* * *

"Madeline! How are you? I am so sorry to keep you waiting!" Maddy
looked up to see Isabella standing before her, impeccably dressed as
always in a beige suit with a red silk blouse. She quickly stood up to shake
the woman's extended hand.
"Hi Isabella! Don't worry; I took the day off to meet with you before
heading to the studio for show rehearsal."
"Oh that's right; your show is coming up! How exciting!" She ushered
Maddy into her sunny corner office, where they quickly segued into a
discussion about salary requirements, start dates and performance
expectations. A thrilled Maddy accepted her generous offer, a definite
improvement over her current paycheck. And while her goal of becoming
a paid writer still lived on in the secret chambers of her heart, financial
obligations and a stable work environment took precedence for now.
Once assured of the ability to pay her rent and save for a rainy day,
she'd tackle her larger objective in a series of small but critical steps.
Perhaps she could find a local publication in need of contributors; from
the moment she'd arrived in Florida, her hectic schedule had prevented
her from investigating that further. Hopefully now that things were settled
with her employment, she could focus on working towards her true career
aspirations. In the meantime, she'd give her very best to Isabella, a woman
for whom she harbored tremendous admiration and respect.