“Have a great day.” She waved as she watched him following Mrs. Trotter into his new classroom. “I’ll see you after work.” He just grinned and waved back.
It was starting to cloud up as she walked to the MG Chocolate Factory. The radio weather forecast had predicted rain, so she’d brought an umbrella, but she found it hard to believe that this land of sunshine ever experienced real rain. She’d dressed in one of the borrowed suits this morning, picking a more conservative one since she was still concerned about maintaining a professional image. That was something she’d learned in secretarial school, and despite the more casual styles the California women were sporting, she was still uneasy.
She glanced down at the brown-and-white-checked suit with satisfaction. It was the sort of outfit that would fit into most office situations, but pairing it with a rose-colored silk blouse made it seem a bit more fun. And although her hair was pinned up, it was in a looser, more casual style—something Marjorie had helped her with.
As Caroline entered the building, she greeted Miss Warner at the reception desk along with several other coworkers who were milling about. She was about ten minutes early, but that was typical of her work ethic. As she rode up the elevator with Mrs. Gallagher and two salesmen, they all chatted pleasantly. As they got out, going their separate ways, she felt amazed at how she already fit in here, like she was truly part of the MG team. At least for six weeks…possibly longer if all went well.
She went directly to her desk, picking up from where she’d left off on her first day. As the morning progressed, she took dictation on a number of letters, transcribed some other letters, sorted the mail, and answered the phone. All very routine, of course, but she did it all with careful professionalism. Her goal was to do this job so well that by the time Miss Bentley returned, she would be considered too valuable to part with. Even if it meant working on the assembly line or in the mail room.
At lunch she took her brown bag to the break room and, feeling a bit like the new kid at school, sighed with relief to see that Doris had saved her a place at a table. “You never took your coffee break?” Doris asked as Caroline sat down.
“I was so busy at work I forgot all about it.”
Doris shook a friendly finger at her. “Don’t make the rest of us look bad.”
Caroline smiled as she opened her bag. “I’ll be sure to take my breaks. I promise.”
They visited companionably for a bit, then Caroline got up for a cup of coffee. As she was pouring in some cream, Terrence came into the room. Naturally, this brought a pleasant albeit unsettling sensation. But Caroline tried to appear perfectly at ease as she got a spoon to stir in the cream.
“Good afternoon,” he said in a brisk business tone as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Gordon,” she answered politely.
“Are you settling in okay?” He glanced at her as he spooned some sugar into his cup. “Finding everything you need?”
“Yes. I’m feeling right at home.” She smiled at him as she put her spoon in the sink.
“Good to hear.” He smiled warmly back.
And before she could think of anything else to say, the door opened and Evelyn burst into the room, looking all around with a slightly frantic expression.
“There you are, Terry.” Evelyn came directly to him. Dressed in an impeccable cream-colored suit, she paused to give Caroline a questioning glance, then turned back to Terrence. “I’ve been looking all over creation for you.”
“Well, here I am. What can I do for you?”
Evelyn poured her own coffee, and Caroline could smell her perfume wafting over. And although Caroline was headed back to her table, she couldn’t help but overhear Evelyn. “I need you to come to my office immediately,” she said a bit sharply. “Something’s come up regarding New York, and it’s urgent. As in right now sort of urgent.”
Caroline watched as Terrence, casually carrying his coffee, obediently followed Evelyn out of the break room. And it wasn’t that Caroline didn’t think Evelyn’s problem was important; it was simply that Evelyn seemed to enjoy the drama a little too much. Or perhaps it was simply her way of keeping Terrence under her thumb. Although Caroline didn’t perceive him as the kind of man who was easily dominated…by anyone. So if he was coming and going at Evelyn’s beck and call, perhaps it was simply because he wanted to.
Caroline sat back down with Doris. “So I assume there were no proposal announcements on New Year’s Eve,” she said quietly.
Doris just shook her head. “Maybe Valentine’s Day.”
