Jumping up in surprise and relief, Hayley approached him as he reached the door of his office.
"Hello Curtis!"
"Well, hello Miss Lawrence."
"As I said, you may call me Hayley."
"Yes. I did not expect to see you again so soon."
"I did not expect to come so soon."
"I am glad to say I am not disappointed."
"It is not a personal matter."
"No, of course not. My business card has both my office and home address. I should have known you came concerning business." Curtis opened the door and motioned for Hayley to slip in front of him, as he stepped back.
Walking to an empty desk, he looked over at Mr.
Hodges, who was reading a book.
"Any messages for me?"
"Yes, your father stopped by and wants you to meet him at the shipyard when you need a ride home… around five o'clock. Mr. Hodges cleared his throat. "If you do not meet him there at that time, he will pick you up here."
"Thank you."
Mr. Hodges nodded and went back to his book.
Curtis turned his attention back to Hayley. "How can I help you today?" He said, as he removed his suit coat and hung it up on the coat rack.
"Mr. Singleton… is there another room where we can have a private conversation?"
"My office is rather small, as you can see. Perhaps we can meet at your home."
"No!" Hayley snapped. "I'm sorry, it's just that it's not private enough."
Mr. Hodges closed his book rather loudly and stood to his feet. "I will provide you with all the privacy you need."
He briskly walked to the door.
As he closed the door behind him, Hayley gave Curtis a look of embarrassment.
"Do not worry about it." Curtis walked around the desk and motioned for Hayley to sit down. " I am rather curious as to why you want to be secretive since Mr. Hodges and me work together."
"Please do not share with Mr. Hodges or anyone else, the things that I speak with you about."
Curtis nodded in agreement. "You must have some degree of trust in me, or you wouldn't be here."
"I do have some questions for you that may help me to know if I can trust you."
"What might the first question be?"
"Do you know my father, Cedric Lawrence?"