Repeating History - A Second Chance Office Romance

Clara

'You don't like my brother,' Maya Contius says to me as soon as she enters my office. It's clearly not a question. I hadn't realised my dislike for Andrew was that obvious. 'I recognise you... You went to school with Rew.'

'Rew?' I ask.

I'm sitting behind my desk, drinking my morning coffee. It's too sweet. Katie hasn't quite learnt to make it the way I like it yet. I wince at the taste.

'Andrew,' she clarifies.

'You call him Rew?'

That tickles me. I've never imagined Andrew with a nickname. The fact that it reminds me of one of the characters from Winnie The Pooh only makes it funnier to me.

'Since I was a little girl. I couldn't say Andrew as a baby.'

It's strange having an insight into Andrew's childhood like this. It's not something I'd ever imagined.

I nod.

'So, you did go to school with him?' she presses.

'Yeah.'

I don't want to give too much away, in case he's sent her in as some sort of spy. I wouldn't put it past him. He always was a devious bastard.

'What's your name?' she asks me, and it makes me wonder just how quickly this internship has been put together.

Since when does anyone get a job before learning their boss's name? It's not something I've ever done. Nor can I imagine myself having the confidence to pull it off. I almost respect that about Maya. She's not insecure. She's definitely headstrong.

'Clara... Clara Delos.'

She's quiet and I can't decide if I'm disappointed or not. A small part of me would like to imagine that Andrew used to go home and talk to his family about me, but that's just ridiculous. Andrew's teasing may have always been a large part of my school days, but I doubt it ever held any significance to Andrew.

'Were you friends?' She's very talkative, like a young child with a new best friend.

'Friends?' I ask.

She's completely lost me. Friends? Friends with Andrew? Why is she asking me if I was friends with Andrew?

'Friends in school?'

'No.'

'Oh. That's a shame. I'm sure Andrew had a friend called Clara or Claire... Ara... Lara... Who knows...' She shrugs as if it doesn't matter. It matters to me though. 'He used to talk about her a lot. My brother Jacob used to tease him about her all the time.'

I wait for her to continue, but she just stays there looking thoughtfully right at me with an ease that is clearly inherited. She's more like Andrew than she realises.

I want to ask her about what she just told me, but I'm scared that anything I say to her or any questions I ask her will get back to her brother. I don't know her and I can't trust her. Instead, I get straight to work.

'As my intern, you will need to be here each week day at nine am.'

'Yes, Ms Delos.'

She's polite, unlike her brother. Perhaps we will get on after all.

'You can call me Clara.' My tone is kind yet professional. Slightly clipped.

'Thank you, Clara.'

'You are welcome.' I smile. 'I think we'll work well together... so long as you aren't too much like your brother.' I say it almost as an afterthought and I blush when I realise she has heard me.