Covey stated without any fear of contradiction.
"Yes," Keri sighed. "I'm under orders to cease and desist, starting tonight at the reception." She grinned with just the slightest touch of mischief. "I was supposed to start this morning, but decided tonight would be a more appropriate time."
"Monday should be most interesting," averred Mrs. Covey, grimacing. "Elise Barth is in for an unpalatable shock. She's been Miss Glamor of the office for the past three years, for all the good it's done her, but she won't relish being supplanted."
"Are you so sure I'll . . . er . . . supplant her?" Keri asked curiously. "She's very attractive."
"Hmm, yes, attractive," Mrs. Covey agreed. "She makes the most of what she's got, I admit, but I expect that you don't even have to make anything of what you've got to bug out a few eyes. Why'd you do it, child?"
"Protective camouflage," Keri said shortly. "I got tired j of wearing out my tennis shoes being chased around the desk. I had the idea that it would be nice to keep my business and private lives separate and it worked like a charm for three whole months. Blast!" Keri pounded her fist softly on the table top in frustration.
She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose absently, but didn't notice the widening of Mrs. Covey's eyes when she saw Keri without them for the first time. Keri had eaten off her lipstick and the natural rich coloration of her lips emphasized the lovely shape of her mouth. With the glasses removed, Mrs. Covey could, for the moment, understand Keri's high wear-out rate of tennis shoes. Elise Barth was definitely not going to be pleased!
The two women finished lunch in silence, gloomy on Keri's part, thoughtful on Mrs. Covey's. The older woman hid a shrewd brain and a dry sense of humor beneath her unprepossessing exterior. She liked Keri and wished her well, but not even the most optimistic of Pollyannas could foresee anything but storms ahead for the young woman. Elise Barth would make her life miserable if she could, out of spite and jealousy, and even though Dain Randolph had never dallied with a RanCo employee to Mrs. Covey's knowledge (and it was comprehensive ... she was very astute), she had a feeling that he just might make an exception in Keri's case.
He had so far displayed an unprecedented interest in obtaining her services as secretary, and Mrs. Covey didn't for one minute believe that it was because of Keri's facility in languages. And now, by Keri's own admission, he was going so far as to dictate to her about her appearance. Very interesting indeed!
Keri's afternoon was mercifully shortened because Dain brusquely ordered her to leave early so that she would have plenty of time to prepare for the evening ahead. The look he gave her as he issued this pronouncement was explicit. Keri and Dain both missed the hastily hidden smile on Mrs. Covey's face as she sat at her desk, an interested spectator to this charged confrontation between employer and employee. She smothered a chuckle at the glare of pure dislike that Keri shot at Dain's back as he left the office, but her "Knock 'em dead, Keri honey" was full of fellow feeling and Keri threw her a grateful smile as she left for the day.
Keri seriously considered Mrs. Covey's injunction as she drove home through the relatively uncrowded streets. She could, if she chose, knock 'em dead as Mrs. Covey said. She had a dress guaranteed to give every man within fifty feet of her galloping high blood pressure and she was very tempted to pull it out, but saner, second thoughts prevailed.
The last thing in the world she wanted to do was give Dain Randolph the "come hither" and the dress would be construed as nothing short of an open invitation to seduction by such a man. She'd better opt for cool elegance, and she had a dress for that occasion too. It was a severely plain Thai silk of a green-bronze that managed to enhance the depth of her eyes and the richness of her hair. The classic simplicity of
"Yes," Keri sighed. "I'm under orders to cease and desist, starting tonight at the reception." She grinned with just the slightest touch of mischief. "I was supposed to start this morning, but decided tonight would be a more appropriate time."
"Monday should be most interesting," averred Mrs. Covey, grimacing. "Elise Barth is in for an unpalatable shock. She's been Miss Glamor of the office for the past three years, for all the good it's done her, but she won't relish being supplanted."
"Are you so sure I'll . . . er . . . supplant her?" Keri asked curiously. "She's very attractive."
"Hmm, yes, attractive," Mrs. Covey agreed. "She makes the most of what she's got, I admit, but I expect that you don't even have to make anything of what you've got to bug out a few eyes. Why'd you do it, child?"
"Protective camouflage," Keri said shortly. "I got tired j of wearing out my tennis shoes being chased around the desk. I had the idea that it would be nice to keep my business and private lives separate and it worked like a charm for three whole months. Blast!" Keri pounded her fist softly on the table top in frustration.
She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose absently, but didn't notice the widening of Mrs. Covey's eyes when she saw Keri without them for the first time. Keri had eaten off her lipstick and the natural rich coloration of her lips emphasized the lovely shape of her mouth. With the glasses removed, Mrs. Covey could, for the moment, understand Keri's high wear-out rate of tennis shoes. Elise Barth was definitely not going to be pleased!
The two women finished lunch in silence, gloomy on Keri's part, thoughtful on Mrs. Covey's. The older woman hid a shrewd brain and a dry sense of humor beneath her unprepossessing exterior. She liked Keri and wished her well, but not even the most optimistic of Pollyannas could foresee anything but storms ahead for the young woman. Elise Barth would make her life miserable if she could, out of spite and jealousy, and even though Dain Randolph had never dallied with a RanCo employee to Mrs. Covey's knowledge (and it was comprehensive ... she was very astute), she had a feeling that he just might make an exception in Keri's case.
He had so far displayed an unprecedented interest in obtaining her services as secretary, and Mrs. Covey didn't for one minute believe that it was because of Keri's facility in languages. And now, by Keri's own admission, he was going so far as to dictate to her about her appearance. Very interesting indeed!
Keri's afternoon was mercifully shortened because Dain brusquely ordered her to leave early so that she would have plenty of time to prepare for the evening ahead. The look he gave her as he issued this pronouncement was explicit. Keri and Dain both missed the hastily hidden smile on Mrs. Covey's face as she sat at her desk, an interested spectator to this charged confrontation between employer and employee. She smothered a chuckle at the glare of pure dislike that Keri shot at Dain's back as he left the office, but her "Knock 'em dead, Keri honey" was full of fellow feeling and Keri threw her a grateful smile as she left for the day.
Keri seriously considered Mrs. Covey's injunction as she drove home through the relatively uncrowded streets. She could, if she chose, knock 'em dead as Mrs. Covey said. She had a dress guaranteed to give every man within fifty feet of her galloping high blood pressure and she was very tempted to pull it out, but saner, second thoughts prevailed.
The last thing in the world she wanted to do was give Dain Randolph the "come hither" and the dress would be construed as nothing short of an open invitation to seduction by such a man. She'd better opt for cool elegance, and she had a dress for that occasion too. It was a severely plain Thai silk of a green-bronze that managed to enhance the depth of her eyes and the richness of her hair. The classic simplicity of
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