Erica Spindler - Cause for Alarm

Sandy, as if inspired. "What about where you work? Is there anything available there?"

Sandy shook her head. "I don't think so. Nothing you'd be qualified for, anyway."

"How do you know?" She leaned toward her. "I can do lots of things."

"Both openings require a college degree and experience at a law firm. Sorry."

Julianna was crestfallen and didn't hide it. She had been sure, at a place as big as Nicholson, Bedico, Chaney & Ryan, there would be something, anything, she would be qualified for. Maybe Sandy wasn't being honest with her. Maybe she needed more of an incentive. "That's all I've been hearing." Julianna looked at her hands, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back."

"Back?" Sandy repeated. "You don't mean back to D.C.?"

When she nodded, Sandy made a sound of distress. "But you can't go! We're…we just became friends."

"I don't want to, but what am I supposed to do? I can't seem to get a good job here. I have connections in D.C., but you're the only one I know here and you can't…" Her voice trailed off miserably. "It sure would have been nice to work together. We could have had lunch together every day. Passed notes when the bosses weren't looking. Like back in high school."

"I really would have liked that," Sandy whispered, her longing palpable. "I really would have. You're the… you're the best friend I've ever had, Julianna."

"And you're the best friend I've ever had. I'm going to miss you."

They fell into a miserable silence. Sandy slumped down in her seat, looking ready to cry. Then, suddenly, she straightened and met Julianna's eyes. "Wait, I just thought of something. Another opening."

Quickly, the words tumbling past her lips, Sandy relayed how she had overheard Richard Ryan's secretary complaining about her workload. "He's running for local District Attorney and she's threatening to quit because of the increased workload. I heard her say that he promised to hire an assistant to handle the secretarial and gofer work associated with his campaign."

Richard needed an assistant? Another sign. "When was this?"

"Just this week." Sandy paused, thinking back. "Tuesday, I think. Yes-" she nodded "-definitely Tuesday. In the break room. Though I don't know if he's run an ad yet or if he has someone in mind already."

Julianna brought a hand to her chest, so excited she could barely breathe. Work directly with Richard? It would be too good to be true.

"This is perfect." She leaned toward the other woman, reaching out and capturing her hands. "You have to introduce me to Mr. Ryan. You have to, Sandy!"

Sandy froze, her expression alarmed. "I don't know about that, Julianna. I mean, an introduction is…it would be-"

"A vote of confidence in me," Julianna supplied. "You do believe in me, don't you?"

"Well, sure. It's just that-"

Julianna tightened her fingers over the other woman's. "I need that job, Sandy. I have to have it. Do you understand? I have to have it."

"You're hurting me, Julianna," she whispered, tugging on her hands. "Let go."

Julianna backed off, trying to look repentant. "I'm sorry, Sandy. It's just that…" She drew a deep breath. "I'm getting desperate. You can understand that, can't you?" Sandy nodded, squirming in her seat. "And this job it…it sounds perfect for me. I lived in D.C., remember? I moved in political circles. Politics are second nature to me."

Sandy gazed at her expectantly, waiting. More, Julianna thought, she had to have more. She scrambled around for something that would convince Sandy she was qualified for the job. She thought of her mother, then her mother's lover.

Senator Jacobson. Of course.

"I was one of Senator Jacobson's campaign assistants." A tiny lie-she had stopped by his election headquarters several times; his campaign manager had shown her and her mother around and explained the duties of the various volunteers.

The other woman perked up. "You were?"

"That's right." She smiled. "He'd give me a recommendation, I know he would."

For a long moment, Sandy said nothing. She gazed at Julianna, her face an open book. She wanted to do it, but she was afraid of sticking her neck out. Of hurting her reputation, of getting in trouble with the bosses.

All she needed was another little push. "Just think, Sandy. If Mr. Ryan hired me, we'd be working in the same building. We could have lunch together every day. Take our coffee breaks at the same time…go out for drinks after work."

She looked Sandy in the eyes, her expression as earnest as she could make it. "I've never worked with a best friend before. It'd be so cool."

"It would be fun," Sandy said softly, hesitantly.

"So, you'll do it?" Julianna caught the other woman's hands once more. "You'll introduce me to Mr. Ryan? You'll put in a good word for me?"

Sandy caved in with a sigh. "All right, Julianna. I'll do it."

Sandy agreed to give Julianna's resumé to Richard first thing Monday morning. Julianna spent the entire weekend preparing it, taking as much creative license as she thought she could get away with. She changed her age to twenty-two. She listed her mother's contacts and former lovers as references, hoping Richard wouldn't check them. And finally, she claimed to have been one of Senator William "Billy" Jacobson's campaign assistants.

The people at the copy store had helped her with the format. She had rented time on a computer and printed out the final copy on their laser printer. The end result looked pretty darn good, if she said so herself. She especially liked the part where she had outlined the duties she had been responsible for in her job with the senator. Who would have thought years of listening to her mother's men friends talk and a couple of tours through campaign headquarters would yield such bounty?

Julianna had decided that after she interviewed with Richard, depending on how it went, she would break the silence and call her mother to set everything up with the senator. That way she would be covered if Richard checked her references.

Monday morning Julianna called Sandy to wish her luck. "Hi, it's me."

"Hi."

"Are you ready?"

"I guess."

Julianna frowned. She and Sandy had met the evening before so Julianna could give Sandy the resumé and coach her on what she wanted her to say. Then, the other woman had been upbeat and excited. Now, she sounded nervous and more than a little reluctant to carry through on her promise.

Julianna tightened her grip on the receiver. "Sandy, you're not having second thoughts about helping me, are you?"

"Of course not," she said after a moment, the way she dragged the words out belying their meaning.

If she thought Julianna was going to let her off the hook, she was in for a big surprise. "Good," she said, "because you don't sound too upbeat this morning. And if I'm going to get the job, you have to be enthusiastic. You've have to present me positively."

"I know. It's just that-" Sandy hesitated, then sighed again. "It's just that Mr. Ryan…he's a partner. If this backfired…it could cost me my job."

"What could backfire?" Julianna lowered her voice, softened it. "You know me, Sandy. We're best friends. And I'm telling you, I can do this job and do it well. If Richard Ryan hires me, he'll be so happy you'll probably get a raise and a promotion."

"And we'll be able to have lunch together every day. Right?" "And coffee breaks, too." Julianna smiled, knowing she had won. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, Sandy. If I didn't know I could do the job, I wouldn't ask you this favor. You've got to believe me."

"I do." Sandy made a sound of relief, then giggled as if drawn into Julianna's excitement. "I'm just being a jerk."