Somehow Caroline didn’t think so. Or perhaps she was simply being overly optimistic. Or just delusional.
For the rest of the day, Caroline focused all her energy and attention on doing the best job possible, and when it was quitting time, Mr. Hancock commented on her work ethic. “So far I’m very impressed with your skills and how hard you work,” he said. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” she told him. It was actually very refreshing to have a boss who noticed such things, but she knew better than to make too much of the compliment. “I realize the company is in a busy time right now. I want to do all I can to keep the production department running smoothly.”
“I appreciate it.”
“And I was meaning to ask you,” she said as he put on his hat, “would you like me to get you coffee in the morning? I used to do that for my other boss. I wouldn’t mind doing that for you.”
He gave her a grateful smile as he picked up his briefcase. “That would be very nice. Black with one spoonful of sugar.”
“Have a good evening,” she said as he reached for the door.
“Thanks. And, oh yes, I almost forgot, we’re having an executive meeting Friday morning at ten. I’ll need you in attendance to take notes.”
“I’ll put it on the schedule,” she assured him.
On Friday morning, Caroline decided to wear the periwinkle suit with the peplum jacket. It was probably the most stylish suit in the clothes that Marjorie had insisted on loaning her, and as Caroline walked to work, she hoped it wasn’t too much. She knew she’d be participating in the executive meeting, and she certainly didn’t want to draw attention to herself. But then she remembered how chic Evelyn and her secretary were. And Doris was fairly fashionable, too.
“Oh, my,” Miss Warner gushed as Caroline came into the foyer. “You look like a million bucks today.”
Caroline made an embarrassed smile. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “My sister insisted that I update my midwestern wardrobe.” She lowered her voice even more. “This is actually hers.” Miss Warner gave an approving nod as she reached for the ringing telephone. And as Caroline headed for the elevator, she held her head a bit higher. She was just pressing the up button when Terrence joined her.
“Good morning, Mrs. Clark.” He smiled warmly at her.
“Good morning, Mr. Gordon.” She felt a wave of relief that she hadn’t called him Terrence, the way she was accustomed to thinking of him in her mind. That would be mortifying. Although there were a few others in the lobby, no one seemed interested in taking the elevator just yet, so it was only the two of them.
“I was surprised to see that it rained yesterday,” she said as the doors closed. “It’s been so sunny here that I was under the impression it never rained.”
He chuckled as he pushed the button for the fourth floor. “Just wait. Sometimes we get such deluges that people start building boats.”
“Next you’ll be telling me that it snows, too,” she teased back.
“So are you still settling in okay? Does your son like his new school?”
“He’s happy as a clam. In fact, I was just marveling at it all this morning. Joe didn’t even want me to walk to school with him. He was meeting his new friend halfway there, and they were walking together.” She went on to tell about how Joe was getting interested in sports now. “He told me he’s saving up to buy a baseball mitt.” She shook her head. “But he doesn’t even
know how to play baseball.”
“Getting the mitt is like a right of passage,” he explained. “A boy doesn’t have to know how to play baseball before he gets a mitt. But when he has his own mitt, he suddenly feels ready to take on the game. Sounds like he’s doing it just right.” He smiled as the doors opened. “Sounds like you’re doing it just right, too.”
Evelyn and Miss Thornton appeared to be waiting for the elevator. Both were wearing pink, although Evelyn’s was a powdery pink and Miss Thornton’s was magenta, but they looked good together. Almost as if they’d coordinated it. “Good morning, Terry,” Evelyn said sweetly as Terrence moved aside to let Caroline out ahead of him.
“Good morning,” Caroline politely told the two women as she passed by them, although neither of them had bothered to address her. However, they did return her greeting in a perfunctory way.
“Have a good day, Mrs. Clark,” Terrence called out to her.
“Thank you.” Caroline smiled brightly at him. “You, too.”
“Good grief, Terry,” Evelyn exclaimed as Caroline turned toward the production department. “Have you lost all your manners? I said good morning and you completely ignored me.”
