CHAPTER 4

 CHAPTER 4

Wednesday morning, Maddie made sure she was up and at work well before the required start time of 8:00 am. She even managed to beat Sharon, but not Mr. Lomax. He was already in his office, jacket off, shirt sleeves rolled up and a big mess of paper on his desk. Both computer monitors were full of numbers and information. It was obvious he’d been busy for quite some time.

Maddie took a deep breath as he looked up when she entered his office. “Good morning Mr. Lomax. Is there anything I can get you or do for you at the moment.”

He leaned back in his chair and with one eyebrow raised, said, “You can call me Spence or Spencer just like all the other staff. How have your first two days been?”

“Sharon has been very instructive and I’ve learned a lot about the company, you and other staff members. It’s been quite enjoyable.”

“Yes, I’ve heard through the staff grapevine….”

At those words, Maddie cringed and waited for him to tell her she was fired immediately because of the decisions she’d made on his behalf the day before. She clenched all her muscles and could barely keep the surprise off her face when she heard him continue.

“…that you bring your own lunch and have been having lunch with the other staff members. Everyone who has said anything to me about you has been positive and supportive. I think you’ve managed to win my staff over in just those two days.”

“Thank you Mr. Lomax, I mean Spencer. I’ve always believed you are only as strong or successful as those with whom you work. I enjoyed getting to know the staff who eat in the lunchroom. I also liked finding out that your employees speak well of and admire you.”

“Go ahead and sit down.” Spencer responded. “There is one other matter we need to discuss before we get on with the day. I understand Mr. Kennedy came to see me yesterday, extremely upset. You managed to turn the problem into a success even though you used my name in absentia to do so. Apparently, you can speak with great authority when needed.”

“Yes, well, you see….”

Spencer brought his hands together and clapped several times. “Allow me to tell you just how impressed I was that you took the time and made the effort to take care of Ken and his company. Dave Fielding called me at home last night, positive he’d probably made the wrong decision to send those 100,000 units to Ken’s company. I assured him it was the decision I would have made had I been here or reachable for a decision. I had to keep myself from laughing when Dave told me about the no-nonsense voice you’d used while being very polite. He also said he was really glad he’d followed through with your order.” The word “order” was highlighted by Spencer using his fingers to make air quotation marks as his face lit up with a smile and his chest moved with his chuckles.

Maddie wasn’t quite sure what to say, so with a small smile, she responded, “Thank you Spencer. While I hadn’t been here very long, everything I’d seen in my research about your company, the comments made by staff, just everything made me know that if you promised Ken those parts, that you would have made sure he got them. I believe you’re trying to build a company about which your descendants will be able to say, as Ken did, my great-great-great grandfather started The Lorax Company. I’m very grateful I wasn’t wrong.”

“No, Maddie, if I may call you that as all the staff seem to be doing, your intuition was right on and I’m grateful you were able to help Ken. He left a rather long voice mail for me filled with compliments and admiration for the way you’d stepped up to take care of him since everyone else he’d dealt with hadn’t even bothered to try to check with me. I have made the decision to offer you the position, provided you’re still interested?” Spencer asked with one raised eyebrow.

“Oh, thank you Mr. Lo…I mean Spence. I certainly am interested and accept with pleasure. I look forward to working for Lomax Enterprises for a long time to come.”

It was at that moment Sharon opened the door and stepped inside, her frowny face breaking into a warm smile when she saw Spence behind his desk. She barely glanced at Maddie.

“Morning, Sharon. Come on in and sit down. I’ve a couple of items I want to discuss.” Spencer said.

Sharon responded with her own good morning and took the chair adjacent Maddie.

“First, thank you Sharon for being so welcoming to Maddie and for training her to take over your position. I have offered Maddie the job, so, unless there’s additional training required, Friday will be your last day.”

From the corner of her eye, Maddie saw Sharon’s smile fade and her jaw clench.

“Secondly, tomorrow I want you to take Maddie to Nordstrom and make arrangements for her to utilize the account you’ve used in the past. I’d also like you to assist her in choosing the proper attire for the charity event on my calendar this Saturday night. And, finally, unless either of you object, we’ll leave early Friday afternoon and I’ll take the two of you to dinner so we can celebrate your years of service Sharon and to welcome Maddie aboard. Any questions?”

“Perhaps Maddie isn’t free Saturday night or have you already invited her to attend with you?” Sharon eyes were ice-cold as they looked at Maddie and Maddie could almost feel the woman urging her to be busy.

“No, as a matter of fact, I am free Saturday.” Maddie responded, “However, I’ll need a bit of information so I can be prepared, but I’m sure Sharon will provide all I need to know. As for shopping at Nordstrom tomorrow, I really don’t think that’s necessary. I have perfectly suitable clothing for any occasion.”

Spencer offered Maddie a slight smile. “Because of my company, my presence at a wide variety of social occasions is required. Since I began having to attend, whoever is my EA has accompanied me since I’m not married, nor do I have a significant other who would meet the plus one requirement. The company pays for my tuxes and has paid for whatever suitable clothing the event requires. Sharon will assist you with all this tomorrow.”

Sharon was then excused and Spencer gave Maddie his instructions for the day. When she left his office, Sharon’s personal items, not that there had been many, had been removed from the desk and she was ensconced in the side chair.

“Since the job is now yours, I went ahead and moved myself. Is there anything I can do to help you today, aside from completing the review of the company’s customers?” Sharon inquired through clenched teeth.

“If you wouldn’t mind going over the instructions Spence has provided. I would appreciate that very much. I don’t want to get anything wrong.”

