NON-NEGOTIABLE

by RENATA BARBER

  "Naturally."

  Elizabeth never even bothered to glance back at him. In her mind, she knew he was probably staring down his nose at a mere peon. Instead, she turned her attention to the clock hanging above the front desk where the receptionist, having returned to her desk, was now seated.

  It was nearly nine o'clock and somehow the time had slipped by.

  As she approached her supervisor and greeted him, she could tell that he was more nervous than she. His eyes darted like pinballs and seemed to hold the pathetic expression he usually donned when upper management was in the vicinity; something between panic and forced cheerfulness as he greeted each and every board member and CEO entering the main conference room.

  Suddenly, he caught hold of her arm, tugged her off to the side, whispering, “I thought you would've already been set-up,” obviously annoyed more from the fact that he might be held somehow responsible for her tardiness.

  "The receptionist was away on her break and the door was locked,” Elizabeth calmly explained. Gobbels abruptly broke away from her, ignoring her excuse, and returned to his post when he spotted the chairman of the board, Mr. Kilpatrick.

  With no time to spare, Elizabeth swooped right past them and entered the conference room.

  Inside, secretaries and administrative staff had begun serving coffee and pastries as the room slowly began to fill to its full capacity. There were salutations, hearty handshakes and future dates for golf at country clubs frequented by the ‘good ole boys’ network. Elizabeth hardly noticed any of them as she frantically raced to the front of the room and set her valise down on the conference table. She then searched for an electrical outlet along the wall and plugged in the projector. Hurrying back over to the front of room she took out her graphic slides and began putting them in order with her notes for the presentation.

  Meanwhile, Jared Bentley studied her from the opposite end of the table, his eyes missing nothing. He appeared every inch the corporate mogul; he nodded, when it was appropriate for him to respond and seemed engrossed in discussion with the other executives. He knew they were only comparing their opinions against his on business matters that were beyond them. He certainly wasn't about to give up that information to anyone.

  But the game he was most interested in now wasn't entirely business related. At the moment it required his full concentration. Ms. Lowell looked flustered and disorganized but was trying desperately to conceal it. Jared couldn't help but feel a twang of compassion for this educated yet misguided woman, because she would never rise to her full potential. Not in this corporation, anyway. When he contemplated her predicament, in particular, which wasn't unlike many other employees, he had to admit that some things in this world were predestined and unfair.

  A plan was beginning to take shape in Jared's mind, one which wouldn't be difficult to enact or necessarily require him to step too out of character, or draw too much attention for that matter. No, it was better if he simply let the pieces fall where they may. The meeting was finally called to order by the chairman of the board of Tri-Star Investments, Mr. Kilpatrick, a man well past the age of official retirement yet surprisingly youthful, full of vigor and, according to many of his associates, still considered in his prime.

  "My fellow board members, this meeting is now called to order. Our treasurer, Mr. Riley will begin with the Minutes."

  As the Minutes were read, Elizabeth sat quietly off to the side but very soon it became apparent all eyes were on her, now, curious, some suspicious. She was painstakingly aware that she was the only woman in the room; even Madeline had been excluded from attending. Elizabeth did her best to steel her nerves away from the spotlight, but this proved more difficult than she'd imagined. Rude stares came at her all once, threatening her confidence, making her feel as if she had no business entering this private sphere reserved for men only. As Elizabeth's gaze slowly descended towards her feet, she realized the treasurer had finally announced her name, followed by restrained applause.

  The moment had arrived and there was no time to wonder whether or not she'd succeed. Elizabeth stood firmly, and took her place at the front of the room.

  "Gentlemen, what I'm proposing would be considered controversial by most people in this room, however; the type of fund I'm suggesting would be tax-deferred and generate nearly thirty percent more revenue for all of our investors” she began.

  Eagerly, she glanced around the room at their faces and tried to summon feedback. When none came she immediately switched on the projector. “The Liberty fund would only use a minimum investment of two percent of our investor's profits, ensuring them stability when the market is volatile, as well as boosting this company's average on the NASDAQ and S&P exchange. The quarterly dip in profits we've been currently sustaining would diminish considerably if this fund was offered as an additional option in our portfolio plans. Now, if you'll turn your attention to the screen..."

  Suddenly, there was grumbling in the room, the quiet quickly diminishing into an audience that made no secret that it was openly offended and displeased that a junior analyst, no less a woman, should preach to them about the financial stability of the company, especially when they'd managed quite well, so far, without her input.

  Old money, new money, generations that saw men, sons, fathers, even grandfathers sitting on the prestigious board since the late 1800's, when the company was first formed under the name, Worth & Hughes was suddenly to be subjected to a female's perspective?

  By the time Elizabeth realized that was soooo not going to happen, it was too late.

  Outraged by her presumption, one of the board members stood up to protest.

  "I believe your title as a junior analyst doesn't qualify you, Ms. Lowell, to make these kinds of suggestions to our board, especially when this company isn't paying your salary for that advice. Perhaps you should pay more attention to the responsibilities of your position."

  The initial insult almost knocked the wind out of her. Elizabeth took several deep breaths before continuing. She knew this idea wasn't going to be easy to present, but she'd come too far to just give up. She proceeded to lay out the details.

