Eyes widening, her stomach lurched. Sally Gleason was the Vice President of the entire Marketing and Sales division. Kimberly had never met her but, like most of the company’s upper echelon, had only seen her from a distance. “Me? She wants to talk to me?” Her mind raced to remember what she’d screwed up but came up empty. And if I screwed up on something, John would be the one talking to me, not the VP.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
“Uh… okay. When?”
“Now.”
“Now?” Eyes jerking open wide again, she stared in disbelief as her hand lifted to smooth over her hair. “I need two minutes.” Not giving John a chance to object, she grabbed her purse and hurried down the hall, slamming open the door of the ladies’ room. Racing to the sink, she stared into the mirror. Shit.
Digging through her purse, she snagged her brush and ran it through her long hair before taming it with a clip into a low ponytail. She quickly swiped powder over her face before applying her rose lipstick. With a dab of lipstick on each cheek, she gently rubbed to add a bit of blush to her face. Glad she hadn’t worn jeans, she twisted back and forth in the mirror to ascertain her pants weren’t wrinkled. Washing her hands, she hurried back out to find John waiting on her by the elevator door.
Before her nerves had a chance to explode, she and John were greeted by Sally’s assistant and ushered into the VP’s fourth-floor corner office, just down the hall from the president’s. The walls were painted a pale gray and one was lined with built-in bookcases. Their footsteps were softened by the burgundy carpet, and she stubbed her toe on the thick pile. Shooting John an apologetic look, she hoped no one noticed but him.
Sally’s highly-polished, oversized wooden desk sat to one side, giving her a perfect view out the windows. A quick glance outside gave evidence that Sally’s view was simply more Kilton Pharmaceuticals buildings but, even without a magnificent view, she could appreciate the opulent office. Her gaze shot back to the woman rising from behind her desk, her smile welcoming while her tone was efficient. Sally’s dark skin was flawless, her short hair styled perfectly. Her makeup was elegant, and her power suit managed to be as beautiful as it was professional.
Kimberly, feeling completely underdressed, offered what she hoped was a confident smile.
“John, good to see you.” Waving to the two chairs in front of her desk, she said, “You must be Kimberly. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Sally Gleason.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Ms. Gleason.”
Sitting in the chair, she perched near the edge with her ankles crossed, shooting a glance toward John. His elbows rested on the arms of the chair, his fingers lightly linked over his stomach. His body language appeared relaxed, and she hoped it was for good reason. Being called to the VP’s office had her stomach still flip-flopping… much like being sent to the Mother Superior’s office for passing notes in sixth grade. Swallowing deeply, she clasped her fingers together in her lap and adopted what she hoped was an interested and composed expression on her face.
“I’m sure you’re curious why I’ve called you here, Kimberly, so I’ll get right to the point. Kilton Pharmaceuticals took a severe hit in the press several months ago when one of our low-level pharmaceutical representatives was arrested and convicted for the illegal distribution of drugs. It illuminated a security breach as well as a pipeline into the illegal supply and distribution of opioids. While this unfortunate incident only involved two people in a company with over eight hundred employees, the press had a heyday at our expense. Our PR representatives had to work around the clock to try to mitigate the negative image that clouded the work that this company does.”
With Sally’s gaze pinned on her during her speech, Kimberly had no recourse but to maintain eye contact and nod at what she hoped were the appropriate times. As Sally paused, Kimberly was uncertain if she was expected to respond, breathing easier when the VP continued.
“While most of the initial negative press has died down, President Kilton has requested that we do more to push a positive image out to the public. He gave this task to me and I’ve come up with what I think is a viable concept.”
Mind racing with Sally’s rapid-fire speech, Kimberly almost missed the next