Chapter Four
The next day Grace was busily looking at fabrics when Karen came in. "Hey Gross Adler," she greeted, sitting down at her desk. The red-haired woman looked up and sighed. "It's Grace," she said. "Yeah, whatever honey," Karen replied, taking out a nail file. "I need you to help me pick out some colors and fabrics for a new clients office," Grace said. "Do I have to?" Karen asked, taking the new issue of Vogue out of her desk drawer. "Yes, you work for me," Grace answered, as Karen smiled. "Honey, my work here is to tell you how to dress and by the way, that shirt is hurting my eyes. We've talked about orange on you," she said, making a disgusted look. Grace shook her head refraining from saying anything. "Just forget about it. I'll design Carter's office myself," she said, as Karen looked up from her magazine. "Carter who?" she asked worriedly. "Carter Gin of Carter and Associates. Do you know her?" Grace asked back. "You can't design her office!" Karen exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. "Why not?" Grace asked. "She hates me and I hate her. The only thing good about her is her last name," Karen answered. "Oh Karen, it's not like she's the first person you haven't gotten along with," Grace said, rolling her eyes. "You don't understand. She's trying to take my Rosie away. Not only that, I think she told Rosario that she'll bring her family back from Guacamoleville!" Karen screeched. "You mean El Salvador?" Grace asked, as Karen shrugged. "Same thing," she answered. "I'm sorry Karen, but this is a big opportunity for me. I have to do it," Grace said. "Fine. It seems as if our friendship doesn't mean anything to you," Karen replied, grabbing her purse. "No thats not true," Grace said, but Karen didn't listen. She just stomped right out the door.
:: Will's Office ::
"Jack is here," Ellen said over the phone. "Thanks, tell him to come in," Will replied, as the door swung open. "Do I not look fabulous!" the blue-eyed man exclaimed, twirling around. "Wow, is that new?" Will asked, referring to the red sweater his friend had on. "Yes it is. Karen and I went to Barneys yesterday. Don't I look fabulous?" Jack asked again. "It looks great," Will answered unenthusiastically. "Aww, what's got your panties in a twist?" Jack asked, making a sad face. "Nothing at all," Will answered, not in the mood to talk about his problem. "Take me to lunch," Jack pleaded, totally changing the subject. "I thought you had Karen to do that," Will replied. "Yeah well not today. Come on, let's go eat," Jack said, tapping his fingers against Will's desk. "Fine. Let me just finish this report and we'll go," he replied, as he started typing.
::Carter and Associates ::
When Grace arrived at the huge building, she couldn't help but smile. She knew if Carter liked her ideas, she'd be getting a huge job. She walked to the front desk and swallowed hard when the secretary gave her a stern look. "How may I help you?" she asked, pushing her glasses up to her eyes. "I'm here to see Carter Gin," Grace answered. "Do you have an appointment?" the woman asked, as Grace nodded. "Yes, I'm supposed to show her some ideas for her new office. I'm a designer," she answered proudly. The woman pulled up a schedule on the computer in front of her and nodded. "Seems as if you do have an appointment. Just go to any one of the four elevators and press the top button. Someone will meet you there," she informed Grace. "Thanks," the red-haired woman said, walking toward the elevator. She got in and pressed the top button just like the secretary had told her to do. Finally the elevator dinged at the 38th floor and she walked out gasping when she saw everything. Almost everything was made of glass or gold. It looked beautiful. "Are you Grace Adler?" a woman asked her, interrupting her from looking at anything else. "Yes I am," she answered, as the woman motioned her to a room that had big glass doors. "Miss Gin is in there," she said softly, as Grace smiled nervously. She walked over to the doors and opened them. Sitting there was Carter at her luxurious desk in her fabulous office. "Wow, you need this to be redone?" Grace asked surprised. Carter chuckled at her comment. "I do actually," she answered simply, as she downed the last few drops of her roman coke. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked, as Grace shook her head. "No I'm fine," she answered, as Carter shrugged. "Okay, but if you don't mind, I'm going to get one," she said, walking over to the small bar in the corner of the room. Grace watched her and then gave a small smile. "You remind me of my friend, Karen. She said she knows you," she said. "Yes I do know her, not very well, but I know her. How do I remind you of her?" Carter asked curiously, as she poured Bacardi and a small amount of coke into a glass. "For one you look similar to her. Two, you both are rich and powerful and three, you drink," Grace answered laughing, as Carter sat down. "I guess it runs in the family," she blurted out, then nervously took a big sip of her drink. "What?" Grace asked confused. "Oh nothing, shall we get down to business?" Carter asked back, rubbing the back of her neck. "Of course, thats what I'm here for," Grace answered, pulling out some sketches.
