Chapter 4

“You’re right about all that. Hmm. I never even thought about that kind of job, but I didn’t know much about men’s scarves when I started here either. It don’t think I’d want to do it forever, but second shift now would be okay, I guess. What’s the starting wage?”

“After a two-week probation period you get a raise to this rate.” I showed her my last regular weekly pay stub. “If I get good evaluations, they’ll give me another increase in about three months and then twice a year after that. There’s a Christmas bonus and annual cost-of-living raise too.”

She looked at my gross pay. “Shit! You earn that much? That’s almost what I was making in the city, and it costs a lot more to live there. I could pay off my loan and my mom in ... let me think ... probably less than a year. That’s not bad at all.”

I wrote Cliff Schmidt’s name and office number on a slip of paper. “Call this guy tomorrow. He’s the Personnel Manager. I’ll talk to him this afternoon before my shift, and I’ll make sure my dad puts a good word in for you too.”

The phone woke me the following morning. “It’s me, Katie. I can’t believe I remember your number after five years. Guess what?”

“What?”

“I just got off the phone with Mr. Schmidt. I have the day off from work tomorrow, so he gave me an appointment with him at three-thirty. He said it was the best he could do. I won’t have to fill out the job application if I bring my resume, and I have copies of my transcript, so I guess I’m set. He sounded like he couldn’t wait to meet me. What did you say to him?”

“Probably the same stuff my dad did – you’re smart, you have a degree, and you know how to work.”

“Well, it was enough to get my foot in the door, so thank you. Apparently Mr. Schmidt changed a meeting or something to make time. When do you go to work?”

“I have to punch in at three.”

“Could I follow you there? I have the street address, but I don’t know exactly where the place is. I’d rather kill time in the parking lot than get lost.”

“Normally, I pass your neighborhood around two-thirty. That often gets me to work early, but with traffic, you never know. I still have the same car I did in high school. I’ll come to your house, and you can follow me.”

“Thanks, Ed!”

When I got to work that day I stopped in my dad’s office. “Katie has an interview tomorrow.”

“I know. I sang her praises to Cliff and said she might call. He re-arranged his schedule to see her. If he likes her in person, and I’m sure he will if she’s the same girl she was, she’s hired. Will it be awkward working with her?”

“No. We’re adults now. High school was ... well ... high school.”

“You said she’s married but getting divorced?”

“Yeah.”

“My sister introduced me to your mom when I got back from World War Two. I was your age then, but I didn’t ask her to marry me until I was twenty-eight, and she’s older than me. Kids marry too young.”

“I think Katie would agree she made a mistake.”

“We all make a few, I guess. Cliff is anxious to meet her. I’ll be happy to see her again. I always liked her. Her appointment is at three-thirty, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. She said she’s not sure of the best way to get here, so I’m stopping by her house tomorrow, and she’ll follow me.”

“She’s going to wait in her car for half an hour?”

“Probably.”

“Nonsense. Take her to the receptionist, and ask for me. I should be able to make time to talk with her for a few minutes.”

The following day, Katie was waiting in front of her house when I drove up. She stood beside a battered old compact sedan, her father’s car, as I remembered. The last time I saw it, it looked a lot better than this. The years and Mr. White’s driving hadn’t been kind to it.

Katie herself, however, looked as good as I had ever seen her, dressed conservatively in a tan blouse, navy blazer and slacks, and sensible low heels. The garments were gently tailored, the jacket and pants following her modest curves just closely enough to be quietly sexy, but only if you wanted to see them that way. She was taller than some girls and very slender.

That meant she could have chosen any fashion trend she liked, but she always dressed “properly”, never in anything too revealing. She told me in high school she chose clothing to make herself happy, not me.

I pulled up next to her on the street. “You don’t have to impress anyone with your appearance.”

“I don’t dress to impress, Ed. You should remember that.”