at Dayton and squint into the sunlight. And even without the sunlight the picture was of a large man framed by the sky and Manhattan's magnificent skyline—a man of power in a city of power. But Kate found him among the easiest of the corporate higher-ups to deal with. For he was predictable where he thought he was savvy, dull and plodding where he thought he was quick.
Dayton kept her waiting—naturally. But she was finally shown in to his office, where she greeted Alexandra—I sitting on the couch with her portfolio at her side—cheerfully, as if nothing in the world were wrong. Then she looked expectantly at Dayton. "You wanted to see me about the audition, I assume," she said, taking a seat and training her clear brown eyes on him with a steadiness that belied her true feelings.
He nodded, "Yes, Kate. And naturally, I would have rather met with you alone. But Alexandra wanted to hear! what you had to say."
Kate knew she'd have to speak carefully. "About the audition—?"
Dayton nodded.
"I don't understand. Was there a problem?"
Dayton looked at her carefully. "You tell me."
"Not as far as I was concerned. Alexandra, you did m lovely job. You have an excellent future ahead of you.'
Alexandra looked surprised. "You didn't say that at Ihl agency," she said, her voice high and uncertain. Kate was amazed at how differently Alexandra acted when being
herself rather than playing a part. She was shy, diffident, very uncertain of herself.
"No, I didn't," Kate said. "Any encouragement or call ing back comes later, after we've had a chance to discuss each person's performance."
Alexandra's eyes widened. "Oh. You mean—you liked me?"
She sounded so sincerely innocent that Kate forgot her annoyance with Dayton and smiled. "Yes, of course. I'm sure we'll want to see you again." The girl's face lit up. " B ut that doesn't mean you'll be chosen," Kate hastily added. "I want to be sure you understand that."
Alexandra nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I understand. O nly, I hope — oh, well. I'm so glad," she said, smiling. "I thought you hated me. I'm sorry."
Kate glanced at Dayton. "Well, I ' m sorry your uncle didn 't explain the situation more clearly. But perhaps he didn 't know, either." Dayton's lips tightened. "Which is understandable," Kate continued, "since advertising rea lly isn 't his field. But Alexandra, if you have any ques tions in the future, just ask me, all right?"
Th e young woman nodded. "I will. I will."
Da yton glared at Kate and then turned to his niece.
Money, leave us alone for a few minutes, all right?"
"Sure," Alexandra said, and jumped up from the couch and left. And Kate realized once again that whatever proble ms existed with Dayton, one couldn't deny that his niece was as graceful as a dancer.
But the moment Kate looked back at Dayton and saw the bel ligerent glint of his eyes, she was ready for battle.
You surprise me," he said, picking up a pen and twir ling it, looking more at it than at Kate.
"Why is that?" she asked.
He took a deep breath. "You're raising that poor girl's hopes only to disappoint her in the future."
"Why do you assume she won't be chosen?" Kate asked.
"It's obvious, isn't it? If you had any intentions of hiring her you would have done so already. It would have been kinder to tell her the truth right out."
"I did tell her the truth," Kate said. "Whether you
think so or not."
He leaned back and steepled his fingers over the desk. "My niece is very important to me, Miss Churchill. As you may or may not know, my wife and I have no children of our own. I wouldn't like to see Alexandra's feelings hurt."
"And I don't think she'd like to know you were making not-very-veiled threats on her behalf, Mr. Dayton. And I think I should tell you that whatever chances she does have for being selected are rapidly diminishing with every word you say. If I feel you're going to interfere with the campaign as you have with the auditions, that will be a very good reason not to hire
Dayton kept her waiting—naturally. But she was finally shown in to his office, where she greeted Alexandra—I sitting on the couch with her portfolio at her side—cheerfully, as if nothing in the world were wrong. Then she looked expectantly at Dayton. "You wanted to see me about the audition, I assume," she said, taking a seat and training her clear brown eyes on him with a steadiness that belied her true feelings.
He nodded, "Yes, Kate. And naturally, I would have rather met with you alone. But Alexandra wanted to hear! what you had to say."
Kate knew she'd have to speak carefully. "About the audition—?"
Dayton nodded.
"I don't understand. Was there a problem?"
Dayton looked at her carefully. "You tell me."
"Not as far as I was concerned. Alexandra, you did m lovely job. You have an excellent future ahead of you.'
Alexandra looked surprised. "You didn't say that at Ihl agency," she said, her voice high and uncertain. Kate was amazed at how differently Alexandra acted when being
herself rather than playing a part. She was shy, diffident, very uncertain of herself.
"No, I didn't," Kate said. "Any encouragement or call ing back comes later, after we've had a chance to discuss each person's performance."
Alexandra's eyes widened. "Oh. You mean—you liked me?"
She sounded so sincerely innocent that Kate forgot her annoyance with Dayton and smiled. "Yes, of course. I'm sure we'll want to see you again." The girl's face lit up. " B ut that doesn't mean you'll be chosen," Kate hastily added. "I want to be sure you understand that."
Alexandra nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I understand. O nly, I hope — oh, well. I'm so glad," she said, smiling. "I thought you hated me. I'm sorry."
Kate glanced at Dayton. "Well, I ' m sorry your uncle didn 't explain the situation more clearly. But perhaps he didn 't know, either." Dayton's lips tightened. "Which is understandable," Kate continued, "since advertising rea lly isn 't his field. But Alexandra, if you have any ques tions in the future, just ask me, all right?"
Th e young woman nodded. "I will. I will."
Da yton glared at Kate and then turned to his niece.
Money, leave us alone for a few minutes, all right?"
"Sure," Alexandra said, and jumped up from the couch and left. And Kate realized once again that whatever proble ms existed with Dayton, one couldn't deny that his niece was as graceful as a dancer.
But the moment Kate looked back at Dayton and saw the bel ligerent glint of his eyes, she was ready for battle.
You surprise me," he said, picking up a pen and twir ling it, looking more at it than at Kate.
"Why is that?" she asked.
He took a deep breath. "You're raising that poor girl's hopes only to disappoint her in the future."
"Why do you assume she won't be chosen?" Kate asked.
"It's obvious, isn't it? If you had any intentions of hiring her you would have done so already. It would have been kinder to tell her the truth right out."
"I did tell her the truth," Kate said. "Whether you
think so or not."
He leaned back and steepled his fingers over the desk. "My niece is very important to me, Miss Churchill. As you may or may not know, my wife and I have no children of our own. I wouldn't like to see Alexandra's feelings hurt."
"And I don't think she'd like to know you were making not-very-veiled threats on her behalf, Mr. Dayton. And I think I should tell you that whatever chances she does have for being selected are rapidly diminishing with every word you say. If I feel you're going to interfere with the campaign as you have with the auditions, that will be a very good reason not to hire
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