FOTD, Cola 21: Testing
Title: Testing
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: FOTD (overslaugh: to pass over or disregard (a person) by giving a promotion, position, etc., to another instead.), cola 21 (kid tested, mother approved), My Treat (Gail allows Summer something unconventional because Summer is unconventional), malt (Summer challenge 123: you get my vote), fresh peaches (A position involving power and authority is opening up, and you're the perfect one for the job, Leo....You have the emotional and physical boost you need to feel good about your leadership abilities. This is a time to take control of the situation), fresh strawberries (mother tiger and cub).
Word Count: 1428
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Jake gets tested.
Notes: Oh, LJ. Why you gotta crash just when I'm ready to post. Why you gotta do this, LJ. Concrit, please, if you have it; I've been working on this for a while and I can't judge it anymore.
"...so here's the data you asked for." Nelson Devon dropped a manila file folder on Jake's desk and gave him a smile. No, not really a smile-- a smirk. "Good luck with it."
Jake picked up the folder, which he'd asked for two days ago, and did not snap at Nelson. Instead, he said, "Thanks," and opened the folder, running through the spreadsheets inside with the tips of his fingers. They looked right, but he was damn well going to check them before he did anything based on the data.
Nelson cleared his throat, and Jake looked up, then arched an eyebrow at him. "Is there something else I can help you with?" he asked.
Nelson shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. You're the chief of staff. I just wanted to see if there was anything you wanted me to do."
"Do your job," Jake said, and pointedly returned to doing his.
Nelson went away after a minute, and he went on checking the spreadsheets. There was something wonky about them, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Typos? Deliberate errors?
"You shouldn't trust him," a small voice said.
Jake blinked, looked up from his spreadsheets, and then stood up and leaned over his desk. A small girl, her curly red hair drawn away from her face, stared solemnly up at him from where she knelt on the floor, between the back of his desk and the row of file cabinets that served Emma for a cubicle wall.
"Hello," he said, bewildered. "What are you doing back there?"
"Hello," she said, and linked her hands together in her lap. "You're new."
"Uh, yeah," he said. Apparently she wasn't going to answer his question. "Second week. Who are you?"
The girl's eyes got a little larger. "Oh," she said. "You must be Jake. I'm Summer."
Summer. That and the red hair let him figure it out. "Summer Kendall?" he asked, and then added, "Look, can you come around the desk? I've got a crick in my neck."
"All right," she said, and got up, small hands curling over the edge of his desk. "Do you like it here?"
Jake shrugged. "It isn't bad," he said. "Better than my last job."
She smiled. "Because Mama is your boss?"
That was part of it, but he really didn't think he should badmouth his last boss while still so newly employed under the current one. "She's a very good boss," he said. "Why were you back there?"
She shrugged, and looked down at her hands, now linked at her waist. "I was supposed to be at camp," she said, irrelevantly. "But I really didn't like it, so Mama said I could come to work with her if I was very quiet and I didn't disturb anyone. I thought that would be quiet and out of the way."
"Seems fair," Jake said. He sat back down, and gestured at his guest chair. "Sit down a spell."
"All right," she said, and hopped up on the chair, curling her legs up underneath her. She looked at him for a moment, expectantly.
Jake gave in and asked. "Why do you say I shouldn't trust Nelson?"
"Because you shouldn't," she said, and then occupied herself smoothing her skirt over her legs for a moment.
"Well, yeah," Jake said. "I knew that. I mean, why shouldn't I trust him?"
"Oh." She looked distressed for a moment, then looked down at her skirt again. "He wanted to be chief of staff."
He sat back in his chair as a number of things came clear. "Oh," he said. "Well. That explains a lot. So he still wants my job?"
She nodded. "I think so. He said he wasn't going to let some upstart take what was his. Um." She flushed suddenly, the blush startlingly obvious on her pale cheeks. "I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to repeat that. I'm sorry."
Jake blinked. "Nelson told you that?"
