"Catherine, Helen, Evelyn, Camille..." My boss ticked each name off a finger. She glanced at the sheet in her hand. "Where's the new client?"
My heels clicked against the marble floor as I hurried to keep up with her. She was tall woman with a long stride, and though balancing on four inches of stilettos made it nearly impossible to keep up with her, at Audrey's the dress code was clear and rigidly enforced: heels a minimum of three inches, skirts no longer than mid-thigh, blouses form fitting and three buttons undone. I shuffled through the folders in the crook of my arm. "Jessica Franks." I said as I extracted a thin folder and held it out to her. "Forty one, wife to congressman Franks."
Audrey took the folder without looking up. "Preference for blonde or brunette hair, DD cup, and Asians." She pursed her lips. "At least she's not looking for all of them in one package. What aren't we?"
"A circus, ma'am." We passed the showroom floor, Kelly and Mary on display below, clip-clopping back and forth on their heels, modeling cocktail dresses for a customer reclined in a leather waiting chair. It would probably take her a half hour and a dozen more dresses to decide which of the two of them she wanted to take to the oversized, soundproof rooms along the right side of the store.
"Always the same. Give me a whore, make me a goddess." She said as I stepped ahead of her to open her office door. "Coffee." She said, seating herself behind her desk.
The pot I'd put on an hour ago was still hot. She accepted a cup, a slim frown turning her rouge lips. "Who's in the double to triple D range?"
"Jules is, I believe." I moved to the file drawer and knelt smoothly, only years of practice keeping me from wobbling and falling in my heels and skirt. Though I couldn't see her, I could feel my boss's eyes on me as I shuffled through the drawer. Professionalism and precision Audrey demanded in all things. It was why I'd been picked to leave the floor nine months ago and work as her assistant when Amber spilled coffee on her. I found the folder I was looking for and rose. "What is the most important rule?" Audrey asked as she accepted the folder.
"Image first, ma'am. Image always."
"If that's true," she flipped through the folder, "then that nipple is certainly more than enough."
My heart skipped a beat as I glanced down. At some point when I knelt the low cut of my blouse had slipped down and one of my nipples had popped out. I slipped it back in. "I'm so sorry, ma'am, I didn't-"
She quelled my apology with a long look, a silent reprimand, before turning her eyes back to the folder. "Have Jules ready on Thursday. Red pushup, pearl necklace, fur coat."
There came a knock from the door. My boss looked up. "What now?" She raised her voice. "Come in."
The door swung open to reveal the downstairs teller, a statuesque brunette named Elizabeth. "I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, but she insisted-"
"Oh, don't apologize. The girl's a dear and I didn't give her a chance." From behind Elizabeth sauntered a tall woman with bleached blond curls. "Audrey and I are old friends. Aren't we?"
"Dina." My boss sighed and closed the folder with a snap. "You're looking well."
"The wonders of Botox, hon." Dina took the seat in front of the desk without asking and crossed one leg over the other, designer purse resting on her lap. Her voice had a throaty, faux little girl quality to it. "You really should think about it. It was easier then when I got my tits done and makes you feel ten years younger."
Audrey's eyes moved to Elizabeth in lazy dismissal. Dina's head turned to follow as Elizabeth closed the door. "I swear I'll never know how you keep your hands to yourself, hon. If it was me running this place I'd never get any work done."
Audrey smiled and sipped her coffee. "You learn."
"Not me. I'd spend all day leaned back in that chair with my legs in the air." Dina turned back to face her. "Anyway, I've got a favor to ask."
Audrey handed me the folder. "You really should make appointments."
"Oh, you know I'm not picky, hon. That hot little black number you fixed me up with last time was just what I needed." She made a smacking noise with her lips. "That girl's tongue was heaven. What was her name? Shawnton? Shaetae?"
"Shawntae." I supplied.
Dina smiled up at me. I tried to not to let the repulsion I felt onto my face. She might have had Botox, but lines still showed at the corner of her eyes and the breasts that bulged from her blouse were round and fake as water balloons. You're off the showroom, I reminded myself. Coffee and folders and names. That was what I did now. Her tongue played between her lips. "Isn't she the same one I saw you with last time? You don't usually keep them this long."
"I must be losing my touch." My boss's eyes behind her coffee cup were unreadable. "You needed a favor?"
"Nothing fancy." Dina primped her curls with a hand. "My daughter's been in a funk lately. Some drama with a boy about some other girl. Or some other boy. You can never tell with kids today. She's been sulking around the house ever since she came back for break."
Audrey laid down her cup. "You know we have rules about non-members."
"She won't be a problem." Dina made a dismissive gesture with a manicured hand. "I just thought I'd do something different than the normal mani-pedi, show her how the old lady enjoys herself."
Audrey shook her head. "We're a little understaffed at the moment." She motioned for me to get her the schedule. "Shawntae won't be available until six. We have Kelly on the floor right now..."