Romance Novels Set In The World Of Business

Anne casually checked the price tag inside the blazer, trying to give the impression to the slicked back salesgirl she wasn’t as price sensitive as she really was. Though the no name sundress and hot pink jellies would give that away.

Everything at Lord & Taylor’s was discounted, one of their famous sales, yet “I can only afford two suits.” She couldn’t afford that, counting on her first paycheck to pay off the credit card bill. It was an investment, she told herself. She needed to dress properly and student gear wouldn’t do that.

“Ohhh… look at this teal, Annie Bananie.” Stanley held up a cute little suit with exquisite detailing.

Anne sighed. She wished. “A black and a navy blue.” The staples.

“Boring, girlie.” He sniffed.

“Forgettable. I’ll be wearing the same suits every week.” She’d have to hand wash them each weekend. “I can spice them up with different colored tops.” She had some plain t-shirts she could wear under them.

“These come with pants also.” Nancy held up a set. “For not much more.”

Women wearing pant suits were frowned on at the banks. Would it be the same at the venture capital firm? “If it’s the same price…”

Stanley looked it over with his oh-so-critical eye. “The buttons are cheap,” the brassy gold so popular now, “but I can swap them with a set I picked up at a clearance sale. Vintage.” He flipped the blazer open. “It is good quality, despite the price.” He searched through the racks for the correct size. “Let’s see it on, Annie-Whammie.”

Anne took the suit, resigned. She disliked trying clothes on but it couldn’t be helped.

Read About the apartment in Silicon Valley August 6th
Warning: May Contain Cockroaches.

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“Are you going to take it?” Nancy was flopped out on the bed, a frown on her face.

“I’d be nuts not to.” Anne snapped the freshly laundered t-shirt before crisply folding it. “It is a chance of a lifetime. A placement at MM&M.” She still couldn’t believe she beat out the hundreds of other applicants. Her. Little ol’ her. Why? Mr. Michaels had said she was the only one who asked for the job. That was what made the difference.

“So you’ll be in the Bay area for the summer?”

“Yeah. Silicon Valley.” Where all the passion and the excitement was.

“Expensive there, girlie.” Stanley looked up from the hair magazine.

True. It was. And she was only making entry level wages. But this was an investment in her future. “I’ll have to get a room-mate… or two.” She didn’t like living with strangers. Her experience with Fawn had showed her how bad that arrangement could be.

“Ted’s going to be working in the Bay area also. For a tech company.” A pretty pout. “I’m going to be stuck here, temping.”

“They don’t need temps in the Bay, Fancy Nancy?”

Brown eyes met blue. That was a brilliant solution. “I do need a room-mate, Nance.”

Nancy grinned back, her face glowing. “You do.”

“Correction. You need two room-mates.” Stanley sighed dramatically. “I suppose computer nerds need their hair cut too. Alright.” He threw down his magazine. “You’ve talked me into it, Annie Bananie. I’ll spend the summer in the Bay area.”

Read About Anne Shopping For A (early 1990’s) Suit July 30th
Warning: Bad fashion ahead.

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Anne straightened her pencil line skirt, tugged down her navy blue blazer, and fixed a fake smile on her face before walking into the interview room. “Mr. Michaels?”

“You must be Anne James.” A middle aged man with crazy curly brown hair touched with gray rose to his feet. She looked at the shoulder pads of his black suit. Not a crease in it. Expensive. The tie had a large swirl down the center. No pattern, the silk carefully cut. Also expensive.

She tried to casually brush her sweating palms against her skirt before extending them. A solid, powerful handshake, connecting fully.

“Please sit.” He indicated the guest chair. She demurely crossed her feet at the ankles as she had practiced. “So you’re looking for a summer placement with our little venture capital firm.”

Little? It was one of the best in the country. “I believe I can add value to MM&M Ventures.”

An eyebrow rose. “How so?”

“I’m young, enthusiastic…” she counted off.

“Untrained, inexperienced,” he countered.

“A benefit, sir.” She gave him a smile. “I don’t have any bad habits. I bring a youth perspective. I’m familiar with the innovations coming out of colleges, the solar project, for example.”

He leaned forward, hands interlaced. “What are your thoughts on that?”

Anne was prepared for this.  “Commercialization is years away. There is no real push for an alternative to gas power.”

He nodded, pleased. “Unless oil prices increase.”

“Unless oil prices increase,” she agreed. “Do you think they will?”

“If I gave you my opinion, what will you do with that information?”

This was a trick question, Anne knew. “It isn’t confidential?”

“No.”

“Then I would verify it with my own sources.” That got a smile from him. “And if that works out, take action on it, either go long or short” with her father’s help “depending on direction.”

“You’ve shorted commodities before?”

“No.” She was honest. “But I know people who have and I’ll learn.”

“You could lose money.”

“All part of learning, sir.” She hadn’t that much to lose.

He eyed her for a moment, she resisted the urge to squirm, and then he groaned. “You’re going to lose me money, aren’t you, James?”

“Likely, sir.” She would make mistakes.

Mr. Michaels shook his head. “Anything else?”

The interview was done? He didn’t want to talk about her marks or her previous summer jobs? “I want this position, Mr. Michaels. I’ll be the best summer student you’ve ever hired.”

His eyes crinkled as he stood to see her out. “We’ll see.”

Read About Anne’s Plans For The Summer July 16th

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