The Project

Julia had the management team in the palm of her hand. They sat around the board table, transfixed, as she presented her business case. Julia had her PowerPoint presentation, her Gantt charts, and plenty of supporting facts and figures. But more importantly, she knew how to subtly guide them towards the outcome she wanted so that afterwards, they would think it was their idea. A black pencil skirt and tailored jacket showed off her toned physique but also projected a very professional image. Julia knew that many men let their guard down when confronted by an attractive woman. With this bunch of stubborn, testosterone-filled businessmen the twenty-eight-year-old project manager needed every advantage she could get.

Reading their expressions, Julia could tell they were about as receptive as they were ever going to be. Well, except for the operations manager. Bob had a rather pained expression on his face but she suspected that had more to do with his ulcer than her presentation. With perfect timing, she went for the kill.

"So you see, we can meet our client's needs and provide a healthy boost to the bottom line. All we need is a few extra resources on this critical path," she pointed at a red bar on the Gantt chart. She held her breathe and waited for their reaction.

"What do you need?" asked the chief financial officer, frowning slightly. Considering that last week he had threatened to axe a project that went over budget, Julia took this as a good sign.

"A ten-percent increase in developer hours will be sufficient," Julia replied.

"Isn't the R&D team already fully committed?" asked the marketing manager warily.

Derek, the R&D manager, sat up straight as he became the center of attention. He cleared his throat. "Actually, my team is on target with their other projects. In fact, a couple of guys have asked if there will be any overtime available this quarter..."

Julia hid a satisfied smile. She knew very well the developers were happy to do overtime. She had casually asked a few of them just last week and suggested that they make their preferences known to their manager.

"Well, that's settled then. You and Derek can work out the details and then I'll approve the budget variation," said the CFO. He then closed his leather-bound diary and the rest of the group took that as a sign the meeting was adjourned.

Julia walked out of the meeting with her head held high. She allowed herself to savor the satisfaction for a few moments. This was the biggest project she had ever been contracted to manage but so far she had proven herself up to the task. The project involved upgrading billing and financial software which was used by some of the largest companies in New Zealand. Her employer, Gensoft, was a software development firm with approximately two hundred employees in Wellington. Sometimes it seemed a daunting task but it was just a matter of keeping your eyes firmly on the goal and tackling the obstacles one at a time.

She spotted a familiar head of frizzy blond hair waiting in the corridor. It was Steven, one of the younger developers. "Hi Julia. Um...how'd it go in there?" he asked hesitantly.

"Very well, thank you. I got approval for the variation." She grinned at him and noticed how he stood up straighter and unconsciously returned her smile. He was in his early twenties and she'd heard he was quite good at his job. His social skills weren't very polished though, and his wardrobe seemed to be limited to long-sleeved t-shirts and corduroy pants. He seemed like the harmless sort, a stereo-typical computer geek.

"That's great news," Steven replied. "You're really good - at doing business cases I mean." He blushed unexpectedly. Julia looked at him curiously, wondering whether he had been waiting for her or standing there for some other reason. She often noticed he was nearby but he never talked to her before. Steven wasn't even on her project team, so it wasn't like they had much reason to interact.

Steven started to look a little panicked, as if he didn't know what to say next. Julia suddenly realized a potential explanation for his odd behaviour. Perhaps the younger man had a crush on her. If that was true it would be flattering but a little embarrassing. She didn't really want to encourage his attention. He wasn't the kind of guy she would normally date, and there was also their age difference to consider. She decided it would be best to limit contact with him.

She put on a professional, but disinterested, smile. "Thanks Steven. Well, I had better get back to work now. Have a nice day," she said brightly.

"Ok... you too," he stammered. Julia walked away and hoped he wasn't still watching her. She put a lot of effort into earning respect and even admiration from her colleagues, but a crush was taking things a bit too far.

