Portrait of Love Read online

  He looked at Christina. “So what do you think so far? Is this something you think you’d like to pursue?”

  She nodded with enthusiasm. “My sister loves her job, so I’m sure I’d like it, too!”

  Tony glanced over at Mandy, who now looked amused. A surge of relief flooded him. “Excellent! Now let’s get on with the rest of the interview.”

  After Christina left the office, Mandy hopped up out of the manager’s chair. “I should have let you sit there,” she said, “but I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

  “You were fine.” They held a gaze for several seconds. “Perfect, in fact.” So perfect his heart pounded nearly out of control. If he didn’t keep his feelings in check, he knew he could fall hard for Mandy.

  “Now what?”

  “We turn our interview notes over to Ricco and let him make the decision. Of course, we have to make separate evaluations, and we’re not supposed to discuss it until after we fill out our separate forms.”

  “This is almost scientific, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “As much as an interview can be.” He handed her another form. “Since no one is scheduled to come in, why don’t we do this now?”

  She took the paper and left him alone in the office. Fifteen minutes later, she returned and placed the sealed envelope with the form on his desk. “All done.”

  ❧

  The phone rang, so Mandy left to answer it at the front desk. It was Christina.

  “Well? How’d I do? Did I get the job?”

  “You just left here.”

  “How long does it take to decide whether or not you want to hire me?”

  “It’s not that easy,” Mandy explained. “Tony and I had to fill out forms from your interview, then someone from the home office will look them over. You’ll have to come back for another interview.”

  “That’s silly,” Christina said. “It’s just a job.”

  “It won’t be long,” Mandy assured her. “Just remember that the interview works both ways. They’re interviewing you to see if they think you’ll be a good fit for the company, and you’re interviewing them to see if it’s a place you’d like to work.”

  “I already told you, if you work there, it must be good.”

  “If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out.” After Mandy got off the phone, she leaned against the counter and closed her eyes to ask the Lord for clarity.

  “Are you okay?”

  nine

  Tony’s voice startled her. Mandy opened her eyes in time to see him standing about a foot away. She felt a catch in her throat.

  He took a step back. “Oh, sorry. I thought you might not be feeling well. I didn’t realize you were praying.”

  “That’s okay.” Now that he wasn’t so close, she could look at him without the flutter. “My sister just called and wanted to know how long it’ll be before she has an answer.”

  “I wish I knew.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and grinned down at her. “They’re being ultracautious. Apparently, they made some hiring mistakes in other studios, and they want to make sure they do everything they can to avoid that in the future.”

  “Oh, I understand.” Mandy paused before deciding to come right out with the question that had been gnawing at her since Tony had arrived. She was trusting the Lord, but she still wanted an answer. “Is there any reason why I’m not being considered for this management training position?”

  ❧

  Tony had been waiting for this. He had no doubt Mandy would make an excellent studio manager, but the position they’d made for her was even better.

  “You know I can’t discuss it.”

  “Is it because they don’t think I can do it?”

  “I didn’t say that. You asked if there was a reason you weren’t being considered for this management training position, and I answered you.” He narrowed his eyes and tried to communicate without coming out and telling her anything.

  She studied his face then pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. He’d seen her do this when she was deep in thought.

  “There just might be something else,” he said softly. “Some-thing better.”

  Mandy gave him a quizzical look. “I can’t imagine what that would be, but okay, I get it. You won’t betray the confidence, and that’s being a good company man.”

  Her comment hit him wrong. “Mandy, it’s not that I’m just a good company man. I’ve already told you there are some things in the works that aren’t clear yet. I don’t even know the details.”

  “And I’ll find out in Atlanta, right?”

  He nodded. “That’s one thing I can say. You’ll learn everything—or most of it—during the Atlanta trip, including things I don’t even know yet.”

  “Okay then.”

  With that, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there staring at the wall as she disappeared around it.

  He walked back into his office, closed the door, and picked up the phone to call Ricco.“I want to tell Mandy something,” he said as soon as Ricco came on the line.

  “C’mon, Tony, you have to understand why we don’t want to do this yet,” Ricco reminded him. “Not all of the details have been worked through, and we want to offer her a full package—not something we’re not sure we can deliver.”

  “At least let me tell her that. I want to give her something to look forward to.”

  Ricco hesitated then snorted. “Oh, all right. Just make sure she knows we don’t have it all worked out. I don’t want her expecting something we can’t deliver.”

  Tony thanked him and hung up. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the closed door. Ricco had a point. Once he told Mandy, she would have expectations. Tony didn’t want to get her worked up, only to feel let down if things didn’t turn out as he expected. He still felt like he should give her something to look forward to, so he jotted down some thoughts before getting up to see if she was available.

  The door to the studio was propped open, and there were a couple of adults in the waiting area. He made small talk with them until their children ran out with Mandy right behind them. Not everyone would have the parents’ complete confidence like Mandy did. She went behind the desk to organize the computer proofs.

