Page 4 of Babies at Coconuts

Chapter 4

After compiling an extensive top-twenty priority list for Hannah to accomplish before Show-Me Bank’s huge anniversary celebration, Alex hit send and stretched, satisfied the exhaustive assignments would keep her annoying intern out of her hair for a couple of weeks.

Hearing the whir of the printer, the bank vice president smiled. She couldn’t wait to hand Hannah a hard copy of her detailed notes. Climbing the stairs to refill her coffee in the employee lounge, Alex returned and waited for her vacationing intern to appear. She didn’t have to wait long.

Focused on the lobby as loan assistants, new account employees, and loan officers settled in for the day, often with coffee in hand or talking about their weekend plans, Alex’s eyes widened when she spotted her intern cross the room.

Jet-black hair swinging, her assistant waved hello to a string of employees who, Alex noticed, were mostly bug-eyed, with heads turned as Hannah Hooban, her bitchy, know-it-all intern, also known as the daughter of the bank president, Jim Hooban, stepped toward her.

Oblivious to the string of rubberneckers, Hannah strode with renewed confidence toward marketing. Toward Alex.

Biting her tongue to keep her expression blank, Alex’s mind raced as she forced herself to stare anywhere but at Hannah’s chest. Obviously, Hannah’s four-day “vacation” last week wasn’t for a quick trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Instead, she had clearly gone straight under a plastic surgeon’s knife. A giggle threatened to escape. Oh, God. I can hear Tony now. I don’t know how I’ll get my blunt cop boyfriend to keep his thoughts to himself.

As a chuckle bubbled to the surface, Alex pretended to cough and said, “Morning, Hannah. Be right back.” Alex rushed to the printer and returned with a newly printed to-do list. Doing her best to concentrate on the bank anniversary and not on Hannah’s new look was futile. Should I broach the subject of her obvious plastic surgery—or pretend everything is the same? I feel like a boy in middle school who is just discovering his hormones. Hell, maybe she wants me to ask about her ginormous boob job.

Unable to keep from staring, Alex wondered how she could train herself to keep her eyes off Hannah’s breasts, which were two, or possibly three, sizes bigger. The young woman looked as though she might topple over.

Obviously proud of her new body, Hannah accentuated her figure by wearing a tight, low-cut, V-neck black tank underneath a red blazer. As if that weren’t enough, she had added a bulky, oversized silver arrow necklace which pointed toward her cleavage. What the hell was she thinking with that necklace? Hey, everyone, look at my new Dolly Parton boobs?

Hannah sat opposite Alex’s desk, plucked an iPad out of her bag, and struggled to position the computer above her bosom and then below it.

Hell, she could set a coffee cup on those. Alex endeavored to keep a straight face as her mind skittered to Hannah’s father, the conservative bank president. I wonder what he thinks then immediately erased that weird thought.

Acting as if nothing had changed, Hannah said, “Hi, Boss. How’s it going?”

“Um, fine. How was your vacation?”

“It was fabulous.” Hannah extended her arm to the side. “Look at my tan. I spent most of the weekend on the beach with a cocktail in my hand. I even played a game of beach volleyball. I put my new, red bikini to good use. Want to see my tan lines?”

“Nope.” Alex sipped her coffee and locked eyes with her intern. Several seconds passed. “That’s all you did on vacation? Went to the beach?”

“Yup. The beach. R & R, you know.” Hannah crossed her legs. “What’s on the schedule today?”

So that’s how we’re handling this—as if it never happened. Alrighty then.

Alex produced the freshly printed project list for the bank’s upcoming anniversary celebration. Holding it in mid-air, Hannah gawked, keeping her hands in her lap.

Waving the paper, Alex said, “This is your copy. Take it.”

“Seriously? We’re in the Twenty-First Century now. Can’t you email it to me?”

Biting her tongue, Alex persevered. “I know exactly what century it is. This way we can discuss the list together, make notes in the margin, and figure out the timeline.”

Hannah cocked her head defiantly. “We can also do that via computers or iPads. Ever heard of track changes? We can make comments and—”

“I’m the boss.” Alex scooted the paper across her desk and glared at her intern. “Take it.”

Hannah reached for the list and painstakingly and purposefully took forever to find a pen in her purse. Sighing dramatically, she flicked the hard copy in the air with disdain.

Alex glanced at her watch. “I have a rep from The Crystal City Business Journal coming in fifteen minutes to discuss some ads. Start reading while I get another cup of coffee.”

“Will you get me one too?” Hannah fluttered her eyelashes. “One sugar and one creamer.”

As Alex bounded the stairs she muttered to herself, “Those boobs are probably too heavy to take the stairs now. Sure, I’ll get your damn coffee.”

The bank president appeared at the top of the stairwell. “Morning, Alex.”

Alex faced her boss, Hannah’s dad, and bit her tongue yet again. She avoided his gaze. “I’m obviously not yet awake, thus the coffee run.”

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