Working Girl

- Did you make a wish? - Yeah.

No lunch. I got speech class.

What do you need speech class for? You talk fine.

I'll pick you up at five, we'll ride back together.

I can't. I got Emerging Markets seminar at 5.30.

Jeez, it's your birthday. Can't they emerge without you just this once?

- What time is my surprise party? - What?

Come on.

I'm supposed to have you home at seven.

I'll cut out early and be home at 7.15, OK?

- All right. - Thank you very much.

- Morning, Tess. - Morning.

- Hi, Tess. - Hi.

Mr Turkel's line.

Who's calling, please?

Hold on a moment.

Mr Lutz?

Hold on a second, all right?

Mr Turkel?

Mr Alagash... Hi.

- Mr Alagash is real anxious to talk to you. - You couldn't maybe get him to hold?

You got him in Dentitech - the one I said go short on.

It's fine, but he don't wanna hear it from a secretary.

- There's no paper. - What?

There is no goddamned paper in this stall. Get me some?

Thanks. You're very kind.

You're short on Dentitech at 18. He'll be right here.

See Dentitech closing? 17 and 1/8? Come Monday, I bet it's 16 and still sittin' there.

- How you figure? - They went public at 23 with one product.

Plaque-removing mouthwash?

You rinse, you get this glob of plaque you gotta spit out.

Maybe it'll be big, but no one ever got rich

overestimating what the American public wants to taste.

Maybe.

Before I run, Tess, I have some good news and some bad news.

The straight shot is they turned you down for the entrée programme again.

- Why? - We did all we could, Tessy.

You're up against Harvard and Wharton graduates.

You've got some night school, some secretarial time on your sheet.

- Christians and lions, Tess. - That's right.

- And the good news? - Dave has a friend.

Bob in Arbitrage. You're so hungry, they're looking for hungry down there.

- Really? - Hungry's the name of the game down there.

Bob's looking for an assistant and wants to meet you for a drink.

This isn't another setup?

Do I look like a pimp?

Bob says he's looking for hungry, I think to myself "Tess". The rest is up to you.

- Bob in Arbitrage. - Bob Speck.

Extension 256. Expecting your call.

Go get 'em, Tessy.

You should have told us. Congratulations, Tessy.

Thanks.

Mick?

Surprise.

Happy birthday.

You look great.

Come here.

You know, Mick, just once I could go for, like, a sweater or some earrings.

You know? A present that I can actually wear outside of this apartment.

So...

Is this where you usually meet for drinks?

This is a big week. A super week. We are celebrating.

So, Arbitrage. Talk about adrenaline, huh?

What do you think is the most important quality for a great arbitrager?

- Well, we'll go through all that at the hotel. - The hotel?

The company has a suite at the Ritz Carlton. They give it to us boys on a bonus basis.

We're gonna party.

I'm sorry. Allow me. I'm so sorry.

- Hey, Bob. Please. - Sorry, I just... I get a little carried away.

Arbitrage has put out this "Introduction to..." tape for the business schools.

- Let's put it in. If you have any questions... - That would be great. Thanks.

It's the wrong tape. Unless of course you...

Bob, you're not seriously looking for a new assistant, are you?

Not at this moment. But I'm always on the lookout for new blood.

I am hungry, but I am not that hungry.

- I wouldn't put it that way. - I would.

- Would you pull over here, please? - What are you doing?

Party, Bob.

Hello, Tess.

You're late, Tess.

Yo, David.

Little bitch.

You gotta see this to believe it.

Take it easy.

Bastard.

- Tess... - I know.

You don't get ahead in this world by calling your boss a pimp.

Well, he is.

Been lookin' at your file here. This is the third time in six months I've had to place you.

- It wasn't my fault. - Where have I heard that before?

Ruth, I'm 30 years old.

It took me five years of night school, but I got my degree with honours.

I know I could do a job.

Ask any of my bosses, even Lutz, if Tess McGill hasn't called a few.

You ask 'em. I don't think they're gonna sing your praises, Tess.

Here's something for you. Transferring down from Boston.

Mergers and Acquisitions. Name of Parker. Starts Monday.

- You go home and cool off. - OK.

Tess...

This is the last time I can help you. Four strikes, you're out.

- Tess McGill for Katharine Parker's office. - It's the last desk. At the end of the aisle.

Hi. I'm Katharine Parker. You must be Tess.

Hi.

Great bunny.

