"Ms.
Kendrake, they're expecting you upstairs on the fifth floor, room
fifty forty-two. There will be someone at the desk up there who can
direct you to the correct room. You'll need a name tag. One second."
She
printed out a name tag, handing it to Alyssa with a smile. Alyssa
smiled in return, taking the name tag, attaching it to the lapel of
her pale pink pantsuit. The desk on the fifth floor was unoccupied,
so Alyssa waited until a tall swarthy skinned man walked by.
"Excuse
me," she said quietly.
He
turned to her with a smile. "May I help you?"
"Yes,
I'm looking for the casting director of Deserted. I was told
to go to room fifty forty-two, but I don't know where that is."
"I'd
be happy to show you, Miss Kendrake. I'm going there myself. My name
is Barry." He shook her hand politely.
"Thank
you, Barry."
She
followed him down the hall, admiring the view. She didn't usually
allow herself to stare at a man, but he didn't seem to notice. He was
incredibly well built and his clothing set off his physique well. He
wore dark gray dress pants, a dove gray shirt and no suit coat. His
tie was a blend of gray and blue, like damp watercolors swirled
together. He looked more like a professional athlete than someone who
worked in an office.
Barry
chuckled to himself. It wasn't often a pretty woman came in the
office and watched his ass as he walked down the hall. Strutting
casually, he emphasized his swagger a little, to keep her looking.
She thought he wasn't aware of her gaze, but he was. He didn't mind
the lingering caress of her eyes. As a matter of fact, it was not
only flattering, but a distinct thrill.
Alyssa
watched the muscular man walk, thinking how long it had been since
she'd had one of her own to admire up close. Blinking rapidly, she
nearly ran into him when he stopped in front of room 5042. He held
the door partially open, standing not quite far enough away for her
to walk easily through. He leaned casually against it, one arm raised
well above her head. Smiling down at her, he invited her into the
room with a smile and a hand at the small of her back.
Alyssa
had to turn slightly to face him, nearly brushing up against him.
With a shy smile, she eased by his arm. Eyes demurely downcast, she
glanced up at him like Lauren Bacall. Barry felt his pulse quicken as
he closed the door behind them.
"Everyone,
this is Alyssa Kendrake. She's here about Deserted.
She's our next appointment."
"Welcome,
Alyssa," a smiling, dark haired woman greeted her. "Please
have a seat. I'm Kimberly Crimson, casting director. You've met Barry
Sebring. Next to me is Mickey Stafford and to the left of him is
Grace Bing. Why don't you begin by telling us a little about
yourself."
Alyssa
took the indicated chair. It was softer than it looked and she sank
more deeply than she anticipated, nearly losing her balance. Righting
herself with difficulty, she sat on the edge so she wouldn't have
another mishap.
She
looked quickly at the people in the room, sizing them up as best she
could. Barry was tall, athletic, handsome. Kimberly wasn't much over
five feet, slightly rounded, with soft dark hair and eyes. Grace was
somewhat older than the others. Graying hair was pulled back in a
sleek ponytail. Her half moon glasses rested on her nose. Mickey, who
couldn't have been much older than her high school students, was
probably an intern.
"I'm
Alyssa Kendrake. I'm thirty-two and a school teacher, or at least I
was until all the budget cuts. To be specific, I am an out of work,
high school, English teacher. I'm not really sure why I'm here. I'm
not an actress."
"You
filled out an application for a clerical position," Kimberly
answered. "There was a picture with your application. I was
going through the files and liked your look. It was my decision to
ask you in."
"Oh,
well that's great! I'm desperate to find something. The wolf is
scratching at the door as we speak."
They
smiled politely, shuffling papers in front of them. Barry stared
openly, the others kept glancing at her, scribbling notes on their
papers. No one said anything for quite awhile.
"What
else can you tell us about yourself?" Barry asked suddenly. "Are
you married? Seeing anyone?"
Alyssa
got the impression that those were more than casual questions. She
couldn't see what they had to do with anything, but turned to Barry
with a friendly smile.
"I'm
single, not for lack of trying. Why? Is this job contingent upon my
being single?"
"No,
I was just curious. Purely from a business point of view, of course,"
he added quickly, glancing at Kimberly.
©
2016 Dellani Oakes
No comments:
Post a Comment