  He walked up behind her and whispered, “As soon as you’re done, I have some news.”

  She leaned away, tilted her head back, and looked him in the eye. “News?”

  “Yes, about your trip to Atlanta. I just talked to Ricco, and—”

  “How much longer?” the children’s mother asked. “We’re overdue for nap time.”

  “Just a few more minutes,” she replied.

  Tony stepped toward his office. “I’ll leave you alone while you finish up here.”

  ❧

  Mandy thought the parents would never make up their minds. They started out wanting the economy package, but after they saw how many good shots there were, they moved up a couple of levels.

  “Their grandparents will love these,” the woman said. The toddler on her hip started kicking his feet and squealing, so she put him back in his stroller. “How much do I owe you?”

  Mandy swiftly took the deposit, thanked the parents, and said good-bye to the children. Then she squared her shoulders and marched toward Tony’s office. Funny how, until he arrived, she’d mentally made that her office.

  She rapped on the door. “You had some news?”

  He glanced up from his desk and pointed to the chair across the room. “Yes, have a seat.”

  The way he looked at her made her squirm. “Did I do something wrong?”

  Tony steepled his fingers for a few seconds then smiled. “I spoke to Ricco and told him that you needed to know something. We can’t continue keeping you in the dark—at least not where your future is concerned.”

  Mandy’s stomach instantly let out a deep growl. She wrapped her arms around her midsection. “Sorry. I’m just nervous.”

  “Don’t be.” He leaned forward with his elbows propped on his desk
. “The reason you weren’t considered for the pro-motion to studio manager was that the company has some-thing even better in mind for you.”

  Mandy sat up straighter. “You’ve already said that, but what?”

  “You already know we’re restructuring. They’ve always hired people with no photography experience if their background checks came up clean and we thought they’d be good, but they’ve had some consistency issues, which is why they’re planning two separate tracks.”

  “I’m not following you.”

  Tony lifted an index finger. “One track will be to manage the studios.” Then he lifted another finger. “The other is for photographers.”

  Mandy thought about it for a few seconds. “In the past, the managers were able to do photography.”

  “That won’t change,” Tony said. “However, they still need to go through training, and that’s where you come in. We need someone who can teach others a system. Your methods obviously work.”

  “I’m still missing something.”

  Tony snickered as he leaned back in his chair. “They’re looking at you to be a regional trainer.”

  Mandy opened her mouth, but she couldn’t think of any-thing to say. The concept of regional trainer had never dawned on her.

  “It will be a management position because the photographers will rely on your expertise and experience to get the quality we need.”

  “Interesting.” It sounded good.

  “Yes,” Tony agreed. “I thought so, too. That’s as much as they’ve nailed down. The details are still on the drawing board, though.”

  Mandy pondered the new information. “Will I be able to continue working with the kids?”

  Tony shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Like I said, it’s all part of the restructuring, and the home office folks don’t have everything figured out yet.”

  “So are you part of the restructuring?” she asked. “In the past, they promoted from within.”

  “That’s another thing I’m not sure about.”

  Mandy lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “As you know, I really didn’t want to be a studio manager. I wanted the job I was offered before I decided to go into the army. They put my cousin Ricco in that position, and now I see that he’s done better than I would have. Now they’re trying to figure out what to do with me, since I’ve settled down and I’m ready to have a career with the family business.”

  “So what does all this mean?” Mandy asked.

  He leaned forward again. “It means that we’re in for some exciting times, and you’re part of it.”

  The sound of someone entering the studio caught their attention. Mandy hopped up and left the office.

  She took care of the walk-in customers then got the studio ready for the next scheduled appointment. Her head still spun from Tony’s surprise. But before she got too dizzy, she sent up a prayer for the ability to accept the surprises as they came.

  ❧

  Tony hadn’t expected to develop feelings for Mandy. He didn’t want complications, but he knew how hard it was to find the right woman—a sweet, intelligent, Christian woman—who was strong enough to handle a roomful of children. The fact that she was beautiful was a bonus.

  All the way to church on Sunday—Mandy’s church—he thought about what he should do. Small World didn’t have antinepotism policies, but they frowned on people dating their direct employees. And since he was the nephew of one of the company founders, he had to be above reproach.

  He arrived about a minute before church began, so he quickly found a chair near the door. As the first worship songs played, he had a chance to glance around the sanctuary and get a feel for the church’s personality.

  It appeared to be mostly twenty- and thirty-somethings, with a few forty-somethings in the mix. People were dressed business casual, and they appeared focused on what they were there for. He sighed. It felt wonderfully similar to his church in Georgia. The sanctuary was big, and most of the chairs were filled, which made it difficult to see everyone who’d come to worship. He was pretty sure Mandy was there, but he couldn’t find her.

