It was not only her appearance that got a man’s attention, it was also the way she would look at men when they talked to her. Her dark green eyes would sparkle, her head would tilt slightly to the side, and she would focus on that man as if he was the most important person she had ever talked to. And that, more than her looks, made men fall for her.
Shirley had ideas. Soaked in scotch. Soaked in rum. Shirley had all kinds of ideas on how to change her life. Countless ideas on how to improve her life.
While she drank, she would tell herself, I must have a thousand ideas, these ideas just don’t stop. But when the actual counting of ideas was done, Shirley had only five ideas on how she could change her life.
One idea was that she would change careers and work for an ad agency. She thought of being a writer, though she really didn’t have any idea of what was involved in being a copywriter except that they wrote ads. Shirley liked the idea of being around creative people and getting away from the stuffiness of law and accounting firms. She was certain that ad agency people would accept her for who she was and let her be herself. They wouldn’t make a fuss with her coming in late in the morning, leaving work early, or wearing sexy clothes to work.
That’s the place for me, she thought, being with idea people, people on the fast track. She saw herself as a creative person with tons of ideas. She was certain being a copywriter was a perfect fit even though it was difficult for her to compose even a few sentences. What can be so hard about writing, she wondered? It’s just a matter of putting down the ideas that are in my head. It can’t be that hard, and besides, I have ideas all the time.
Shirley was in trouble with her present job at the law firm where she worked. Her late night drinking made it hard for her to get to work on time. She was reprimanded a number of times about her short skirts and her blouses with plunging necklines. She was put on probation and knew it was a matter of time before she would get fired.