White Collar Blues

by Mel Walker

"They.. they. I've been fired."

  "What?"

  "Yes fired. Or what is the corporate word used? My position has been eliminated, and there is no place for me in the revised organizational structure. You hear me, Justin. Those bastards, after twenty-nine years, didn't even have the nerve to say the word fired." Paul slammed his hand on top of the desk prompting Justin to rise once again.

  "This makes no sense. You’re the most senior person in your group, by far. "

  "Who you telling? For them, senior person equates to highest paid. These accountants are only looking at numbers Justin." Paul punctuated his frustration with yet another punch to the top of the desk.

  Justin eyed one of the many models on the top of his desk, specifically the red and black meter which he had constructed out of spare parts found on the manufacturing plant floor about a dozen years ago. A victory from a challenge Tuesday contest he had sponsored to raise morale after a failed product launch. The device had slid to the corner of the desk, a mere inch from the edge of the shelf. He reached slowly and cupped it concerned that it would not survive another Paul outburst. "Was it just HR or was your manager there as well?" Justin attempted to make sense out of the senseless.

  Paul's pacing increased yet again. "You'll love this - a cat named Wiley was there, who the fuck is Wiley? He and an HR rep who barely spoke. I think he was only there as a witness in case I socked this guy Wiley. "

  "Where was your boss Patterson?"

  "You mean my former boss. He's toast as well. He apparently got informed just before my meeting. Right now he's redecorating what's left of his office."

  Justin measured his words, "Makes perfect sense. They want to cut costs. What better way than to eliminate the senior people. They cost the most regarding salary and benefits. "

  Paul stepped around Justin’s desk and began to pull open drawers.

  “Paul? What the hell are you looking for?”

  Paul leaned down and pulled out the bottom drawer of the desk. He began to rifle through files. “Did you keep a supply of Girl Scout cookies here somewhere?”

  Justin shook his head and pushed Paul. “That was ten years and fifteen pounds ago. “Paul you really need to focus. What’s your next step?”

  Paul’s eyes remained focused on the drawer as he slowly stepped around the desk. “What about those Hersey Kisses? I’ll even settle for Reese’s Pieces.”

  “Paul,” Justin snapped his fingers. “What next?”

  “Hell if I know. That’s why I came here. We started the same year. "

  Justin took a deep breath as the room went silent for a few seconds. He slowly made his way around the desk and plopped onto his seat. His eyes drifted up to his left as they always did in times of stress. His wedding photo shone down on him, its usual comfort and protection in dire need.

  "How long is the transition?" Justin had already transitioned to analytical mode. It was not the time for emotions; Paul was already displaying enough excitement for the two of them. He had an issue. So he did what he had been trained to do, work the problem.

  "I'm out in two weeks, what a joke. Twenty-nine years and I transition out in two weeks. They will be lucky if I even show up during these two weeks."

  "How much vacation time do you have?" Justin had a notepad on one hand as he looked at a desk calendar with the other.

  "Remember they changed the policy two years ago, couldn't carry over more than five days. I had that trip out west early in the year and then the family reunion last month. I'm down to ten days. What you doing there?"

  Paul stepped over to the desk.

  "Ok ten days, two-week transition, assuming your two personal days that gets you out a month. That still leaves you short of your magical thirty years."

  "Fuck me," Paul screamed. "Bastards. I hadn't even thought of that. Those bastards don't want to pay the lifetime benefits."

  "Any chance of them bridging you to thirty - you know give you time served even without pay?" Justin was reaching.

  "Maybe if I had thought of it earlier." The perplexed look from Justin forced Paul to continue. "I kind of implied that Wiley had an intimate relationship with some farm animals. I doubt that they will be giving me any kind of break."

  Justin attempted a few other calculations before tossing the pen down.

  Not used to seeing Justin frustrated, Paul finally displayed signs of calming down. "Justin we'll figure it out. We always do. Take a step back - this is my issue besides you have your own meeting coming up. What time is it?"

  "In five minutes."

  "Shit," Paul replied.

  "Shit indeed." As Paul exited the office still in full rant mode, Justin's eyes returned to the wedding picture. Trancelike he reached for the phone and dialed hoping to be calmed by the only voice that truly mattered to him.

  * * *

  Leslie Grant held up the picture frame against the wall straining her thin arms nearly to the point of exhaustion. She blew a few strands of her long black hair as it drifted down in front of her face. "How about now? Does this work?" She yelled back, the strain of the exertion clearly in her voice.

  "Another inch to the right. Now down an inch."

  She complied with each request, the strain blocking out the growing laughter from Peter as he continued to direct her movements.

  "There, that's it. Perfect." Peter strained the words out between tight lips.

  Leslie held the frame with one hand and began to reach for her pencil which stuck out from over her ear. Peter saw the struggle and stepped closer to her, his cologne catching her nostrils. "Thanks."

  He held one end of the frame as she steadied it across the top with her left hand. As she pulled out the pencil, she paused. "Hold on." She said. The red laser marking was in the exact place where she was about to mark the wall. "Peter this is the exact same spot you selected on the computer ten minutes ago."