Caroline smiled to herself as she went into her office, taking her time to put her purse and gloves in the closet. Perhaps Terrence wasn’t quite as interested in Evelyn as Evelyn appeared to be in him. As she sat down at her desk, she reminded herself that she was here to work—not to daydream about the big boss. Just the same, she couldn’t help but think Terrence was being more than just professionally courteous to her. And when she allowed herself to replay the moments they’d had together, they did seem to add up to more than just a business friendship. Still, she wasn’t sure. And this was not the time to speculate. Even so, she was glad she’d worn the periwinkle suit today. Unless she was mistaken, Terrence had liked it.
At just a minute before nine, when her workday officially began, she went to get Mr. Hancock his coffee. She was just adding one spoonful of sugar when Evelyn’s assistant came in. “Oh, good,” she said, “I was hoping to see you.”
Caroline smiled at her. “Yes?”
“Miss Stuart told me to ask if you’ve read the employee manual yet.” Miss Thornton poured coffee into a pink cup, adding two spoonfuls of sugar and stirring it vigorously.
“I noticed a copy of it in Miss Bentley’s desk, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet,” Caroline admitted.
“Well, Miss Stuart recommends that you do so as soon as possible.” Miss Thornton dropped the spoon in the sink. “Particularly page nineteen. She thinks you should pay special attention to page nineteen.” Miss Thornton had a somewhat smug-looking smile as she picked up the cup and headed for the door.
“Thank you,” Caroline said with uncertainty as she rinsed both spoons, setting them in the drainer. She carried Mr. Hancock’s coffee back to their department, setting it on the coaster on his desk just as he was coming in. They exchanged greetings, and he reminded her of the meeting and thanked her for the coffee.
Caroline attended to a couple of tasks, then opened the drawer where she’d seen what looked like a crisp copy of a never-opened pamphlet, Maxwell Gordon Chocolate Factory, Employee Manual. She opened it to see that the thin booklet was printed in 1933. Not exactly recently. She flipped through the pages, skimming what seemed like ordinary and reasonable expectations, until she came to page nineteen, which she read carefully. This section was titled “Relationships in the Workplace.” And most of it was about things like manners and courtesy and settling grievances between coworkers. But it was the last paragraph about romantic relationships in the workplace that stopped her. According to this manual, they were expressly forbidden and grounds for immediate termination.
She slid the manual back into the drawer and sighed. Evelyn was obviously trying to send her a message. But why? Did she suspect that Caroline was pursuing Terrence? Was Caroline pursuing him? No, she told herself as she closed the drawer. Oh, certainly, she felt an attraction. And to her own surprise, she’d sensed herself opening to the possibilities. Not in a big way—more like a door that was barely cracked, letting just a slit of light inside.
But in reality, she probably felt more comfortable simply daydreaming about the whole thing. And, really, it seemed harmless, since a man like Terrence Gordon, on so many levels, seemed completely unattainable—and therefore safe. Besides that, she simply liked him…as a friend. Yet if Evelyn felt the need to warn her like this, Caroline realized she should be more cautious. The last thing she needed was to lose a good job simply because she’d given someone the impression that she was flirting with the boss. That would be a disaster. Besides, she sternly reminded herself, Terrence Gordon was nice to everyone. Just because he had been extra kind to his newest employee didn’t mean anything. It was simply his way.
When it was time for the executive meeting, Caroline was prepared with her steno pad and spare pencils. She’d also spent a couple minutes in the ladies’ room, putting her hair into a tighter, more professional-looking, bun. Sure, Marjorie would say it made her look like an old lady, but Caroline didn’t care. She needed to do whatever was necessary to avoid the appearance of seeking out a romance in the workplace. Never mind that she’d heard all sorts of snippets of conversations from other female employees—ones who appeared to be on the lookout for a husband—or even Evelyn, who seemed intent on keeping Mr. Gordon (as Caroline had now decided to think of him) to herself.
