Vera

The new paralegal at your firm, Vera, causes quite the stir in your little cubicle world. You sit in a bank of a couple dozen other paralegals and office assistants, and it exists as a hardly-noticed subculture beneath all the attorneys calling the shots. Gossip about the bosses and playful banter pass freely among the family-like group of coworkers. Vera has been here a few months and remains a mystery. It seems odd, so say the gossips in the group, that Vera hasn’t broken the ice with anyone yet, despite several of you making the occasional friendly attempt to include her in the office chatter. The only person to have gained any semblance of traction at all is you. Now and then, you’ll catch Vera looking your way before she quickly averts her eyes. Some of the others have noticed as well, and you’re put to the challenge of getting to know her. For a few weeks, you find moments to attempt casual conversation. You can sense her resolve cracking and it spurs you on toward warm smiles, thoughtful gestures, and including her in office discussions. After three lunches out of the office together you’ve picked up on enough signals to realize that she likes you, despite her apparent reservations about opening up. After work, she gives you a smile and a wave goodbye for the weekend before you stop her to shoot your shot. “Vera? Are you doing anything tonight? I’d like to take you out. You know, somewhere that we’ll have more than a half hour lunch break to talk.” Vera’s eyes light up momentarily, then it fades with an anxious look. Vera: “You know, you’ve been so nice to me, and I’ll be honest…I do like you. I just…I don’t know. I’m a very private person.”