  "Wow, I can't believe it took you a that long to figure it out." He placed his palm of his hand on her exposed shoulder. It's warmth sending an electrical spark though her.

  She didn’t react as she focused on the frame.

  "It was so much fun seeing you so serious. You kept moving the frame around over and over again. I thought for sure you were onto me after the first thirty seconds." Peter’s hand strayed as he stroked her shoulder, his hand lowering ever so slightly.

  When his hand reached the rear of her rib, she reacted. She turned and stepped past Peter, placing the frame on the desk. Using her index finger, she attempted to tame her out of control hair, directing it over her ear.

  As she looked up, Peter licked his lip, their eyes connecting.

  “Ok you got me, I told you once I get involved. I take framing deadly serious Peter. You really shouldn't mess with a woman with a garage full of tools." She realized her misstep the moment the words left her lips.

  She felt the rush of blood to her quickly reddening face, "I can't believe I just said that."

  "No worries,” Peter whispered. His voice suddenly gravelly, “It'll be our little secret."

  The way he said the word secret dripped with suggestiveness.

  She paused, nearly shaking her head in agreement as the phone in her bag rang. Her bag hung on a hook against the wall. "I have to take that."

  Peter stepped into her path, a smile still on his face, "let it go to voicemail, we are in a meeting. You are a busy businesswoman; you have to give off the pretense of being unreachable at times. It makes you even more desirable... to potential clients that is."

  "Is that why you never answer your phone when we meet?" she returns as her eyes darted between him and her bag across the room.

  Peter lowered his chin slightly, "Yes that. And, because I wouldn't dare interrupt our time together. Not a single second" His stare once again sent a slight tingle down her spine.

  As a businesswoman, she was accustomed to the occasional client being attracted to her. With Peter it was different; it had been from the start.

  They had met at a mixer
for the Chamber of Commerce two months back. Jake had just left for San Francisco, and she had dived into the organization with both feet. All that time she had previously devoted to the PTA, running after Jake, picking him up from practice and afterschool were now available. It had been Justin's suggestion for her to spend more time on the business and join the Chamber.

  Justin supported the move, he outlined thirty ways how it would be critically to the growth of her business.

  Peter was one of the first members to introduce himself. They connected over a breakfast meeting. He had been nothing but a gentleman as he practically mentored her on ways to connect. He was one of the new breed of members.

  Peter joined after purchasing the print shop, hoping to leverage contacts and find new customers. He quickly realized that the Chamber was stuck in the old ways, in denial about the changes occurring in the economy. As a result, he made it his business to connect with new members, hoping to change the culture one member at a time.

  With Leslie, a part-time home based business looking to convert to full time, he knew she would need to network and steered her through the labyrinth of sub-committees and activities cherry picking the top ones for her business.

  It had only been since she took on Peter as a client that she noticed the slight shift in their relationship. Every function and committee he had identified matched the ones he attended. She initially chalked it up to their businesses being similar.

  However, in moments like this, she wondered. She picked up on the flirting but also realized quickly that it was effortless, genuine.

  Leslie recognized the risk.

  Genuine flirting, the kind that comes from the lips of an attractive man without pretense, premeditation, being the most dangerous. Often it would surprise even the instigator, as the words would move straight from their heart and out of their mouth without thought. The words not always appropriate, yet truthful, a combustible combination.

  The other problem with genuine flirting, for the recipient, was that for some it also the most appealing.

  She had noticed Peter with other female members of the Chamber on more than one occasion. He didn’t appear to be a serial flirt. Young, old, rich or struggling, black or white, single or married, thin or large, pretty or ordinary, she hadn’t seen Peter flirt with any of them.

  Just. Her.

  Curious to know if Peter’s action were consistent when she was in his presence, Leslie had asked two separate friends who she knew from the PTA. One was a notorious gossip-monger and knew every detail about everyone in town. Both women, however, reported that Peter was all about business. They even denied knowing whether Peter had dated.

  The more she had discovered about Peter, the larger a mystery he remained. It would have been so much easier to dismiss him if had been a hopeless flirt with everyone. However, a small part of her enjoyed it. It always felt good to be desired by another, even if she was unavailable.

  The phone finally stopped ringing, breaking her from the trance. Whoever it was had decided against leaving a message. "Ok, you got your wish, I didn't answer, is that unavailable enough?" Her breath became shorter as she questioned the source of her comments. It was a comment without pretense as well.

  "I don't know. Only time will tell if you decide to remain unavailable but trust me they will keep trying."

  Leslie caught the glint of Peter's eyes. The words slipped out her mouth before she had realized a thought had formed, "I certainly hope so. I am so definitely worth it."

  Leslie turned toward the wall as her pulse raced. She understood that Peter was flirting, but it what gave her pause were why she had decided to tease back and why she found herself enjoying the addictive rush.

