A Different Kind of Valentine

by K. J. Dahlen

  Frank made a cutting motion with his finger across his throat. "Move it!"

  Daniel would have balked at Frank's histrionics if he hadn't said the magic words - corporate headquarters. There might be some truth to the office gossip he’d overheard in the coffee room. They'd find out at the meeting.

  Daniel’s plan was to slip quietly into the conference room without notice and take the nearest chair. When he opened the door, he was horrified to find all the seats occupied and people leaning against the walls.

  "It's nice you could join us." Douglas Toland, the company President, remarked.

  Daniel's cheeks flushed hotly. All eyes in the room were on him. He lowered his head, said nothing, and moved to blend in with the others leaning against the wall.

  "As I was saying before our interruption," Ed Brody, Division Manager, continued, "there are going to be some changes and, I'm afraid, some of you will be leaving us. I'm not sure where we’ll be streamlining but we need to tighten our belts. We're trying to work smarter not harder. We hired time management consultants several weeks ago..."

  There were several gasps and terrified expressions froze on many faces.

  "Good! I see no one detected them. Because of the reports sent to us by our consultants, we realized how much time and money is being wasted. In this market, we can't afford to give away money or business. Each of your department heads will meet with you individually. The results of the survey will be discussed as well as what management has planned for your department. So, if no one has any questions, this meeting is adjourned."

  The happy chattering people who had entered the conference room left solemn and grim faced. Daniel wasn't too worried.

  Oh, sure, I was little late for the meeting, but I’ve been with the company for thirteen years, right out of college. My progress reports have all been positive, and I’ve always gotten a raise. They wouldn’t have sent me to the conference last year if they were unhappy with my work, would they?

  They needed the expertise of his field. That's what they told him when they recruited him before graduation. He couldn’t really see how anything had changed.

  The only person beside Daniel not fazed by the news was Frank. Daniel couldn't understand why he should be so carefree. He felt kind of sorry for the guy. Frank was one of the last to be hired. They were always the first to go.

  Back in the office, Daniel checked his phone messages and, sure enough, there was his Monday morning call from Nadine.

  Frank bounced into their office. "Man, didn't you read your email Friday?"

  Daniel muttered something about being too involved with a motherboard problem to be reading mail on the computer.

  Frank looked at him, "You don't know how to use it, do you?"

  Daniel tried to ignore him. He gathered the materials he'd need to face Nadine.

  Frank persisted, "You don't know how, do you?"

  "Alright. I don't know how to use this system and don't see why I need to know. The old email system and phone messaging work fine. They’ve worked perfectly well for thirteen years. I'll be in accounting."

  Frank shook his head. "You just don't get it. You're going to get left behind if you don't start trying to learn the new technology.

  "I'm going to dig into the new project Mr. Toland has entrusted to me. I only need to figure out one more angle and the program will save the company millions in freight and shipping costs. It was so easy it was like stealing money. Capitalism is great."

  Daniel grabbed his materials and huffed out of the office.

  Daniel lived through the horror of Nadine the Accounting Witch, yet again. If they didn't find the glitch in her program, he was sure he'd develop a bleeding ulcer. He struggled through the rest of the day. Five o'clock finally arrived. The reception area was jammed with unusually somber office workers fleeing to the haven of their homes and families. Daniel envied those with families. They had someone to whom they could vent their feelings. He went home to an empty house.

  He really had no one to blame but himself. When he'd first started with the company, his college sweetheart, then fiancée, had also been hired. After one too many nights of overtime, she returned his ring and quit the company. She'd gone back to school to become a dental assistant. She'd married her boss, the dentist. Daniel heard they had a thriving practice and three kids.

  Well, he had this townhouse, Gram hinted she was going to will it to him, and he was saving for that car. Daniel steered the Thunderbird carefully into the garage, got out and closed the door. Walking to the mailbox, he heard the high-pitched whine of the finely tuned sport car before he saw it.

  Screeching around the corner, the red beauty skidded into the driveway. The driver got out and stretched his long legs.

  "Beautiful car," Daniel heard himself say to the neighbor.

  "Yeah, it's an expensive toy my wife wanted. I'd rather have your Thunderbird," the neighbor said as he strolled into his side of the townhouses.

  Daniel stood admiring the lines in the dusky light. If he had an expensive sports car, he'd never be alone. He was sure men who drove them had their pick of women, jobs, everything life had to offer. Sighing, he closed his empty mailbox and went inside. After a day like today, all he wanted was to heat up a TV dinner and relax.

