INNOCENCE AND ARROGANCE

by Kimberley Reeves

  “Well, what’s wrong with that?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve been there, remember? It’s not fun job hunting, not knowing if you’ll be able to pay the rent or going hungry so you can pay the utilities.”

  “You’re a lot more generous than I would be. What if you had a talk with her? After all, you’re the Executive over the administrative staff.”

  “No good,” Mina said. “I only handle the troubleshooting and disciplinary action if there’s been a complaint.”

  Barbara’s eyes lit up, a slow smile spreading across her face. “In that case, I’d like to issue a complaint.”

  Chapter 10

  Scott’s appointment ended much sooner than he expected. He’d planned on going straight home from there since it was so close to the end of the day. He and Mina were going out to dinner and then taking in a movie when she got home, but now that he had a little extra time, he thought he’d go back to the office and make a few phone calls before shutting down for the day.

  Before he’d started seeing Mina, most Fridays were spent working until eight or nine at night, but now he couldn’t wait to get out of the office so he could start his weekend with her. It didn’t hurt that she had things running so smoothly, he really felt no need to stay late. Scott stepped off the elevator and was surprised to find she wasn’t at her desk, but she was rarely gone for long so he went on into his office and shut the door.

  He started to sit down and noticed his coffee cup from that morning still sitting on his desk. Mina usually came in just before she left for the day and tidied up for him, including cleaning his cup for him, but since he wanted her to be able to leave when he did, Scott decided to straighten out his desk and wash the cup himself. Rather than go all the way to the break room, he just took the cup into his own private bathroom and rinsed it out.

  He was just drying the cup off when he heard Mina’s voice telling someone to have a seat and realized he’d forgotten she said she needed to use his office that afternoon for about fifteen minutes. When he’d asked her why she needed it, she’d hesitantly told him she had her first disciplinary meeting with one of the administrative staff.

  “Who is it?” Scott had asked her.

  “It doesn’t matter who,” she said evasively. “It’s my responsibility so I’ll deal with it.”

  Now he was caught between a hard spot and a rock. Rather than waltz out and interrupt her, he eased the door forward far enough they wouldn’t see him if they glanced this way. The truth was, he was curious as to who it was and how she would handle it so he propped himself against the sink and listened in.

  “Have a seat, Rene,” Mina said, taking her place behind Scott’s desk. “I’m sorry to say the reason I’ve asked to meet with you is because a complaint was issued against you.”

  “For what?” Rene asked sharply.

  Mina didn’t much care for her tone but let it slide. “The complaint states that you’re deliberately and malicious spreading rumors about your co-workers and causing dissention in the work place.”

  “Really,” she drawled. “And who was it that issued this complaint?”

  “That’s confidential, you know that. All I’d like to do is address the issue with you and see if we can come to an understanding.”

  Rene leveled a defensive look at Mina. “I haven’t said anything that wasn’t true.”

  “I’m sure you believe that, Rene, but I know for a fact not everything you’ve been saying is true. It’s also come to my attention that some of your information was obtained from personnel records that you weren’t authorized to read. That alone would be cause for dismissal, not only for you but for the individual who supplied the records to you.”

  Rene laughed derisively. “Oh for crying out loud, you can’t blame that poor boy because I conned him into getting them for me.”

  She was finding it extremely difficult to maintain her composure at Rene’s total lack of respect for her and for company policy. Still, the woman was extremely talented at her job and it would be a poor move on Mina’s part to allow one of their competitors to hire her. Besides, she took it as a personal challenge to help Rene move past this so that harmony could be restored among her co-workers.

  “So you admit you not only viewed personnel records you had no authority or right to look at, but that you repeated what you’d read to other co-workers?”

  Rene leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Why don’t we just cut to the chase, Miss Harmon. You and I both know how you got this job and it wasn’t your administrative skills. That job would have been mine if you hadn’t been sleeping with the boss so don’t pull your morally righteous act on me.”

  “I won’t even dignify that with answer,” Mina said evenly, “and I would strongly suggest you show me some respect.”

  Rene gave a short, nasty laugh. “Ha! Respect you? Why on earth would I do that? You get pulled out of the slums and set up in a fancy house like a damn princess because you spread your legs for the boss and I’m supposed to respect you! You’re nothing, you’re less than nothing. The President’s playmate,” she said viciously. “Let me tell you something else, Miss High and Mighty, you’re not the only woman Scott Travis has nailed in this company!”

  Mina stood up, her anger barely under control. “That’s a lie and you know it,” she said between clenched teeth. Mina leaned over the desk, her face cold as ice. “Now let me tell you something. I was willing to overlook your spiteful attitude and the nasty things you’ve said about me because you’re a good worker and I think as an employee you’re an asset to the company. All I was going to do was to ask you to stop what you were doing and let bygones be bygones. But don’t you dare make the mistake of thinking I’ll allow you to spread such vile rumors about Scott.”