  "Gentlemen, if you'd kindly turn your attention to the screen, I believe I'll be able to clearly demonstrate my findings that support this plan. I assure you it's logical, cost-effective and efficient."

  "Facts are what this company was built on, not whimsical theories, Ms Lowell. Our investors know our track record for staying ahead of the curve,” another board member snarled.

  "Sir, I realize that. All I'm suggesting is that there might possibly be a more efficient way to offset the recent volatility of the markets for our investors and at the same time, a better way to stabilize profit-losses for this company."

  "I believe your responsibilities lean more towards providing administrative support for our senior analysts. But, what troubles me most is who authorized this presentation in the first place?"

  Suddenly, all eyes flew in the direction of Mr. Gobbel, who sat near the door, tongue-tied, his cheeks burning. It seemed heads were about to roll and the desperation written on his face clearly stated it wouldn't be his.

  A senior analyst rose to his feet and immediately came to his defense. As planned, this ally had been strategically invited to the meeting, just in case things should stray off course, like they were now, jeopardizing the outcome.

  "This is just another example of what our department has been dealing with during the past several months, an employee who doesn't seem to want to follow proven theories and keeps insisting that we're ill-informed advising our investors leading them in the wrong direction. Mr. Gobbel was kind enough to bring the matter to our attention a few weeks ago and we suggested this presentation and what it warrants should be included at this meeting. It's definitely out of our hands,” the senior analyst concluded, shaking his head, adding weight to the gravity of his statement

  The truth had surfaced out of nowhere.

  A set-up and the reasons behind it suddenly ca
me sharply into focus, the many times she was warned about her unconventional ideas. Elizabeth felt her stomach churn, rumbling inside. She knew her head was on the chopping block. Each glance that followed thereafter from a CEO or board member was a clear indication of what was about to happen. The final blow was sure to be harsh. Before it came, all eyes suddenly turned towards that bastard, Jared Bentley. He stared at her blankly, as if he'd never met her before today. He had perfected the art of nonchalance as he sat there pretending that his input hardly mattered; whatever the fate of this employee might entail. Casually, he leaned over and whispered something in Mr. Kilpatrick's ear, leaving a trail of suspense behind for the others to ponder.

  Mr. Kilpatrick stood up, satisfied with his private consultation.

  "Since you seem adamant and headstrong about your theories as opposed to ‘our’ way of providing sound investment methods, characteristics not found in a loyal team player, perhaps this board should seriously consider whether or not you're best suited for this company. In fact, let us take a vote on it, now."

  The room began to spin and her breath grew shallow. Elizabeth's eyes darted from CEO to board member before settling on the real culprit deciding her future. When their eyes locked, Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat; the fear in her gaze was real enough. The ferocious, hungry glint in his eyes proved that, at the core, the very essence of this powerful man was savage beast, ready and poised for the kill. It came swiftly.

  One by one the hands of the board members rose, until it seemed there wasn't anyone left to defend her position.

  "Ms. Lowell we've unanimously decided that your services are no longer required at Tri-Star Investments. Please clear out your desk by the end of the day."

  A sense of pride had been restored to the room, setting an unquestionable male tradition upright, where it belonged. It was as if the entire room expelled a sigh of relief as members vacated their seats and began piling out. Justice had been served, at last. Elizabeth's hands were shaking as she quietly gathered up her slides and turn off the projector. It took what was left of her pride not to break down in front of this archaic mindset. She didn't have a strategy for her current state of unemployment, but she'd be damned if she'd allow them to see the vulnerability of a woman's tears.

  Moments later everyone had left, except for her nemesis. Jared quietly stood by the door and observed his prey, feasting on the remains, lingering by the door as he said goodbye to a few of his colleagues, probably so he'd have the last word, Elizabeth thought as she strode towards him.

  As she approached him, Jared simply smiled at her and placed something in her palm before quietly disappearing through the door of the conference room; no comment or condolences were offered.

  Elizabeth quickly glanced down at her hand with pure disdain. It was his business card for Bentley Industries. Flipping it over she noticed that something was scribbled on the back.

  "If your pride will allow it, we have room for innovative thinkers. However, please be aware that this particular offer does come with a price tag attached."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The air beneath the metro was stifling, each breath more difficult than the one before. By the time Elizabeth finally reached the platform she was gasping, nothing more than a walking corpse incapable of making sense of anything, least of all the events leading up to her demise; the opportunity to advance; gone—Up in smoke in a matter of forty-five minutes.

  It took guts to walk back into the analyst department after the board meeting and combat stares from nosy employees. While she packed up her files and a few personal belongings in her cubicle, whispers abounded all around the department; from cubicle to cubicle to the copying center and break room, an entire floor buzzing with scandalous rumors and hearsay. Nearby, some of the senior analysts who hadn't been at the meeting were wildly agitated and anxious to find out the news about the fate of the employee who had come to symbolize for many, nothing but trouble.

  "Gentlemen I believe our ‘little’ problem has finally run out of steam,” one snarky senior analyst remarked while he filled in the details for his colleagues around him.

