Forget the Yellow Brick Road

by Liz Green

  “He’s brave, isn’t he?” Catherine said.

  Dorothy laughed. “He is, isn’t he? But he always lands on his feet.”

  “I’m not sure I would have the courage to quit my job to follow a pipe dream,” responded Catherine, in a far more serious tone than Dorothy expected considering the mood in the room.

  “I wouldn’t say it’s a pipe dream,” retorted Dorothy. “He has just discovered his true purpose and is doing something about it.”

  Dorothy turned to look at Catherine, who herself was now intently looking at Scott but rather than pride, Dorothy felt Catherine’s eyes reflected envy.

  “What is it, Catherine? Are you OK?” prompted Dorothy.

  “Yes, of course. Well, not really, I guess,” Catherine struggled to say. “I am just genuinely tired of the balancing act. I feel like I give so much to The Organisation without getting anything back in return. I have been thinking lately that it might suit me to start my own consulting company so I can work the hours I want and directly benefit from the effort I put into my work.”

  “That sounds great, Catherine. Why don’t you?” Dorothy replied enthusiastically.

  With a sigh, Catherine responded, “With two kids now, a mortgage to pay, and my husband away so often, I just don’t think I can.”

  As she considered Catherine’s position, Dorothy looked over at Tim with his daughter and Fiona, giggling together as they sat around a table blowing up balloons. Tim had sacrificed his career for the love of his daughter and his love for Fiona. Through the years, Tim was the primary caregiver and supported Fiona in her career. And here they were together looking joyously happy and content with each other.

  Trent was working the room. His interest in adventure sports and intrepid travelling had increased during the past few years. Not only had he become more physically fit and tanned from spending time outdoors, his sun-bleached tousled hair and more casual dress exuded an air of freedom. He had clearly decided that he was working to live now, rather than living to work. Trent was still a ladies’ man, but his loyalty to himself meant that his casual relationships suited his needs and lifestyle choices perfectly.

  Dorothy did not feel as though she were in a position to hand out advice to Catherine, especially considering her current state of self-doubt. Since the night of the masquerade ball, she had been questioning everything about her life her purpose, her values, her vision for the future, and what she should do about it all. Despite how far she had journeyed in her career, she felt she was still only at the start and had a lot more to learn.

  “I suspect, Catherine, that in our lives the only barriers to our success are the ones we put in place ourselves,” she said. Dorothy paused and looked across at each of her friends in the room. “You just need to find the courage to believe in yourself and discover what you truly want from life. And I guess then it is just a matter of working out how to get it.”

  Dorothy and Catherine stood next to each other, watching the small crowd, reflecting on what Dorothy had just said and relating it to their own personal and professional lives. The party continued in full swing around them.

  Three years later…

  CHAPTER 17

  How Dorothy Was Launched

  It was a glorious morning. The sky was clear and blue, and Dorothy could hear the occasional marine navigational bell, the seagulls on their first flight of the morning, and the lapping of the calm water. The smell of salty sea air was overtaken by the delectable smell of eggs and bacon cooking.

  Dorothy looked down at her perfectly manicured toes dangling over the side of the boat, high above the water. She swung her legs back and forth with a girly freedom she had not felt for a very long time. They were as tanned as they used to be when she was a child, running through the sprinkler in the backyard of her family home on hot summer days.

  “Breakfast is ready,” called The Captain from the galley of the boat.

  Dorothy and The Captain had begun seeing each other shortly after that night, when he helped her remove her mask on the pier. He was a true gentleman. Dorothy admired his restrained sense of confidence and his ability to control a situation without effort. His calm and responsive nature made Dorothy feel nurtured and safe. She also adored how he looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  Most of the time they had spent together was on board his own private boat. Although not quite as large as the ship on which she had first met him, this boat was impressive in its own way. The expansive flybridge deck, generous staterooms, full-width saloon, and dining area meant this boat was larger than Dorothy’s own apartment. Sweeping windows spanned the saloon and dining area, enhancing the yacht’s open layout with a dramatic, uninterrupted panoramic outlook. The area below deck was a combination of contemporary styling and uncompromising interior design. A blend of solid hardwood, glass mosaic tiles, and granite and marble work surfaces made the space look like a penthouse suite in a five-star hotel.

  When Dorothy referred to the boat as a boat, The Captain was quick to remind her that it was a ‘yacht’. Despite his reminders, Dorothy continued to get this wrong. She had always thought yachts were boats with sails.

  The Captain called this yacht home. During the summer, he worked as a captain on corporate event ships. In winter, he would take his yacht to the tropics, where the weather was just perfect at that time of year, and offer private cruises to wealthy holiday makers.

  Summer was coming to an end, and Dorothy knew she only had a month or so more until The Captain would be preparing to leave her. When he left last winter, she was incredibly lonely and grateful for the distraction that work offered her. On many occasions, he asked her to fly to meet him for a holiday, but Dorothy was always too busy to get away.

  Her relationship with The Captain was exclusive, but still only casual, as they both knew their lifestyles did not align. Dorothy was often working when The Captain had time off, and vice versa.