  Taking the hot tray out of the oven with potholders, Daniel maneuvered through the dining room and set the dinner on the TV tray in front of his lounge chair. He looked at the TV Guide. There was nothing worth watching. Monday nights were desolate unless you were a sports fan. He’d finish his dinner and read until he got tired enough to go to bed.

  Weather during Indian summer was proving unpredictable. It could be cold and frosty in the morning and blistering hot in the afternoon. Tonight was uncomfortably warm. Daniel left a window open hoping for a cool breeze to stir the stifling air. The heat wrapped around him skimming across his skin but after tossing and turning, Daniel finally dropped off to sleep.

  ~ * ~

  "You miserable excuse for a man!"

  "You’re right, I’m miserable. And guess who made me miserable?"

  "Take your damned expensive play toy and go back to your hooker girlfriend!"

  "Anything to get away from you, you witch!"

  He awoke at three a.m. to the sound of screaming, cursing voices. He thought he was dreaming until he heard the blood-curdling scream. Blue and red flashing light strobed across his walls. He crawled out of bed to see what was happening. A couple of police cars were parked outside his neighbor's home. The woman was screaming and waving a knife-wielding fist at the man he’d seen after work in the driveway. He was shouting obscenities and lunging toward her, grabbing at the knife. Two large police officers were keeping the couple apart. Feeling confident the police had things handled, Daniel retreated to bed. He had to get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, rather later today, his department was having the meeting the regional manager had mentioned. A good night’s sleep would keep him at the top of his game to make sure he had all the answers the manager would need.

  ~ * ~

  Tuesday, Daniel arrived on time. In the center of his desk, he found simple typed instructions for getting into his email. He followed the instructions. He was flabbergasted at the vast amount of communication occurring within the company on the new system. He realized, to his horror, he'd missed three different department meetings. Why hadn't anybody said anything to me? He took a couple deep breaths and reminded himself, They really need me; they really need me. They'd said as much last week. He'd be sure to stay on top of his email from now on.

  The department meeting was brief. Each employee was handed a sheet of paper listing the problems found within their area.

  John, the department head cleared his throat.

  "Okay everyone. I know this is stressful for us all, but today’s meeting is a troubleshooting session--nothing more. We’ll start work on those items on each of your lists. Hopefully, we can keep from ‘streamlining’," he used his fingers to make quote marks, "anyon
e out of their job. Please keep in mind you have to give 110% to make this process successful.

  "I’ll be talking with each of you personally to see where I might be able to help you bring your work game…"

  Daniel groaned inwardly. John was an avid football junkie and never missed an opportunity to insert some kind of football analogy in his presentations.

  "…to a higher level. Until that time, read the list and think about what’s been noted.

  "Now get back to work."

  John smiled and with a flick of his hand dismissed the meeting.

  Everyone gave a sigh of relief and meandered to their respective offices.

  Daniel handled four service calls then finished his paperwork an hour early. He left for home. He'd put in so many overtime hours this week he reasoned if he left early using the time as comp time, he’d be saving the company money. Besides, everyone he called in the Human Resources Department, as well as his boss, all had their phones on voice mail. He’d make sure he got hold of someone tomorrow. Surely that’ll be all right? John said everything was fine today in the meeting.

  When he pulled into the driveway of his home, the red vision was sitting outside the garage of his next-door neighbor’s townhouse. Daniel felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He didn't really know his neighbor, but what he'd observed told him this was not usual.

  He started up the sidewalk to his home.

  "Excuse me...?" the neighbor said.

  "Daniel," he replied.

  "Mike." The two men shook hands.

  "Listen, Daniel, I've noticed you admiring my Ferrari," Mike said.

  "Yeah. I'm saving to buy one myself. You know, a prize for sacrificing everything else?" Daniel answered.

  "How'd you like to have this one?" Mike asked.

  "You're joking, right?"

  "No."

  "I don't think I could afford it right now..." Daniel started.

  "One dollar," Mike said.

  "One dollar?"

  Daniel was sure he'd wake up at any moment.

  "One dollar and your Thunderbird. Straight across. I'll sign the title right now."

  Daniel pulled out his wallet and handed Mike a dollar. He watched as Mike signed the title over to him. He recognized the name - Mike Jacobson's Foreign Fantasies. He'd driven past the car lot several times admiring the expensive European autos on display.