Julia returned to her office. It was scarcely bigger than a supply closet but it was sufficient considering she was a contractor and not a permanent employee. She had a couple of motivational posters on the walls, a potted fern in the corner, and a door she could close when she needed to have a difficult telephone conversation. Most of the building was open plan so she was quite lucky in that respect. She sat down and started checking progress reports and scheduling meetings for tomorrow.

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Julia arrived at her home in Kelburn a little after 6pm. She dumped her laptop, slipped off her heels and padded into the kitchen to cook a quick healthy stir-fry for dinner. The phone rang just as she was cleaning up the dishes.

"Hi babe. How are you doing?" asked a familiar masculine voice.

"Mark, hi. I'm fine thanks. How are things in Sydney?"

Mark was her boyfriend. Well, not exactly her boyfriend anymore. It was complicated. He had moved to Sydney for a job six months ago. A successful corporate lawyer, he asked her to go with him but Julia loved Wellington and didn't want to leave. At first she had missed him terribly and flew across the Tasman almost every weekend to be with him. But he kept making excuses for not visiting Wellington in return. As months passed they met less frequently and sometimes weeks passed even between phone calls. With a start, Julia realized she hadn't even thought about him since the last call.

Mark rambled on about his current project arranging a merger between two companies and Julia had to stifle a yawn. He was thirty years old, handsome and successful and everything she thought she wanted in a man, but she just wasn't willing to rearrange her life for him. Too independent for her own good, as her mother would say.

She interrupted him as diplomatically as possible. "That's great, Mark. How about we talk about it more when you visit this weekend?"

There was an awkward silence on the phone and Julia had a sudden sense of déjà vu. "I don't think I'll be able to fly over this weekend after all," he said apologetically. "I need to meet with some clients on Saturday afternoon. I hope you understand..."

"Don't worry about it," Julia said politely. "I guess I'll see you when I see you."

"You could come to Sydney instead. There's a great new restaurant on the waterfront I'd like to show you."

"Maybe next month," she replied. "I'll check my calendar and get back to you."

"I look forward to it. Take care, babe."

As Julia put down the phone she realized she didn't even feel disappointed or angry with him anymore. There was just nothing left. It must be time to move on. She never asked him if he was seeing other women in Sydney because she didn't want to know. But it was highly likely that he was. Julia made a resolution to get out and meet someone new. Just as soon as she had some spare time.

Julia changed into shorts and a dri-tech top exercise top and pulled her long hair into a pony-tail. She needed to go out for a run while it was still light outside. She had a lot of stress to burn off and some thinking to do.

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Nine o'clock the next morning Julia sat in the R&D manager's office. Derek, the R&D manager, was in his early forties, with a receding hairline and glasses. He wasn't an overbearing sort of man but managed to keep the developers in line well enough. Perhaps because he used to be one himself. Julia knew from experience that engineers didn't tend to respect managers who didn't understand their work, which was why she made an effect to research the technical details of any project she was involved in. Technical knowledge wasn't necessary to manage a project but it certainly didn't hurt.

Julia and Derek were discussing the additional resource requirements of her project. "Have you thought about who else you could assign to my project?" she asked him.

"Yes, I have," he cleared his throat. "Steven can help you."

Julia wasn't happy with the suggestion but she kept her face neutral. "Really? I thought one of the senior developers would be more suitable. This is a high priority project and we have strict time constraints."

Derek looked surprised at her disinclination. "That's even more reason why you need Steven. He writes very good code, and quickly. He's also eager for the overtime since he's saving for a trip to Asia. I know he's only two years out of college but he really is your best choice and he's familiar with the product. Let's get him in here"

Julia didn't really have a good reason to refuse so she sighed inwardly and waited for him to fetch Steven. If he really was the best man for the job then she would just have deal with it and hope things didn't get too awkward.

When Steven appeared his hair looked even more unruly that yesterday, if that was possible. It was far too long and her fingers itched to take to his blond curls with some anti-frizz balm. He wore a different long-sleeved t-shirt to yesterday and the decidedly casual look was completed with a pair of scruffy trainers. He paused and smiled hesitantly when he saw her and Derek had to push him through the door.

