Who were you talking to just now?
I was talking to David.
He's an assistant here.
Whose assistant is he?
He's Olivia's assistant.
What did he say to you?
He told me that he was leaving the company.
Really?
Why is he leaving?
He's leaving because he doesn't like working here anymore.
When is he going to leave?
He's going to leave next month.
Where is he going to work?
He's going to work in St.
Louis, Missouri.
Which company is he going to work for?
He's going to work for a company called Round the Clock.
How big is that company?
It is pretty big, I've heard.
How many employees are there?
There are around 100 full-time employees.
How did he get that job?
He got that job by answering an online ad.
They were very impressed with him and hired him on the spot.
How much is he going to earn?
He's going to earn over $75,000 a year.
Hello, Mr. Robinson.
Welcome to Rome.
I'm Julia, your tour guide.
Hi!
Please, call me Larry.
Okay, Larry.
Nice to meet you.
How was the flight?
Are you very tired?
No, I'm fine.
Great!
Let's go to the parking lot then.
Okay.
Is it your first time here?
Yeah, I was in Europe when I was a student, but somehow I never got here.
In Rome you have the feeling of going back in time.
Nowhere in the world will you find as much history as here.
You're going to stay here just for two days, right?
Exactly.
And my final destination is Oxford.
I'm going to give a talk at a conference there.
So you're here for work, not pleasure?
Yes.
Well, maybe some pleasure too.
I have a friend who lives in Oxford, and we're planning to meet up.
That's nice.
Where are we going first?
To Hotel Savoy.
We have reserved for you a nice room on the fifth floor, on the front.
It is number 55.
Perfect.
Ok, so now I'm going to tell you a bit about our tour today.
We're going to drive to the center.
It takes about 45 minutes.
And then we're going to start at the Colosseum, Rome's most famous and recognized monument.
Great!
I've always wanted to see it.
I heard that the experience you get is truly one of a kind.
That's true.
It is one of the seven wonders of the world.
And then we're going to visit the Forum.
This is one of the most beautiful places you will find in Rome.
After that, we're going to see the Pantheon, one of the oldest buildings in the city.
Wow, I can't wait!
We're also going to visit the Trevi Fountain, in which you can toss a coin.
It is said that whoever does this will certainly come back to Rome.
Then I'm going to toss a coin too.
I want to come back someday, by all means.
Then we'll be very near the Via del Corso, where all the best shops are.
Would you like to maybe do some shopping?
Yes, of course.
I'd like to buy a lot of souvenirs for my family.
And then I'm sure you're going to be hungry, so I'm going to take you to a really nice restaurant for lunch.
There is a restaurant called La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali.
The food they serve is delicious.
I recommend ravioli di buratta, which is fresh pasta filled with cheese.
Or we can have pizza or a good carbonara, a gelato, an ice cream that is.
Our typical dishes, but I promise you, very different from Italian food in America.
Sounds great!
It's going to be a fantastic day!
Seth, you've been in our company for almost a year now.
What do you think of the other people in our department?
Well, there's one outstanding person, and that's Jessica.
She does excellent work and is a very good team player.
She has her feet on the ground.
She stands out from the others.
That's good to hear.
What about Nathan?
What do you think of him?
He's very able, but I wish he wasn't so conceited.
I don't know who he's trying to impress.
It's the female staff, I think.
He always shows off more with women around.
Yes, I guess he's just a bit arrogant.
But otherwise, his performance is fine.
His work certainly measures up.
He really wants to get ahead.
You can count on him.
So, there are no real problems then?
Well, I'm very worried about Melanie.
She seems to be screwing everything up at the moment.
Every time I give her instructions, she never seems to understand.
The other employees are complaining that they end up doing her work.
One of them dropped a hint that she might resign if nothing is done about it.
Oh dear.
I'll have a word with her and make it clear that she has to improve or we may have to ask her to leave.
Meredith, want to go out with me and Nora tonight?
We're going to have a great time together.
I don't want to be a killjoy.
I'm just not in the mood to go out.
You sure haven't been too happy lately.
Is anything the matter?
I'm feeling on edge these days, because there are rumors that there may be some layoffs at my company at the end of the month.
I can understand that.
Nobody lacks uncertainty, that's for sure.
Especially when you might end up without a job.
That's really too bad.