  He cleaned out the Thunderbird and signed the title to Mike who placed a large valise inside the trunk of the Thunderbird and parked at the curb in front of his townhouse. Daniel slid behind the wheel of the Ferrari. The leather smell was intoxicating. He fleetingly thought about taking the car out on the expressway and opening up but slowly, carefully parked the beauty in his garage.

  As he was closing the garage door, he noticed Mike saunter to the front porch of the townhouse next door and knock. A blonde yanked opened the door. He observed the animated discussion at the front entry. Even from his driveway, Daniel could see the blonde was furious. When Mike handed her an envelope and the dollar bill Daniel had just paid him, her face transformed into a crimson shade he had never seen before. He watched Mike belly laugh, bow slightly to her then turn and walk to the Thunderbird. He hopped in and drove away. The blonde glared hotly at Daniel. Turning on her heel, she went inside slamming the front door.

  ~ * ~

  The following morning a large moving van sat in front of the house next door.

  Daniel had risen an hour early. He dressed, ate, and hurried to the garage. Taking a soft cloth, he lovingly began to stroke the red beauty now parked in his garage. He still couldn't believe she belonged to him. After caressing her carefully to a glowing red, he climbed in and drove languidly to work. Wait until the guys in accounting see me now. All their jokes about him being a penny pincher would disappear. Frank pulled his Honda car next to the red beauty as Daniel was emerging.

  "Wow! Who died and left you millions?" Frank advanced around the red beauty rattling off statistics making Daniel's head swim.

  "Look, I don't know about any of that stuff. All I know is I like her, I've worked for her, and now I have her," Daniel gloated.

  Frank continued to roll off statistics as they tramped through the lobby and up the elevator to their office. Daniel had tuned him out until Frank mentioned insurance.

  "Oh, man," Daniel groaned. "I've got to call my insurance agent and let him know I've changed cars."

  "Do you know how much it's going to run you?" Frank asked him. He shook his head.

  Daniel ignored him. He had plenty of money saved and his outgoing expenses were minimal. Confident he could afford a fairly high insurance bill, he called the family’s insurance agent.

  When Daniel called and inquired about insurance for the Ferrari, Bob roared with laughter.

  "Thanks, Daniel. I needed a good laugh. Now, really, what'd you get? A new Honda? An Acura? What?" Bob asked.

  "Bob, I'm serious. It's a 1998 Ferrari. There's less than 10,000 miles on it. Can you let me know how much it's going to cost? Thanks. Call the figure to me at my office. I've got to go. I've got a full day ahead." Daniel hung up before his insurance agent could say more.

  "I'll bet the only place that'll insure you is Lloyd’s of London." Frank declared.

  "Don't be ridiculous. They only insure one of a kind things like Betty Grable's legs or the Titanic or stuff like that," Daniel shot back.

  "Whose legs?" Frank asked.

  Daniel shook his head. This guy is so young. What I need to do is start working on Nadine's accounting problem. He was determined to repair her computer before the end of this week. He really didn't want to start every week with a visit to her office.

  When the phone on Daniel's desk rang an hour later, he was deep into the problem.

  "Daniel Wilkes." He answered.

  "Danny"

  He winced. Only his father was allowed to call him Danny.

  "It's Bob. There's only one agency that'll insure your car--Lloyds of London. And mister, it's going to cost you. About $500 base rate plus every mile over 100 will cost an additional $10.00 per mile."

  Daniel groaned. It was a lot of money but state law required every car be insured.

  "I'll just have to do it, Bob. I don't have a choice. You need a check now?"

  "No. You paid for insurance on the T-Bird for the year. I'll just take what's left and apply it as a retainer on this new vehicle. You sure you're going to be able to afford this?" Bob asked.

  "Yeah, I'll be able to afford it. I have very few expenses. Might as well treat myself." Daniel chuckled.

  "I'll get all the paperwork in order and send it to the house. Bye, Danny." Bob hung up leaving Daniel feeling irritated.

  What business was it of his insurance agent's to ask if he could or couldn't afford this car? Well, it was a moot point. He had the car, and now he had insurance. Daniel went back to the accounting problem in front of him. The solution was staring him in the face. He knew it. He just couldn't see it right now. Maybe a fresh cup of coffee would open up his brain cells. Daniel moved to the small coffee maker on the credenza and poured himself a cup.

  "Need help?" Frank asked.

  "Nah. I need to approach the problem from another angle, that's all," Daniel answered.

  "Sometimes a new set of eyes can see what you can't. If you decide you want help, just let me know," Frank offered.