“Hey,” Willow said as she arched her back and wiped the back of her wrist across her sweaty forehead. “What are you doing here this time of day?”
“Frustrated. I know you don’t drink and I so want to get drunk, but I know it’s not the answer.”
“Sit over there.” Willow pointed to a chair across from her. “I want to finish this, but you can talk to me while I work.”
“Fine.” Gypsy sighed and slumped in the chair Willow indicated. “I was laid off today. Ten years with them and they lay me off because they’re downsizing. What the hell am I going to do now?”
“Damn, that sucks. But if you’re interested, I’ll hire you?”
“For what? No offense, Willow, but I can’t really do what you’re doing? Hell, I’d break a nail.” She held out her hand, and they laughed at her long-manicured nails. One pinky actually had a dangle bangle on it. Willow, aka Wanda, only shook her head.
“Give me five minutes,” she said as she finished what she was doing. It was ten minutes later that she stood and went over and washed her hands. She came back toward Gypsy with a folder. “What kind of job did you just get laid off from?”
“Administrative Assistant. I organized six executives’ lives at the office. Everything from their daily work schedules to their anniversary dinners with their wives and their family vacations. When they traveled, I made all their travel arrangements and made sure all their reports were typed, and when they had their meetings, I set up the meeting room.”
“Wow, so you’re a well-organized person?”
“I’d like to think so. Why?”
“These are my orders that need to be filled this week. I can fill them. However, I don’t have the time to box them up and mail them out. I already have an assistant, but I need to hire someone that can keep me organized. Box up what I make, get it out the door. I also need someone to coordinate with Trish Bower, she’s my assistant that Magnolia hired for me almost three years ago. I send my product to her and she doles it out to small rustic shops. Last weekend she had my stuff in some gallery opening up in Seattle, and this is everything she had on display there.” Willow handed her several pieces of paper.
“Wait, this says that it’s all sold and is going to be on display for a month and the gallery owner is still taking orders? What’s your lead time?”
“Three to four weeks, some items could take up to six to eight weeks. I don’t expect you to do this.” Willow pointed to the potter’s wheel. “But I need someone to organize my work. Do whatever you have to do. I only want a list of items I need to make in front of me and peace and quiet. I guess what I’m saying is that I want you to coordinate with Trish. I can give you her phone number and e-mail. But there are a couple of things you need to know before you decide to take this on.”
“And that is?”
“One, Trish is the owner of Bower Agency. I was her first client, and since taking me on, she’s taken on a couple employees and at least twenty more artists, I’m not sure exactly how many she actually works with. I only work with Trish. No one else. That would be the rest of Trish’s employees. There’s one woman that works for Trish by the name of Amy, she keeps trying to get my personal information from Trish. If you take this job, you only work with Trish. Apparently, Amy and Trish’s other employees work on a commission. They’re assigned different artists, and when their stuff sells, they get a commission.”
“I understand. And do you and this Trish think this Amy wants you because you’re a hot artist and wants the commission?”
“That’s what we discussed earlier today. I even said that I needed to hire someone on this end to do the paperwork and shipping. Trish said she’d be willing to work with whoever I hired as long as it stayed like wedo. Exclusively. But, Gypsy, Trish doesn’t get a commission from me, I pay her a weekly salary.”
“Okay, what else do I need to know?”
“I have never, not once, met Trish in person, or over the computer. I’ve only dealt with her through e-mail and phone calls. I don’t know if you remember Magnolia?”
“I do, I miss her.”
“As do I. But Magnolia hired Trish for me, she told me to trust her and I did. So, basically, you’d be taking over for Magnolia. I never expected to be this busy when I started this job. And maybe you can get Trish off my ass. She wants me to go to gallery openings, and visit the shops that sell my designs. I can’t do that.” She held up her hand and shook the stack of orders. “But if you can travel, then that will be included in your salary. Hopefully, this next statement will explain why. If I go to all the gallery openings that Trish want me to, then I will never have time to do the actual work to make the pieces to display at the opening.”
“Wow, that’s perfectly understandable, and is there anything else?”
“Yes, I don’t do interviews or like my picture taken. I don’t mean to be a temperamental artist, but I think if Trish puts me in another gallery, I will make a personal appearance if it’s only in New York.”
Gypsy looked up quickly. “Isn’t that where Christopher lives?”
“Yep.” Willow grinned. She looked at her friend and didn’t say anything else, and when Gypsy remained silent, she was grateful. She didn’t want to have to explain her relationship or lack thereof with Christopher Evans.
“Do you have any more questions?” Willow asked.
“What about your personal life?”
Willow snorted. “What personal life?”
“I meant do you need me to get your groceries, manage your schedule, remind you to pay your bills, make doctor appointments, stuff like that.”
“Not really, the only thing when it comes to my personal life is to make sure I make my appointments to give blood. It’s an annual thing, and I can’t miss it. It’s written on my calendar on my desk upstairs. It’s somewhere around the middle of October, but I don’t know the exact date.”
