Julie's dreams never came to fruition. She dreamed of going to college, but that fell through. No money. Was it his fault that the economy had tanked and no one would give him a scholarship? Julie was going to graduate in the top half of her class. But then she failed a final exam. Did she ask about catching the flu or forgetting the date of the make-up exam? Work for a living, meet the right people and take advantage of your opportunities. How she hated the advice she received from her parents. Well, that's where Julie drew the line. This was where she would stand out from the crowd. No more losers for Julie. She would become the best executive assistant in the world. And she was going to start today. “Hello,” Julie sang as she entered Mr. Goepfrisch’s office, holding a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. She took baby steps, combined with a slow knee-lock gait that she said kept the liquid from sliding down the lip and dripping onto the company logo. Julie had perfected this delivery over the past eighteen months, the sum total of her employment at Goepfrisch Enterprises; Executive Personal Assistant, her official title. If only he would let her. Unfortunately, Julie knew she was just a slave. And then, not a trusted slave, but a slave assigned only to the most mundane tasks. Well, from today on, Mr. Goepfrisch would recognize his worth. Julie looked around the desk, from tip to stern, it was covered in papers, brochures, and what appeared to be real trash. Daring to hold the cup with one hand, she moved a calculating machine away from the edge and set the cup down; the coffee overflowed and flowed onto his right hand. Pungent because of the hot liquid,...... middle of paper ......ial ficus. “Everything is where I need it.” Click, click, rustle. “Where are these Phelps…?” Oh, another check. You'd better leave this to accounting, Jule. Mr. Goepfrisch held out the envelope and Julie leaned across the desk to take the envelope. Mr. Goepfrisch did not take his eyes off the pile in front of him. Jule, she hated that name. “I forgot about that.” Mr. Goepfrisch stopped searching and let the pile of papers fall into his lap. He took a silver letter opener and split the top of an envelope. He took out strips of white cardboard and spread them in his muscular hands. “Looks like the baseball tickets will be wasted.” He shook his head slowly. "I have to prepare for tomorrow's meeting, I can't stop now." Of course, I wish I remembered that, it will be a good match. He stuffed the bills into his breast pocket and resumed his search...