Chapter 3

The stranger watched the woman leave and turned back to his food. " Rebecca do you know who that pretty young woman is who just left?" he asked her. She took out the napkin and handed it to him. " I don't have a clue, but I know she was asking about a job earlier." she told him. Andrew took the napkin from the woman and smiled. " I guess you told her about me." he said as he unfolded the napkin. " Yes I told her that you was looking for a secretary." she told him. He wasn't too found of anyone getting into his life but Rebecca was different she was his best friend. " Yeah and I need to find one soon because Margret is retiring in less than a month." he told her as he finished his meal and coffee.

Virginia was driving along and trying to figure out what she would do for money. She was so deep in thought that she almost didn't hear her cell phone ring. She turned down the radio and grabbed her cell phone and barely getting it in time. " Hello." she said when she answered it. he felt his heart flutter when she spoke. " Virginia?" he asked her as he ignored the way his heart was behaving. " Yes." she said as she pulled into a gas station. She was not about to talk on the phone while driving again because she did not want to cause another horrific accident. " Hi I am Andrew Flanagan and your number was given to me by Rebecca from the Country Crow." he said.

She totally forgot she gave her number to her. " Oh yes I"m sorry I forgot I gave her ,y number." she told him. He chuckled and she felt her heart flutter. She ignored it and waited for him to continue. " That is quit alright. I am calling to see if you are still in need of a job?' he asked her. " Yes I am and I need on soon my money is running out." she told him. She wasn't trying to give her the sob story but she did. " Great I need a secretary and was calling to see if you are still interested." he told her. She had to keep from crying because this was what she needed right now. " Yes I am very interested." she told him. She was glad that she was only thirty minutes away because she needed time to get freshened up and meet him. " Great come to my office around ten o clock and we can meet." he said.

He then gave her the directions to his office and she carefully wrote them down. " Great see you then." she said as she folded up the peace of paper and stuck it in her purse. The two then hung up and she stuck her cell phone back into her bag. She then had to find somewhere to freshen up and change because she wanted to look presentable when she went to go see him. She was nervous but knew that this was the first step in making the fresh start in her life. She also knew that if anyone found out why she left like she did then it could be bad and for that she could not tell anyone and hoped that no one found out.

She made it to Andrews office and parked. She knew that she was a little but early but she wanted to make sure that she found it with no problems. She then got out and went inside. She walked up to the receptionists desk. " I am here to see Andrew." she told the older lady. The lady looked up from her typing and smiled. " You must be here to talk to him about the receptionists job." she said to her as she picked up the receiver on the phone. She went over to the chairs and sat down. " He must have told you." she said as soon as the woman got off the phone. " Yes he did and I know he has been trying to find someone to replace me before I retire." she said to her.

Andrew was surprised that Virginia showed up early to meet him but he was glad because that already showed him that she was a punctual person and he needed someone who would show up on time. He finished the file that he was working on and called Margret to send the woman in. He was nervous but he looked past that because he knew that this was business. " He is ready to see you now." she said as she got up to show her the way. She realized that Andrew was an insurance agent and this was his own office building. " Here you are." she said as she led Virginia inside. " Thanks." she said as she went into his office.

Margret turned to go when Andrew stopped her. " Hold my calls for a little bit." he said as he motioned for Virginia to sit down. " Sure." she said as she shut the door behind her. He then set down in his chair and folded his arms on his desk. The two of them talked for quite awhile and then he smiled. " Your hired and if you want you can start today and Margret can train you and show you how to do things." he said to her. She smiled back at him and was glad he hired her. " Great but there is just one thing." she said to him. She needed to make arrangements to find a hotel room until she could get an apartment. " What is it?" he asked her as he set back and crossed his arms. " I need a good and cheap hotel that will let me pay by the month to stay until I can get a place. I am new here and I don't have much cash nor a bank account. " she told him.

Again she was telling him too much information and hardly knew him. " Well let's see. There is a cheap and really nice hotel apartment two blocks away." he said as he wrote down the information. " Will they let me charge by the week?" she asked him as she folded up the paper and tucked it in her pocket. " Yes they will because I know the owner and he owes me a favor anyway." he said as he picked up the phone. She wasn't wanting no free handouts because she wasn't that type. " I won't accept it if it is free." she told him when he got off the phone. He smiled at her again. " Don't worry about that. He said he will charge you half the regular rate." he told her. She wasn't sure about that either but at least it wasn't free. She then picked up her things. " Would you mind if I started tomorrow instead?" she asked him as she got up.

She wanted to get settled in before she started working. " Sure I will see you tomorrow." he said as he smiled. She then left the office and shut the door behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief and raced to her car. She studied the directions he gave her and made her way there. This was a nice hotel and from what she had seen a nice town. She wanted to get away from Tennessee, but this was a good place and she had a job and would soon have a place to stay.