The scent of cooked turkey still lingered in kitchens across America and the shops and stores were already decorated for Christmas; the coffee shop where Carol sat being no exception. Disconsolately sipping her latte, she didn't feel in a very celebratory mood. The promise of employment that had motivated her to leave home and move to the city hadn't materialized and now she was homesick, low on funds and still job hunting.
"Excuse me, things are rather crowded, would you mind if I sat here?"
She looked up to see an attractive woman in a tweed business suit, with dark hair in a short, yet stylish cut, minimal makeup and a lovely smile.
"Uh, yes, sure," Carol replied, shifting over to make room on the bench. The woman slid in next to her and placed her steaming cup next to Carol's on the tiny bistro table.
"My name's Dorothy Osborn," the woman said, offering her hand, "Quite a crowd, isn't it?"
"Carol Barton," she replied and they shook hands. "Yes, it usually isn't this busy. Early holiday shoppers, I suppose."
"I'm not worth a darn until I've had my morning coffee," Dorothy said and laughed.
"I'm the same way," Carol said. "That's an attractive suit you're wearing."
"Thanks. Don't tell anyone, but I found this for pennies on the dollar at a consignment store on the east side of town. I could never afford this label on my salary."
"Oh, where do you work?"
"Hatfield Industries. Our building's right down the block. I'm a supervisor in the IT Department. What about you?"
"At the moment, unemployed. I had a job offer, moved here, and then was told the position had been filled. As it turned out, the owner's nephew had precedence. Now I'm job hunting and not having much luck. It seems that no one's hiring recently graduated college students with no experience these days."
"What's your degree in?"
"Computer Studies and Information Processing. I can write code, program, even repair computers from mainframes on down. I had a solid B average all through school and it came easily to me." She smiled ruefully, "I would have had all 'A's except for some of the instructors egos. I studied ahead of the class, turned in assignments early and, in some cases, knew more than they did. They chided me for 'grandstanding' and kept my grades at 'B's. So much for being an over achiever."
"You know, we have an opening in my department for someone with your drive and talents. Our assistant programmer took a better job offer and is resigning effective Monday. When we finish here, c'mon back to the office with me and we'll review your course of study."
"That'd be great, but I have no experience, remember?"
"Not a problem, it's easier to train someone with talent in how we do things rather than retrain someone who's worked elsewhere."
***
That afternoon, and in the three days that followed, Carol experienced the hurry up and wait of the corporate hiring process. First came the interviews, then paperwork, then skills testing, then more paperwork, orientation seminars, more paperwork and when all was said and done, Carol was hired as Assistant Programmer at Hatfield Industries.
When she heard what her starting salary would be, she was astonished; her benefits package was equally astonishing. When she was issued a laptop and a desktop computer, a smartphone and shown to her own office she felt on top of the world.
The next day, Dorothy strolled in, looking sharp as usual, with a big grin on her face and said "How do you like your office?"
"I love it!" Carol said. "Thank you so much, Dorothy, for all you've done. I'll never be able to repay you."
"Nonsense, you're an extremely talented woman. You earned this position yourself, I just gave you a little push."
"Regardless, it's silly I know, but I feel as if I owe you something for helping me."
"Buy me lunch?" Dorothy said, grinning again.
"Yes, of course. But it's only eleven thirty."
"One of the perks of being in management. Let's go"
***
Carol set to work with the enthusiasm of the newly hired and, combined with her natural talents, enabled her to finish assigned projects ahead of schedule, pleasing both Dorothy and the suits upstairs. The other employees on her floor were aloof and wary of her at first, thinking she was Dorothy's 'fair haired girl' and on the inside track.
When Carol freely took on the more difficult assignments, did them well and Dorothy showed her no favoritism, their attitudes softened and soon she had a circle of girlfriends to lunch with and have drinks after work.
Carol saw little of Dorothy during the work days; yet she occasionally stopped by Carol's office to exchange pleasantries and inquire how things were going. Carol decided Dorothy must be a 'touchy-feely' sort of person as she always put her hand on Carol's shoulder or her arm when they were together.
Sometimes she would casually brush an errant lock of Carol's flaming red curly hair from her pale forehead and then smile. Carol didn't mind the touching, as she thought of Dorothy as a 'big sister' and found it oddly comforting.
Wherever there are groups of people in a work place, there will be a gossip and rumor mill grinding away. Carol's floor was no exception. Soon she'd heard who was dating whom, which of the couples were sleeping together, who had broken up with whom, who was suspected of stealing office supplies and raiding the coffee fund box, and so on, ad infinitum. Some rumors, of course, concerned this or that person's sexuality and sexual orientation.
Patricia in Accounts Payable was a huge slut, Harold in Receiving was Gay as a Christmas hat, Sally in Human Resources was a notorious switch hitter and Mary Anne in Research and Development was a cruel bitch who acquired and discarded lovers like facial tissues.
