Certainly Sensible Read Online Free PDF

she’d either accidentally thrown it out or the custodian had gotten it off her desk for the trash bin. She sighed and dug two dollars’ worth of loose change out of the bottom of her handbag to buy a fresh bottle, and then headed down the hall to the break room to join Lucy. As she walked by Jack’s office she heard Richard’s voice, and they probably should have closed the door, judging by the conversation they were having. Caroline paused in the hall just out of view. She knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but she couldn’t make her feet move.
    “…and anyway I have a date with that hot new attorney down the hall, the one with the long brown hair,” Jack said.
    “Yeah, women always go for tall, blond, blue-eyed charmers like you.” Richard chuckled.
    “You don’t have to settle for Misty, you know. There’s a certain petite redhead…”
    Caroline saw Richard blush. “Caroline Benedict is my assistant. My intelligent, efficient, creative assistant.”
    “Not to mention attractive,” Jack said with a wink.
    “I like her business sense,” Richard shot back.
    “Business sense. Yeah, right.”
    Richard narrowed his eyes at Jack. “So did you figure out yet if we can afford to take her on full time or not?”
    “Not with your assets alone. You’ll have to talk to your sister again, since you’re required to get her okay on company financial matters.”
    Caroline thought she’d already heard too much, so she cleared her throat. Richard turned to face her and blushed.
    “I just wanted to let you know I’m back from the printer and I’m going to lunch,” she told them, trying to sound breezy. But she didn’t fool anyone, least of all herself, because none of them wanted to discuss the elephant in the room—her lack of salary and status with the company.
    Lucy was already in the break room, unpacking the just-delivered Chinese food in white cartons. Caroline shoved the change into the vending machine and pulled the bottle of water out of the tray when it landed with a thud.
    “It’s getting hot outside,” Caroline said, fanning herself with a copy of the menu lying on the table and taking a swig of water. “And I’m starved. Where’s that moo goo gai pan ?” She tossed aside the menu and began rummaging through the sack. “How much do I owe you?”
    Lucy smiled. “Never mind, you buy lunch next week.”
    Lucy Rosen had been working at Meadows Advertising for about five years. She and her husband Jonathan had a two-year-old son and another baby on the way. Even when not pregnant, Lucy was short and round, but despite her penchant for gossip, to Caroline, Lucy was a voice of sanity who could advise her about her insane family situation.
    They sat down at a table under an air conditioning vent. Caroline tore open her chopsticks and began eating out of the carton.
    Lucy handed Caroline some napkins. “How are things in Bel-ville?”
    Caroline snickered and nearly choked on her food. “What?”
    “Well, I’d have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to know that Sharlene is moving into your—I mean, Daniel’s house.” Lucy bit into her egg roll. “So how’s everyone handling it?”
    Caroline put her chopsticks down and frowned. “Mom’s got a job interview today, Megan’s in denial mode, and Allie doesn’t even know yet. As you’d imagine, I’m crazed. And broke.”
    Lucy pointed a chopstick at her. “You, dear crazy girl, need a career path. Like I’ve been telling you for a while now.”
    “I need to do something fast,” Caroline admitted. “The last of my allowance from Dad is almost gone, and I can’t stay at Meadows indefinitely, at least not without a pay raise. And I really don’t know if I can stick around after the wedding. Talk about painful…” She pushed her food aside, her appetite suddenly gone.
    “So what’s the plan? Tell Aunt Lucy all about it.”
    Caroline laughed in spite of herself but shook her head. “I don’t have a plan.”
    ****
    Susan walked in the back