"No," Summer said. "I was reading in the back room and I overheard it by accident. Ivy says you shouldn't repeat things that you weren't supposed to hear."
He thought about that for a moment. "That's fair enough as far as it goes," he said, eventually, "but in this case, you maybe saved my job." Maybe, because he'd already been pretty sure that Nelson had it in for him, but he wouldn't mention that. "When you think someone's going to hurt someone else, you should tell."
"Oh." She tilted her head to the side, then said, "I'll have to ask Ivy, but that makes sense."
"I try," Jake said. "What was Nelson doing in the back room?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I was reading. He was with Luther, though. Are you sure it's all right for me to say this?"
"Yup," he said. "Don't believe me, ask your mother when she gets back from harassing the higher-ups."
"Oh," Summer said. "Yes. Mama will know."
And Jake was pretty damn sure she'd agree with him, especially if he got to her first. "You want to stick around?"
Summer blinked. "Stick around?"
He waved at the chair. "Nobody's using that chair. And it has to be more comfortable than behind my desk."
"It is," she said, sounding uncertain. "But Mama said I wasn't supposed to get in anyone's way."
He spun around in his chair, linked his hands over his belly and looked her up and down. "Well, you're quiet. I didn't even know you were behind my desk until you spoke up. How long were you back there?"
She thought for a minute. "An hour? I don't know. I was daydreaming."
Jesus. Jake resolved to check behind his desk in the morning from now on. "Okay. You're definitely quiet. My visitor's chair isn't the middle of the office, either. No reason you can't be quiet and out of the way and comfortable."
"All right," Summer said, after a moment, and smiled shyly at him.
Jake returned the smile, and went back to work.
--
"So I met your daughter," he said, in his end-of-the-day report.
Ms. Hirschfeld looked up, and arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She's a good kid," he said. "Very sweet. Kinda shy."
"Well, that's Summer," she said, and smiled. "She is a good kid, though."
"Yup," Jake said. "Cute, too. Incidentally, and somewhat related, did you know that Nelson's trying to get me fired?"
Her eyebrows went up. "No, but it's not exactly a surprise. What does this have to do with Summer?"
"She's the one who told me he was."
Ms. Hirschfeld sat back in her chair. "That's... interesting."
"She didn't do anything wrong," Jake hurried to say. "She just overheard him. Anyway, I sort of already knew."
"I should hope you did," she said. "That's your job, or part of it. Well. She wouldn't make things up."
Jake blinked. "No, I don't think so. I mean, everything he's been doing bears out what she said."
"Yes," Ms. Hirschfeld said, "and his second or third day here he was rather nasty to her, so she'd remember. Oh, well. If he keeps attacking you, or does anything openly, let me know and I'll intervene."
He shook his head. "Thanks, but I think I got it. I know what he's up to, and forewarned is forearmed."
That got a smile, and a nod of approval. "All right, it's your problem. Oh, speaking of Summer, she'll be around the office until September, more or less. I hope you don't mind."
"Why would I?" he asked, and shrugged. "She's a cute kid. She can hang out in my wannabe cubicle any time."
She laughed. "Keep up the ass-kissing and you'll get a real cubicle someday."
"Dare to dream," Jake said, as dryly as he could manage.
"Funny boy. Get out."
--
"So," Mama asked, on the way home from her work. "What did you think of my new chief of staff?"
Summer thought very hard for a moment. "He's nice," she said, at last. "He asked my opinion. He let me sit on his chair all afternoon, too."
"He is nice," Mama said, approval in her voice. "Do you think I should keep him?"
"Uh-huh," Summer said, and leaned her head against her mother's shoulder. "I think you should keep him for always."
Mama laughed, the vibrations shaking Summer's head a little. "He probably won't want to stay forever, sweetheart. People do want to get promoted occasionally. But I am going to keep him for as long as he'll stay."
"That's good," Summer said, drowsily, and closed her eyes. "I like him."