“Like that’s going to happen.” Sharon muttered, almost too low for Maddie to hear.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Nothing. Sorry. What’s on Spence’s list today?”

Wednesday morning progressed at lightning speed. Maddie was kept busy taking care of numerous things, some of which might have been a bit difficult if Sharon hadn’t been at hand to assist. As always, Sharon left at lunch and Maddie went to the staff dining room.

“Afternoon everyone.” Maddie said as she entered, and then couldn’t keep herself from doing a little celebratory dance before taking her chair. “I’m so excited. Spence hired me retroactive to Monday. I’m now really one of you and can’t tell you how much I appreciate whatever comments you made to the boss. He told me he’d heard nothing but good remarks about me. I really really wanted this job, so thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Her fellow staff members clapped and congratulated Maddie. They seemed to be as pleased about the decision as she was.

During a lull in the afternoon, Maddie decided to take the bull, or Sharon, by the horns. “Sharon, I’d love to buy you a drink and even dinner at your choice of restaurant. While I’m happy to be here, I know you aren’t exactly happy about leaving. I’d feel so much better if you’d please have dinner with me.”

Sharon stared at Maddie for a few heartbeats before she nodded and responded, “I’ll make a reservation at the Salty Dog, unless that’s too far to go after work or it’s too expensive?”

“Great!” was Maddie’s response, even though that restaurant would be almost an hour from work and was extremely expensive.

Sharon didn’t suggest they carpool from work, and since Maddie rode the bus, she called Uber for a ride. Sharon was already there, seated at a window table with what looked like a Cosmo in front of her when Maddie arrived and was seated.

When the waiter arrived, Maddie said, “I’d like a Scotch, Macallan Estate, if you have it. If not, any Macallan will do, and we’ll order after a bit.” She glanced at Sharon’s drink and added, “My dinner partner will have another of those as well please. Thank you.”

The waiter responded to Maddie’s smile with his own smile and a “Yes, mam, be right back.”

The two women made small talk about the view and the restaurant while they waited for their drinks. Sharon emptied her glass just before the waiter returned.

Drinks in front of them, Maddie picked hers up and said, “I’d like to propose a toast. Here’s to you Sharon, for being the kind of EA I hope become. So many of the little things you’ve shown me that makes the boss’ life easier, I probably would not have thought of for a very long time. Thank you for sharing those and please accept my most sincere wishes for a great future.”

Maddie clinked her glass against the one in Sharon’s hand and took a sip. “Oh Lord, but I really needed this. I rarely drink, but even if I’d just gone home this evening, I would undoubtedly poured myself a dollop of this stuff. I’m so pleased you chose to join me.”

By the time Sharon’s third drink had arrived, Maddie knew she was 35 years old, married and divorced, had worked at Lomax for eight years. When they ordered dinner, Sharon, as Maddie had known she would, ordered the most expensive item on the menu which was the scallops. Maddie ordered a seafood dish as well and a bottle of wine that would celebrate both entrees.

By the time the wine bottle was empty, Sharon was well into her cups, her inhibitions gone and Maddie figured it was time to hear the truth about why she was leaving Lomax. “So, Sharon, I know you loved your job, and hate to leave, so why are you leaving?”

Sharon looked across the table at Maddie and tears filled her eyes. “I’m leaving because I was stupid. And, let this be a lesson to you if you want to keep the job.” She rummaged in her handbag for a tissue, but Maddie was ready and passed a Kleenex across the table.

Once Sharon had blotted the few tears that had escaped and blown her nose, Maddie asked, “What happened?”

After a deep breath, Sharon responded, “I was attracted to Spence from the git-go, but he never ever gave me any indication it was mutual. At the last major charity event I attended with him, I had a little too much to drink, like tonight, and felt courageous enough to make a play for him in the back of the limo when he was taking me home.”

Sharon’s hand went to her mouth and she shook her head in either denial or disbelief at her own stupidity. While Maddie looked at her sympathetically, Sharon continued, “On Monday when I went in to the office, Spence sat me down and told me that while he wasn’t firing me, he was going to let me go as soon as he found a replacement. No amount of apologizing, promising it would never happen again, nothing would sway him. He told me he was too uncomfortable around me now to continue to work with me.”

“Oh Sharon, I’m so sorry. It seems like he could overlook one small lapse in judgement, especially when you’d had one too many.”

“Yes, well, perhaps he would have except my play for him was more like my doing everything except pulling my panties off, his cock out and mounting him. Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.”

“Well, I am truly sorry Sharon, and I hope you believe that even though I’m taking your place.”

“Yeah, well, just keep in mind that no matter how you might feel, don’t act on it. You know how some women are referred to as frigid; well, I think Spence might be the male equivalent. As far as I know, he’s never had a girlfriend in all the time I’ve worked for him. It’s all business 24/7, or it certainly seems that way.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Maddie responded, thinking of the way she felt when Spence clasped her hand. “I do appreciate it. Now, I’m calling an Uber to take us both home. I’m not going to let you drive after all the alcohol. And, thanks again for having dinner with me.”

Over Sharon’s protests, Maddie ushered her into the Uber car and during the drive made arrangements for the driver to pick Sharon up the following day to retrieve her car. Once she’d seen Sharon into her apartment building and on her own way home, Maddie relaxed against the seat, thought about what Sharon had told her and wondered if the zap she received each time Spence took her hand had been her imagination. Even if it hadn’t and she wanted to keep the job, and she definitely did, there was no way she’d ever allow that zap to become all-encompassing for either herself or Spence.