The executive meeting room was fairly typical. A long dark table with a number of comfortable-looking leather chairs around it, and then some less-comfortable-looking chairs against the walls. But covering the back wall, behind what she assumed was the head of the table, was a cheerful display of heart-shaped Valentine candy boxes, lending an air of fun to the otherwise serious room. As Mr. Hancock took a seat, she noticed several boxes of opened chocolates on the table, giving the place almost a party atmosphere. Caroline saw that Doris had taken one of the wall chairs, slightly behind her boss, so Caroline did the same.
Before long, all the VPs, Mr. Gordon, as well as the secretaries were seated and the meeting was called to order. Like the other secretaries, Caroline kept her focus on her steno pad and note taking as the meeting progressed. It seemed the biggest discussion topic of the day was a new packaging design that the marketing department had come up with for a candy box.
“This is not just an ordinary Valentine’s candy box,” Evelyn was explaining. “It’s a statement.” She held the model up for all to see. It was a large heart-shaped box covered in padded pink satin that resembled upholstery with cloth-covered buttons. It had a ruffled edge of satin and lace trim and a dark pink velvet bow. “You give this to your girl and you are saying something. It’s a statement. It’s not just a box of chocolates. It’s so much more. It’s a statement. A girl shows this off to her friends, she is making a statement. This box is—”
“Okay, okay,” Mr. Price said with a bit of irritation. “We get that. The box is a statement. My question is, will it hold up during shipment? You know we don’t have refrigeration on our trucks. And that fabric looks delicate. Like a disaster just waiting to happen. For instance, down south, the weather occasionally gets warm in February. What if the chocolate melts a little? What if it ruins that fancy fabric? Then where would we be?”
“The liner in the box will prevent that,” she said impatiently. “Just like with our other packages.”
“But it’s so late in the season to be introducing a new package. Especially a complicated one like that.” Mr. Hancock’s tone sounded worried. “Why not save it for next year, when we can take the proper time to do it right?”
“Because we have to beat out the competition,” she told him. “It’s time to raise the bar. If MG wants to continue being a big player in the confectionery world, we have to stay ahead of the pack.”
“I agree,” Mr. Gordon said. “But you have to admit you’re throwing this at us a bit late in the game.”
&nbs
p; “That’s right,” Mr. Hancock agreed. “We’re not magicians, Miss Stuart. And to be honest, it feels like you’re asking me to pull a rabbit out of my hat. We already have a challenging season ahead. Our production goals are larger than ever for January. My crew is functioning at full throttle already.”
“I realize it will take a bit more time on the onset,” she told him. “And I’m certainly not asking you to package all the Valentine’s chocolates like this. But this box will be our star—our front-liner. I even wanted to run some sort of contest in New York next week. And perhaps a promotion—a store owner receives it complimentary if the order is sufficient.”
“I like that!” Mr. Russell, the VP of Sales, nodded.
“Can’t you just see some of these beauties in our display at the New York show?” she said to him. “I want to knock the socks off of the vendors this year. Can you imagine the orders you’d get with this new packaging?”
Mr. Russell slapped the table. “It’s not like anything out there, Evelyn. You’re right; it is a statement piece. I think we could double our sales with the promotion you’re describing.”
“Which is why we need to pull out all the stops and do this,” she told everyone persuasively. “There’s still time, we just have to get on it immediately.”
“Is that possible?” Mr. Gordon asked Mr. Hancock. “Can you manufacture those boxes in time to get them into the stores at least two weeks before Valentine’s Day?”
“I suppose anything is possible,” Mr. Hancock said with reservation. “But it’ll be a lot of work. I might have to hire more employees.”
“Then do it,” Evelyn exclaimed. Suddenly all the VPs were talking at once. Production and Distribution were stating reasons of opposition while Marketing and Sales were off and running. Caroline could barely manage to get down all their comments.
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