Chapter 15
Harriett looked up when her office door opened and she started to giggle immediately. Because they often kept the connecting door between their offices open, AJ heard her and looked up from the paperwork he was reading. There in front of her desk stood a deliveryman with what looked like a dozen multi-colored helium balloons!
AJ came out of his office and saw the balloons as well; he turned to Harriett and asked, "What's going on here Harriett?"
"I don't know yet, Sir. They could be for you…" she offered with a timid grin.
"That seems unlikely," he smiled back at her.
Harriett turned to the deliveryman who had just been standing there and he handed her the balloons, gesturing to the nameplate on her desk, he said, "These are for you Lieutenant Roberts, will you sigh here?" He tried to hand her the clipboard, but her small hands were still filled with balloons. With a sigh, she handed them to the three star Admiral standing next to her. She signed the clipboard and handed it back to him, then as the deliveryman left she turned to AJ, but instead of taking the balloons from him, began to search for the card she was sure would be with them.
Pulling the card out, she failed to notice AJ's look of surprise when she sat down at her desk to read the card, because his face was hidden behind all the balloons. The sound of a cleared throat coming from behind the balloons alerted her to what she'd done. Dropping the card unread on her desk she jumped to her feet and relieved AJ of the bright balls of air.
"Sorry, Sir, I forgot that I had given them to you," she said as she tied them to the filing cabinet drawer handle.
With an indulgent grin he told her, "I understand, Harriett. I remember those first giddy days of love. It hasn't been that long since Thea and I first fell in love."
"You still miss her Sir," she stated it as fact rather than a question.
"Yes I do and not a day goes by that I don't think of her. Allison grows to look more and more like her everyday."
"She has a lot of you in her too Sir. I can see it," Harriett assured him.
"She does?" he asked with a pleased grin.
"Yes Sir. She has your smile and that wrinkle between her eyes when she's thinking."
Turning to go back into his office AJ said, "I'll leave you to read your card now Harriett."
"Thank you, Sir," she replied with a slight blush to her cheeks. AJ gave her the privacy of closing his office door when he went through, but she didn't even notice because she was already reading the card.
Victor had written, 'Thoughts of you make my heart as light as these balloons. Will you allow me to take you and the children out for dinner tonight?'
Harriett picked up the phone and dialed Vic's number, when he answered she told him, "I love the balloons and the message, and we would love to have dinner with you."
"I wanted to call last night when I got in but it was late and didn't want to disturb you."
"Talking to you would never disturb me! You should have called!"
"I'll remember that for next time," he promised.
"You do that," she whispered as she heard the change of tone and intensity in her voice. She suddenly felt that they were having a very private and intimate conversation even though their words were just social chatter.
He heard the change in her voice and was pleased that he was able to excite her that way, but conscious that both of them were at work he only allowed himself to talk a few more minutes before ending the call.
Harriett floated on air the rest of the day; her heart was as light as her balloons as well. Maybe it wouldn't take as long, as she had suggested that it would to AJ, for her to fall in love with Vic. In fact the way she felt right then, she could already be there!
To be continued….
