"Are you dating anyone in the office?" her boss asked.
"No," she said, lowering her eyes. "No." The mushroom burgers arrived, adorned with lettuce and tomatoes on a platter of french fries.
"I, um, I never thought I would want to get involved with anyone at work. But there are some really nice people in the office," Debbie continued.
"Yes, and women are bosses and men are managers and we all work on the same floor. The vice president is only 34 years old."
"Oh, I know. I couldn't believe that. In all the other departments, the women are the secretaries and all the men are their bosses."
"That's part of the reason why I feel our department is so successful."
"I'm really happy with the people in our department. I mean, they're not all really great, all of the time, but..."
"At this, Crystal rolled her eyes questionably.
"My sister used to get involved with people at work all the time. It worked out well for her," Debbie went on to say.
"Oh, she did? My sister dated someone in her company for five years before anyone found out. When they finally decided to go public, she left the company."
"But you don't think it wouldn't be hard to keep it under wraps, do you? You don't really think everyone wouldn't know?" Debbie disarmingly confronted her boss. She innocently took on the role of teacher lecturing student, mother warning daughter.
"My sister wasn't on the same floor. When you both work on the same floor, it can be very difficult. I'm dating someone in the office and I'm very defensive about it."
Debbie looked up from her hamburger. She put it down. She couldn't finish it. She looked at her boss, her wide eyes huge with despair, her small lips drawn down in a sad pout. The coveted German chocolate cake with chocolate icing, whipped cream and sliced almonds. She couldn't eat it.
"Who?" she wanted to say.
But she wouldn 't dare. She could not bear to hear his name. It wasn't Rob. They went out to lunch every day but calls from Jen were growing more frequent.
All last week, they were asking for each other. Would you please transfer me to Scott? Would you please transfer me to Scott or his secretary? No, that's OK, I'll call him later. Scott, standing just a little too close to Crystal in the hall. She had forgotten about that.
"Is it April already? You were hired in November? That means you've been here for almost six months."
"Yes, that sure went by fast."
"You will be up for review and seeing that I'm your manager, I will be doing your review next month. A telemarketer gets not only straight salary, but commission as well. I would like to see you in that position."
"I did telemarketing for the Hartford Courant. Well, it was just taking incoming calls. I really liked the contact over the phone."
"Do you know what we do?"
"Well, I know that we publish newsletters and that we have two electronic services that come over a screen. I guess I need to learn more about it," Debbie admitted.
"Are you easily distracted?" Crystal asked quietly.
"Yes," she admitted.
"What do you think your strong points are?"
"Oh. Getting along with people. And writing. Definitely writing. I can get along with ALL kinds of people."
"I'm going to do your review next month. But I feel there are a lot of rough edges. I would like to see you become much more aggressive."
"That's what my father always told me," Debbie said thoughtfully.
"So, do your parents think of you as a New Yorker now?"
"Oh, yeah. I joke around with them about running from the muggers," she laughed.
"What part of Connecticut are you from?"
"New London. It's really nice out there."
"Don't you begin to relax at a certain point after you leave the city?"
"Oh, yes. It's so relaxing at home. I can't ever relax at work."
"I never relax at work. It's OK, you can eat while I talk. You need to be much more calm abuot everything. Once I cross the New Jersey bridge, I relax completely. My shoulders start to loosen up. It's a completely different world. As soon as I get home, I put on my sweatpants."
You wear sweatpants? Debbie wanted to say. "Back home, the people are so different. They may be more sophisticated here, but there are so many phonies." She stared at the glass walls of the upscale New York cafe in the white marble lobby of the concourse. "The guys in the bars." (Crystal smiled at this.) "I've never met so many phonies in my life."
"But don't you think that's a part of getting older? I have a small circle of friends and I let very few people in." She suddenly looked like a little girl, vulnerable and round-eyed. Her lovely blue eyes were fringed by dark curling lashes; smoky blue shadow stroked deftly on her lids. Her ash blond hair fell in layers, framing her pretty face, the dark roots all but hidden, flattering none-the-less to the high cheekbones, pale skin and perfect lips usually pursed in the business-like manner which so suited her boss.
Now her lips parted in unguarded surprise. She hunched in her chair for the first time in her life, thought Debbie. She watched in surprise, her worldly boss, stare back at her in girlish apprehension.
It was as if she were part of a mirror reflecting Debbie herself as she now sat opposite her.
"That's good," Debbie said slowly.