"So do I."
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: FOTD (overslaugh: to pass over or disregard (a person) by giving a promotion, position, etc., to another instead.), cola 21 (kid tested, mother approved), My Treat (Gail allows Summer something unconventional because Summer is unconventional), malt (Summer challenge 123: you get my vote), fresh peaches (A position involving power and authority is opening up, and you're the perfect one for the job, Leo....You have the emotional and physical boost you need to feel good about your leadership abilities. This is a time to take control of the situation), fresh strawberries (mother tiger and cub).
Word Count: 1428
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Jake gets tested.
Notes: Oh, LJ. Why you gotta crash just when I'm ready to post. Why you gotta do this, LJ. Concrit, please, if you have it; I've been working on this for a while and I can't judge it anymore.
"...so here's the data you asked for." Nelson Devon dropped a manila file folder on Jake's desk and gave him a smile. No, not really a smile-- a smirk. "Good luck with it."
Jake picked up the folder, which he'd asked for two days ago, and did not snap at Nelson. Instead, he said, "Thanks," and opened the folder, running through the spreadsheets inside with the tips of his fingers. They looked right, but he was damn well going to check them before he did anything based on the data.
Nelson cleared his throat, and Jake looked up, then arched an eyebrow at him. "Is there something else I can help you with?" he asked.
Nelson shrugged. "Oh, I dunno. You're the chief of staff. I just wanted to see if there was anything you wanted me to do."
"Do your job," Jake said, and pointedly returned to doing his.
Nelson went away after a minute, and he went on checking the spreadsheets. There was something wonky about them, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Typos? Deliberate errors?
"You shouldn't trust him," a small voice said.
Jake blinked, looked up from his spreadsheets, and then stood up and leaned over his desk. A small girl, her curly red hair drawn away from her face, stared solemnly up at him from where she knelt on the floor, between the back of his desk and the row of file cabinets that served Emma for a cubicle wall.
"Hello," he said, bewildered. "What are you doing back there?"
"Hello," she said, and linked her hands together in her lap. "You're new."
"Uh, yeah," he said. Apparently she wasn't going to answer his question. "Second week. Who are you?"
The girl's eyes got a little larger. "Oh," she said. "You must be Jake. I'm Summer."
Summer. That and the red hair let him figure it out. "Summer Kendall?" he asked, and then added, "Look, can you come around the desk? I've got a crick in my neck."
"All right," she said, and got up, small hands curling over the edge of his desk. "Do you like it here?"
Jake shrugged. "It isn't bad," he said. "Better than my last job."
She smiled. "Because Mama is your boss?"
That was part of it, but he really didn't think he should badmouth his last boss while still so newly employed under the current one. "She's a very good boss," he said. "Why were you back there?"
She shrugged, and looked down at her hands, now linked at her waist. "I was supposed to be at camp," she said, irrelevantly. "But I really didn't like it, so Mama said I could come to work with her if I was very quiet and I didn't disturb anyone. I thought that would be quiet and out of the way."
"Seems fair," Jake said. He sat back down, and gestured at his guest chair. "Sit down a spell."
"All right," she said, and hopped up on the chair, curling her legs up underneath her. She looked at him for a moment, expectantly.
Jake gave in and asked. "Why do you say I shouldn't trust Nelson?"
"Because you shouldn't," she said, and then occupied herself smoothing her skirt over her legs for a moment.
"Well, yeah," Jake said. "I knew that. I mean, why shouldn't I trust him?"
"Oh." She looked distressed for a moment, then looked down at her skirt again. "He wanted to be chief of staff."
He sat back in his chair as a number of things came clear. "Oh," he said. "Well. That explains a lot. So he still wants my job?"
She nodded. "I think so. He said he wasn't going to let some upstart take what was his. Um." She flushed suddenly, the blush startlingly obvious on her pale cheeks. "I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to repeat that. I'm sorry."
Jake blinked. "Nelson told you that?"