  “So here are your options,” she said, the tone of her voice inferring there would be no negotiating. “First, you’ll retract your unpleasant little statement about Scott. Then you’ll take the weekend to consider how important your job is to you and let me know on Monday whether I need to start taking interviews for your replacement.”

  “I don’t see that you’ve really offered me any options,” Rene said, but Mina’s speech had obviously rattled her because her demeanor wasn’t nearly as cocky as it had been before.

  “Sure I have,” Mina crossed her arms. “You can retract what you said and let me know on Monday if you want to stay here or you can clean your desk out right now and consider this your last day of employment at S.S.T. Shipping.”

  Rena blinked uncertainly. “I…”

  Scott startled them both when he yanked the bathroom door open so hard it hit the wall with a loud bang. “I’ve heard enough to make the decision for Miss Robinson,” he said harshly.

  A little startled by his sudden appearance, Mina said weakly, “I thought you were out on an appointment.”

  “It didn’t last as long as I thought it would, but that’s not really the issue right now. I’d like you to gather your things,” he said sharply to Rene. “You have ten minutes then you’ll be escorted from the building. Human Resources will mail your final paycheck.”

  Rene’s lip started to tremble, suddenly totally deflated and obviously mortified that Scott had heard everything. “I’m sorry, I just…”

  Scott looked at her coldly. “Like I said, I’ve heard enough.”

  Rene nodded remorsefully, tears starting to form in her eyes and turned towards the door when Mina stopped her.

  “Wait, Rene.” Mina looked pointedly at Scott. “I believe the disciplinary actions, including termination of the administrative staff are my responsibility. I’ve made my decision on how this would be handled and I’d appreciate it if you would let me do my job.”

  ****

  Scott looked at her incredulously. “You’re not going to fire her after all the things she’s said about you and the name she called you right to your face?”

  “I gave her a choice. I don’t expect you to override my authority on this.”


  Scott glanced at Rene, who was standing rigidly in the middle of the room while they decided her fate. He’d listened to the conversation and the complete insubordination by Rene Robinson with mounting anger, but when she’d called Mina the President’s playmate, he’d nearly come unglued. Ignoring the stubborn expression on Mina’s face, he reinforced his own judgment on the matter.

  “Well, I am overriding your authority on this because I don’t think my company needs an employee with such a vindictive and spiteful personality.”

  “I believe it was you who once said we’ve all done things in our lives we weren’t exactly proud of, but we learn from it and move on.”

  Scott’s jaw flexed, irritated even more because he knew she was quoting him verbatim. “This is inexcusable and unforgivable. Now I’ve dismissed Miss Robinson and expect my order to be obeyed.”

  Mina arched a brow. “Well, Mr. Travis, if that’s your final decision, I guess I can’t do anything about it. As a matter of fact, since you’ve seen fit to take my authority away from me, I don’t believe I’ll be able to do the job you hired me for in a competent manner. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just be gathering my things and wait for Rene. That way Security only has to make one trip out of the building.”

  Scott looked from her to Rene and back again. “You’re quitting?” He sputtered.

  “Resigning. If you won’t allow me to do my job, then I see no reason to stay.”

  “Don’t push this, Mina,” he said, shaking with anger.

  She pressed her lips together and walked around the desk to join Rene whose face had gone horribly white. “Please, Miss Harmon,” she said in a faint voice, “don’t lose your job because of me.”

  “Could you wait for me by my desk?” Mina asked her. “I’d like to speak to Mr. Travis is private.” Rene nodded mutely then left them alone. “You hired me to do this job,” she said to Scott, “so please let me do it.”

  “And you’re not doing that job if you let her stay after they way she spoke to you.”

  “Just listen to me for a minute. Rene was hurt and angry when she didn’t get my job. Yes, she was wrong to say the things she did, and she was wrong to work up the other women. But I think she’s an excellent employee, Scott. I have faith she’ll go home this weekend and realize how unfair she’s been and come back on Monday with a whole new attitude.”

  “Well I disagree,” he said curtly.

  “I know you do, but you’re not seeing the big picture either. Look, if I terminate Rene, it will just cause even more dissension among the other administrative staff and it will all be directed towards me. I need her to stay, Scott, and I need it to be her decision. I’m asking you to trust me on this.”

  Scott shook his head. “She’s been malicious and vindictive in her attacks on you. On top of that she violated company policy as well as convincing someone else to do the same. I want you to fire her, Mina.”

  “Is that your final decision, to override the authority you gave me and terminate her regardless of what I’ve told you?”

  “It’s my company and I’ll do whatever I think is best for it.”

  She met his angry stare with one that was resigned and a little sad. “You’re right, it is your company but you can’t run it alone. Somewhere along the line you have to trust the people you hired to help you do that. I’m sorry,” she said quietly, “but I have to stand by my administrative team. Effective immediately, you have my resignation.”