So, what's the story?
It's all because the management got carried away and took on too much debt.
How long has this been going on?
For some time, as it turns out.
I'm worried sick about my job.
Don't worry too much.
You have great qualifications and skills, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding another job.
But I don't want another job.
This one is perfect.
I love that it's so close to my home.
And please don't tell anyone, Alice.
I won't breathe a word.
And stop worrying.
Things always have a way of working out.
Don't take life too seriously.
Sometimes you just have to laugh at your problems.
Easier said than done.
It seems like everything's happening at once.
Why?
Is something else wrong?
Yeah, I'm having trouble with my car, and I can't really afford any big repairs right now.
I have to tighten my belt.
I know a reasonable mechanic.
I'll have him take a look.
Thanks, Alice.
It's good to know that I can always count on you.
And you're a good shoulder to cry on.
I really appreciate it.
I'm glad I could help you get a few things off your chest.
How was your dinner with David last night?
What did he want to talk to you about?
Well, he told me that he was planning to set up his own business.
Really?
What kind of business?
He wants to open a coffee shop.
You know, with sofas, good music, healthy food, Wi-Fi.
Somewhere you can really relax.
That sounds good.
Whereabouts?
Here, in Springfield.
I see.
Where exactly is the location?
It's right across the street from the downtown bus station.
Oh, that's a very good location.
Yes, it's the perfect spot for any business.
And here's the thing.
David asked me if I wanted to go into business with him.
What?
Are you serious?
What about your job then?
Are you going to quit?
Well, I can keep my job for a while to see how things work out.
I can quit later.
He's looking for someone to invest in the business.
He said he could raise half of the money and he wanted to know whether I could come up with the other half.
How much exactly? $40,000.
What?
Where on earth are we going to get that kind of money?
Well, we have $25,000 saved up.
And we could, um, take out a bank loan for the rest.
I don't know what to say.
It's a huge risk.
I'm sure it's going to be a very successful business.
Does David know anything about setting up a business?
Of course he does.
He majored in business.
Look, he's given me a copy of his business plan.
We can go through it together if you like.
Hmm, okay.
Have you paid the bills this month?
No, I haven't gotten around to it yet.
But I'm going to do it on Monday.
We got a late notice from the credit card company.
And what does it say?
The notice says that they haven't received the payment yet, and it's past the due date.
We are being charged a late fee of 10%.
I have the notice right here in this drawer.
Take a look.
There must be some mistake.
The due date is in one week, next Friday.
I'll call and talk to customer service first thing in the morning.
I'm sure it's a mix-up.
I really hope so.
The last time we were late with the payment, I told them that the check was in the mail, but they didn't buy it.
That's different.
Don't worry about it.
I'm sure I'll get it straightened out.
Worst comes to worst, we're only a month late.
I know I can count on you to take care of it.
Yes, leave it to me.
I'll take care of it tomorrow.
It's as good as done.
OK, darling.
Good morning, doctor.
Good morning, Alex.
How can I help you?
The side of my face is swollen again, and it's got an itchy rash on it.
It appeared a few days ago.
I had already come to see you about this a few months ago, if you remember.
Yes, I remember.
I gave you some ointment then, I think.
What happened to the rash when you put it on?
It cleared up after a month or so, but it's come back again.
I see.
Are there any animals in your house, by any chance?
Well, I take care of my neighbor's cat when she is away.
And I suppose she's away at the moment, right?
Yes, that's right.
Were you also looking after it when you last had the rash?
Yes, I was actually.
You might be allergic to cats.
Really?
It never crossed my mind that I might be allergic to cats.
So what do you advise me to do about it?
You should try to avoid the cat.
Can't you ask somebody else to take care of it while your neighbor is away?
Yes, I can.
I'll try to find somebody else then to look after it.
Fine.
I'm also going to prescribe two medicines, a cream and some tablets.
The tablets should reduce the swelling and the cream should clear up the rash.
How should I take the tablets?
Take one tablet in the morning and one tablet in the evening, 30 minutes before meals.
What about the cream?
You should apply it twice a day.
Squeeze out a fingertip-sized amount of cream and spread it in a thin layer over the area of irritated skin.
How long is it likely to be before the rash clears up?
If it hasn't gone in two weeks, come back and see me.
Thank you, doctor.