"Have you two met before? Julia, this is Steven..."

"Yes, we've met," Julia said politely. She stood up and shook Steven's hand anyway. It felt very warm and he looked to be in danger of blushing again.

"Derek said you might be interested in joining the project team," she said to Steven.

"Uh, yes. I'm happy to help where I can," he replied.

"Are you familiar with the details of the upgrade?"

"Yes, I've read the, uh, overview document." He didn't project confidence and Julia wondered at his manager's faith in him. She hoped he was more competent than he looked. But it wasn't like she could afford to be picky. If he could do the job, great. If not, she'd be back to put more pressure on Derek.

She pulled a thick document out of her folder. "We have a demo scheduled for next month but no-one has had time to create the new interfaces yet. Here are the detailed specifications." Julia handed it to Steven. He immediately started scanning it.

"You don't need to read it right now," she said in amusement. "If you could get back to me on Monday with a time estimate I would really appreciate it."

"Of course," said Steven. His seemed to have completely forget his shyness as he studied the document intently. An intense frown of concentration appeared on his face.

"Excellent," said Derek, clapping him on the back. "That's sorted then. You two can meet on Monday and let me know if you need any help." He ushered the younger man out of the office.

"Thanks, Steven," Julia called out. He walked away still reading the document and she realized he was on a collision course for a large pot plant. "Watch out for the..." she tried to warn him. Steven bumped into it and looked up in surprise. "...plant," she finished. He glanced back at them and looked embarrassed but continued on his way.

Derek turned to Julia with a rueful smile. "He'll do a good job, I promise."

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Since Mark had cancelled their weekend plans, Julia arranged to go out on Saturday night with a girlfriend. She met Emily at a popular bar on Cuba street.

"Hey sweetie. I haven't seen you in a while," said Emily cheerfully. She wore a layered red top and tidy jeans. Her dark hair was shorter than Julia remembered, and cut in a cute bob.

"Yeah, sorry. I've just been so busy with my new contract." Julia perched on the bar stool beside her and ordered a drink. "You work too hard, girl," Emily complained, frowning. Julia rolled her eyes. "I'm here now, aren't I?" she replied.

They talked about work and other topics. Emily was an occupational therapist at the hospital and always had an interesting story to tell. "How is that no-good boyfriend of yours," she asked after a while.

"Mark?" Julia shrugged. "Haven't seen him in ages. You were right, I should move on." Emily looked at her in surprised delight and gave her a quick hug. "Good few you, sweetie. There are a few hotties here tonight," she whispered conspiratorially. Julia glanced around and noticed more than one man trying to catch her eye. "I see what you mean," she whispered back.

It wasn't long before someone took the seat next to Julia. She glanced over and decided she liked what she saw. He was tall and well-dressed, clean shaven with short brown hair. Emily covertly poked her in the side but Julia didn't need much encouragement. She smiled at the stranger.

"Hi, I'm Ben," he introduced himself. "Can I buy either of you ladies a drink?" Emily smiled and shook her head. She already had a partner waiting at home so didn't begrudge Julia the attention. "I've already got one, thanks." Julia lifted her half-full glass. "But I might need another, later." Ben grinned and turned to face her. "I'll stick around in case you run out then," he said graciously.

Julia talked with him for at least an hour. She made an effort to include Emily in the conversation but Emily said she needed to get home to her partner. She winked conspiratorially at Julia and told her to have fun.

Ben was charismatic and a good conversationalist but Julia started to get a little bored. She was also getting a bit cold in her skimpy evening top. Ben noticed the goosebumps and stroked her arm slowly. "Has anyone told you how gorgeous you are recently?" he whispered.

"Not recently, no," she admitted. Ben smiled confidently. "Well, let me fix that for you. Come back to my place for a while," he offered.

Julia bit her lip. Ben was handsome and charming but for some reason she didn't feel that much attraction for him. Maybe she was just out of practice at dating. It wasn't like she had anything else more exciting to do tonight. "Ok," she agreed.

