for Kilton Pharmaceuticals graced the walls as well as framed photographs of the Kilton family with numerous politicians and many of the wealthy movers and shakers of Hope City.
Thomas droned on about the virtues of Kilton Pharmaceuticals, mentioning the numerous awards the company had won, name-dropping, and how they were leading the industry in the manufacture of drugs.
He was not telling her anything new considering she had typed similar information into brochures. As her mind wandered, she began focusing on what he was wearing. Dapper, well-groomed, and expensive suit. She was fascinated with the folded handkerchief that was peeking out of his coat pocket. She doubted he ever used it since the folds and creases were perfectly aligned. It was so flat she wondered if it was a real handkerchief or simply decoration. Since the color was the exact match of his shirt, she then wondered if he had different pocket-handkerchiefs to match all his shirts.
“Do you think that gives you enough information for now?”
Blinking, she glanced down at her notepad, seeing only the words Thomas Kilton at the top and a few scribbles underneath. Shit! Lifting her chin, she offered a brilliant smile. “Absolutely, Mr. Kilton. It’s been such an honor meeting you and having a chance to find out more about our company.” She must have said the right words with the right tone because his smile was as bright as hers as he stood and walked around his desk to shake her hand.
“Would you allow me to take a photograph of you?”
He preened, straightening his already-straightened tie. “Of course.” He moved to stand in front of the wall of awards and she snapped a few pictures with her cell phone.
Thanking him, she held on to her smile as she walked down the hall in case anyone was looking, grateful when the elevator doors opened. Stepping inside and finding it empty, she slumped against the back wall. So far, she was gaining nothing to put into an article that was different than what she could have found with an Internet search.
Next on her list was another one of the Kiltons. This time she was in the HR department, sitting with Thomas’ sister, Sidney Kilton. She had never met Sidney, simply seeing her picture occasionally in company news. Like Thomas, there was a strong family resemblance to their father. Thinking she would be experiencing another interview full of smiles and effusive praise, she was surprised.
“I suppose you’ve already been in my brother’s office,” Sidney began, her voice curt as she waved her hand around. “I’m not sure how long I’ll have to wait before I can manage a corner office on the fourth floor.”
Eyes wide, Kimberly simply nodded as she plopped into the chair offered. She stared at the tall, statuesque brunette dressed in a power suit, immaculate makeup, and glasses that were probably never shoved upon her head and used as a headband. Sidney exuded no-nonsense strength, and Kimberly was caught between admiration and fear. “Um…”
Waving her hand again, Sidney said, “Oh, forget it. Sour grapes and all that.” Spearing her with a hard stare, she asked, “Now, what do you want to know.? Sally’s told me that she’s desperate to cast her department in a better light. Personally, I think we’d do better to focus our attention on development instead of giving away tons of drugs and… well, whatever.”
Sydney’s rapid-fire thought process and delivery caught Kimberly off-guard, and she fought to try to keep up. Not wanting to appear like a ninny, she crossed her ankles, placed her pad in her lap, and clicked the top of her pen. “My assignment is to find out as much as I can about our company, but I’m looking more for human-interest stories. Helen gave me some very good information about the sales representatives, and I have the names of a few that I’ll talk to, hopefully gaining a vastly different experience than what the news was filled with several months ago—”
“No need to beat around the bush. You’re referring to when Beth Washington was arrested, and Kilton Pharmaceuticals splashed all over the news.”
“Um… yes.” Looking back down at her pad of prepared questions, she swallowed deeply, uncertain if any of them would lead to a less-pissed-off supervisor. “Um… before this assignment, I was working on material for STEM, and particularly for girls. Does Kilton have a proportional number of STEM men and women?”
Sidney leaned back in her chair, her elbows propped on the wooden arms and her fingertips lightly