss and if the company got wind of their budding relationship, might
relocate one or both of them. So he knew he had to make his move soon.
"Would you like some more coffee?" She asked.
"I really should be getting home."
"Oh…"
"But thank you so much for this. And for the talk. I really enjoyed it."
"Hector? About this…. us…"
"I was thinking about that too. I like you, Helen. I like you a lot. In fact, I think I'm falling in love with you. That's ridiculous because this morning-."
She took his hands in hers. "I know…"
"And I'll be the head of the Accounting Department where we both work."
"I'll ask for a transfer."
"No." He said a little too quickly. "I-I mean… that's not necessary. As long as we keep it discreet, we'll be all right. And we'll just see where it goes, okay?"
"All right."
They stood and walked to the front door. "Thank you for seeing me home and for staying for coffee."
"It was my pleasure. I'd like to see you again… outside of work, if that's all right."
"I'd like that."
"We'll talk about it soon. Goodnight, Helen." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. The touch of her lips was unlike anything he'd ever felt in his life
and he couldn't resist kissing her again. Then he had a sudden thought. "How about a movie on Saturday night?"
Helen smiled. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."
"Great. It's a date. I'll see you tomorrow at work. Goodnight."
He kissed her once more and then walked out of her apartment building. Who knew that a near tragic accident could lead to love?
~THE END~