Page 56 of The Singing Trees
Feeling like she was starting to wear out the floor of this place, she approached the secretary sitting at a tiny desk at the beginning of a long hallway. Jazz piano music played quietly in the background.
“Hi there, Betty,” Annalisa said. She’d been here so often the two were on a first-name basis. “Is Patty available by chance? I still haven’theard from her.” As Annalisa had learned, Patty was the manager in charge of the Advertising Department, and also one of the only women who’d climbed to a position of power at Pride’s. People spoke of her like she was a myth.
Betty looked around as if she were in trouble. “Sorry, I specifically gave Patty your résumé, telling her I really liked you, but she said the position’s filled.”
Annalisa felt so let down, instantly thinking that she was beyond qualified. If only she’d worked harder for a scholarship to college—she’d just been so messed up by losing her parents.
“You know what, though,” Betty said, lowering her voice again, as if she was passing on the secrets of the universe, “I hear Mr.Miller is hiring for the Bargain Bin.”
“Oh.” Annalisa thought about it. The Bargain Bin certainly wasn’t the Advertising Department, but it might be better than waiting tables. “Is he around? I’d love to talk to him about it.”
“Let me go see,” she said as she swung out from her desk and disappeared down the hall.
Soon, a man came waltzing Annalisa’s way with a wide duckfooted canter. He combed his thin mustache with his fingers. As awkward as he was, he had the kind of confidence the owner of the building might have. Annalisa thought his yellow-dotted bow tie was absolutely fitting and showed his desperation to find his individuality.
“Hello, Annalisa,” he said, taking her hand. His palm was clammy, and she pulled away as quickly and politely as possible.
“Betty tells me you’re looking to fill the Bargain Bin position,” he said.
“Yes, Mr.Miller.” Annalisa had almost corrected him, saying she wanted a job in the Advertising Department, but she chose to be grateful for any opportunity. These first few days in Portland had sent a strong message to the small-town girl from the Mills:You’re not in Kansas anymore.
“You’re a cute little thing, aren’t you?” he asked and then made an effort to extract something stuck from his teeth.
Right then and there, Annalisa decided she didn’t like him. How dared he say such a thing? If this hadn’t been her chance to land a real job, she might have punched him in the nose.
Taming the urge, she kept her clenched fist holstered by her side and said kindly, “I don’t have any experience in retail, but I’m a fast learner.” She subtly wiped off his hand sweat on the back of her dress.
“Oh, I bet you are.” He looked at her like he was undressing her with his eyes, all the while aggressively going after the piece of food in his teeth. Though she wasn’t opposed to using her looks to her advantage in getting a job, he made her want to throw up.
“Why don’t you come back and sit down with me?” he asked.
Annalisa almost pivoted and dashed away before even finding out what the available job might entail. Reminding herself of how desperately she needed money, she thanked Mr.Miller and followed him back.
His office smelled of burned coffee, and she eventually noticed the half pot waiting for his consumption on a small table near the window. She put on her best smile and started answering his questions.
Finally, he said, “Yeah, one of my girls quit on me a few weeks back, and we could use you. It’s hard work, you know. A lot of folding and making sure the pricing’s right and taking care of the customers—Pride’s most challenging customers—as you can imagine. Something about good bargains brings out the worst in women. Do you think you can handle it?”
She suspected he had spoken snidely but let it go. “Yes, I think I could.” She slowly patted the air with her hand. “Pardon me if I’m overstepping my bounds, but I thought I might mention that I’m also interested in a job in the Advertising Department. I know the fashion illustrator position was filled, but if there’s anything else—”
“An artist, huh?” He seemed overly interested, possibly being sarcastic. “What kind of art do you make?”
“I’m a painter mostly, but I studied pen and ink in school, so I could draw ads. I’m a hard worker, Mr.Miller. I could bring in some examples to give you—or Patty—an idea of what I can do. I’m creative in general and might be of use to the team.”
His jaw flopped up and down as he faked a laugh. “Aren’t you cute? This isn’t home ec class, sweetie. What are you? Eighteen? No offense, but you’ll fit right in down there in the basement. You’ll get along great with the girls.”
She was a minute away from peeling the skin off his face, but she bit her lip and muttered, “I’d love anything you have available.”
He clapped his clammy hands together. “The Bargain Basement it is.”
Not letting the demeanor of her new boss get her down, Annalisa nearly flew down the escalator. A step in the right direction was always worth celebrating.
Chapter 20
THECONTOURS OF ANAKEDMAN
On the same day her art lessons with Sharon Maxwell began, Annalisa started her new job. She was nervous when she rode the escalator down to the basement. Though it wasn’t as glitzy as upstairs, and it smelled like mothballs, the Bargain Bin was lined with racks of incredible clothes that she could buy at a very nice discount—once she was more financially stable, of course. The order of priorities might be art classes and supplies, a few bargain outfits at work, and then eating. Most of the clothes were a season or more out of style, but just like her mom, she could always pull out her Singer for some alterations to make something current.
Greta, Barbara, and Catherine welcomed her to the team, and they spent a few minutes prodding her with questions before returning to their tasks. Greta was the manager and showed her how to work the cash register and fold clothes to company standards and all the other details of her new gig. Between instructions, Greta mentioned that her husband had enlisted and was currently in Vietnam. Considering both Annalisa’s cousin and Thomas were on a similar path, Annalisa could empathize, and the two instantly hit it off. Annalisa caught herself asking Greta what she knew about the training process for a soldier on the way to Vietnam, as she often wondered what Thomas’s (and her cousin Michael’s) life was like now.
