"Debbie, would you like to join us for a drink?"
"O.K.," she said to her boss. She looked at her watch. Ten after five. Good thing she had not left work right away. She ran to the ladies' room. When she returned, her attractive boss was applying lipstick in her office. Mike wore his long tweed coat which she was especially fond of, soft white scarf around his neck.
A new rumor had just been circulated. Steve sat in his office among his exotic unique plants, at the PC. Word had it that the PC contained X-rated video games. Crystal, Mike, and Debbie stood poised behind his chair. They stared at the blank screen. Kooch joined them. Still, the screen remained blank. Finally, an image flickered into view. But so far, the image remained in a gray blur of dots and bars. Suddenly, a woman's face emerged on the screen, a "private part" in her mouth.
Instantly, everyone shrieked in surprise and ran out of Steve's office, as if zapped by an electric shock.
"Debbie! Don't come near me! Unless you wanna touch me." Kooch's voice shuddered and he disappeared into his office in the small private hallway.
An editor walked by. "What's going on? That was some loud laughter."
The Beanstalk was too crowded.
"Let's try La Veranda," Mike suggested.
They sat on stools at the elegantly quiet bar. Debbie drank in the dim cozy atmosphere. Small pizza squares were passed around by the bartender. Debbie handed Mike a napkin.
"Thanks," he said. He stood by her. Steve and Crystal were already involved in a deep discussion about work.
"Do you know what we do?" Crystal asked Debbie.
"Well, we can show her," Mike siad.
"Why don't you sit down?" the bartender suggested.
"I wanna get closer to the women," Mike said.
And he launched into a flood of work related advice to Debbie.
"I know George Behar," he said.
"Who's that?" Debbie said.
"CEO of McGrath-O'Connor. He got me in. Told me this is the top company."
"Oh, George Behar. You've got connections." Debbie said.
"You can say, 'Yeah, I work for Commodity Services, we've got a view of Manhattan..."
"Isn't life wonderful?" Debbie giggled.
Mike didn't say anything.
"Now, I have a feeling you came here on a whim," Mike said.
"Well, I may not seem ambitious, but I want to do something with my life," Debbie said.
"That's it. Not ambitious," Mike said kindly.
"I have to get going. No, that's alright, you can stay." Crystal siad to Debbie.
Mike went to the phones. He stood there, puffing away on a cigarette. In spite of herself, Debbie thought he looked cool. He smiled slyly at Steve, sitting at the bar.
"Another drink for this beautiful lady?" the bartender asked.
"You are beautiful," Mike said. He stood a few feet away, looking at her in approval. He looked like a little man.
"No, I'm not," she said. She thought she might cry, any minute, if she accepted the compliment. "But I don't think so when I look in the mirror."
"Esteem," Mike pointed out.
November 88
Denise
Corporate America
