it.”
They looked at one another and exchanged smiles.
“Great!” Al Peters said. “Let me show you around.”
The tour took only a few seconds. There was the little reception room and three small offices that looked as though they had been furnished by the Salvation Army. The lavatory was down the hall. They were all architects, but Al Peters was the businessman, Bob Eastman was the salesman, and Max Tolkin handled construction.
“You’ll be working for all of us,” Peters told her.
“Fine.” Julia knew she was going to make herself indispensable to them.
Al Peters looked at his watch. “It’s twelve-thirty. How about some lunch?”
Julia felt a little thrill. She was part of the team now. They’re inviting me to lunch .
He turned to Julia. “There’s a delicatessen down the block. I’ll have a corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard, potato salad, and a Danish.”
“Oh.” So much for “They’re inviting me to lunch.”
Tolkin said, “I’ll have a pastrami and some chicken soup.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bob Eastman spoke up. “I’ll have the pot roast platter and a soft drink.”
“Oh, make sure the corned beef is lean,” Al Peters told her.
“Lean corned beef.”
Max Tolkin said, “Make sure that the soup is hot.”
“Right. Soup hot.”
Bob Eastman said, “Make my soft drink a diet cola.”
“Diet cola.”
“Here’s some money.” Al Peters handed her a twenty-dollar bill.
Ten minutes later, Julia was in the delicatessen, talking to the man behind the counter. “I want one lean corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard, potato salad, and a Danish. A pastrami sandwich and very hot chicken soup. And a pot roast platter and diet cola.”
The man nodded. “You work for Peters, Eastman, and Tolkin, huh?”
Julia and Sally moved into the apartment in Overland Park the following week. The apartment consisted of two small bedrooms, a living room with furniture that had seen too many tenants, a kitchenette, dinette, and a bathroom. They’ll never confuse this place with The Ritz , Julia thought.
“We’ll take turns at cooking,” Sally suggested.
“Fine.”
Sally prepared the first meal, and it was delicious.
The next night was Julia’s turn. Sally took one bite of the dish that Julia had made and said, “Julia, I don’t have a lotof life insurance. Why don’t I do the cooking and you do the cleaning?”
The two roommates got along well. On weekends, they would go to see movies at the Glenwood 4, and shop at the Bannister Mall. They bought their clothes at the Super Flea Discount House. One night a week they went out to an inexpensive restaurant for dinner—Stephenson’s Old Apple Farm or the Café Max for Mediterranean specialties. When they could afford it, they would drop in at Charlie Charlies to hear jazz.
Julia enjoyed working for Peters, Eastman & Tolkin. To say that the firm was not doing well was an understatement. Clients were scarce. Julia felt that she wasn’t doing much to help build the skyline of the city, but she enjoyed being around her three bosses. They were like a surrogate family, and each one confided his problems to Julia. She was capable and efficient, and she very quickly reorganized the office.
Julia decided to do something about the lack of clients. But what? She soon had the answer. There was an item in the Kansas City Star about a luncheon for a new executive women’sorganization. The chairperson was Susan Bandy.
The following day, at noon, Julia said to Al Peters, “I may be a little late coming back from lunch.”
He smiled. “No problem, Julia.” He thought how lucky they were to have her.
Julia arrived at the Plaza Inn and went to the room where the luncheon was being given. The woman seated at the table near the door said, “May I help you?”
“Yes. I’m here for the Executive Women’s luncheon.”
“Your name?”
“Julia Stanford.”
The woman looked at the list in front of her. “I’m afraid I don’t see
They looked at one another and exchanged smiles.
“Great!” Al Peters said. “Let me show you around.”
The tour took only a few seconds. There was the little reception room and three small offices that looked as though they had been furnished by the Salvation Army. The lavatory was down the hall. They were all architects, but Al Peters was the businessman, Bob Eastman was the salesman, and Max Tolkin handled construction.
“You’ll be working for all of us,” Peters told her.
“Fine.” Julia knew she was going to make herself indispensable to them.
Al Peters looked at his watch. “It’s twelve-thirty. How about some lunch?”
Julia felt a little thrill. She was part of the team now. They’re inviting me to lunch .
He turned to Julia. “There’s a delicatessen down the block. I’ll have a corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard, potato salad, and a Danish.”
“Oh.” So much for “They’re inviting me to lunch.”
Tolkin said, “I’ll have a pastrami and some chicken soup.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bob Eastman spoke up. “I’ll have the pot roast platter and a soft drink.”
“Oh, make sure the corned beef is lean,” Al Peters told her.
“Lean corned beef.”
Max Tolkin said, “Make sure that the soup is hot.”
“Right. Soup hot.”
Bob Eastman said, “Make my soft drink a diet cola.”
“Diet cola.”
“Here’s some money.” Al Peters handed her a twenty-dollar bill.
Ten minutes later, Julia was in the delicatessen, talking to the man behind the counter. “I want one lean corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard, potato salad, and a Danish. A pastrami sandwich and very hot chicken soup. And a pot roast platter and diet cola.”
The man nodded. “You work for Peters, Eastman, and Tolkin, huh?”
Julia and Sally moved into the apartment in Overland Park the following week. The apartment consisted of two small bedrooms, a living room with furniture that had seen too many tenants, a kitchenette, dinette, and a bathroom. They’ll never confuse this place with The Ritz , Julia thought.
“We’ll take turns at cooking,” Sally suggested.
“Fine.”
Sally prepared the first meal, and it was delicious.
The next night was Julia’s turn. Sally took one bite of the dish that Julia had made and said, “Julia, I don’t have a lotof life insurance. Why don’t I do the cooking and you do the cleaning?”
The two roommates got along well. On weekends, they would go to see movies at the Glenwood 4, and shop at the Bannister Mall. They bought their clothes at the Super Flea Discount House. One night a week they went out to an inexpensive restaurant for dinner—Stephenson’s Old Apple Farm or the Café Max for Mediterranean specialties. When they could afford it, they would drop in at Charlie Charlies to hear jazz.
Julia enjoyed working for Peters, Eastman & Tolkin. To say that the firm was not doing well was an understatement. Clients were scarce. Julia felt that she wasn’t doing much to help build the skyline of the city, but she enjoyed being around her three bosses. They were like a surrogate family, and each one confided his problems to Julia. She was capable and efficient, and she very quickly reorganized the office.
Julia decided to do something about the lack of clients. But what? She soon had the answer. There was an item in the Kansas City Star about a luncheon for a new executive women’sorganization. The chairperson was Susan Bandy.
The following day, at noon, Julia said to Al Peters, “I may be a little late coming back from lunch.”
He smiled. “No problem, Julia.” He thought how lucky they were to have her.
Julia arrived at the Plaza Inn and went to the room where the luncheon was being given. The woman seated at the table near the door said, “May I help you?”
“Yes. I’m here for the Executive Women’s luncheon.”
“Your name?”
“Julia Stanford.”
The woman looked at the list in front of her. “I’m afraid I don’t see
Similar Books