  * *

  Chapter Seven

  Justin stood outside the door of conference room 94 and checked his phone one last time before entering. No return calls from Leslie. It wasn't that unusual as he assumed she was tied up in a breakfast meeting or working heads down in the workshop. He could have used her quiet solace and analysis of the situation. For most of his colleagues at General Modification, Justin was that rock. That steadying influence which helped guide them through crisis after crisis. His calm demeanor and sensibility when surrounded by chaos were assets repeatedly praised by management and colleague alike. Only Justin knew the real secret. He could be calm amongst a storm because he knew no matter what his wife had his back.

  At the end of the day, no matter how terrible the day had been, he knew he had her support, her love, and her understanding no matter what. It took Justin some time to realize the power of unconditional support, his past littered with self-reliance and disappointment from others. In all of the years of marriage that support had never wavered, ever.

  As he took a deep breath, he knew in his heart that even without the words he could feel her support, looking over his shoulder. We will be okay dear, she would whisper, we have our health, a beautiful, smart son and we have a lifetime of love still ahead of us. Everything else is gravy. Just the thought of her speaking to him provided the relief he had been seeking. He tapped on the door lightly, twisted the knob and stepped into his future.

  CF# 94 was a relatively small room. Listed as a seven-person space in the directory it was best suited for no more than four. At the end of the table sat Margaret Mills from human resources. Her presence caused a small lump to grow in Justin's throat as he recalled Paul's description of an HR representative at his meeting.

  "Welcome Justin," she started as she extended her hand, "this here is Barry Boyton from Parker Medical Devices."

  Barry stood and shook Justin's hand, "pleasure meeting you."

  The first thing Justin noticed was the short sleeve patterned top. He bit his tongue as he sat and smoothed out his long sleeved white collared shirt. Justin knew he was from a different era when he came up, men wore white or blue long sleeve shirts. He had relaxed and accepted the introduction of just about every color in the rainbow by others, including stripes, but he drew the line at patterns. To him, it screamed unprofessionally.

  "Thank you," Justin added.

  Both men turned to Margaret, "ok, Justin as you’re aware General Modifications made several moves in the marketplace within the last twenty-four hours. One of them was the acquisition of Parker Medical Devices. As part of the acquisition, General Modifications are reviewing all groups with similar functions."

  Justin tried to decipher the corporate speak which Margaret seemed to possess an advanced degree.

  Barry stepped up, " Justin I know this is a difficult time for everyone. The General Modification executive leadership has picked me to head up the Quality Engineering and Assurance group under the new organization."

  "Mr. Golden's position?" Justin asked highlighting his current boss. "What's going to happen to Mr. Golden?"

  "Justin, I think it best if we concentrate on you and your position at this time," Barry replied.

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Nothing. I meant nothing by it." Barry stole a quick glance toward Margaret who was busy checking off imaginary boxes on her clipboard. "Justin, there are redundant Quality groups in the two organizations.

  "Yeah, you would think someone at the top would have factored this in as part of the purchase." Justin reminded himself to take a deep breath. Everything will be fine, Leslie’s soothing voice whispered in his head. Justin eased back into his chair and crossed his leg.

  Barry stole another glance toward Margaret.

  "We have redundant functions, Justin, no surprise there..."

  Justin fought back the urge to comment. He bit down on his lip, holding back the two sarcastic remarks which threatened to leap out

  "As a result, we have to consolidate the two organizations. We feel that we can merge the two and deliver one super-body which would have a lower cost and a higher production output. To work toward that new group, we have had to eliminate a few positions from the current structure. Your position has been eliminated."

  Bar
ry let the words hang in the air.

  Justin took a deep breath; he wasn't going to react like Paul.

  "So I’m fired?" Justin finally worked up the courage to ask.

  "Not exactly," Margaret leaned forward and slid a folder toward him across the table.

  Justin refused to reach toward the folder. "Not exactly?" he muttered out as he could feel a slow boil of anger rising.

  Barry adjusted his seat once again drawing Justin's attention in his direction. "Your position has been eliminated but not you. Under the new organization in Quality Engineering and Assurance, we will have a posting system. All of the displaced colleagues from both organizations, legacy General Modifications as well as Parker, can post for the new positions. Qualified candidates will be selected from the pool of applicants. Interviews and presentations will be required before the final selection."

  "And how long will this process take?" Justin queried, his immediate thought of multiple weeks of no one performing quality assurance tasks.

  "We can't project how long it will take, given the number of applicants and possible interviews to follow. It is not prudent to project out a timeline at this time." Justin had to turn to watch Margaret as her voice was so emotionless and monotone that he questioned whether she was reading the response from a script, she wasn't.

  "Two weeks," Barry said enthusiastically. He ignored the glare from the Corporate Human Resources rep. "Justin no one involved in this process wants it to go a minute longer than necessary. The sooner we can announce the positions the sooner we all can get settled into the new organization and get back to work."

  "And if I decide that I don't want to post to the new group?" Justin wanted to cover all bases.

  "If you don't post for these positions or any positions? Which is the question?" it was Barry.

  "These or any other positions."

  "Then we would shake your hand, thank you for your service, and we'd depart as professionals."

  Justin turned toward Margaret, "and would there be a buy-up?"