So This is How It Goes (Preview)

It had been three days since Bob had gone to the city hall administration building.  He had given his phone number to the city clerk, Barbara, so that a meeting could be arranged with the President of the City Council, Charlie Hughes.

“I don’t understand why a meeting like this is necessary,” Bob moaned.  He was feeling discouraged because things had not gone smoothly, like he wanted.  “Especially since I haven’t even filed the paperwork, yet.”

“Now, honey,” Dixie said sweetly, “I know that it is frustrating you, but I know you very well.  You have this small seed of doubt that this is not something for you.  You believe this delay is a sign that maybe you ought to give up, right now.  Am I, right?”

Bob let out an exasperated breath.  Still holding his morning cup of coffee while sitting with Dixie at the breakfast table, he felt the day was already controlling him.

“She knows me well, maybe, too well,” thought Bob.

Dixie smiled at him with that look that let him know that she was pleased with herself.

“Now, Bob, you need to see this delay as a benefit to you.  How long did you say you had to get your paperwork in to get on the ballot?  I mean, this just gives you more time to get it done without rushing.  This meeting will not change your decision, will it?  There is nothing that legally requires you to be interviewed before announcing yourself as a candidate, is there?”

“She sure likes to fire off a bunch of questions at one time.  I am just going to wait and see her answer most of her own questions,” Bob thought as he tried to remain stoic.

“You said you had about two weeks, now, minus a couple of days.  You and I have looked over the paperwork and filled out just about everything, so far.  It has been something extra to do, but we have been able to stop whenever we want.  It won’t take much to finish.

“You are firmly committed to doing this.  We have talked a lot about it and how it could change our lives.  We have looked at it from many different viewpoints.  Together, we have examined the advantages and disadvantages and agree that the good far outweighs the bad.

“No matter whether you talk to the President of the City Council before you file your paperwork or after, you are still going to be on the ballot.  Both of us have looked over the requirements to qualify to be on the ballot and we are absolutely certain, there is no doubt, whatsoever, that you qualify.  Heck, I even qualify, to be on the ballot.”

Bob decided it was time to cut her off.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” Bob wagged his right forefinger at her.  “If both of us are qualified and we both put our names on the ballot, I could never win the election,” he lifted both hands, palms upward and raised his shoulders.  “One look at you,” he pointed at her, “and then at me,” he now pointed at himself, “and you would win in a landslide.  It would be a Beauty and the Beast success story for you, the Beauty!” he waved his hands outward from his body with the palms face down.

Bob was now smiling as Dixie was looking down blushing.

“Oh, Bob,” were the only words she could say.

Gloating over his ability to handle Dixie, Bob reached for his cell phone.  Normally, he would have chosen to let it go to voice mail, since he did not recognize the caller id, but he was feeling good about himself and his life.

“Hi, this is Bob,” he answered the phone with positivity.

“Mr. Griffith,” a gravelly voice replied with formality, “this is Charlie Hughes.  I am the President of the Hilliard City Council.”

Bob ignored the formal attitude but carefully chose his words.  He did not want to appear to be disrespectful to this man he did not yet know.

“Mr. Hughes,” Bob spoke with an upbeat tone, “I have been expecting your call.  Thank you for taking the time.”

“It is our practice here in Hilliard, that anyone wanting to run for office, especially for mayor, meet with the President of the City Council.”

Hughes paused at this point.  It seemed to Bob that Hughes might be trying to size him up.

“Maybe,” Bob considered, “he might be hoping to intimidate me.  I have seen union reps use this strategy.”

“Let me be plain with you, Mr. Griffith.  The purpose of our meeting will be to ascertain if you meet the qualifications to be on the election ballot.”

With a measure of boldness, Bob cut in, “Oh, I have already reviewed those requirements and I meet them all.”

Charlie let out an exhale as if he had heard this type of response before.

“Nevertheless, Mr. Griffith, we will still meet and I will make the determination.”