  Sitting across the table from The Captain, eating the breakfast he so lovingly cooked, Dorothy felt a wave of emotion. Without thinking, under her breath she said, “I love you.” She gasped as she realised she had spoken her thoughts aloud. She was afraid to look up from her plate. She had promised herself not to fall in love with him because their lives were so different she just could not see how it could work long term. Perhaps The Captain had not heard what she’d said, she thought, but she could no longer hear the clanking of cutlery on his plate and knew that he must have heard. Dorothy looked up tentatively and saw that he was smiling back at her.

  “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me to hear you say that,” he said.

  The Captain reached across the table and took her hand in his, and with the utmost sincerity and care, he said, “And I love you, too.”

  Dorothy had been the group financial director for several years now. Last year the CFO was scheduled to retire but, at the eleventh hour, could not bring himself to do so. Just last week, while he and Dorothy were sitting together in his office discussing the quarterly figures, the CFO told her that his wife insisted that he retire this year, so they could do some travelling and enjoy themselves before they were too old. He said he could not take the nagging any longer and that shortly he would be advising The Organisation of his retirement.

  Despite her concerns about the direction of her career, Dorothy had remained swept up in the current of The Organisation and continued as though everything was fine. Everything was fine now. She was next in line to take over as The Organisation’s chief financial officer. This opportunity was everything she had been working so hard for all these years. She knew that once the CFO announced his retirement, it would be three months before he would officially hang up his gloves and his replacement would step into the ring. That would allow enough time to recruit his replacement. Many people, including the CFO himself, had told Dorothy that she was the right person to take over the job.

  During the regular executive general manager meeting the following week,
the CFO notified his peers of his intended retirement. After some subdued cheering and clapping for him, the CEO interjected and said, “We will be aiming to recruit and announce his replacement within eight weeks. We have some very strong candidates in mind already, so the board and I don’t think it will be a difficult task.”

  That night, Dorothy had dinner with The Captain to celebrate. Standing on the stern of the yacht, The Captain uncorked the champagne, and Dorothy held out the glasses for him to fill. They held up their champagne-filled glasses as The Captain asked, “What should we

  toast to?”

  “To success,” Dorothy rejoiced. “What else!”

  The dinner of tender, barbequed, seared salmon and sweet asparagus with lemon that The Captain had cooked was heavenly. In light of her new success, everything tasted better to Dorothy. That was until The Captain said, “Dorothy, I’ll be leaving next week for the winter.”

  The mouthful of food that Dorothy was chewing suddenly tasted dry and sour.

  “Surely you don’t have to. Please stay with me. You love me, don’t you?” pleaded Dorothy.

  It seemed to Dorothy that The Captain had been prepared for her reaction and he had scripted his response either that or he really spoke from his heart.

  “Dorothy, I do love you,” he said. “But, you see, I learned a long time ago that in a relationship you must be able to stay true to yourself. If I were to stay here during the winter with you, Dorothy, for your career, I would be forgoing what has always been my dream to run tours throughout the tropics. I feel my truest, my strongest, and my most inspired when I am at sea on my own yacht. It took me years to discover my true passion in life,” replied The Captain.

  Although he was delivering what should have been sad news, his eyes shone with excitement. Whenever he spoke about his adventures at sea, Dorothy was engrossed in his stories. He eloquently and passionately described every single detail and inspiring moment. She envied his passion for what he did. Dorothy had to work so tediously hard to achieve success, and it was success that inspired her. Consequently since she still had not yet achieved that success; she was still waiting to feel that same sense of passion and achievement that The Captain had for his life. She had started a journey that she was committed to seeing through. At this moment in her life however, she could now smell the sweet scent of success. The CFO job was within her reach.

  The Captain continued. “Dorothy, have you found your passion? Have you recently spent the time to evaluate your life and reassess what success really is for you?” he asked. “You so often talk about this journey you are on, but, Dorothy, there is no golden path.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Dorothy shrieked. “I am about to reach the pinnacle of success in my career, and you are questioning me about my ability to evaluate what I want in life? What I want is to be the youngest and first female CFO ever appointed to The Organisation.”

  “Why?” asked The Captain.

  Dorothy looked back at him with detestation. How dare he question her like that? She knew exactly where she was headed. She was focused and committed to The Organisation and the role she knew she would soon have. He should be proud of her level of achievement, not questioning it.

  Dorothy thundered. “Why? Because I….” Dorothy hesitated. “Because….”

  Dorothy could not answer the question. Why did she want to be the youngest and first female CFO The Organisation had ever appointed?

  Dorothy was furious and scooped up her belongings to leave. As she was about to step off the yacht, she turned to The Captain and said, “Because then I will be successful.” She marched away without turning back.

  Two weeks later one month after the CFO’s announcement The Captain left for the tropics. Dorothy did not speak to him again after that night, but she had driven past the marina where his yacht was normally berthed and saw that it was gone.

