These events take place shortly after "A Last Minute Birthday Plan"
Reading that story before this one, will provide the reader with perspective.
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Spring semester was flying by. While most of the seniors at Mount William College were preparing for graduation, both Denae and Bill had a couple of classes yet to complete, so they would need to return for the Fall Semester. However, Bill had already begun testing the waters of the job market by sending out a few resumes to see what would happen.
The most promising response he received was from a large accounting firm in Atlanta, an email inviting him to come in for an interview. The email contained instructions to call the office and speak with the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Financial Services Risk & Regulatory Compliance. After speaking with her, he had enough detail to commit to traveling to town to meet with the V.P. and others at the firm.
Bill was flattered by this development and was anxious to let Denae know. She was at work at the boutique, so he sent her a text asking her to call him when she had a minute. Apparently, things were slow at the boutique because his phone rang shortly after.
"Hey Bill. Whatcha doin'?" Denae asked cheerfully. She never tired of the game they played when she began a call with that question. And Bill was always up for the challenge.
"I was just thinking about my girlfriend."
"Yeah. What were you thinking?"
"Oh, I was just thinking if my girlfriend were here right now, I would like to lick her nipples until they were nice and stiff and then nibble on them a little."
"Ooo. I'm sure she would like that," Denae replied slyly.
"But, she's not here right now. So, I guess I just have to settle for talking to her on the phone and telling her I have a job interview in a couple of weeks," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Really?! An interview? That's great," Denae gushed. "When I come over after work, you can tell me all about it."
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Denae went straight to Bill's apartment after work. They had previously planned for him to grill some chicken for their supper and spend the evening together at his place. She let herself in with her key and greeted Bill who was in the kitchen removing the chicken from the bag in which it had been marinating.
As she slipped her shoes off, she remarked, "Ah. Growing up in Florida, I ran around barefoot half the time. It's still a foreign concept to wear high heels."
"Does Ms. Linda make you wear them at work?" Bill asked as he eased over to her for a hug and a kiss.
"No. She does want me to dress in clothes we sell, but she lets me wear what I want within those parameters. It's just this skirt pretty much required heels. I love the way they make my legs look, but they sure make my feet ache," she explained as she sat on the couch.
Bill sat down with her and reached for her legs, pulling them up and onto his lap. He began to message her feet.
"Mmmm. I love it when my boyfriend anticipates my needs. And did my boyfriend tell me he has a big job interview?"
Bill told her an accounting firm responded to his resume. When he called for the arrangements, he learned they would put him up in a hotel the night before and the night of the interview. It would be a full day and include interviews with several key individuals as well as the Vice President who had invited him. He would have lunch with a couple of mid-level managers and then have a tour of the firm's offices and meet other team members in the afternoon.
Denae had been listening intently. "Wow, that sounds very promising. I know you'll impress the hell out of them. So, when is it and where is it? Charlotte?"
"Atlanta," he replied. "Two weeks from Friday."
Denae perked up. "Atlanta? Suzy knows all about Atlanta -- you know she's from there, right?"
Bill continued massaging and said, "Have you ever been to Atlanta? They're paying for a hotel room for two nights, so if you were to come along, the only costs we would have would be our food and entertainment."
"Oh yes. Count me in. I guess I would have to skip classes that Thursday and Friday, but that's no biggie. We can see what Atlanta is all about. I could ask Suzy for some ideas." Leaning toward him, she added, "I'm so proud of you."
Bill appreciated the compliment and was glad Denae was excited about going with him. But he was hesitant about one thing. "I'm not sure what kind of impression I will make in my blazer, but it's all I have to wear."
Denae got very excited hearing that. "Don't worry. Fashion is my expertise. I can help you pick out a suit and everything you need. Ms. Linda's uncle owns that men's store around the corner from the boutique. I need to ask, but I'm sure she would get him to honor my employee discount. We'll go there and, with me as your fashion advisor, you'll look like a million bucks."
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The next day after classes, Denae and Bill stopped by the boutique and talked to Ms. Linda, Denae's boss. Ms. Linda was happy to hear about Bill's big interview and readily agreed to call her uncle on their behalf. After getting off the phone, she instructed the pair to go to the store and ask for Paul; he would be expecting them.
When they entered, they found Paul waiting for them. He said he was eager to help since Denae was very important to Linda. Denae explained that Bill had a big interview and needed a good-looking suit, some shirts, some ties and perhaps even shoes. She and Paul began discussing colors and fabrics and the cuts of the jackets and pants. Bill quickly realized he was a third wheel and that his only purpose in the suit-buying process would be to act as a mannequin and model any potential suits the two experts would consider. Bill wound up trying on five suits before Denae was satisfied. She instructed Paul exactly how to alter it for a good fit.
After more than three hours, Denae felt Bill was all set. She had chosen a medium gray suit for him, explaining it could work for many different occasions, depending on the combinations of ties and shirts he paired with it. And to cover various situations, from interviews to weddings to cocktail parties, she selected a few shirts including white, blue and a white one with thin burgundy stripes. She loaded him up with four ties that would compliment the shirts and suit. She also had Bill get a new pair of dress shoes and convinced Paul to throw in some socks for free.
When Bill saw all the merchandise piled up, it dawned on him the total would be a lot of money and he whispered his concern to Denae. She quietly urged him to relax and watched as Paul rang up the purchases. The total did startle Bill, but before he could say anything, Paul factored in Denae's employee discount. The revised amount was within Bill's means.