"What do you want to know, Bob?" Ann asked.
I was a little taken aback that Ann parried my question with a question of her own. I explained:
"Ann, I realized that in some ways when I told you about the job and the reason that I was starting my business I was telling you my life story and since you are going to be managing a lot of my business, I really don't anticipate that I will have many secrets from you and I just thought that I really don't know all that much about you."
"Now Bob, you really have gotten to know things about me much better than you had any reason to expect" Ann replied with a distinct grin.
As the truth of that statement registered, I realized that Ann was not leaving the matter rest there with that clever riposte. "It's certainly fair for you to know about me, Bob, so see if this helps to fill in some of the details."
Ann then went on. "I was born and raised here in New York. When I got out of college at Chapel Hill I enrolled in Katherine Gibbs' program and started out as a secretary in an ad agency."
"Pretty quickly I realized that I wasn't going to be content with a 9 to 5 existence typing away and waiting to meet Mr. Right. So I have changed jobs as I have looked for employers who would give me more latitude to use my brains and when I interviewed with you I thought that we could be very helpful for each other. You seem to have no artificial limits on where I can go and I think you will be giving me a chance to give you more than you expect."
I wasn't sure what all that meant and so I am sure that I had a pretty blank expression. But Ann continued:
"I live by myself here on the East Side. I'm not married although I was engaged once but thank God I realized what a disaster it would have been if we got married."
For all of that I didn't think I better understood Ann and her unique approach to her job and her relationship with her employer.
The omelet I had ordered arrived as did Ann's broiled sole. I thought it was time to direct the conversation to the work tasks at hand. I told Ann that I wanted us to hire a receptionist who would also answer the phones. I suggested that Ann take care of the interviewing and screening for that position. I said that I would be looking to hire an analyst who would help do some of the leg work in investigating and following the investments that I would be making. I did not expect this to be the subject of much discussion but Ann had a point of view.
Ann was quite happy to deal with the receptionist position but to my surprise she also strongly insisted should screen the financial analyst.
"We're all going to have to get along here and I really think that I can make sure that everyone who works for you will be the type of team player and have the type of cooperative attitude that you want and need."
That was a little oddly put and I was surprised about how emphatic Ann was, and although I was skeptical that Ann would know what to look for in a financial analyst (I wasn't totally sure myself) I wasn't all that anxious to do much screening for that position and it seemed expedient to acquiesce to Ann's views.
We talked a little about the need to be looking for permanent office space and Ann made the important suggestion of having the architect I anticipated using to design my office brought on board to check out the space we would be considering.
I paid the bill for our lunch and we walked back to the office exchanging thoughts about what area of the city to locate in and the pluses and minuses of different phone systems. We arrived back in the office and as nonchalant as could be, Ann flipped the latch on the door behind her and without comment or evident self consciousness casually removed her sweater baring her marvelous breasts once again. Without any comment in my direction, Ann went to her desk and phoned the agency which had referred her to me and advised of the receptionist opening she would be looking to fill.
That afternoon I had a visit to my dentist scheduled and I left the office at about 3 p.m. As I walked out and bade Ann goodbye, I told her I would see her Tuesday and asked her to lock up. She waived goodbye and as I left she was at her desk, cradling the phone to her ear looking for all the world like the efficient assistant I had hoped for; except of course for the fact that she was nipples bare. Thursday
I arrived at the office early on Thursday as I hoped to review my petroleum industry portfolio in light of some reports I had been reading about secondary recovery techniques which I thought might unlock some value in a number of companies whose reserves to some extent had been thought not be commercially exploitable. I brought with me a change of clothes as I planned on shaving and changing my shirt before the opera that evening.
Ann was a few minutes early as well. I conducted my none too surreptitious survey of her attire as she settled in. Today Ann was wearing a charcoal gray pants suit. Under her jacket, which she removed and hung up, was a thin shell, it was abundantly clear she was not wearing a bra either.
After morning pleasantries, I settled in with the stack of research reports I had ordered. Ann asked if I'd like a cup of coffee and when she handed it to me I sensed the distinct coffee aroma intermingling with her fragrance.
"Bob." I heard Ann say. "Would it be all right if I asked my hairdresser to stop by later this afternoon and comb me out? I could have him come by my apartment later this afternoon, but I don't want things to be too rushed."
"Sure," I answered. That did not seem to be a momentous decision.
As I dug in to the research reports before me, I got immersed in geological reports, the classifications of different types of oil reserves, and the accounting implications of each. Ann brought me lunch at my desk and funnelled the calls from the brokers I needed to speak with. She also told me that she had been in touch with the placement offices at three of the city's business schools asking them to post notice of the analyst's position that was available and she alerted me to the fact that an ad was to appear in the Sunday Times as well.
I was immersed on my research and before I knew what was what, it was after three and Ann was standing in the doorway to my office.
"I need to wash my hair before Patrick gets here."
"Patrick?"
"My hairdresser, you remember."
"Sure."
"Do you mind if I use the sink in the bathroom off your office?"
"Go ahead." There was a small bathroom in what must have previously been a large closet which opened just off my office.
Ann crossed in front of me and entered the bathroom. She didn't close the door and because there was a full length mirror against the inside part of the bathroom door, from the angle where I was sitting the entire bathroom was open to me.
Ann had brought a bag with her into the bathroom. I saw her take out two bottles, shampoo and conditioner obviously. Ann ran water filling the sink and then wrapped a towel around her hips to protect her slacks and removed her blouse. I watched as Ann washed, rinsed and washed her hair again. The energy she was using to vigorously lather her hair animated those marvelous breasts. Once again I was struck by the total incongruity of it all. On the one hand here was this most casual and intimate of scenes-watching the lady at the bath as it were. On the other hand, despite the apparent intimacy our relationship was not mutual and Ann was as much a stranger then as she was on her first day.
Ann emerged from the bathroom with her hair wrapped turban-style in a towel just as Patrick entered the reception area. Ann wrapped another towel around her top and showed Patrick where he could set up his array of combs, brushes and dryer. Ann introduced me to Patrick referring to me as her boss and settled in to a swivel chair not next to a window. I returned to my office to continue my work. The "whoosh" of the hair dryer in the background continued on and off for the next twenty minutes or so.