They went outside to get a taxi and Ben put his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. She sighed in contentment and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt good to be held by someone again. Mark was fading into a distant memory.

It was a short ride to Ben's apartment. He opened the door and she caught a glimpse of a modern grey interior but suddenly he was kissing her and she couldn't see anything else. She was a little taken-aback by his boldness but he was a good kisser. His mouth moved against hers gently but insistently. She opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Ben wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer and she could feel the evidence of his desire. "You really are gorgeous," he said, breaking off the kiss.

She looked up at his hungry smile. "You're not bad yourself," she replied. She kissed him again and suddenly his hands were roaming everywhere, including under her top. He pulled her towards the bedroom and she helped undo the buttons of his shirt.

Later, she lay naked in bed beside him as they recovered from their exertions. Ben's arm rested on her stomach and idly stroked up and down. "God that felt good, babe," he said huskily. Julia felt a curious sense of déjà-vu. Mark had called her babe, too. On the surface Ben and Mark were similar in many ways; both handsome, educated and charismatic. But she really didn't know much about Ben at all. Maybe he would turn out to be different in some important way. Or maybe this would end up being a one-night stand. She was surprised to realize she didn't really mind one way or the other.

"Can I use your shower?" she asked. He pointed the way and she collected her clothes from the floor. She showered and got dressed. When she emerged from the bathroom he was sitting up in bed, still naked. "Leaving so soon?" he asked playfully.

She nodded and smiled apologetically. "I have things to do in the morning." Ben called her a taxi and put some pants on while they waited. He walked her to the door when it arrived. "I'll call you," he promised. Julia nodded and gave him a quick kiss goodbye.

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Julia arrived in the office bright and early on Monday morning. She opened Outlook and immediately noticed a new email from Steven. It was time-stamped 10pm on Sunday. She frowned. Why was he emailing her on Sunday night? She opened the email.

I've finished and submitted everything to the testers.

Confused, she typed a reply: What did you submit exactly? I'm expecting a time estimate from you.

She hit the send button. The reply was almost immediate, Steven must have had his email open already.

I mean I finished developing the interfaces. I haven't done my timesheet yet but it will be about 12 hours total.

Julia stared at the email. Surely he couldn't have done it all in one weekend? She checked her watch; it was still only ten to eight. When the testing team got to work she would check and find out what exactly Steven sent them.

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Julia approached Steven's cubicle. He had headphones on and seemed to be completely engrossed in his work. She stood there for a few moments, reluctant to disturb him. Faint sounds of music escaped from the headphones. His hands flew over the keyboard and as he coded and compiled. The contents of the screen changed so fast it made her head hurt just looking at it. Steven paused momentarily when an progress bar appeared on the screen and she took the opportunity to tap him on the shoulder. He jumped, startled, and pulled the headphones off.

"Sorry to disturb you."

"No, it's fine really," he said, looking flushed.

Julia looked around for a spare chair and pulled it over so she could sit down. "I got your email this morning."

He swiveled around to face her and looked apprehensive. "Are you annoyed because I didn't send you the estimate before doing the work?"

She quickly shook her head to reassure him. "No, that's fine. I just can't believe you did it so quickly. It was supposed to take a week at least," she said in admiration. "The testers had the quick look and they said it looks great."

Steven seemed to be uncomfortable with the praise. "It wasn't too hard," he said modestly. "I just followed the specification. Although, I did log a couple of small changes. I think there might be some errors in the document. But if you really want it that way I can change it back easy enough..."

"I wouldn't," piped up an invisible voice from the other side of the partition. "Steven knows what he's doing."

Julia smiled at the endorsement from his colleague. "I'll get someone to have a look at it," she promised him. "Thanks for your help Steven, I really appreciate it."

"Any time," he offered, smiling back. Julia was suddenly struck by how blue his eyes were. He didn't make eye contact often, but when he did his gaze was very intense. He also had nice skin for a guy, lightly tanned with a dusting of freckles. She gave herself a mental slap. Now was not the time to be admiring a younger colleague's physical attributes.