"How does twenty-five hundred a month sound?"

"What!" Karen's eyes widened.

"This is to start, of course."

"Well, that…" Karen's mind reeled. "Well, that… that's extremely generous, Mr. Wallace!"

"When can you start working?"

"Well, I could… right now, I guess! But I… I'm sure you need time to check my references from Rickman-Hymer, don't you?" Karen opened her purse. "I did bring my diploma along."

Wallace waved his hand. "Not necessary."

"You… you don't need to see my diploma?"

"Not necessary. You're a trustworthy girl. I can tell, just looking at you. A trustworthy, pretty young girl." Suddenly Max Wallace stood up. "We need to have you fitted."

"Excuse me?"

"The fitting room! Follow me! We need to find a uniform for you! Come, come!"

He strode out of the office, giving her no choice but to follow. Together they strode down the second-floor corridor, at one point nearly bumping into a blonde dental assistant who was just leaving one of the private upstairs booths.

The woman was wiping something from the corner of her mouth. She noticed Karen staring, and gave Karen a quick, dirty look before disappearing into another one of the other rooms. Karen shook her head and hurried after Mr. Wallace.

The woman hadn't looked like a dental assistant. She'd looked like an aging showgirl, with an incredibly voluptuous body under her white dental assistant's smock.

"That was Angela," Wallace said. "She's one of my very best girls, but I'm afraid she's not very friendly to newcomers."

"I see."

"Here we are."

Wallace produced a string of keys from his pocket, unlocking one door, opening it to reveal a small, brightly lit wardrobe room. A rack full of uniforms hung on the opposite wall.