Free Coffee in Common by Dee Mann Page A

call out ‘O'Hara, room three twenty-two'
    "I stuffed my book in my purse and hurried down the hall. The door was open, so I knocked and walked into the office. This gorgeous guy was sitting behind the desk reading what I thought was my résumé."
     
    *  *  *
     
    Without glancing up from his reading, the interviewer said, "O'Hara, I'm Marcel Henriquez. This may be your lucky day. We just got a call from Metro Magazine. They want some fresh blood to write ad copy and they pretty much take whoever we send over. Interested?"
    "Yes, sir," Cathy said as enthusiastically as she could. "It sounds exactly like what I've been looking for."
    At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up and did a double-take.
    "Who are you?"
    "O'Hara. The woman at the desk called my name and said to come here."
    "I don't think so."
    "What do you mean? I'm Cathy O'Hara and she told me to come to room three twenty-two."
    Before he could respond, a voice at the door said, "I don't think he was expecting anyone so pretty."
    She turned to see a man standing there, briefcase in hand. He'd been grinning, but she saw his face change as their eyes met. He seemed suddenly nervous or ill as he stared at her for a few more seconds.
     "I'm afraid O'Hara is a pretty common name in Boston. I think he was expecting Mike O'Hara."
    "Right, Mike O'Hara," Henriquez said.
    Cathy realized what had happened. For a split second, she thought her job worries were over. Now it was all being snatched from her.
    She could feel her spirit collapsing inward. Her whole body drooped with the weight of her disappointment. All the while, Mike stood there, transfixed, unable to tear his eyes from her.
    "You don't have to gloat," she said to him. "You were here first, it's your job."
    "No…I'm not…I mean…I was just…look, have we met before? Because I feel like I know you."
    Oh great. Could this get any worse? Not only does he take my job, he's hitting on me, too.
    "I don't think so." She turned to leave.
    "Wait!" He sounded frantic. "It's obvious this job is important to you. Why don't you take the interview. I'm really not all that interested in publishing anyway."
    Cathy was surprised, but shook her head. "No, I can't take your job." Again she started to leave.
    "Please, I want you to." He turned to the headhunter. "I don't want the job. I already found one. I just came to see if there was anything better. Please give her the interview."
    He turned back to find Cathy had stopped halfway out the door.
    "Why would you do this?"
    "I'll make you a deal. This guy is on commission. Time is money to him. Take the interview. Get the job if you can. I'll wait out in the reception area. When you're done, I'll tell you. Deal?"
    He could see the uncertainty in her eyes.
    "Please?"
    There was something about the way he was looking at her, something about the way he said ‘please.' "Okay. But don't you dare leave."
    "I promise. I'll go flirt with the receptionist while I'm waiting."
    She wasn't sure if he was kidding, but, curiously, didn't like that idea. She watched him leave, then turned back to Mr. Henriquez, her hand extended..
    "Hi, I'm Cathy O'Hara."
    Twenty-five minutes later, she was walking on air as she entered the lobby. The interview had gone well, helped along, she thought, by what had happened earlier. She wanted to find Mike and thank him for what he'd done for her.
    She saw him on the other side of the lobby, gazing out the window as he talked on his cell phone. She walked quietly up behind him and sat on a chair so as not to disturb his conversation.
    "It doesn't matter," he said, then listened for a bit. "I know I needed the job, but she needed it more, I could tell. And, dad, she was so, so…I don't know. There was something about her. Something special."
    What? He lied! He doesn't have a job at all. And he gave this one to me? Why would he do that?
    "I know, dad, I know. Look, I promised I'd wait for her. Heck, I'd have waited even if she…"
    He'd evidently been