Wanting to maintain a measure of an upper hand, Bob countered, “I have even had my wife review the qualifications and she is satisfied that I meet them all.”

Bob, immediately, heard another loud exhale from Charlie.

“I am sure that your wife is intelligent enough to read and understand the qualifications.  However, she does lack the experience and background to be familiar with the legal challenges and nature of them.”

Again, Hughes paused.  Bob was certain that the man was attempting to be melodramatic to discourage him.

“When is a good time to meet with you, Mr. Hughes?”

Bob had already grown weary of the inability to garner any support or agreement from Charlie.  He decided to redirect towards the reason for the call.

“I understand that you work at the fencing company and are in middle management.  How much control do you have over your schedule?  Are you limited to meeting during your lunch time?”

Bob felt challenged.

“No, I am not limited when I can meet you,” Bob could not hide a measure of indignation.

Plugged In

It was only six weeks after Bob Burtell retired.  Six frenetically paced, revolutionary weeks.

“Amber,” Cain spoke in an elevated pitch, “Where is my coffee?”

The tall red-headed twenty-something assistant gracefully entered her snarly boss’ office.  She was skillfully holding a full cup of coffee in her left hand.  Her right hand was full of files with papers sticking out like a papier-maché porcupine.

As she walked to the side of his desk, she let out an audible gasp of surprise.  Cain observed her reaction as she could see that his desk was clear.  He anticipated that she would be shocked, as his desk was always littered with forms, papers, photos, and magazine articles.

“Are you leaving?”

There was a confusing and frightened tone to her voice.

Cain paused before responding.  Since he saw that her gaze was fixed on his clear desk, he took the opportunity to look closely at her.

He recalled the short preparation he went through for her interview.

“Amber McDaniels.  You seem qualified on paper.  Let’s see if you have what I need.”

She was his first, and to this point, only hire.  He had interviewed five individuals to be his assistant.  Cain was not overly concerned with their background or skills.  He was looking for someone who he would be able to train, someone who could be loyal, no matter what.

Amber’s interview started off poorly.  She began the usual regurgitation of her skill set and her relevant work experience.  Periodically, she would look up from her notes and resume to look Cain in the eye but she never held that gaze for more than a few moments.

Cain believed that she was intelligent and capable, in a generic sense.  He found her to also be captivatingly beautiful.

There was one concern for him.  Her personality seemed subdued, not forceful or powerful at all.

“I knew that the best way to manage my power is to appear to be much like she is now.  I wonder if she is hiding her ability to wield power, or is she really just powerless?” Cain thought.

“Go back to the desk just outside my office.  Before you leave my office, put your belongings on my desk, including your purse.  The woman at the desk is Margaret.  She was the longtime assistant to the man I replaced.  I no longer need her help to transition into this position.

“I want you to tell her that we no longer need her services.  Tell her she is terminated immediately.  She is to remove all of her personal possessions from the property so that you will have the room you need for your personal things.”

“Won’t she be upset?”  Amber pointedly replied.

“Wouldn’t you?” Cain shot back.  “Thank her for her years of service.  Let her know that we would be happy to give her a glowing recommendation.  Do you understand?”

Amber nodded.  She remained seated.

“I like that.  She knows what to do and is waiting for me to give her that final instruction of when to do it,” Cain thought as he smiled.

“As I said, I want you to place all your things, including your purse, here, on the corner of my desk.  Leave my office door open.  Speak to Margaret as I have instructed you.  Stand by your new desk until she has left.  When she is gone, then come back into my office and gather your things so you can take them to your desk.  Any questions?”

Amber’s eyes darted to her left.  Pausing for a moment, it appeared she was thinking through the scenario.

Again, Cain was pleased by this reaction.

“She is making sure she has all the information and direction she needs to complete this task.  Yes, if she can do this, then I know I can work with her,” Cain mused.

