Karlene always worked late, except on Fridays. Fridays she left at noon and headed to a special location in the city. Today was Wednesday, and it was after six pm. Through her office window she could see the increased rush-hour traffic moving through the city, but she focused on her view of the river and the mountains beyond. She had a corner office in the investment firm. She was an executive and enjoyed the perk; however, usually she had her back to the view and her thoughts focused on the numerous spreadsheets that filled her day.
It had been a long day. She could see by her workload that she still had two hours of work ahead of her. She groaned inwardly and closed the spreadsheet she had just validated and opened a briefing note in her Inbox. The document opened, and she started reading. In a moment, she frowned. She scrolled to the bottom and read who had written the paper. She didn't recognise the name. She opened the company global access list and found the woman: Beatrice O'Connor. She was new and a recent hire as a result of a hiring crusade she had launched two months ago.
She logged in and accessed the personnel files and found Beatrice. In moments she was looking at a beautiful woman, aged twenty-seven. She had been head-hunted from the competition. She was highly educated with a true business sense. Perfect for what Karlene's firm had been looking for. She was single, never married, no children, and worked long hours.
Karlene sat back staring at the image of Beatrice's face. She looked Irish, with red hair and freckles. She was smiling in the picture, with bright red lipstick and shining white perfect teeth. She looked familiar to Karlene, but she couldn't place her. It was her smile that looked familiar. She had seen it somewhere before. She tapped her teeth with a nail and closed the application.
She read the briefing note. Beatrice was suggesting a change in direction for the company's top investment line. She identified a niche that hadn't been exploited and provided details on how to break in, saturate and dominate, and expand profits by a sizeable margin. Karlene was intrigued.
She opened an email and sent a quick query to Beatrice and asked her to stop by to discuss her recommendations in the morning. She hit send and opened another spreadsheet.
Minutes later she heard a soft tap at her door. She looked up first at the clock on her wall. It read six forty-five. Normally there isn't anyone left in the office at this hour, certainly not on her floor at the top.
"Enter," she called out.
The door swung open and Karlene was surprised to see Beatrice standing there with a thick file folder in her hand. "Miss Carlisle? I just got your email. I'm available now if you like?"
Karlene looked Beatrice up and down. She was her height, at five foot nine, and dressed in the latest woman's business fashion, with a stylish blouse and no-nonsense business pants, navy-blue, pleated, and pin-striped. She dressed, Karlene was pleased to see, like her. Except her breasts were considerably larger and her waist surprisingly thinner above a lovely shaped pair of hips. Her red hair was pulled back in a pony-tail. Wisps of loose hair floated around her head.
"Of course!" Karlene responded. "Come in. I just finished your report. I'm interested in pursuing some of your lines of thought. Get a better understanding of the background and reference material."
"Terrific!" enthused Beatrice and her smile appeared. Karlene caught her breath as a sense of deja-vu hit her. The smile was so familiar to her.
Karlene rose from her desk and walked around to shake the woman's hand. She took it gently and shook like professional business women do: a light squeeze and a single shake. Karlene was surprised to feel just how warm her hand was. She smiled at her and ask her to sit in front of her desk.
Karlene sat down and opened the briefing note. She swung her monitor around and got down to business. Beatrice was clearly ready and soon they were engaged and pouring through the reference material she had brought.
When Karlene looked next at the clock it read eight-thirty. "Oh dear," she said. "I'm sorry, Beatrice. It's well after eight. I've kept you too long."
"Its fine, Karlene," she said with a smile. Karlene had insisted she call her by her first name. "I've nothing better to do and frankly I'm pleased to be able to discuss this so quickly. In my last company, I would have waited months for any kind of reply."
Karlene sat back and regarded the woman. She had long ago noticed the light scent of her perfume. It was pleasant and it brightened her office. It added to her sense of deja-vu. She would have to ask her what it was. Karlene was suddenly more interested in the woman in front of her. "Is that why we were so successful head hunting you?"
Karlene was surprised to see Beatrice's cheeks flush a little red. Beatrice shook her head. "Well, no, actually. It was a chance to work with you. The one and only Karlene Carlisle. You're famous, you know."
Karlene blinked. She had no idea what Beatrice was talking about and said so. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Beatrice seemed to flush a little more. She touched her cheek for a moment and let out a little laugh. "You're a bit of a legend in business circles. You rose so quickly to your position in one of the top companies in the city and state. But you don't have the rep that successful women seem to gather round them. The tough, be a bitch or die, mentality. You've stayed true to female values. Supported other women. Fought for equal pay. I admire you. So do most women in the city."
Karlene stared at Beatrice. She knew a brown-noser when she met one, but Beatrice was not one of them. She spoke without hesitation and seemed a little embarrassed by her words. "I had no idea. Honestly, I fought for myself, not for others. But if anyone benefitted then I am glad. It's hard to sit at the top of a male-dominated world. I find it best to remain true to myself and prove my worth. I've also benefitted from some amazing men, who didn't care I had a pair of tits."
Beatrice eyed Karlene's top for a moment and Karlene felt a little thrill. "It has benefitted us. But to answer your question, when your HR reached out to me, I admit to jumping on the chance to work with you. That I'm sitting here in your office discussing my paper, has made it all worth it."
Karlene rose and smiled sincerely. "It's a terrific paper. But it's late. Ask my secretary to book an hour with me tomorrow. We'll write up a strategy and start working on a presentation for the board. They meet next week. I can get this tabled."
Beatrice rose with a fluid grace that Karlene envied. She was pushing closer to forty now and missed her youthful days. Karlene found herself catching a look at Beatrice's lovely bum as she walked to the door. When she stopped, Karlene almost walked into her, startling Beatrice.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" said Beatrice and held a hand up to her neck. "I didn't hear you walking me to your door!" She laughed a lovely tinkling laugh and Karlene had another moment of deja-vu.
Karlene looked into Beatrice's eyes. They were green and touched with flecks of brown. Her perfume was stronger now that they stood only a foot apart. "Your perfume smells so familiar to me," she said. "What brand is it?"
"Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium. My ex-girlfriend gave it to me," explained Beatrice.
"Ex-girlfriend?"
Beatrice laughed again. "Yes. I'm a lesbian, Karlene. Does that shock you?"
Karlene hesitated. Men found it easier to accept women if they didn't swing for the other side. It caused Karlene to hide that most secret aspect of herself. It was only on Friday's that she explored that side, but she could never admit to being a lesbian herself. She would be judged harshly. She shook her head when she realised she was taking too long to respond. She smiled at Beatrice. "No, dear. Not at all. It's a beautiful fragrance. I'll have to pick some up."
Beatrice nodded, said good night and left the office. Karlene closed her door and went back to her desk. She saved her work and shut down her computer. She had an hour commute home and she was already tired. She grabbed her handbag, sniffed the air and smiled at the fragrance, and turned off her office lights and went home.