  Far from making him back down, her determination to keep pushing the issue only served to make him angrier. “Do you think that’s going to make me change my mind? It’s a nice gesture, but I don’t think you really want to lose your job over this.”

  “No, I don’t,” she admitted. “I love my job. I love working with you and all the other people here, but I have to base my decisions on what I think is best for everyone concerned and I can’t do that if I have to worry you’ll come up behind me and totally disregard them. So you do what you have to, Scott, but I’m telling you the honest truth. If you terminate Rene, you’ll be losing two employees.”

  Scott raked his fingers irritably through his hair. “Damn it, Mina, you’re backing me into a corner! I want that woman out of here.”

  “That woman has been a loyal employee for years,” Mina’s own anger spiked sharply. “She made a mistake, Scott, why can’t you let her try to make up for it? She doesn’t deserve to have her whole life turned upside down, does she?”

  “I didn’t make that decision,” he said evenly, “she did.”

  Mina nodded sadly. “Okay, I’ll go tell her. But I won’t have her walked out by security like a criminal. I’ll stay with her while she gets her things and make sure she exits the building. If you think you can trust me, that is.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Mina. Just…get it done.”

  She turned without another word, closing the door behind her. Rene stood up when Mina approached, wringing her hands together, a worried look on her face.

  “I’m sorry,” Mina said with heartfelt sincerity. “I tried to get him to change his mind, but he’s in quite a mood right now. Maybe when he’s had time to calm down, he’ll rethink his decision. I told him I’d walk you out.”

  Rene gave her a weak smile. “Thank you, Miss Harmon. I don’t know why you stuck up for me, but I want you to know I really do appreciate it.” She looked at Mina apprehensively. “What about you? Is Mr. Travis angry with you?”

  “Furious, but don’t worry about me.” They stopped beside Rene’s desk. “I’ll find a box and be right back.” Mina went to the supply room and emptied out a few boxes then brought them back.

  “Oh, I’ll only need one,” Rene told her.

  “One is for me.”

  Rene glanced at her sharply. “He fired you?”

  “No, I resigned.”

  Rene stopped what she was doing. “Why would you that? Go tell him you changed your mind. I’m sure he’d take you back.”

  “What would he learn from that?” Mina shrugged.

  “What do you mean?”

  “He needs to trust me, Rene. He needs to trust me to do the job he hired me for and that the decisions I make are for the good of the company too. If I go back now, he’ll just continue to do the same thing and I don’t think I can work like that.”

  Rene put the last of her things in the box and walked to Mina’s desk with her. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Is this going to affect…you know, your relationship with Mr. Travis?”

  “I don’t know,” Mina said.

  She didn’t want to think about it right now. If she did, she was afraid she’d break down and cry. Mina dropped the empty box on her chair and left it there. She really had nothing of her own except her purse anyway.

  “Come on,” she smiled thinly, “us unemployed women need to stick together.”

  ****

  Mina drove home, her insides shaking almost as bad as her hands were. She slowed down when she passed Scott’s house and noticed his truck was there but his car wasn’t so he must not have come home from work yet. She’d stopped at Rene’s car to talk to her for a few minutes but ended up spending another twenty minutes there and thought maybe Scott would beat her home. She pulled into the driveway of the beach house feeling more frightened than she’d ever been in her life. Mina got out of the truck and climbed the stairs wearily. She let Buster out then kicked off her heels and went to change clothes.

  She wandered into the living room and decided if they were going to have it out, she might as well get it over with so she pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed Scott. Mina listened to the ring tone, her frown getting deeper after each ring that went unanswered. When his voice mail picked up, she disconnected the call. Well, that answered the question about how mad he was. She wasn’t quite sure what to do. They’d always been able to keep their business relationship separate from their personal life, but obviously this wasn’t something he was willing to talk about right now.

  S
he tried his phone several more times throughout the evening with no better results. Finally, in desperation, she clipped Buster’s leash on and walked along the beach to Scott’s house. She wasn’t about to initiate a conversation with him if he didn’t want one, but she had to make sure he’d made it home okay or she’d never be able to sleep. When she got close enough to his house to see his truck was indeed in the driveway, she sighed heavily and turned back. They’d never had a quarrel so bad that either of them had refused to talk to the other so this was quite a blow to her already unstable emotions.

  Mina spent the rest of the evening roaming from room to room with the cell phone clutched in her hand. She hadn’t bothered to leave any messages, but he’d know by the missed calls log on his phone how many times she’d attempted to reach him. Somehow, the thought that he’d look at the caller I.D. and disregarded the call when he saw it was her seemed unusually heartless and cruel. He had to know how much this was tearing her apart and yet he still refused to take her calls.