A Chance Encounter, Part 2

Pulling her cardigan tightly around her, Annie made a mental note to go coat shopping this weekend. She didn’t realize that fall in Kentucky could be so….crisp. She sold her heavy winter wool coat when she moved to the capital city amid a  hot and sticky July. Now, in mid-October, the leaves were falling as quickly as the temperatures, not much different than her native northeast Ohio. So much for a mild Southern autumn! She crossed the parking lot as quickly as she could and ducked into Tanglewood Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where she worked at Business Administrator.  She nodded to the security guard at the desk, smiling at him as an afterthought.  He grunted in response.

So much for a different start today, Annie thought. Why was being open and friendly such a challenge for her? A smile...she had to force a simple smile. She wanted to change these things about herself, but they just wouldn’t come naturally. She pushed the elevator button, sipped her coffee, and steeled herself for the day.

As she walked out of the elevator onto her floor, she reminded herself to smile. Make eye contact. Say good morning. Do it, Annie. Don’t be an Ice Queen. Make today different.

“Good morning, Carlee,” she stammered uncertainly as she passed the dietician door.

“Ummm, morning, Miss Richards,” she looked up from her laptop, almost confused. Had Annie never said good morning to her as she passed?

“Please, call me Annie. We’ve worked together long enough for that.”  Her voice came out higher than normal, sounding so foreign to her ears. 

“Sure, Annie. Well, uh, have a good day,” Carlee trailed off. She dropped her head back to her computer and effectively ended the conversation.

Annie stood there awkwardly for a moment before heading on to her own office. That little bit of effort exhausted her. She gave a gentle wave to Maureen, her administrative assistant, as she passed her desk. Maureen smiled back.

She sat down at her desk and began her morning routine. Work filled her life with purpose. She had earned a degree in business management and worked as an office administrator at a utilities company in Ohio. While she had learned a lot there, she knew that the job wasn’t going anywhere and she yearned for something that was more meaningful, She had been looking for a job that would get her out of Ohio for a few months when this job at Tanglewood Terrace popped up in her LinkedIn feed. She was so excited that she almost applied on the spot. But, in true Annie fashion, she opted to make carefully crafted pro-con list, and she took her time in applying. Finally, she decided that now was the time to make a move. She would be 30 in the spring   Now that her younger sister had married and moved away and she had no other family in the area, nothing from holding her back from a fresh start.

Annie was good at this job. She was organized and efficient and she knew how to keep costs down. However, all that didn’t make her the most popular in the office. She had reorganized the custodial and nursing assistant staff. Some of her cost-saving measures had resulted in layoffs that she had been required to handle.  That had probably been when the Ice Queen moniker first started floating around. Between that, her slightly Northern accent, and her introverted ways, she had certainly established herself as no one to be messed with, even though she yearned for nothing more than a friend to share lunch with. Clearly, this was an area of her life that she would have to give some attention.

While her computer powered on, Annie pulled out her planner to confirm her schedule for today. She opened her email and began to click through those. She had a meeting with the staff social worker at 10 to talk through some budget adjustments, which gave her just enough time to mark a few items off her to-do list. She turned on 70’s rock station on Pandora and got down to business. 

The ringing of her phone interrupted Annie’s focus. It was Maureen, announcing that Celeste, the social worker, was here for their meeting. Annie smoothed her chestnut bob, straightened her desk, and opened her door for Celeste to enter. The social worker was a recent hire so she and Annie hadn’t had many dealings with one another yet, but Celeste had been at the staff meeting yesterday and Annie knew she had overheard her co-workers’ comments.

“Good morning, Celeste. Come on in and have a seat,” Annie invited.

Celeste was a few years older than Annie but she had a free-spirited vibe that Annie both struggled to comprehend and envied. How could Celeste be so laid back about everything? She was dressed in a colorful poncho, long skirt, and Birkenstock sandals- even though the October weather was more than a bit nippy. She took a glance around Annie’s office and Annie tried to imagine what she was thinking. Annie’s walls were unadorned except for her framed diploma and a picture of her with her sister Sarah at Sarah’s wedding. Books and binders neatly lined the shelves and her desk was bare except for her computer, planner, and a potted succulent.

 “Miss Richards, I am so glad we finally have a chance to sit down and chat.” If Celeste thought the decor dull or considered Annie an Ice Queen, her smile didn’t betray her. She greeted Annie warmly.
“Please, call me Annie. And yes, I can’t believe it has taken us this long to have a one-on-one.” Annie struggled with small talk. It was inefficient when she had so much on her agenda to accomplish. But if she was ever going to overcome her loneliness, she was going to have to try harder.

“So, Celeste, today we need to go over your budget and discuss how it aligns with our goals here at Tanglewood. I shared the budget for last year with you and highlighted some spots we need to discuss. Did you get a chance to review that?” Annie cringed at her no-nonsense sound. She meant to try to begin more casually.

“Oh, that. Well, I did look it over, but, honey, I just better tell you now, I am NOT a numbers person,” Celeste brushed her wild blonde hair out of her eyes and laughed. “I’ll just throw parties and lead bingo and let you figure out the budget!” This wasn’t exactly what Annie was hoping to hear. Her eyes widened and she drew her mouth up, but didn’t reply. Celeste seemed to pick up on Annie’s disappointment.

“Now, now, Annie,” Celeste’s rich voice and soft laugh soothed. “Don’t you worry. I am not a crazy spendthrift! I’m clever with my resources and I am a master at getting community donations. I used to work for the school system in the Family Resource Center and I have tons of contacts ‘round town. You tell me what we need and I guarantee you, I can sweet talk someone into givin’ it to us!”

Annie didn’t doubt that Celeste could sweet talk an Eskimo into buying ice. She marveled at Celeste’s confidence and her ability to read the other woman’s emotions. She put Annie at ease and created an instant connection between the two. Annie felt like she had known Celeste for years rather than a mere couple of weeks.