Synopsis: Sarah's college lover abandoned her and her baby, but she meets a man on the train who comforts her. On an impulse, she gives him a blow job. He asks for a date later in the week, but she has other things to think about.
Part II -- Sarah's Story
Chapter Five
Two days later, I received a strange summons to Mr. Bose's office. It was almost unheard of for a receptionist to be called to the third floor, so I was frightened, but at the same time, intensely curious because I knew that if I were to fired, that message would have come from Personnel, not the executive office suite. After calling Sally to relieve me, I hurried into the ladies to make myself as presentable as possible, sadly wishing I taken more care with my hair that morning and had selected a different ensemble. Then I entered the elevator.
This was the first time I had been to the third floor and I had no idea what to expect, but even so, I was surprised at how drab and unassuming the furnishings were. The only difference I could see between the furnishings on the first floor and the third was the beige carpet. Otherwise, like the first floor, a receptionist's desk faced the elevator. The same cluster of chairs and coffee table occupied a small space against the wall to the receptionist's left. A dark hallway opened on the right.
I gave my name to the gray haired woman behind the desk. She nodded briefly, and picked up her phone. Then she really looked at me for the first time. "Mr. Bose will see you now," she said. "Third door on your right," she added, nodding toward the hall.
I smiled, expecting a smile in return, but her stare was entirely neutral, which, in the circumstances, seemed very strange. Puzzled and slightly frightened, I tapped on the third door. A metallic woman's voice responded from a small speaker over the door. "Please enter."
I pushed the door open. "Miss Kincade?" A pretty blonde about my age was standing behind her desk.
Nodding, I swiftly surveyed the rich furnishings of this room compared with the drab austerity of the reception area. My surprise must have been obvious because the woman smiled. "You're not the first person to see the incongruity." Her voice took on a confidential tone. "It's Mr. Boses way of impressing our clients. Come this way, please."
She led me to an ornate door. She tapped briefly, then without waiting for an answer, opened it and ushered me inside. "Miss Kincaide," she said.
A heavyset man sat behind a large mahogany desk. "Thank you, Miss Johnson," he said. "Please sit down, Miss Kincaide." He waved his hand toward a chair facing his desk, as I heard the door behind me close.
Sunlight streamed though a tall window directly behind Mr. Bose, making it difficult to read his features, or even to see them very clearly. He appeared to be a man well into middle age with thick graying hair and a pleasant smile. "I'm sure you must be wondering why I asked to see you, Miss Kincaide." He paused briefly, then continued, "Before getting into that, however, let me see . . ." He was thumbing through some papers in a file. I suddenly realized, with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, that it was my personnel file!
"Let me see," he repeated, "you've been with us now for roughly two years. Is that right?"
"Yes, sir," I said, wondering where this was taking us.
"Are you happy, here?"
Dumbly, I nodded.
"I understand you're a single mother. I'll bet you'd like a raise, wouldn't you? And maybe find a career path with us?"
More puzzled than ever, I nodded again, this time more enthusiastically. "I like working here, Mr. Bose, and I'd especially like to plan a career."
"Tell me about your family. It says here that your mother passed away several years ago. What about your father?"
"I don't know anything about my father. I never met him."
"Brothers? Sisters? Cousins?"
"I'm afraid not."
"You're not planning to get married soon?"
A quick bitter memory of that awful moment in Toronto flashed across my mind. "Not in the least," I said firmly.
"Nobody even on the horizon?"
Mr. Bose was beginning to irritate me. He was asking highly personal questions that he had no right to ask, but the tantalizing thought of a raise kept me in my chair. I shook my head.