what she needed to do, and even more, she knew it was a brilliant, if not an utterly inspired idea. She reached for her desk phone and paged her assistant.
“Yes, Ms. Dencourt…of course.”
Alex Canton knocked twice and entered the office. Alex was a great assistant. She was young, vibrant, and eager. Lee always had a hard time keeping their relationship professional because Alex was such an enjoyable person to be around. She wasn’t interested in Alex romantically. Although she did possess qualities that Lee could see herself attracted to, it simply wasn’t like that. Even though Alex worked for her and Lee made it clear that she was her boss, they still had an undeniable but unspoken friendship. Lee secretly welcomed that, because if she counted, Alex was probably her one and only friend.
“Alex, I need you to contact Director Foillot or Madame Dautry at the Musée du Louvre and acquire the contact information for the American Ecole Du Louvre student named Morgan. I don’t know her last name. Once you get it, make contact with her and inform her that she has been selected to interview for the curator position.”
Alex scribbled steadily on her notepad.
“When she arrives, please show her to the curator’s office and—”
Alex interrupted and looked at Lee. “Why would I—”
“Show her the office. I will not be directly involved with this process. However, I am entrusting you with the task of ensuring that she does not leave without accepting the position.”
Alex finished writing her notes and waited for any further direction. The confusion was still clearly visible on her face.
“Do you think that’s something you can handle, Alex?” Lee trusted Alex immensely, but it still made her nervous to relinquish such an important task. Lee knew that in order to make it work she couldn’t be directly involved.
“Absolutely, ma’am.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” Lee smiled, releasing some of the tension in the room. “And, Alex…”
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“While she’s here, you are not to address me as anyone other than Ms. Dencourt and only if you absolutely must. Understand?”
“Of course, Lee, I mean, Ms. Dencourt.” Alex nodded. “Don’t worry about a thing.” Lee knew Alex wanted to ask questions, and any other time she may have allowed it. This just wasn’t one of those times.
*
The next day, as Morgan sat at her computer tweaking and re-tweaking her CV, her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Mmmm…Oh yeah, just like that, baby, ooooh…that’s how Daddy likes it!” A male voice moaned and groaned at the other end.
“Hi, Freddy. When are you going to change it up? The boys must be getting tired of your monotony.”
“Trust me, honey, the boys are far from tired of hearing that one,” he snapped back at her.
“Does Chris know that?” Morgan never thought Freddy would settle down, but then he met Chris, and the rest was history, as they say. Morgan wished that someday she would find her forever and for always.
“Sweetie, he’s my biggest fan!”
“Ha! So, how are you, sexy?” Morgan asked.
“Good. Great actually! I’m working on restoring a beautiful Renoir piece that we just acquired from a Swedish banker. It’s a disaster, but when I’m done with it, it will be the talk of the town.”
“I have no doubt.” Freddy had become a preservationist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and he was exceptionally good. She almost wished that there was an opening at his gallery. She’d have loved nothing more than to work so closely with her very best friend.
“So, did you hear about the Dencourt position? Nobody new has been in there in thirty years.”
“Actually, yes, I heard. Dr. Melbeau called and practically demanded that I submit. I’m working on my résumé now.”
“Well, don’t I feel like a girl late to the prom…hmpft…”
Morgan laughed. “What can I say, sweetie? Sometimes that second coat of lip gloss only makes you late for the
“Yes, Ms. Dencourt…of course.”
Alex Canton knocked twice and entered the office. Alex was a great assistant. She was young, vibrant, and eager. Lee always had a hard time keeping their relationship professional because Alex was such an enjoyable person to be around. She wasn’t interested in Alex romantically. Although she did possess qualities that Lee could see herself attracted to, it simply wasn’t like that. Even though Alex worked for her and Lee made it clear that she was her boss, they still had an undeniable but unspoken friendship. Lee secretly welcomed that, because if she counted, Alex was probably her one and only friend.
“Alex, I need you to contact Director Foillot or Madame Dautry at the Musée du Louvre and acquire the contact information for the American Ecole Du Louvre student named Morgan. I don’t know her last name. Once you get it, make contact with her and inform her that she has been selected to interview for the curator position.”
Alex scribbled steadily on her notepad.
“When she arrives, please show her to the curator’s office and—”
Alex interrupted and looked at Lee. “Why would I—”
“Show her the office. I will not be directly involved with this process. However, I am entrusting you with the task of ensuring that she does not leave without accepting the position.”
Alex finished writing her notes and waited for any further direction. The confusion was still clearly visible on her face.
“Do you think that’s something you can handle, Alex?” Lee trusted Alex immensely, but it still made her nervous to relinquish such an important task. Lee knew that in order to make it work she couldn’t be directly involved.
“Absolutely, ma’am.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” Lee smiled, releasing some of the tension in the room. “And, Alex…”
Alex raised an eyebrow.
“While she’s here, you are not to address me as anyone other than Ms. Dencourt and only if you absolutely must. Understand?”
“Of course, Lee, I mean, Ms. Dencourt.” Alex nodded. “Don’t worry about a thing.” Lee knew Alex wanted to ask questions, and any other time she may have allowed it. This just wasn’t one of those times.
*
The next day, as Morgan sat at her computer tweaking and re-tweaking her CV, her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Mmmm…Oh yeah, just like that, baby, ooooh…that’s how Daddy likes it!” A male voice moaned and groaned at the other end.
“Hi, Freddy. When are you going to change it up? The boys must be getting tired of your monotony.”
“Trust me, honey, the boys are far from tired of hearing that one,” he snapped back at her.
“Does Chris know that?” Morgan never thought Freddy would settle down, but then he met Chris, and the rest was history, as they say. Morgan wished that someday she would find her forever and for always.
“Sweetie, he’s my biggest fan!”
“Ha! So, how are you, sexy?” Morgan asked.
“Good. Great actually! I’m working on restoring a beautiful Renoir piece that we just acquired from a Swedish banker. It’s a disaster, but when I’m done with it, it will be the talk of the town.”
“I have no doubt.” Freddy had become a preservationist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and he was exceptionally good. She almost wished that there was an opening at his gallery. She’d have loved nothing more than to work so closely with her very best friend.
“So, did you hear about the Dencourt position? Nobody new has been in there in thirty years.”
“Actually, yes, I heard. Dr. Melbeau called and practically demanded that I submit. I’m working on my résumé now.”
“Well, don’t I feel like a girl late to the prom…hmpft…”
Morgan laughed. “What can I say, sweetie? Sometimes that second coat of lip gloss only makes you late for the
Similar Books
