“Who cares if you don’t have a fancy degree or a thick portfolio? You have ideas, tons and tons of creative ideas, Lexi. Look at how much business I’ve gotten since I started advertising in the local car trades and automotive magazines. You basically designed that ad. You even took the picture. It was all you. So don’t tell me you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re a natural. I can see that, and if these people have half a brain, they’ll see your potential, too. Now, let me look and see what I can find on-line. You dig through the paper, and between the two of us, we’ll find something good.”
They spent the next two hours scouring the paper and the internet for something in advertising. There were plenty of jobs that Lexi was totally unqualified for—marketing director, project manager, client relations—which required post-graduate degrees and at least five to seven years of prior work experience. They discovered that if Lexi wanted to go into the world of exotic dancing, there were opportunities a-plenty, but in the hardnosed world of advertising, there was nothing she was remotely qualified for. She found two leads: one was a personal assistant job, and one was a secretarial position. Neither of them was her dream job, but both would be a way to get back into the swing of things and see what was new in the world of advertising.
“This one looks good, Lexi. It’s with an ad company downtown. They need a personal assistant to the human resources manager. I know it’s not exactly what you were looking for, but I checked them out and they’re notorious for hiring from within. It might be a good place to get your foot in the door, watch, learn, and keep an eye out for a chance to jump on something opening up. Human resources will know about any job openings in that company first. What do you think?” Hope wore an encouraging smile. “It’s worth a shot. Just three interviews and you’ll be done. Who knows, you might be surprised.” Hope gave a nod toward the paper in Lexi’s hand. “If not, you could always try your hand at dancing.”
Lexi mulled it over, and unable to come up with a real reason to say no, she grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down the companies she needed to contact in the morning. “I think I’ll go with Option A, please. I don’t think my boobs are big enough for me to make a decent living in the world of exotic dancing,” Lexi laughed lightheartedly.
Her decision made, Lexi was finally ready to get back out there and be a part of the real world once again. Reid Inc., Parketti Associates, and Hunter Advertising wouldn’t know what hit them once Lexi White walked through their doors.
Three days later, Lexi paced around her room, trying to calm her nerves. She took a deep breath, then stepped out of her bedroom to find Hope’s smiling face waiting for her on the couch.
“Today’s the day! You’re going to knock them dead, Lexi,” Hope said proudly. “I love those shoes, by the way. They really pull the outfit together nicely.”
Lexi shrugged uncomfortably. “I just hope I don’t break my neck. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve been in heels? I think it was probably on a date back in college, and before that, prom. Are you sure I can’t wear my flip flops?” She strode across the room to the couch, her heels softly clicking on the wood floor as she concentrated on each tiny step.
“Oh, stop it. You’ll be fine.” Hope glanced at her watch. “I have to go, but are we still on for tonight?” They had plans to meet at Olive, a new Italian place downtown.
“Sure, I’ll meet you at a little after six; does that sound good?” Lexi stood up and straightened out her gray pencil skirt.
“Perfect! And the drinks are on me.” Hope grabbed her purse and keys and headed for the door. “Good luck, Lexi. If one of these firms doesn’t hire you, they’re idiots.” She gave a quick wave. “Love ya.”
“Thanks, Hope. Keep your fingers crossed.” Lexi watched her door close as Hope left for work.
Lexi went back into the bathroom, flipped on the light, and took one last look at herself in the mirror. The sides of her hair were pulled back into a clip behind her head, leaving the rest of her light brown waves flowing freely over her shoulders. With her hair out of her face, Lexi’s big green eyes sparkled. For good luck, she wore a beautiful pair of delicate, pearl earrings that had been Marie’s. The black, cashmere V-neck sweater hugged her body, and while it wasn’t her first choice, Hope assured her it looked very professional when paired with her pencil skirt. The outfit was topped off with a brand spanking new pair of black, peep-toe heels that she and Hope had bought the day before.
“Here goes nothing,” she told her reflection just before she turned off the light and walked out the door.
As she walked down the hallway, a line from Michelle Fulton’s graduation speech flitted into her head. Never forget to be true to yourself and go after your dreams, for dreams really do come true.
Lexi stepped onto the sidewalk and whispered to herself, “Let’s see if she knew what she was talking about.”
· 2 ·
l exi’s feet were throbbing by the time she dragged herself up the short flight of stairs toward the ornate, wrought iron doors of Olive. The delicious smells of garlic and basil from the quaint Italian restaurant filled the air, and a small crowd of people sat inside the entrance, patiently waiting to be seated.
With a quick smile at the hostess, Lexi made her way over to the bar where she found Hope sipping a glass of wine and chatting with an incredibly goodlooking man, as usual.
Hope looked stunning in her black, V-neck, banded dress. The snug fit of the hem across her thighs accentuated her insanely long legs. The outfit was topped off with a pair of strappy silver heels and a chunky silver bracelet that sparkled even in the dim lighting of the bar. The guy perched on the stool next to her had long black hair, broad shoulders, and wore a dark suit. He leaned toward her and laughed. Slipping his arm around Hope’s shoulders, he began slowly running it along the exposed skin of her back.
As if she somehow sensed Lexi’s presence, Hope swung around in her seat the moment she stepped through the threshold. “Lexi!” Hope’s face lit up. “Come here.” She jumped off her barstool and grabbed Lexi’s arm. “I want to hear how it went today.”
Lexi slid into her seat and quickly glanced over at the guy Hope had been talking to. His chiseled features were handsome, but in more of a boyish kind of way, not at all Hope’s type. He seemed slightly annoyed with Lexi’s sudden presence, probably upset he wouldn’t have Hope’s undivided attention any longer.