“I’m your new assistant, Cari.” She hurried in and stopped beside Marina’s desk. “Here are the three files from Black Pinnacle you’ll need to look through next. We’ve gotten two messages from recipients of letters, both emphatic rejections. No others as of yet. This file,” she pulled one to the top of the stack, “is from a previous case. There’s an appeal, and I wanted to know if you’re keeping it or if you want me to punt it to someone else in the office.”
Marina noted the different color sticky tabs with quick remarks that would make it easy to see what was where.
Cari’s phone buzzed. “One sec.” She hurried out, then came back in moments later. “Four-shot latte to get you through the afternoon.” She set it on Marina’s desk then took a step back, pen at the ready over a notepad.
“Wow. Thanks.” Marina checked her watch. “Apparently, I’m going to the ballet tonight. Do you know where it is?”
“The Lyric Opera House. You’re seeingThe Nutcracker.” Cari flipped a page in her notebook and read out loud. “The limo is coming for you at home at six thirty p.m. Do you need me to arrange anything for you?”
Marina frowned and closed her eyes. “All I can picture is the outside, which is just another huge building. Any idea how dressy I need to be?” Asking Yvonne would have felt like asking a closet door which outfit she should wear, but she had a feeling Cari was going to be a good fit for this kind of thing, despite her own somewhat questionable fashion tastes.
“It’s super ornate inside. Lots of gold, big crystal chandeliers, that kind of thing. And it’s also opening night. If I had to guess, I’d bet that Ms. Black has a box, not just regular shmo seats, and those people always look like their clothes have been made of dyed money. I’d suggest more than nice dinner fancy but less than walking down the aisle fancy.” She grinned.
Marina smiled back. “I like you. Okay, that gives me a good idea of what I need, thanks. I’ve got something that will work. Just make sure I get out of the office in time to get home and get ready without having to tear around my place like I’m on fire.”
“Will do.” Cari snapped the notebook shut. “Shout if you need anything.”
“Could you get me a new table? Maybe one made of wood.” Marina focused on the files when Cari left. If three of them were Sheila’s, she needed to be ready to discuss them if Sheila decided to talk about work. A little later, she sipped the cold latte and looked out the window. The ballet. She’d never attended one. It hadn’t ever crossed her mind to. The phone buzzed.
“Sheila Black for you,” Cari said through the intercom.
“Go ahead.” Marina had been waiting for the call all day. “Sheila. How are you?”
“You probably haven’t seen it yet, but I need you to look over the Ardent file?—”
“It’s ready to go. I’ve made some adjustments to the language in section C and suggested some changes in the NDA area because of their ties to financial markets. I can send it through now.” Marina smiled at her reflection in the window.That’s right. I’m the right person for your company.
“Oh. Well, good. But please don’t interrupt me. Now, we’ll have company at the ballet tonight. I’ve had my PA send the names of my guests over so you know who you’ll be meeting and so we can avoid any faux pas. Please don’t eat from a street vendor beforehand.” Her laugh was brittle, like glass under pressure.
Marina flushed and dug her fingernails into her leg to keep from saying anything stupid. “That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” There was a brief hesitation. “I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight.” She hung up.
Marina dropped her head back on her chair and closed her eyes. Tonight was going to be nothing but fake smiles and pretending to have interests in things no one with any sense actually had an interest in.
Cari gave a quick knock and came in with a pile of papers. “Right. You’ve got some memorizing to do. May I?” She motioned at the chair.
Marina nodded and rolled her head to look at her. “That was fast.”
Cari lowered the pages and gave her a huge smile. “I’m a talker. I’m positive, sarcastic, I love gaming, I have a dog named Patootie, and I’m very, very good at my job.” She held up the stack. “Let’s talk, and then you need to get going.”
For the next half hour, Cari briefed her on each of the six other guests. She’d even included pictures so Marina would have a chance of recognizing them. She included jobs, interests, and even previous travels. By the time she was shooing Marina out the door, there was no question she was ready.
“Good luck and try to enjoy the actual show. I’ll leave my phone on tonight just in case something comes up and you need an Agent Q to make things happen behind the scenes. My number is already on your phone under Best Assistant Ever.” She waved as the door to the elevator closed.
Once she was home, Marina took a minute to flop onto the couch. God, how she wanted to soak in a hot bath and then crawl into bed. Instead, she was off to shmooze with the big-league people. That thought got her moving. That’s right. She was suddenly in an elevator instead of climbing a ladder, and this group of people would shuttle her right to the top.
After an almost too hot shower, she opened the closet and took out two dresses. One, a deep red, had an open back and sides. The midnight blue had a plunging V-neck and cold-shoulder sleeves. She held up one, then the other, and thensighed and grabbed her phone. She dialed Rob, but it went straight to voicemail. She tried Cari instead.
“I need to know which dress to wear,” she said when Cari answered the video call.
“Ooh, let’s see.” She peered closely at the camera as Marina held them up. She sat back and bit her lip. “Okay. We don’t know each other yet, so I’m going to make statements instead of asking questions. First, they’re both gorgeous and either one would be fine. The red one screams sexy siren, with those cutouts on the side especially. Like, put your hands here, kind of signage. The navy one is a little less sexy, a little more red-carpet class. So it depends on what message you want to send.”
“Yeah. I’m going to keep you.” Marina tossed the red one aside. “Navy it is. Thanks for that.”
Cari saluted. “Good luck.”
Marina didn’t have a ton of time to get ready, but she was happy with the result when she was done and ready to go just before six. The dress hung perfectly and boob tape meant she’d stay safely tucked away. With the silver silk shrug and glittery silver four-inch heels, she felt about as glamorous as she could possibly get. On a whim, she shot a quick photo and sent it to Rob just as the buzzer sounded. It was six twenty.
