Anna-Maria Perez was excited. It was her first day at her new job and she just knew it was going to be the greatest day ever!
She primped her hair for the last time before stepping out of the elevator on to the fifth floor of her office building. Her footfalls thumped softly in the plush carpet as she walked quickly to her new office, her smile wide and beaming as she passed a few people in the silent corridors. She turned the last corner leading to her door and pushed it open.
Immediately she stopped dead in her tracks. A woman about fifteen years her senior was sitting in her chair and talking animatedly into the phone. Her feet were propped on the desk and her head was thrown back as she leaned as far back as the plush leather chair would allow.
She was Filipina just like Anna-Maria and very attractive. She was slender and slight of build and seemed to be no taller than Anna's five feet one inch, although her coiffed hair added at least two or three inches to her height. In her late thirties the woman appeared to embody everything an ambitious woman like Anna-Maria aspired to.
Anna was twenty-three and had just graduated college. She always turned heads wherever she went due to her long wavy dark brown hair and elfin face. Although she never lacked for attention from boys she had not been extremely sexually active in college save for an incident in her first year. One wild weekend had led to a number of different partners and two separate threesomes, both with attractive girls she had not met before or seen since. After that weekend was over Anna had made a conscious decision to avoid similar situations and to concentrate on school and making something of her self.
She stared at the woman in her chair now and began to feel uncomfortable, wondering where this situation left her.
"Yes Darling," the woman purred gently into the phone, "I promised you didn't I? I told you it would be there no later than tomorrow and I guarantee it. Don't worry Love. I promise you. If it's not there when I promised I guarantee I'll make amends. Yes, you know what I mean."
The woman giggled emphatically and toyed with a few strands of her hair as she listened.
"You have my word Love," she said, "for sure! See you next week, maybe even sooner."
She hung up the phone and gazed at Anna-Maria like a Basilisk. There was no warmth in those eyes. In fact, Anna couldn't see anything in them. She couldn't help but feel she was staring at one of those life-like paintings where the eyes seemed to follow you as you moved about the room.
The woman smiled suddenly and rose from her chair. Instantly the coldness in her eyes evaporated and Anna found herself staring into one of the more animated faces she had ever seen.
"You must be Anna-Maria," the woman said as she stepped forward to shake her hand. "I'm Rosaria Garcia, but you can call me Rosa, everyone does."
Anna-Maria smiled uncertainly and took Rosa's hand mechanically.
"I'm sure you're feeling confused," the woman said. "Here you are, your first day on your new job and there's some old hag in your chair talking on your phone!"
She laughed at her own joke and squeezed Anna's hand gently before letting it go.
"I've been sent here by head office to show you the ropes," Rosa said. "In fact, you'll be taking over my stable of clients so I can move onward and upward!"
"Really," Anna said. Her head was spinning from so much information in such a short space of time. "I had no idea."
Rosa smiled graciously and took Anna's hand in hers once more.
"Don't worry," she said warmly, "every few years all of our sales reps are assigned to clients they haven't worked with before. That's how we keep things fresh."
"Oh," Anna said weakly.
"Now," Rosa said all business once more, "let's get you acquainted with your new clients."
She led Anna to her chair behind her desk and then opened a large leather folder on the desk in front of her.
"This is a master list of every one of your new best friends," she said with a wry grin. "And make no mistake about it! That is exactly what you will be, their friend!"
She looked meaningfully at Anna and went on.
"Our products sell themselves," she said. "Unfortunately, so do the products of every one of our competitors. So, with all things being equal, the only thing we have left to offer is ourselves. That means being their friend, their confidante and whatever else they need you to be!"
"Oh," Anna-Maria said doubtfully.
"So," Rosa said sternly, "if you have any reservations about whether you're going to give everything you have to this job, you might as well pack up and leave right now!"
Anna swallowed and felt a flutter of nervousness enter her belly. She blinked rapidly to get herself under control. She swallowed once more and forced herself to stare into Rosa's eyes.
"I swear," she said, "I will be very diligent and I will do whatever I have to for my clients."
"Your friends," Rosa corrected her and then smiled. "Don't worry Anna, I have the feeling you'll be great!"
Anna let out a deep breath that she didn't realize she was holding and then smiled.
"Now," Rosa said, "Let's get through this folder and then we can go around and meet some of them."
After what seemed like hours but was really only a little over one hour, Rosa sighed and stood up, stretching cat like and reaching as high to the ceiling as she could get.
"Now that that's done," she said tiredly, "let's get out and meet some of your new friends face to face. Some fresh air will do us both some good"
Anna-Maria found she was beginning to like Rosa despite her initial first impression. She rose and gave her best smile and followed Rosa out the door.
"I'll drive," she said over her shoulder as she led the way to the elevator. "I know where they are and you can write down directions if you need to."
Anna nodded business like and checked her bag to make sure she had a notepad.
The ride down to the ground floor was silent except for the occasional sigh from Rosa. Anna was sure the other woman could hear her heart pounding in her chest but she gave no sign that she was aware of her nervousness.
Once outside Rosa walked quickly to her car. She unlocked the doors and dropped her briefcase in the backseat. Anna followed suit, leaving her own bag in the back and then climbed in.
The car was quiet for the most part as they drove. Rosa would comment on various clients from time to time but mostly concentrated on driving.
After about twenty minutes they pulled up in front of a condominium building and Rosa got out of the car without saying a word. Anna followed feeling somewhat confused.
"I thought we were visiting clients," she said feebly.
"Not dressed like that you're not," Rosa said as she breezed through the front door.
Anna looked down at her tailored pant suit and looked back up at Rosa.
"What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" she protested.
"My clients have come to expect a certain way of doing things," Rosa said as she eyed Anna up and down critically. "And one thing they won't like is someone dressed like an uptight librarian."
When they reached her condo she led the way through to the bedroom and went directly to the closet. She pulled a few outfits out and made humming noises while she looked them over.
"Here," she said finally while throwing a blue dress on to the bed. "This looks like it will fit you."
"But," Anna said weakly, looking over the tiny dress. There hardly seemed to be anything to it. "I can't wear something like that. I'm not even wearing pantyhose!"
"Good," Rosa said. "Don't ever wear them if you know what's good for you. Now put this on."
Feeling a little like she'd been through a fist fight, Anna meekly accepted the dress and looked around for a place to change. Seeing no private place to retreat to she looked helplessly at Rosa.