  Elizabeth winced when she overheard those details that made her look just plain dumb, naive and unprepared, a fawn that innocently and unwittingly walked into a hunter's trap. Heavy emotion and outrage that would have to wait to express itself, pressed against her insides and threatened to explode, forcing her to stop for a few minutes and pull herself together before continuing her task. She barely made it through the lobby and onto the street. Everything was a blur.

  Now, at her apartment, Elizabeth inserted the key and was just about to click the latch, when the door mysteriously swung open; it had been unlocked all during the time she was at work.

  Her heart was racing. The disappointment she'd been feeling was tossed aside, replaced by an eerie coiling apprehension, a pulsing sensation that made her limbs heavy, weighed down and sluggish. It couldn't be happening, again, she reasoned.

  Elizabeth forced herself to walk inside and then set her things down on the counter, her breath quivering at the slightest noise, listening when she thought she'd heard something swoosh by her.

  She pivoted, jerked back against the counter, coming face to face suddenly with the discovery.

  "I heard what happened at work, so I rushed over here” Madeline sympathized.

  "Jesus, you frightened me,” Elizabeth said, catching her breath. She suddenly remembered she'd given Madeline a spare key six months ago. The thought brought a sigh of relief. Madeline saw the evidence, the faint lines in Elizabeth's forehead, drawn listless eyes, like she'd been crying for hours, the life force sucked out of her.

  "Are you alright?"

  "I'm fine. I just wish you'd given me a clue you were coming, that's all,” Elizabeth was feeling defensive, nerves raw and exposed to the slightest bit of satire that might suddenly send them tumbling over the edge.

  "I just thought you could use a shoulder to cry on. Why didn't you call me, earlier?"

  "I didn't think it would be appropriate after today's spectacle. Besides...” Mid-sentence, she couldn't form a single word.

  Elizabeth tried to squelch the emotions steadily rising in her, again. Now that her hopes were dashed and tears made their way to the corners of her eyes, sobbing, she blurted out the ugly truth.

  "I was set-up by those senior analysts! They were just waiting for the right moment. Why didn't I see it coming? Jesus, how stupid could I be? I walked right into their trap...” Elizabeth grabbed a fist full of tissues and dabbed the corners of her eyes and then blew her nose.

  It was the decent thing to do to let her finish out her grief, give her full rein to express the disillusionment and disappointment she was feeling. But, afterwards, Madeline decided it was time to steer her friend in another direction entirely. What was done was done. Even if she was hesitant, at first, the hand of destiny was on standby. She just needed to be pushed.

  "If you look at the situation, calmly objectively, actually, you have every reason to celebrate, Elizabeth."

  "Celebrate?” Elizabeth snapped. Madeline's calm, cool assessment of her predicament had gotten under her skin and reached the point where the irritation was begging for her to address it. The ability to withstand the sometimes-arrogant aspects of her friend's personality had vanished.

  "I've just lost my job at one of the top investment firms on Wall Street, not to mention my one shot at advancing my career and you think this is a reason to celebrate?"

  "You've been saying you were stuck in a rut for the longest time and now you have the perfect opportunity to change your circumstances. That is a reason to celebrate. You're just not seeing clearly, but it's understandable."

  "I have no back-up, no reserve and now, no job to replenish these things. If I remember correctly these are the tools you need to manage your money and survive in this rotten world,” Elizabeth spewed

  "Another job will do the trick. You were offe
red one, today, I believe."

  "How would you know that?"

  "The news has been circulating throughout your department all day. I thought the rumor was true. Is it?"

  There was a long pause.

  "Yes."

  "Well, there you go."

  "Oh, please don't mention that man. He was at today's meeting and I'm sure his influence had something to do with the chairman of the board giving me the hatchet right then and there. When it was over he had the nerve to offer me a position at his company, with strings attached, no less. Hah, as if I had no other recourse! What arrogance!"

  "I hope you accepted it."

  "Over my dead body! I'd rather starve, first!"

  "Well, let's not go to any extremes, yet. Elizabeth, you're an intelligent woman, but you're not being very smart right, now."

  "All I have to do is find another job. That's all."

  "But, why make matters more difficult when the opportunity is right in front of you?"

  "If you think Jared Bentley is offering me anything viable think, again. More likely, he's after some kind of revenge on winning that silly ornament. The man's a sore loser and carries a grudge. It's tragic, really when you think about it."

  Elizabeth suddenly walked over to her bed, opened her nightstand drawer and took out the amber heirloom before slipping it on her finger.

  "I'm not willing to hand over what I paid for and won fairly to someone who snaps his fingers and gets everything he wants."

  "And what do you think he wants, Elizabeth?” Madeline challenged

  "I don't care what he wants. It's what I want that matters!"

  "Correct. And, what you want you can have."

  "Not with his company."

  "When you see what you're up against out there, you may have a change of heart in a few days."

  Elizabeth kicked off her heels with such force that they slammed up against the dresser drawer. She sank back on her bed, defiantly folded her arms and wished that for once, things had gone her way. With a hefty setback on her hands she wasn't exactly looking forward to the challenge ahead.