TRUE LOVE

John spied the tall incredibly beautiful woman as she looked around the crowded restaurant. She had the most beautiful big brown eyes he’d ever seen. She wore a navy blue suit with a soft silk blouse the color of the sky. Her hair hung freely well below her shoulders, jet black and shiny. The waiter walked over to his table and whispered, “Mr. Carrington, sir, would you mind if the young lady is seated here? We don’t seem to have any more tables available.” He admired her beauty as he spoke to the waiter. “I don’t mind at all.” The waiter thanked him with a nod of his head and proceeded to pull the chair out for the lady. “I’m Jon Carrington.” “Kathryn Steele.” “I come here quite often. I’ve never seen you here before.” Browsing the menu carefully, Kathryn answered the gentleman nonchalantly. “I’ve not been here until today. A friend of mine suggested I come.” “Your friend has good taste. The food here is quite good.” Kathryn continued to read her menu only glancing up at him occasionally.

“May I take your order Ms.?” Kathryn gave her attention to the waitress as she ordered. Looking at his watch Jon Carrington realized he was running late for a meeting. He looked over at Kathryn Steele who was reading something from a sheet of paper she’d taken from her purse, he thought to himself, I’d love to sit here and behold this beautiful creature but time is of the essence. “Please excuse me Ms. Steele, I must be going, enjoy your lunch.”

He gave her a dashing smile. She nodded her head looking up at him through big beautiful brown eyes as he towered over her. She fanned her face vigorously as she took note of his tall, lean, masculine body and stunning good looks. She reached for the glass of water that was recently filled and took a small sip. She was attracted to the man. Though her encounter with him was brief, the effect was devastating.

Kathryn savored each bite of her salad starring after him as he left. His stride was hurried but self-assured. He was unusually handsome, she thought. Well there’s not much sense in thinking about him. I’d better finish my coffee, wouldn’t want to be late for my next interview. I didn’t think it would take this long to find a job after college.

A few hours later Kathryn entered the plush offices of Harper Carrington Advertising Agency and approached the receptionist at the front desk. “Hi, I’m Kathryn Steele, I have a 2:00 appointment with Ms. Banton.” The receptionist informed Ms. Banton of her arrival.

Kathryn sat admiring the decor. The paintings on the walls were beautiful, the colors bright and cheerful. One would assume, considering the expensive decor, that the agency was doing very well.

A few moments later Ms. Banton arrived. With a hand extended and a welcome smile, she said, “Ms. Steele, I’m Ms. Banton.” “How do you do.” “Fine, thank you.” “Would you follow me please? My office is on the other side. We occupy 5th through the 18th floors. We own the building. We sublease to other companies.

Kathryn followed in silence admiring the office set up as she went along. “Here we are.” Ms. Banton walked into a spacious office with a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan.

She took her seat as she gestured to Kathryn to have a seat. “I’ve gone over your resume. Very impressive. So you want to work for Harper Carrington, Kathryn.” “Yes I do, Ms. Banton.”

“Great. For this position, we need someone with the ability to take charge, need little or no supervision and don’t mind hard work. This person will hold the title of assistant Manager, Media Department.

We handle anywhere from forty to fifty accounts in this office alone. We have a lot of prestigious clients who trust us to do an above average job for them and we do just that. You’ll be working closely with myself and Jon Carrington.”

Kathryn thought the name Jon Carrington was familiar but wasn’t sure where she had heard it before. She quickly dismissed the thought and brought her attention back to the issue at hand. “I did want you to meet with him but he’s tied up in a meeting right now.

Here is a complete report on one of our largest accounts.” Kathryn took the file that Ms. Banton was handing to her and began fingering through the pages. “If you will look this over it will give you an overall idea of what you will be involved in. We have six secretaries in this department, they are all dynamic.

Linda will work primarily for you, however, we pride ourselves on working as a team. Your office would be right across the hall.

“I hope I didn’t go to fast for you, Ms. Steele, but I have a ton of work to get done. My last assistant got married and resigned. We need someone in here as soon as possible. I haven’t had much time to interview. I see no need to continue this one. You seem bright and willing to learn. The job is yours.