Daily Dialogue — June 18, 2014

Tess arrives, sees a woman using the phone in the office, heads for the secretary cubicle. The woman comes out.
 
ALICE: Oh, I didn’t hear you come in, I’m Alice Baxter.
TESS: Tess McGill
ALICE: I was just using the phone.
TESS: Yes, that happens.
ALICE: How about some coffee
TESS: Sure, just tell me where it is.
ALICE: No, I’ll get it. Oh, how?
TESS: Milk and sugar, please. Thank you.
 
Tess settles into the secretary cubicle. Alice returns with the coffee.
 
ALICE: Uh, Ms. McGill?
TESS: Yes.
ALICE: (points to private office) That’s your desk… in there…
TESS: I don’t think so.
ALICE: Oh, yes. I sit out here.
TESS: Sorry, I thought the secretary would sit out here…
ALICE: That’s right, I’m the secretary. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer assistant.
 
Tess slowly walks into her office.
 
ALICE: You have a 10:00 with Slater from development. 11:00 with Donahue from Logistics, his office on 23, and lunch with Mr. Trask downtown at 1:00 PM. It’s all right there on your computer. Just hit Shift-S for your schedule.
TESS: When I saw you in here on the phone with your feet up, I figured this was your office.
ALICE: I’m sorry about that, Miss McGill. It won’t happen again, ever.
TESS: It’s okay.
ALICE: Maybe now would be a good time to go over what you expect of me.
TESS: I expect you to call me Tess. I don’t expect you to fetch me coffee unless you’re getting some for yourself. And the rest we’ll just make up as we go along.
 
 — Working Girl (1988), screenplay by Kevin Wade

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: 1st day on the job, suggested by Bretton Zinger. Today’s suggestion by Paul Graunke.

Trivia: Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith followed several female executives and secretaries on their hectic daily schedules in New York City and sat in during meetings to get a better idea of the industry from the female perspective.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Paul: “I offer for your consideration the second 1st Day on the Job. Wonderful payoff at the end of the movie and a contrasting book end to the earlier scene of Tess’s 1st Day on the Job scene working as a secretary for Catherine Parker who orders her to fetch coffee and has a list of rules and expectations.”

Note: Could use your suggestions for this week’s theme. Thanks!

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