“I hear Saunders is feeling the pinch from the recession. Do you think he’ll keep the Pen going?
“Oh, yes. It makes him look like an intellectual, not just the greedy capitalist he is.”
“I suppose Ester has taken over until they get a new editor,” I said.
“Ester is a ‘Certified Executive Secretary’, she always ran the operations.”
“That won’t last long. Penny and Ester barely get along. Penny may be a mousy type but she won’t take orders from a mere secretary. She’s a decent copy editor and it would be a shame to lose her.”
“Then you go down and save them,” Ike said.
“Right,” I said. “I’m so well qualified.”
“Actually, I was putting you on but now that I think about it – why not? Harry owned a failing bookstore when Saunders hired him. Old Marvin goes for cheap not experience. You have a degree in literature, you were editor of the college paper which was printed by the Pen, the two women like you, and you can look to the editorial board for advice – and I’ll be there to back you up..