Look Higher by Lyn Cote, Part One <\/p>\n
At mid-morning break, Ellie walked over to the desk nearest the door and cleared her throat politely.
\u201cTaking up another collection, Ellie?\u201d Madge, the plump, gray-haired temp secretary, teased cheerfully.
\u201cThe custodian\u2019s wife had heart surgery. I thought a card and a check would help.\u201d
Madge signed the brightly colored card and handed Ellie a five-dollar bill. \u201cYou\u2019re a beautiful person, Ellie. You think of everyone.\u201d
With an apologetic grin, Ellie shook her head. \u201cThis is the third time I\u2019ve come around since you started two months ago. You\u2019re probably hoping to get transferred.\u201d
Madge didn’t reply to this. Instead, she asked, \u201cIs Ned taking you to lunch today?\u201d Ellie nodded.
\u201cSomeplace special?\u201d
Ellie shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d
\u201cWhy not? You and Ned haven\u2019t been dating for too long. He takes you for granted.\u201d \u201cWe suit each other.\u201d
\u201cDon\u2019t just settle for Ned. Don\u2019t let him treat you like a pair of broken-in shoes\u2014\u201c The ringing of Madge\u2019s telephone interrupted.
Ellie waved good by and walked to her own desk. Mulling over Madge\u2019s kind words. But ever since seventh grade when Ellie had beat the handsomest boy in the math class contest, she had accepted that she was bright, not pretty. Madge was sweet to call her a beautiful person. But in romance, a vast difference separated a beautiful \u201cperson\u201d from a beautiful \u201cwoman.”
With a sigh, she flipped on her computer. As the head of the parts department, she had another inventory to check. Time crawled by. The clock on the computer screen read 12:15. Ned should have come by now. Shaking her head at his absent-mindedness, she dialed his office number. No answer. She hung up and waited. Resting her chin on her hand, Ellie fought against the thoughts that Madge\u2019s recent words had stirred up. Ned wasn\u2019t anyone\u2019s dream date, but people with his kind of brains often forgot things like lunch dates. She turned back to her computer. Might as well work till Ned appeared.
\u201cNed hasn\u2019t shown. I thought as much,\u201d Madge said. \u201cI brought lunch for two.\u201d \u201cReally, Madge, Ned still might–\u201d
\u201cThen he should have to hunt for you.\u201d Madge waved a lunch cooler in front of Ellie\u2019s eyes. \u201cTuna on rye and homemade potato salad.\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s my favorite lunch! How did you know?\u201d Within moments, Ellie found herself out in summer warmth.
Madge chose a picnic table under the shade of a full, green maple. Lifting two sandwiches encased in neon pink plastic rectangles from her lunch-sized cooler, she handed one to Ellie, who sat across from her. \u201cI also made angel food cake and strawberries last night.\u201d
Momentarily, Ellie considered warning Madge she had no say about filling permanent positions. But with the sweet dessert awaiting her and the sparkling sunshine glinting on the windows nearby, Ellie found it impossible to talk business.
\u201cNow we were discussing your fatal fascination with Ned\u2014\u201c
\u201cMadge, please!\u201d Ellie chuckled in spite of herself.
\u201cMind if I join you ladies?\u201d
Recognizing the deep, liquid-honey voice, Ellie glanced up at Hugh Garner, the company’s most successful salesman. Tall, dark and handsome didn\u2019t come close to describing him, delicious him.
\u201cA man at this table is just what we need,\u201d Madge said.
Hugh slid his lithe frame onto the picnic table bench and opened a cooler similar to Madge\u2019s.
\u201cYou packed a lunch?\u201d Madge teased. \u201cI thought you only did power lunches.\u201d
So close to Hugh, Ellie forced herself to take a small bite of her tuna. Being around Hugh always made her nervous. Even when his wife died of leukemia last year, she hadn\u2019t attended the funeral. What could she say to someone facing such a heart-breaking loss? Instead, she had ordered flowers and engineered the collection for the designated memorial fund.
\u201cPower lunches are over-rated. A lunch outdoors on a beautiful day with two charming ladies, now that\u2019s a lunch.\u201d He smiled at Ellie, not just any smile.
She felt all the way to her toes. \u201cYou always seem so confident.\u201d Ellie\u2019s gaze drifted to his Kirk-Douglas chin.
\u201cSalesmanship 101\u2014always appear confident.\u201d
Madge slid a piece of cake toward him. \u201cScuttlebutt says you\u2019re about to bring in a nice, juicy contract.\u201d
Ellie put down her sandwich. \u201cMadge, how do you know so much?\u201d
Madge forked up a bite of cake. \u201cAm I right, Mr. Garner?\u201d
\u201cAs a matter of fact, yes. Today I met with the president over bidding strategy.\u201d
\u201cThat sounds so important,\u201d Ellie said.
\u201cSalesmanship is a complex science,\u201d Madge added.
Hugh chuckled. \u201cThank you both, but it\u2019s not a done deal yet\u2014\u201c Hugh\u2019s cell phone ran and he slipped it out of his suit jacket pocket. \u201cThat\u2019s it for my picnic. I have a client to meet.\u201d He quickly re-filled his cooler, stood up and smiled down at Ellie. \u201cMaybe you\u2019d have dinner with me sometime, Ellie?\u201d
Ellie couldn’t say a word in reply.
As he hurried off, he looked back and smiled at Ellie. His parting words had taken her breath away.
Madge said, \u201cHugh could be an interesting date.\u201d
\u201cHe was just being polite.\u201d Ellie toyed with her plastic fork.
\u201cHe didn\u2019t have to ask you. I think he likes you.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m just an average small-town girl. Hugh’s late wife was beautiful.\u201d
\u201cYou\u2019re missing what\u2019s important.\u201d
Ellie looked to Madge. \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d
\u201cEvery man has his own idea of what beauty is.\u201d
Wryly, Ellie shook her head. <\/p>\n
Back at her desk, the figures on the spreadsheet squiggled under Ellie\u2019s gaze. She slipped off her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes. She dialed Ned\u2019s number. \u201cHi, did you forget lunch?\u201d
\u201cI had lunch with the vice president,\u201d Ned explained.
\u201cI thought we were going out to lunch today!\u201d
Ned snapped, \u201cThis lunch was important.\u201d
\u201cYou could have called\u2014\u201c
\u201cEllie, one of the things I like about you is that you don\u2019t go in for any of that feminine stuff. You take me like I am. Don’t change that.\u201d
Feeling hurt, she wanted to say men called other men when they break appointments, but that would be petty. Ned didn\u2019t like pettiness either. \u201cNed, when will you pick me up tonight?\u201d
\u201cYeah, the company thing. Right.\u201d He hung up.
Ellie bit her lower lip.
A sudden flurry around the door made her stand up. Catching sight of a man wearing a cowboy hat over a ponytail and another with a large video camera threw her.
Madge leaped up and began waving at them. \u201cShe\u2019s right back here.\u201d
Ellie stared in dismay as the men headed for her.–<\/p>\n
The conclusion on Thursday!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"