So, today was the dreaded meeting with Cromvik. As soon as he entered my office the room shrank to a third of its size. Even though Cromvik isn’t much taller than me or even broad in the shoulders, he took up more than his fair share of the room.
“Good morning,” I greeted him with calm professionalism. “Please have a seat.”
He returned the greeting and sat down on the other side of my desk. “Alright,” I started once he was settled. “I will explain what I would like you to do within this project. Cut in if you have any questions.” He nodded and I went on, “ I made lists of all the memory stones that need to be renewed. Your responsibility is the engineering list – both manual and magical, of course. Renew as many of the stones as you can yourself and find the right people to do the rest of them. By right people I mean preferably other profassurs who are used to making memory stones. If you can’t find anyone suitable make a note of it and lay the stone aside for later reflection. Any questions so far?”
Cromvik leaned back in his chair. “Just one. If you don’t trust me, why then did you request me for this project?”
Ah, there it was. Cromvik obviously had decided, too, that it was time for a serious talk between us. Clearly he was referring to my not telling him whether I was behind the whole new dean thing. Well, I owed him an explanation so I bit back my automatic denial and took a deep breath. “It’s not like I don’t trust you to do your job right. I have every confidence that you will do great with organizing your part of this project. But it’s a whole other thing to trust you with personal information, especially potentially dangerous information. I’m not good at trusting anyone with something like that.”
Cromvik nodded. “Trust needs to be earned, I understand that. I would like to earn yours.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I see, and how would you like to do that?”
He smiled that ridiculously charming smile that always increases my heart rate. “Go out with me.”
“Are you asking me on a date?” I verified a bit surprised. When I had decided to get to know him better I had thought of talking to him more at work, but starting something private with him? Did I want that? If I was honest … yes.
“How about Torjino’s tomorrow evening?” he countered.
I smiled. “Good choice. Let’s say seven o’clock?”
“I’ll pick you up.”
And that was that. After that we went back to shop talk, though I couldn’t quite concentrate on it.
I am going on a date with Cromvik! How huge is that?
“Good morning,” I greeted him with calm professionalism. “Please have a seat.”
He returned the greeting and sat down on the other side of my desk. “Alright,” I started once he was settled. “I will explain what I would like you to do within this project. Cut in if you have any questions.” He nodded and I went on, “ I made lists of all the memory stones that need to be renewed. Your responsibility is the engineering list – both manual and magical, of course. Renew as many of the stones as you can yourself and find the right people to do the rest of them. By right people I mean preferably other profassurs who are used to making memory stones. If you can’t find anyone suitable make a note of it and lay the stone aside for later reflection. Any questions so far?”
Cromvik leaned back in his chair. “Just one. If you don’t trust me, why then did you request me for this project?”
Ah, there it was. Cromvik obviously had decided, too, that it was time for a serious talk between us. Clearly he was referring to my not telling him whether I was behind the whole new dean thing. Well, I owed him an explanation so I bit back my automatic denial and took a deep breath. “It’s not like I don’t trust you to do your job right. I have every confidence that you will do great with organizing your part of this project. But it’s a whole other thing to trust you with personal information, especially potentially dangerous information. I’m not good at trusting anyone with something like that.”
Cromvik nodded. “Trust needs to be earned, I understand that. I would like to earn yours.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I see, and how would you like to do that?”
He smiled that ridiculously charming smile that always increases my heart rate. “Go out with me.”
“Are you asking me on a date?” I verified a bit surprised. When I had decided to get to know him better I had thought of talking to him more at work, but starting something private with him? Did I want that? If I was honest … yes.
“How about Torjino’s tomorrow evening?” he countered.
I smiled. “Good choice. Let’s say seven o’clock?”
“I’ll pick you up.”
And that was that. After that we went back to shop talk, though I couldn’t quite concentrate on it.
I am going on a date with Cromvik! How huge is that?
