It was hitting noon when she finally left the house, revamped after a cool shower and a change of clothes, and headed to the offices.  The traffic was starting to build for the mid morning rush hour and she sat and re-read her words.  Her constant flaw, as her friends repeatedly told her, was that she was her own worst critic and needed more faith in her work.  With the continuous work the small firm kept sending her way, she still found it hard to accept she was doing a good job.  As a freelancer she had found it hard to get on the rung of any ladder, but she’d found her niche with love of film and theatre and the newspaper and affiliated magazine continually asked for her work; to the point that they were on the brink of negotiating a more long term contract to bring her permanently on board.

She sighed and rummaged in the bag of clutter for her purse once more and paid the cab driver before heading into the office building, and squeezed into elevator.  When the doors slid open at the sixth floor, the constant buzz of the office hit her like a soft wave and she threaded her way through the small compartments and desk to the editor’s office.  A few people bid her a hello as she passed which she returned with a smile until she stopped at a closed door and rapped sharply on it.  After a pause the door opened and the beaming face of Charles Kidman welcomed her.

“Lena, I’ve been expecting you” in his naturally enthusiastic manner, opening the door wider.

“Hi Charles” she replied, “Sorry, I’m running a little late today, I can’t stay long”

“No problem Lena, as long as you’ve got that little piece of gold dust for me”

Lena smiled and sat at the desk handing him the thin file containing her latest review of a local theatre production and the latest blockbuster.  Charles opened the file and let his eyes rove over the piece a moment, the grin ever widening on his face.

“Looks great Lena…. Not that I expect anything else from you”

“Thanks Charlie”

Charles set the piece to one side for a moment and opened a drawer of his desk, shifting pieces here and there.