The Glass Fence by Barry James Hickey

Author:Barry James Hickey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, suspense, womens fiction, hotel, summer reading, human resources, womens mystery, resort, rowing, modern america, multicultural fiction, hotel industry, womens romance, guilty pleasure
Publisher: Barry James Hickey

CHAPTER 17

PETTY AND CASH

Note on a napkin:

My eyes see one thing,

my brain detects another.

"I have a doctor's appointment today at three. Think you can handle the office alone?"

Tina turned from her desk in the Human Resources office and faced Katie directly. Since the Wade Jones phone call fiasco, Katie rarely left her alone in the office for more than a few minutes.

"You mean all by myself?"

"Yeah. Three to five."

"Me? Alone for two hours." The pall of death was on the girl's face as she stared at the wall clock.

Katie shook her head and sighed. She took Tina's trembling hand in hers. "Tina, you have to learn to take charge of things. The phones, typing, your life..."

"I'm trying," Tina said desperately, shaking her head in dismay. "But it isn't easy. Tommy is being unreasonable and I feel like I'm..."

"Inadequate?" Katie said.

"Yes. But more than that, I feel like a failure."

Katie smiled. "Tina, Tina, Tina. Have you ever looked in the mirror?"

"Only when I brush my teeth and -"

"Have you ever looked in the mirror and seen how beautiful you are? What you have to offer."

"Oh, I'm not beautiful, Mrs. Jones. I'm just a simple Mormon girl."

"You're more than that! You're Tina Austin. The only Tina Austin at the Windamere. The only Tina Austin who works with me. And inside?" Katie pointed to Tina's heart. "Inside, you're beautiful! You go out of your way to help people and you're taking care of Tommy until he finds a job, (or maybe never finds a job) and didn't you just get a telephone installed in your trailer? Who did that? You tell me."

"Tina Austin?"

"That's right. You did it yourself. Now when I leave at three o'clock, I'm leaving the one and only Tina Austin in charge. When I'm gone, this is Tina Austin's office. Your very own private domain! Think you can do that?"

Tina felt empowered now. "Yes!" she said.

"Because this isn't my office. This is our office. Yes?"

"Yes, Mrs. Jones!"

"We're a team, Tina."

"Okay," the girl decided, nodding her head. "I'm going to get off my sorry duff and take responsibility for myself. I'm going to look in the mirror every morning and I'm going to say, 'Hello, Tina. How are you today?' And I'm going to answer back, 'Fine, Tina.'"

"You go, Tina Austin!"

"Know what else I'm going to do?" Tina leaned in now, excited to be sharing a new secret. "I'm going to get a makeover at the mall this weekend. See?" She showed Katie a coupon she clipped from the local newspaper. "They're having a sale at J.C. Penney's. Thirty percent off everything in the cosmetics department. I always wanted to try a makeover. They put you in those chairs and match your skin with a color chart and play with your eyebrows and fluff your hair! I can choose from Loreal, Revlon, Maybelline, Cover Girl, and Almay... You don't think I'm being too vain?"

"Not at all," said Katie. "All women do it."

"And I am a woman!" Tina remembered. "I think they

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.