paid. With the generous Christmas bonus that woman received, she made almost twice the salary Tessa did this past year, just for answering phones. Of course Tessa noticed … she received copies of Shilling’s bank statements every month. It was hard not to notice checks with that many zeros on them.
Mr. Abbott’s idea of a Christmas bonus was letting her leave at four-thirty on Christmas Eve instead of five. She wondered if Schilling’s office was hiring. Wouldn’t that be a kicker?
“Mr. Abbott? I quit. Oh yeah, I’m going to work for Nicholas Schilling. But don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you. I’m sure after I’m done telling him what a stellar member of society you truly are, he’ll gladly keep you on as his personal accountant and financial manager.” She smiled as she tried to picture his face contorting when she told him the news. Or maybe it would be more fun to have Abbott and Associates remain on as Schillings’ accountant. Stretching her feet out, she imagined what it would be like working for the other side: “ Steven, we’ll need those reports to be done first thing Monday morning and without error. Do you think you can handle that, or should we put in a call to the Forest Hills Zoo?” She giggled silently to herself just thinking about it.
“Hello?” the voice asked. “Is there anybody there?”
“Oh,” she said, straightening back up. “I’m so sorry. Yes, this is Tessa Haines calling from Abbott and Associates. Can you connect me to Mr. Schilling’s assistant please?”
“Certainly. One moment.”
She scrolled through the texts and emails on her cell while the bland music played on the line as she waited. Still nothing from the doctor.
“Nicholas Schilling’s office,” the unfamiliar female voice said. Usually when she called, she dealt with Greta, his administrative assistant. They’d never met, but they’d been speaking to each other on the phone for over a year.
“Hello,” Tessa began, “is Greta available?” She knew she could probably ask the person who answered the phone for the statements, but then she’d have to explain who she was, who she worked for, and why she needed to see Mr. Schilling’s bank and brokerage statements. She doubted someone would just hand over that type of information without giving her the third-degree. At least she hoped they wouldn’t. Speaking directly with his assistant would be much easier.
“No, I’m sorry,” the frazzled voice said, “Greta is out on personal leave. I’m with the temp agency, filling in until she comes back. Can I help you with something?”
Huh, perhaps there might be an opening in that office soon after all. Tessa laughed silently and shook her head. No, Schilling was probably way more demanding than her own boss. The temps exhausted voice alone seemed to prove that.
“I’m calling from Abbott and Associates. We’re Mr. Schilling’s personal accountants. My name is Tessa Haines and—”
“Yes,” the woman said, abruptly interrupting her. Apparently time she had no time to waste on the telephone. “There’s a note here that you’d be calling. Mr. Schilling wanted me to let you know he’s contacted all of the banks, and they expect to have his statements ready in a few days. He’ll have his financial assistant drop them off at your office early next week.”
“Oh,” she replied, surprised. That went a lot easier than she was expecting. “Great, thank you very much.”
Hanging up the phone, she was relieved to have accomplished the most important task on Mr. Abbott’s list. Now there really was nothing left to work on for Schilling today, other than clearing out all the old numbers to get the reports prepped for the new information. After that, she could tackle the growing pile of work for the other clients. Those poor other clients … they always took the back burner.
~~~
“So what do you think, Hol? It’s been a week. Should I call him?”
Tessa kept one eye
Mr. Abbott’s idea of a Christmas bonus was letting her leave at four-thirty on Christmas Eve instead of five. She wondered if Schilling’s office was hiring. Wouldn’t that be a kicker?
“Mr. Abbott? I quit. Oh yeah, I’m going to work for Nicholas Schilling. But don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you. I’m sure after I’m done telling him what a stellar member of society you truly are, he’ll gladly keep you on as his personal accountant and financial manager.” She smiled as she tried to picture his face contorting when she told him the news. Or maybe it would be more fun to have Abbott and Associates remain on as Schillings’ accountant. Stretching her feet out, she imagined what it would be like working for the other side: “ Steven, we’ll need those reports to be done first thing Monday morning and without error. Do you think you can handle that, or should we put in a call to the Forest Hills Zoo?” She giggled silently to herself just thinking about it.
“Hello?” the voice asked. “Is there anybody there?”
“Oh,” she said, straightening back up. “I’m so sorry. Yes, this is Tessa Haines calling from Abbott and Associates. Can you connect me to Mr. Schilling’s assistant please?”
“Certainly. One moment.”
She scrolled through the texts and emails on her cell while the bland music played on the line as she waited. Still nothing from the doctor.
“Nicholas Schilling’s office,” the unfamiliar female voice said. Usually when she called, she dealt with Greta, his administrative assistant. They’d never met, but they’d been speaking to each other on the phone for over a year.
“Hello,” Tessa began, “is Greta available?” She knew she could probably ask the person who answered the phone for the statements, but then she’d have to explain who she was, who she worked for, and why she needed to see Mr. Schilling’s bank and brokerage statements. She doubted someone would just hand over that type of information without giving her the third-degree. At least she hoped they wouldn’t. Speaking directly with his assistant would be much easier.
“No, I’m sorry,” the frazzled voice said, “Greta is out on personal leave. I’m with the temp agency, filling in until she comes back. Can I help you with something?”
Huh, perhaps there might be an opening in that office soon after all. Tessa laughed silently and shook her head. No, Schilling was probably way more demanding than her own boss. The temps exhausted voice alone seemed to prove that.
“I’m calling from Abbott and Associates. We’re Mr. Schilling’s personal accountants. My name is Tessa Haines and—”
“Yes,” the woman said, abruptly interrupting her. Apparently time she had no time to waste on the telephone. “There’s a note here that you’d be calling. Mr. Schilling wanted me to let you know he’s contacted all of the banks, and they expect to have his statements ready in a few days. He’ll have his financial assistant drop them off at your office early next week.”
“Oh,” she replied, surprised. That went a lot easier than she was expecting. “Great, thank you very much.”
Hanging up the phone, she was relieved to have accomplished the most important task on Mr. Abbott’s list. Now there really was nothing left to work on for Schilling today, other than clearing out all the old numbers to get the reports prepped for the new information. After that, she could tackle the growing pile of work for the other clients. Those poor other clients … they always took the back burner.
~~~
“So what do you think, Hol? It’s been a week. Should I call him?”
Tessa kept one eye
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