Julia smiled at the endorsement from his colleague. "I'll get someone to have a look at it," she promised him. "Thanks for your help Steven, I really appreciate it."
"Any time," he offered, smiling back. Julia was suddenly struck by how blue his eyes were. He didn't make eye contact often, but when he did his gaze was very intense. He also had nice skin for a guy, lightly tanned with a dusting of freckles. She gave herself a mental slap. Now was not the time to be admiring a younger colleague's physical attributes.
She went to stand up but he stopped her. "Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a favour," he asked in a rush. "Ok," Julia said cautiously. She hoped he wasn't about to ask her out. She had considered how she could politely decline in such a situation but it would be easier if it didn't come to that.
"Well…um…I have an idea that I want to present to management but I'm not very good at public speaking. I was wondering if you could listen to my presentation and give me some advice."
He looked nervous as he made his request and Julia suddenly felt like an idiot for assuming he was romantically attracted to her. The poor guy just needed some help, and she was probably the most qualified person he knew to provide it. And she did owe him for saving her budget on the project.
"I would be happy to help," she said graciously. She whipped out her Blackberry and checked her schedule. "Would 5pm suit you?"
"Today? Uh, sure," he said, looking pleased.
"Great. Come and find me in my office when you're ready." She patted his arm affectionately and then left him to it.
***
The air-conditioning failed late that afternoon and Julia sweltered in her stuffy little office. She took her suit jacket off and wore only a sleeveless chiffon blouse and skirt but was still sweating. Tendrils of long auburn hair escaped her bun and hung in damp curls down her neck. She was just about to head home early when she noticed someone hovering outside her office and remembered her promise to Steven. Drat.
Julia called him in, hoping she didn't look as disheveled as she felt. "It's a bit warm down here, isn't it," he remarked.
"Yes, I noticed," she said shortly. Steven had changed into a short-sleeved t-shirt but didn't seem to be otherwise affected by the heat. He seemed to shrink back at the irritated tone of her voice. "If now is a bad time, we could leave it for another day," he offered apologetically.