“Hi, Vicky. I’m Lila Wilkins.” I waved my arm in the direction of my office. “Please come in.”
She lowered herself into the visitor’s chair and placed her purse on her lap, waiting expectantly. She sat with ramrod straightness and met my gaze directly. Feeling as though I was back in a grade school classroom, I hastily perused her résumé to refresh my memory, but before I could say anything, she spoke.
“You’ll probably ask me why I haven’t worked for the last four years.”
I nodded. “As a matter of fact, that was going to be my first question.”
“I retired four years ago, same time as my husband, and we thought we’d have years of travel ahead of us. But my husband died last year and my days have become…quiet.” She seemed to find the word distasteful. “While I can bide my time with gardening and bridge club—Franklin, who I believe is one of the agents here, plays bridge there, too—it just isn’t fulfilling enough. There’s still a lot of life left in me.” She smiled, revealing a row of perfectly shaped white teeth. “I’ve lived in Inspiration Valley for the better part of my adult life, and I’ve been watching this agency since it was established. I’ve also read most of the authors represented by Novel Idea, and I think I can be of some use to you.”
“Really? You’re that familiar with our clients?” If this were true, then she certainly had the background for the position.
“Oh yes!” Her enthusiasm sounded like a bark. “One of my favorites is Calliope Sinclair. Her romances are just divine. And I love Meteor Granger’s spy thrillers. I can’t put them down and have lost many a night’s sleep devouring his books.”
“Well, your reading interests are certainly an advantage.” I reached for the file containing sample query letters. “You are aware that this job is for an intern position?”
She pushed her glasses up. “Yes, I am. But I’m wondering if you’d entertain a proposal. I know this seems forward of me…”
Uncertain what to expect, I put the query file down and nodded. “What kind of proposal?”
She folded her hands and placed them on the desk, and I suddenly wondered who was in charge of this interview. “I’m sixty-nine years young and have no aspirations to be a literary agent. But I love books. And I love the idea of being a part of bringing them to life. I’ve seen the newspaper ads looking for an intern pop up again and again, and I believe you haven’t found the right person for the job. And when I called here, there was only a general voicemail. No one answers the phones? No one greets guests?”
“Well…” I said, feeling like I was failing some kind of test. “That’s the intern’s job and that’s why we placed an ad—”
Vicky plowed on. “I think what this place needs is consistency in the clerical tasks. You need a receptionist and someone to manage all the paperwork. I’d still do the intern’s job of vetting the queries and mailing out rejection letters and such, but I could do so much more than that.” She cleared her throat. “For a slightly higher salary, of course.”
I gawked at the tiny older woman who possessed all the authority and charisma of Napoleon. “I think your idea has merit, but I can’t really make that decision. Let me run it by Ms. Burlington-Duke and we’ll see what develops.” I opened the folder and passed her a sheet of paper. “I received this on Friday. Our guidelines stipulate that one should only submit a query letter and no manuscript unless requested to do so. How would you respond to this?”
She leaned forward and read aloud:
Dear Agent,
Attached is my 150,000-word manuscript for my mystery novel called Murder in Montana. I know you didn’t request this manuscript, but it’s so well written and so exciting that I’m sure you’ll be grateful that I sent it to you first. I look forward to hearing from you by the end of the week.
Vicky adjusted her glasses and sat back. “I would reply by saying, ‘I recommend you reread our agency guidelines and send us a properly crafted query letter.’” She grinned as if I’d asked her a ridiculously easy question.
I chuckled. “Perfect response, Vicky.” Turning to the bookshelves, I pulled out three large tomes and placed them on the desk. “These are reference books containing guidelines as to what makes a good query. I hope you will read them because I think you’d be perfect for the intern position. Will you accept the job whether it becomes a permanent office manager position or not?”
Her eyes sparkled and she nodded. “Yes, I shall!” She reached for the first volume. “Don’t worry, Ms. Wilkins, not a single line of subpar material will get past me.”
“And if a pushy aspiring author shows up here and demands to see one of our agents without an appointment?” I asked teasingly. “What will you do then?”