"No," Summer said. "I was reading in the back room and I overheard it by accident. Ivy says you shouldn't repeat things that you weren't supposed to hear."
He thought about that for a moment. "That's fair enough as far as it goes," he said, eventually, "but in this case, you maybe saved my job." Maybe, because he'd already been pretty sure that Nelson had it in for him, but he wouldn't mention that. "When you think someone's going to hurt someone else, you should tell."
"Oh." She tilted her head to the side, then said, "I'll have to ask Ivy, but that makes sense."
"I try," Jake said. "What was Nelson doing in the back room?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I was reading. He was with Luther, though. Are you sure it's all right for me to say this?"
"Yup," he said. "Don't believe me, ask your mother when she gets back from harassing the higher-ups."
"Oh," Summer said. "Yes. Mama will know."
And Jake was pretty damn sure she'd agree with him, especially if he got to her first. "You want to stick around?"
Summer blinked. "Stick around?"
He waved at the chair. "Nobody's using that chair. And it has to be more comfortable than behind my desk."
"It is," she said, sounding uncertain. "But Mama said I wasn't supposed to get in anyone's way."
He spun around in his chair, linked his hands over his belly and looked her up and down. "Well, you're quiet. I didn't even know you were behind my desk until you spoke up. How long were you back there?"
She thought for a minute. "An hour? I don't know. I was daydreaming."
Jesus. Jake resolved to check behind his desk in the morning from now on. "Okay. You're definitely quiet. My visitor's chair isn't the middle of the office, either. No reason you can't be quiet and out of the way and comfortable."
"All right," Summer said, after a moment, and smiled shyly at him.
Jake returned the smile, and went back to work.
--
"So I met your daughter," he said, in his end-of-the-day report.
Ms. Hirschfeld looked up, and arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She's a good kid," he said. "Very sweet. Kinda shy."
"Well, that's Summer," she said, and smiled. "She is a good kid, though."
"Yup," Jake said. "Cute, too. Incidentally, and somewhat related, did you know that Nelson's trying to get me fired?"
Her eyebrows went up. "No, but it's not exactly a surprise. What does this have to do with Summer?"
"She's the one who told me he was."
Ms. Hirschfeld sat back in her chair. "That's... interesting."
"She didn't do anything wrong," Jake hurried to say. "She just overheard him. Anyway, I sort of already knew."
"I should hope you did," she said. "That's your job, or part of it. Well. She wouldn't make things up."
Jake blinked. "No, I don't think so. I mean, everything he's been doing bears out what she said."
"Yes," Ms. Hirschfeld said, "and his second or third day here he was rather nasty to her, so she'd remember. Oh, well. If he keeps attacking you, or does anything openly, let me know and I'll intervene."
He shook his head. "Thanks, but I think I got it. I know what he's up to, and forewarned is forearmed."
That got a smile, and a nod of approval. "All right, it's your problem. Oh, speaking of Summer, she'll be around the office until September, more or less. I hope you don't mind."
"Why would I?" he asked, and shrugged. "She's a cute kid. She can hang out in my wannabe cubicle any time."
She laughed. "Keep up the ass-kissing and you'll get a real cubicle someday."
"Dare to dream," Jake said, as dryly as he could manage.
"Funny boy. Get out."
--
"So," Mama asked, on the way home from her work. "What did you think of my new chief of staff?"
Summer thought very hard for a moment. "He's nice," she said, at last. "He asked my opinion. He let me sit on his chair all afternoon, too."
"He is nice," Mama said, approval in her voice. "Do you think I should keep him?"
"Uh-huh," Summer said, and leaned her head against her mother's shoulder. "I think you should keep him for always."
Mama laughed, the vibrations shaking Summer's head a little. "He probably won't want to stay forever, sweetheart. People do want to get promoted occasionally. But I am going to keep him for as long as he'll stay."
"That's good," Summer said, drowsily, and closed her eyes. "I like him."
"So do I."