An excerpt of a far longer piece.
But the wisest advice I was given came from the elder statesman of the crew, Charles Benjamin, the “ace” reporter.
“Sonny,” he said, “this life’s gonna throw you some curveballs. No matter how well you think you’ve plotted things out, something – probably a woman – is gonna end up derailing your plan. And buddy, you better be carefully prepared for it if you wanna stand a chance of getting back on course when it happens.”
Unfortunately, his was the advice I ignored.
Mary Jamison was hired to replace Mr. Hansen’s personal secretary six months to the day after I began working for the Review…..November 27, 1976 – two days before my birthday. She walked into the news room and all productive activity ceased completely. The incessant tapping of typewriter keys gave way to the soft clickety-clack of her high-heeled shoes as every eye was fully trained on the golden-haired beauty crossing the room. Including a certain young assistant copywriter who very nearly found himself wearing Mr. Hansen’s coffee after a collision with a desk chair.
I took a moment to regain my composure before continuing my coffee delivery, timidly knocking on Mr. Hansen’s door. “Boy, don’t waste time knocking, just get my coffee in here!” he bellowed. As I opened the door, Miss Jamison turned in my direction. My first glimpse at her smoldering blue eyes took my breath away – I could faintly hear Mr. Hansen introducing me; frankly, he could have been calling me a sub-human swamp beast or throwing bricks at me at that moment, and I wouldn’t have noticed. My hand trembled ever so slightly as she grasped it in a handshake, and I caught sight of a shy smile on her face before she turned her attention back to Mr. Hansen.
I’m fairly certain I walked out of Mr. Hansen’s office upright, but I couldn’t make you any guarantees – I was in a complete daze. Beautiful wasn’t even the right word to describe Mary Jamison. Stunning – yeah, that’s more accurate. You know, the kind of girl that grabs your attention like a vise, and you’re powerless to get free.