I don't usually have a bunny on my desk. It was my birthday a few days ago.

- No kidding. Mine's next Tuesday. How old? - 30.

Really? Well, I'll be 30 next Tuesday. We're practically twins.

- Except I'm older. - Just barely.

I've never worked for somebody who was younger than me before. Or for a woman.

Well, there's a first time for everything. It's not going to be a problem, is it?

- No. - Good.

Why don't you pour us a couple of coffees and come on inside? I'm light, no sugar.

The stock is at 38, the tender's at 56.

Come in.

Yeah, what do we do about that?

Well, I just checked my three. What are yours?

Yeah, I have that one.

I think he's in an underwater position.

All right. That's our first and second call, and then we'll see where we are.

I'll count the minutes. Bye.

Thanks.

So, Tess, a few ground rules.

The way I look at it, you are my link with the outside world.

People's impression of me starts with you.

You're tough when it's warranted, accommodating when you can be.

You're accurate, punctual. You never make a promise you can't keep.

I'm never on another line, I'm in a meeting.

I consider us a team, and as such we have a uniform.

Simple, elegant, impeccable.

"Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman."

Coco Chanel.

How do I look?

You look terrific. You might wanna rethink the jewellery.

I want your input, Tess. I welcome your ideas and I like to see hard work rewarded.

It's a two-way street on my team. Am I making myself clear?

Yes, Katharine.

- And call me Katharine. - OK.

So, let's get to work, shall we?

This department's profile last year was pitiful. Our team's got its work cut out for it.

OK. Thanks.

Damn. I forgot my pills again. It's the third time this month.

Did you hear about that shot they got in Europe?

They're giving it to women, in their arm. It's good for five years.

Damn pills. I'm always forgetting 'em.

- I thought you might like this. - Thank you.

Tess, would you come in here and bring a notebook?

They've sold the paper and printing divisions.

They sell Distribution too, we're talking real scorched earth.

Come on in.

Tess, this is Ginny. Ginny, Tess.

I thought I'd throw a cocktail thing to introduce myself to the department.

Ginny here has some great ideas. Will you jot them down?

The caterer is called Acme Eats. You can get the number from Information.

They do the usual hors d'oeuvres.

The Raging Bull has a bartender service.

And the liquor store on Broadway and Liberty delivers.

- Got that, Bess? - Tess, yeah.

- If that's the way that you wanna go. - You have another idea?

Well, I was just reading in Wabout dim sum - these little Chinese dumplings.

A restaurant on Mott Street does them for cocktail parties.

- I love those little dumplings. - It might be more fun than the usual tidbits.

- I have it on my desk. I could get it. - You read W?

I read a lot of things. You never know where the big ideas could come from.

I guess you're right. If dumplings can be considered a big idea.

- Well, that oughta get you started... - Ginny, thank you so much.

- Back to the gold mines. - Right.

- You'll set those up? - Right away.

Dim sum, Tess. I like it, contribution-wise.

Keep it up.

The chief says "We will give you an honourable death."

"But first, Keke."

Excuse me. Excuse me.

- Dim sum? - Yes, yes.

Come on, Katharine. What do you say?

Jim, the man who spends every weekend in August glued to his desk,

that man knows that I can't just sneak out of my own party.

I'll tell you what, though. You get me in on the Southeast Air divestiture plan,

I'll buy you a drink. Bottle of Cristal, two straws.

- Deal? - Okey-dokey.

- Dim sum? - Hi.

Thank you. What a slob.

You were so smooth with him. I would have...

Never burn bridges. Today's junior prick, tomorrow's senior partner.

- So, how do you think the party's going? - Pretty well, I think.

Should I stop serving now?

- Better make one more round. - Right.

I'd help, but we can't busy the quarterback with passing out the Gatorade.

Arnie, my hero. You've come.

Yeah?

I have an idea and you said I could come to you.

Shoot.

Well, you know how Trask Industries has been looking to buy into broadcasting?

- The department is... - Working on it, yeah.

I've been following it myself, and all of a sudden I thought "radio."

- Trask is looking for television stations. - So is every Tom, Dick and Harry.

My idea is that they get their feet wet in radio and build from there.

It's not as glamorous as jumping right into TV,

but it's a solid place to start and there's a lot more of them for sale.

Plus it would solve Trask's problem with the Japanese trying to take him over,

because FCC forbids foreign ownership of radio as well as TV.