  After the music, everyone sat and opened their Bibles, and the pastor read from the Old Testament, then the New Testament. They bowed their heads for the prayer before the sermon began. Pastor Chuck Waring, a gifted speaker, paced back and forth on the stage. The sermon was powerful—filled with examples of God’s grace. Tony knew he’d be back; this church felt right.

  He filed out of the sanctuary, shook the pastor’s hand, introduced himself, and said Mandy had told him about it. “It’s nice to have you here, Tony. I hope you decide to come back to worship with us.”

  “Oh, I will,” Tony replied. “In fact, if you have time this week, I’d like to stop by and talk to you.”

  The pastor grinned as he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Tony. “Call my assistant and schedule an appointment. I look forward to getting to know you.”

  The crowd had thickened behind Tony, so he said good-bye and left. He found his car and headed to the condo he rented.

  ❧

  Mandy spotted Tony chatting with the pastor right after church. She was all the way in the front, and it was packed, which made it impossible to get to him. She’d have to ask what he thought on Monday since that would be the next time they were both scheduled to work.

  Pastor Waring patted her shoulder as she slipped past. “Thank you for inviting Tony. He seems like a nice fellow.”

  Mandy smiled. “Yes, he’s very nice.”

  A slight smile quirked the pastor’s lips. “Anything I need to know about?”

  She quickly shook her head. “No, we’re just friends. Well, not just friends, but—well, we work together. He’s my boss.”

  The pastor nodded, still looking amused. “I understand. Have a good week, Mandy.”

  She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Once she reached her car, she let her head fall forward and rested it on her steering wheel. Why had such an innocent comment from the pastor gotten her all worked up? The second she questioned herself, she knew what the answer was. She was falling for Tony.

  In spite of the fact that he got the job she wanted, and he kept a secret from her for so long, she knew his principles were solid. He not only talked about going to church and actually showed up, he apparently lived his faith—at least from what she’d seen so far. It didn’t hurt that he was handsome, too.

  How would she be able to face him now? Would she be able to hide her feelings, now that she was aware of them?

  She’d have to. This so wasn’t the time to let down her guard. He’d told her she was about to get a new position—one with more responsibility and she hoped a raise. This was what she’d been wanting.

  But it would be nice to have a guy in her life. Brent from the electronics store used to flirt with her, but she had never been interested. However, Tony was a different matter.

  Over the next week and a half, Mandy managed to avoid being in close quarters with Tony. When he was in his office, she stayed in the studio or at the front desk. When they had to communicate, she kept her comments brief but polite.

  A few times she noticed that he looked puzzled, but she didn’t want to address that. Her job had to be first on her mind. Getting worked up over the boss wasn’t good under any circumstances.

  Tony hired a couple more part-timers to work at the counter—students who had no desire to be photographers or even have a career at Small World. They both admitted that they were short-timers, but at least they’d fill in the gap until some longer-term part-timers could be found. She appreciated the freedom to work in the studio without distractions.

  ❧

  Tony had hoped that hiring a couple of extra people would ease things up for Mandy. She’d been so stressed lately, he worried about her. The way she avoided his gaze led him to believe something else might be going on.

  Maybe telling her about the new career track hadn’t been such a good idea. The last thi
ng he wanted to do was put additional pressure on her.

  After his appointment with Pastor Chuck, he knew he’d found the perfect church home—one where he’d be spiritually fed, he could get involved in some community outreach, and he’d find friends of like mind. The pastor was open and friendly, letting him know he was approachable. It was an excellent fit.

  When Pastor Chuck asked about his relationship with Mandy, Tony had quickly let him know they were co-workers and that was all. The pastor nodded and changed the subject. Tony appreciated the lack of pressure.

  He heard the buzzer at the door and glanced up in time to see Mandy walk into the studio. She lifted her hand and waved but then quickly glanced away.

  “When you have a moment, I’d like to see you,” he said.

  “Sure,” she replied. “Let me put my things down, and I’ll be right there.” In less than a minute, she was at the door of his office. “What’s up?”

  “Since you’re leaving for Atlanta in the middle of the workday tomorrow, I can take you to the airport.”

  “You don’t have to. I can get my sister to—”

  “I’ll take you.” He cleared his throat. “That will be a good time for me to fill you in on some things you’ll need to know—without the distractions here at the office.”

  She stood there for a moment before nodding. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll have my sister take me to work, so I won’t have to leave my car on the street.”

  “Good idea. Has she asked about the job?”

  “Yes. Constantly. Any idea when we’ll know something?”

  Tony knew they’d been given the go-ahead to hire Christina, but he hesitated because he wasn’t sure how Mandy felt about it. “Soon.”

  She smiled. “Fine. If you don’t need me anymore, I have to set up the studio for my next appointment.”

  The rest of the day was business as usual. He went home after work and made a list of everything he needed to discuss with Mandy.

  She came in early looking very professional in a business suit he’d never seen. His heart beat a little harder as he was reminded of how much he cared about what happened to her.

  “You look nice,” he said, trying his best to keep his tone professional.