The next day Grace was busily looking at fabrics when Karen came in. "Hey Gross Adler," she greeted, sitting down at her desk. The red-haired woman looked up and sighed. "It's Grace," she said. "Yeah, whatever honey," Karen replied, taking out a nail file. "I need you to help me pick out some colors and fabrics for a new clients office," Grace said. "Do I have to?" Karen asked, taking the new issue of Vogue out of her desk drawer. "Yes, you work for me," Grace answered, as Karen smiled. "Honey, my work here is to tell you how to dress and by the way, that shirt is hurting my eyes. We've talked about orange on you," she said, making a disgusted look. Grace shook her head refraining from saying anything. "Just forget about it. I'll design Carter's office myself," she said, as Karen looked up from her magazine. "Carter who?" she asked worriedly. "Carter Gin of Carter and Associates. Do you know her?" Grace asked back. "You can't design her office!" Karen exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. "Why not?" Grace asked. "She hates me and I hate her. The only thing good about her is her last name," Karen answered. "Oh Karen, it's not like she's the first person you haven't gotten along with," Grace said, rolling her eyes. "You don't understand. She's trying to take my Rosie away. Not only that, I think she told Rosario that she'll bring her family back from Guacamoleville!" Karen screeched. "You mean El Salvador?" Grace asked, as Karen shrugged. "Same thing," she answered. "I'm sorry Karen, but this is a big opportunity for me. I have to do it," Grace said. "Fine. It seems as if our friendship doesn't mean anything to you," Karen replied, grabbing her purse. "No thats not true," Grace said, but Karen didn't listen. She just stomped right out the door.
:: Will's Office ::
"Jack is here," Ellen said over the phone. "Thanks, tell him to come in," Will replied, as the door swung open. "Do I not look fabulous!" the blue-eyed man exclaimed, twirling around. "Wow, is that new?" Will asked, referring to the red sweater his friend had on. "Yes it is. Karen and I went to Barneys yesterday. Don't I look fabulous?" Jack asked again. "It looks great," Will answered unenthusiastically. "Aww, what's got your panties in a twist?" Jack asked, making a sad face. "Nothing at all," Will answered, not in the mood to talk about his problem. "Take me to lunch," Jack pleaded, totally changing the subject. "I thought you had Karen to do that," Will replied. "Yeah well not today. Come on, let's go eat," Jack said, tapping his fingers against Will's desk. "Fine. Let me just finish this report and we'll go," he replied, as he started typing.
::Carter and Associates ::
When Grace arrived at the huge building, she couldn't help but smile. She knew if Carter liked her ideas, she'd be getting a huge job. She walked to the front desk and swallowed hard when the secretary gave her a stern look. "How may I help you?" she asked, pushing her glasses up to her eyes. "I'm here to see Carter Gin," Grace answered. "Do you have an appointment?" the woman asked, as Grace nodded. "Yes, I'm supposed to show her some ideas for her new office. I'm a designer," she answered proudly. The woman pulled up a schedule on the computer in front of her and nodded. "Seems as if you do have an appointment. Just go to any one of the four elevators and press the top button. Someone will meet you there," she informed Grace. "Thanks," the red-haired woman said, walking toward the elevator. She got in and pressed the top button just like the secretary had told her to do. Finally the elevator dinged at the 38th floor and she walked out gasping when she saw everything. Almost everything was made of glass or gold. It looked beautiful. "Are you Grace Adler?" a woman asked her, interrupting her from looking at anything else. "Yes I am," she answered, as the woman motioned her to a room that had big glass doors. "Miss Gin is in there," she said softly, as Grace smiled nervously. She walked over to the doors and opened them. Sitting there was Carter at her luxurious desk in her fabulous office. "Wow, you need this to be redone?" Grace asked surprised. Carter chuckled at her comment. "I do actually," she answered simply, as she downed the last few drops of her roman coke. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked, as Grace shook her head. "No I'm fine," she answered, as Carter shrugged. "Okay, but if you don't mind, I'm going to get one," she said, walking over to the small bar in the corner of the room. Grace watched her and then gave a small smile. "You remind me of my friend, Karen. She said she knows you," she said. "Yes I do know her, not very well, but I know her. How do I remind you of her?" Carter asked curiously, as she poured Bacardi and a small amount of coke into a glass. "For one you look similar to her. Two, you both are rich and powerful and three, you drink," Grace answered laughing, as Carter sat down. "I guess it runs in the family," she blurted out, then nervously took a big sip of her drink. "What?" Grace asked confused. "Oh nothing, shall we get down to business?" Carter asked back, rubbing the back of her neck. "Of course, thats what I'm here for," Grace answered, pulling out some sketches.