“No, I understand.  When do you want me to do this?”  she queried.

“Now, I want you to do this right now,” Cain said as he leaned in to embody a sense of urgency.

Immediately, she rose out of her chair.  She stood at the corner of Cain’s desk and placed the files she was holding, neatly at the very edge.  She bent over and lifted her purse, balancing it carefully on top of the files.  Surprisingly, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her cell phone, which she placed on top of her purse.

“I am impressed,” thought Cain, “She is carrying out my instructions about leaving all of her personal items her to a tee.”

He admired her figure as she crossed his office and exited to the outer office.  He noted that she did leave his office door open, as well.  He wanted to be able to over hear her interaction with the soon to be dismissed crony of Burtell.

“Who do you think you are?” was the response Cain anticipated would come from Margaret.  This next moment would be key.

“I am Mr. Johnson’s new assistant.  If you like, you could go in and speak with him.  I wouldn’t recommend that, though.  He gave me explicit instructions that he is not to be disturbed.  See, on your calendar there,” as Amber pointed to the desktop calendar on Margaret’s desk, “he has a party phone call in 30 minutes and he needs time to prepare.”

“Wow, this woman is sharp.  I don’t even have my calendar open on my desk.  Seeing it on Margaret’s desk was the only way she could have known about it,” Cain was impressed.

“Mr. Johnson did want me to convey to you our gratitude for your service.  You have served faithfully and effectively for many years.  Without your service, our future would not look so bright.  Shall I get someone to help you with your things?”  Amber’s voice rang of confidence and authority.

Cain leaned forward in his chair.  This was now the moment to see if Amber had truly been effective.

“Well, no, that won’t be necessary,” Margaret said hesitantly.

“I wish I could see her face,” Cain thought.  “Is she upset or is she convinced she must leave?”

After a short pause, Margaret continued, “I should need about ten minutes to gather my things.  There is a box on top of my filing cabinet which should be big enough to hold all of my things.”

Cain could hear the opening and closing of desk drawers.  He imagined Margaret putting picture frames and other knick-knacks into the box.

There was a pause in the rustling noise, “Honey,” Cain could hear Margaret speaking, “Do you mind if I give you a piece of advice?”

Sounding to Cain as if she were being diplomatic, he heard Amber reply, “No, I wouldn’t mind at all.  In fact, I would welcome it.”

“You seem like you are an attractive and smart young thing.  It is fortunate for you, that a man like Mr. Johnson has taken a shining to you.  Find out what pleases him and do it every day.  If you do that, he will want to keep you around forever.”

Cain imagined Amber nodding her head as he heard no immediate response by her.

“It worked for me.  Good luck,” Margaret said.  Next, Cain heard footsteps fading into the distance.

Quickly, Cain moved to sit down behind his desk.  He wanted to appear as if he had been busy working this entire time.  Amber entered his office and returned to the chair she had been occupying earlier.

“I have just sent an email to our HR department.  Shortly, they will see that your email account is set up and they will have the usual abundance of paperwork for you to fill out.  Do you have any questions?” Cain now looked directly at her as he suppressed a grin and sense of excitement over finding the right person to assist him.

“Only one,” Amber responded.

“Only one,” thought Cain.  “I know which one that is.”

“Can I start immediately since we just fired your assistant?” Amber struggled to suppress a smile.

“That is your only question?” Cain replied.  “I thought you would want to discuss your pay.”

“Well, how much I get paid does depend on when I start.  Besides,” Amber leaned forward, “I have every intention of being so good at my job, that you can’t afford to lose me.  You will pay anything to keep me.”

A huge grin crossed Cain’s face as he recalled this incident that happened only two weeks previously.

This time with more urgency in her voice, Amber broke Cain's focus on this past event.

“Mr. Johnson,” Amber pushed, “why is your desk empty?”

“Because, Amber, we have finished the work of our predecessor.  Now it is time to get started on what we want to do.”