Sandi started to hop and point across the room, then they both shouted out. "Stacy! We're here now!" They waved at a woman who was leaning against the wall, bored. Their shouts brought her to life, and the three women ran to greet each other. Kay loaded a plate and wandered back toward them, eating her dinner and watching as they reunited with hugs all around.
Sandi, Tiffany, and Stacy chatted while Kay stood on the periphery, finishing her dinner. The primary topic of conversation was their dresses, which they had bought for the party tonight and would send directly to storage tomorrow to avoid an accidental second wearing.
Sandi turned to introduce Kay. "Stacy, this is Kay. She came with Dan."
Stacy looked at Kay with appraising eyes. "Are you going out with him?"
She sounds jealous. Kay was amused at the thought that every woman wanted to be with the playboy CEO. "No. I just started working with him this week. Nice guy."
All three of them laughed. "Some might say that. Not everyone thinks the Charmer is such a nice guy." Sandi said "the Charmer" with a grunt bordering on anger.
Really? "And what makes him not-nice?"
Sandi looked heavenward and flipped her hair back and forth. "Dan's married to his work, he has no time for a woman. You know, too busy climbing the corporate ladder to care about anyone else but himself. There's a reason why he's still single." She scrunched her mouth into a frown.
Kay tried to defend him. "It takes a lot of work to be the CEO of a company. I'd imagine that most corporate executives are married to their work."
"Oh, puh-leeze. My daddy's a CEO." She said it with such a childish petulance that Kay had to step back and look at her. How old is this woman? Sandi looked like she was in her twenties, but could she be some bratty little teenager?
Stacy spoke up to join Sandi and put up a united front. "My daddy is a CEO, too." Why am I not surprised? In fact, even Tiffany joined in the chant, condescension dripping from her voice. "My daddy's Chairman of the Board. That's better." The three women gave each other "Oh yeah?" looks but said no more. This was evidently well-worn ground.
Tiffany looked at Kay and narrowed her eyes. "You said you work with Dan. So are you at Yorick?"
"Yes, that's right."