Garbo Towers

Chapter 3

Emily handed the invitation to Regina and stood meekly, hands clasped in front while the older woman read. These events were always dreaded when they came up, not because they were not exceptionally civilized and sophisticated, but because Emily was too shy in company, particularly male company. Regina humphed noisily and tossed the invitation aside.

"Don't stand there pouting, Emily, get something suitable to wear out of your closet and dust it off." Regina said, nastily.

"Do we really need to attend these parties, Regina?"

"Yes, Emily. You know we do. Besides, how else do you expect to meet any young gentlemen? You never go anywhere."

"But Alec Fletcher is the only single man here and he isn't interested in someone like me."

Regina rose out of her chair and went to the garden window. "There's that other one upstairs, Wally Spade." She heard Emily groan. "Or there's even old Stanley. I'm sure he would be happy to have some companionship in his twilight years."

"Regina! He's an old man!"

"And you'll soon be an old woman, girl, with no money and no one to provide for you." She turned and snarled. "There'll be nothing for you when I'm gone."

******

Alec loped up the stairs and down the hall to his suite, fumbling with his keys and the bundle he'd received on the sidewalk from the woman delivering the mail. He kicked the door shut with his foot and went straight to the kitchen, dumping the mail on the table and hitting the button on his answering machine.

There were several messages from clients with requests and commands, one from his sister who was looking for another contribution to their mother's home care facility and one from an old friend who was only passing through town that week and hoped for a little gab time.

Alec selected a bottle of juice from his fridge and cracked the top, his eye catching the lilac coloured envelope on the table. The phrase, oh no, zipped through his mind as he tore it open and read it aloud with growing dismay. There was no excuse good enough to refuse Millicent Degrew's party invitations. She cared not one whit what a person might have scheduled; her party took precedence regardless and at lease renewal time, attendance counted.

"Jesus, not Garbo again," he groaned. "I vant to be alone" Alec mimicked as he shucked through the rest of the mail.

******

Wally pushed back from his desk for a better view of the new receptionist as she crouched down to retrieve some paper from beneath her stool. He tilted his head this way and that, angling for a better view beneath her taut skirt. As she rose their eyes locked and he gave her a derisive smile and winked broadly.

When she didn't respond, he pulled himself back to his desk and muttered an oath. He would have to go out there and speak to her; she needed a proper introduction to the company's most eligible, he thought. As he finished writing up some purchase orders and filing away his finished business, he remembered the party at the condo and decided that would be his opening with the new girl.

She could come as his date for the evening. The best part was, he would already be at home so whose place to go to after wouldn't require a debate. He locked up his desk, grabbed his sport jacket from the hook behind the door and sauntered down the hall, flipping the loose strand of hair a little lower on the forehead.

"Hey, hi. You're the new receptionist, eh?" He leaned down and peered at the tag on her sweater, taking longer than necessary to read the name. "Wally Spade," he announced, sticking out a hand. "P.A."