  The next month was packed full of discussions with the CEO and board. Corporate gossip was rampant, and Dorothy heard that they were secretly interviewing an external candidate. Regardless, all signs were positive, and she was confident that the role would be hers and there would be an announcement at the next executive general manager meeting. With the meeting now only a few days away, Dorothy was certain that she would be given an employment contract for the role in advance at any time.

  On the day of the executive general manager meeting, Dorothy still had not heard anything about the new position. She had attempted to get in contact with the CEO, but his executive assistant was an exceptional gatekeeper. The current CFO insisted he knew nothing of the progress of the decision making. In fact, he had already disengaged from his role and was planning the first holiday he would be taking with his wife in years.

  Dorothy was feeling incredibly nervous. She couldn’t call Trent because he was off climbing some mountain. Scott Crow was busy campaigning. Tim Woods and Fiona Miller were overseas in the final stages of arranging an international adoption. Catherine Lyons’ phone was redirecting straight to voice mail.

  Dorothy pulled herself together and pushed her anxiety aside. Actually, she thought, it would make sense for the announcement to be made publicly in the meeting, as everyone was in support of her. In fact, Dorothy made a note to herself that she should try to look surprised when the announcement was made.

  The meeting proceeded as normal. The agenda listed the new CFO appointment as the last item. Dorothy did her best to remain calm and collected throughout the meeting and to contribute as usual to the business topics being discussed. After the CEO finished the second-last item on the agenda, he leaned forward and pressed the speaker button on the conference phone which sat in front of him on the boardroom table. “Now please,” he said to someone at the other end of the line.

  “Surely they wouldn’t be bringing in a gift or cake for the announcement, would they?” thought Dorothy. She sat upright in her chair, ready and poised.

  The CEO began. “We have spent many weeks deciding on the best person for the job as The Organisation’s new CFO,” he said. “The person we have selected is experienced and hardworking, with exceptional financial and economic knowledge. We believe this candidate will help drive a new vision and direction for The Organisation. With unanimous board support, I am proud to announce the new CFO of The Organisation as…”

  The door of the boardroom opened, and everyone turned to see what or who was coming through the door. “Please welcome Oliver Graham, your new CFO,” the CEO said.

  Moments later…

  CHAPTER 18

  Away to Sea

  Dorothy sat facing the window of her office. She was uninterested in what was happening on the floor behind her. Nor was she interested in the papers on her desk, the to-do list in her diary, or the things going on outside of the window. She was disinterested in the office buildings and the cars and people hurrying through the streets. The only part of the view out of her window that interested her was the harbour. The water glistened, the moored boats swayed peacefully back and forth, the sails of the sailing boats were full of wind, and the motorboats left a trailing white wake behind them. If only she could hear the lapping of the water, the song of the seagull, and the occasional ring of the navigation bell from where she stood. Dorothy looked down at her legs, firmly crossed and hanging off her executive chair, and at her restrictive stiletto-heeled shoes. Dorothy desired that feeling of freedom that she had experienced ever so fleetingly with The Captain on his yacht.

  Disillusioned and humiliated, still gazing out the window, and with her back to The Organisation, Dorothy picked up her phone and called The Captain.

  The tropical winter was in full swing. The Captain had just said farewell to his first guests of the season and was preparing the yacht for the arrival of his next guests, a family of four. He was looking forward to their company. These guests had been regulars for three years, and as a result, they had become quite good friends. The children were eight and ten years old. They thoroughly enjoyed this holiday with thei
r parents each year. Their father was an entrepreneur. Their mother, an attorney, left corporate life a few years ago to pursue her interest in holistic therapies. The couple balanced each other wonderfully and seemed to teach The Captain a different lesson every time they spent time together aboard the yacht.

  While polishing the brass on the flybridge, The Captain’s phone rang. He wiped his hands on the towel tucked into the back of his shorts and picked up the phone to see Dorothy’s name on the screen.

  He had missed her terribly. In retrospect, he realised it was inevitable that she would react the way she did when he questioned her on her life and the choices she had made. He did not regret his question, however, because he knew she was still working toward something that he was not sure was going to truly fulfil her. He wondered why she was calling now. Perhaps it was to gloat and tell him that she had become the CFO and that it was everything she had hoped it to be. In a way, he hoped that was why she was calling, as that would mean she was finally happy. On the other hand, he also hoped it might be that she missed him terribly, just as he missed her.

  He picked up the phone. “Dorothy, how are you?”

  “I didn’t get the job,” he heard Dorothy say.

  “I’m so sorry, Dorothy. I know how much you wanted that job.”

  Silence fell between the two. The Captain could hear her sniffles and realised that she was crying. He desperately wanted to reach through the phone and take her in his arms and hold her until everything was all right again.

  “What are you going to do?” asked The Captain.

  Dorothy rambled about how important her career was to her and the sacrifices and compromises she had made over the years. She explained how she had told herself all this time that she hadn’t been doing so, because she was so focused on following the damn ‘path’ and climbing the corporate ladder, and now it seemed that life had passed her by. She told him she now realised that she was not going to feel any more successful in the corner office with the title of CFO. She knew that what had motivated her was just the thrill of the challenge, not the job, not the people, and not the personal reward.