the other messages Linda had left.
Alison was talking nonstop before Kate had finished saying hello: "What the hell happened at that audition?" she said. "This girl came flying past my office today in tears, and I found out afterward that it was Dick Dayton's niece crying her eyes out over the audition at Ben Austin's agency."
"What?" Kate said. "Why?"
"You tell me. I don't know. I got this from Joan Samuels who got it from her secretary, who got it from Day- ton's secretary, so what we're dealing with here might not be a hundred percent reliable. But from what I understand she had thought she'd be chosen for the part—who the hell knows what that crazy Dick Dayton told her?— and then you and Austin and the rest of the agency people didn't say a word when she was finished. I don't know, Kate—she might even still be in Dayton's office. I saw
them leave together for lunch, and I saw them come back a while ago."
Kate swore under her breath. "I knew this would happen," she said. "The fact is, Ally, that that girl was far and away the best of anyone we saw. We didn't tell her she was coming back because that's not the way it's done—we're calling people afterward. But I argued with Ben about hiring her—I knew there would be problems because of her connection with the store."
"Well, you've got them, Kate."
And then Kate saw the phone message at the top of the pile: "11:00: Dick Dayton. Urgent." Underneath, it said, "Dick Dayton—11:30 a.m.—Urgent."
"Listen," Kate said. "I'd better get off and call him before he has my head. There are two messages marked 'urgent' already."
"Okay. But wait one second," Alison said. "What about Ben? What's happening with the two of you?"
"I don't know, Alison," she answered, sighing. "I think I really messed it up. I'm so paranoid after Kurt and so indecisive that I just keep switching gears. I'm definitely driving him crazy."
"Oh, come on. From the way you've described him, Kate, he sounds very unrufflable. I'm sure you're not driving him crazy except in a good way."
"Well, everyone has his or her limits. Anyway, I'm driving myself crazy even if he's not bothered. Because, Ally, I really like him. That scares me, but it feels good, too."
She heard Alison sigh. "Then, go for it, Kate. Go for him."
Kate smiled. Suddenly, her only thought was Why not?
Why not, when she had made so many mistakes before? Why not, when he seemed so right? He did seem different from the others. Why couldn't she allow herself to try, at least? "I think I just might do that," she said quietly. "I really think I might."
A few moments later she said good-bye and dialed Dayton's extension.
"Dayton," he barked.
Had sign, Kate thought. He hadn't even let his secretary pick up.
'Kate Churchill," she said.
Silence. Then: "Would you come in here for a moment,
please?"
She bristled. True, had he been talking to a man at her corporate level he might have used the same words; but he definitely wouldn't have used such a commanding tone.
I'm free in half an hour," she said. "But I can talk for a moment. What can I help you with?"
We'll discuss it when you come in," he said, and hung up.
Adrenaline raced through her. Damn him! And the part was that if she were angry with him when she went into his office, she would be called "emotional," a woman who "tends to fly off the handle." Whereas a man in the same situation would be called no-nonsense, or straighforward. She worked her way down through the rest of the phone messages, and exactly forty minutes after she had spoken to Dayton, left her office. True, she could have left ten minutes earlier and been on time, but she could play the power game as well as the best of them, and damn well would. Dayton was one of the most devoted practitioners
of office politics and power plays at the store. His desk faced the door of his office, and his back was to the large picture window behind his desk. With the window facing south, visitors were often forced to look
Alison was talking nonstop before Kate had finished saying hello: "What the hell happened at that audition?" she said. "This girl came flying past my office today in tears, and I found out afterward that it was Dick Dayton's niece crying her eyes out over the audition at Ben Austin's agency."
"What?" Kate said. "Why?"
"You tell me. I don't know. I got this from Joan Samuels who got it from her secretary, who got it from Day- ton's secretary, so what we're dealing with here might not be a hundred percent reliable. But from what I understand she had thought she'd be chosen for the part—who the hell knows what that crazy Dick Dayton told her?— and then you and Austin and the rest of the agency people didn't say a word when she was finished. I don't know, Kate—she might even still be in Dayton's office. I saw
them leave together for lunch, and I saw them come back a while ago."
Kate swore under her breath. "I knew this would happen," she said. "The fact is, Ally, that that girl was far and away the best of anyone we saw. We didn't tell her she was coming back because that's not the way it's done—we're calling people afterward. But I argued with Ben about hiring her—I knew there would be problems because of her connection with the store."
"Well, you've got them, Kate."
And then Kate saw the phone message at the top of the pile: "11:00: Dick Dayton. Urgent." Underneath, it said, "Dick Dayton—11:30 a.m.—Urgent."
"Listen," Kate said. "I'd better get off and call him before he has my head. There are two messages marked 'urgent' already."
"Okay. But wait one second," Alison said. "What about Ben? What's happening with the two of you?"
"I don't know, Alison," she answered, sighing. "I think I really messed it up. I'm so paranoid after Kurt and so indecisive that I just keep switching gears. I'm definitely driving him crazy."
"Oh, come on. From the way you've described him, Kate, he sounds very unrufflable. I'm sure you're not driving him crazy except in a good way."
"Well, everyone has his or her limits. Anyway, I'm driving myself crazy even if he's not bothered. Because, Ally, I really like him. That scares me, but it feels good, too."
She heard Alison sigh. "Then, go for it, Kate. Go for him."
Kate smiled. Suddenly, her only thought was Why not?
Why not, when she had made so many mistakes before? Why not, when he seemed so right? He did seem different from the others. Why couldn't she allow herself to try, at least? "I think I just might do that," she said quietly. "I really think I might."
A few moments later she said good-bye and dialed Dayton's extension.
"Dayton," he barked.
Had sign, Kate thought. He hadn't even let his secretary pick up.
'Kate Churchill," she said.
Silence. Then: "Would you come in here for a moment,
please?"
She bristled. True, had he been talking to a man at her corporate level he might have used the same words; but he definitely wouldn't have used such a commanding tone.
I'm free in half an hour," she said. "But I can talk for a moment. What can I help you with?"
We'll discuss it when you come in," he said, and hung up.
Adrenaline raced through her. Damn him! And the part was that if she were angry with him when she went into his office, she would be called "emotional," a woman who "tends to fly off the handle." Whereas a man in the same situation would be called no-nonsense, or straighforward. She worked her way down through the rest of the phone messages, and exactly forty minutes after she had spoken to Dayton, left her office. True, she could have left ten minutes earlier and been on time, but she could play the power game as well as the best of them, and damn well would. Dayton was one of the most devoted practitioners
of office politics and power plays at the store. His desk faced the door of his office, and his back was to the large picture window behind his desk. With the window facing south, visitors were often forced to look
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