My "Career" ~ Part 9 ~ A Cold Wind

 

It was one of those ominous days.

Instead of a nice ease-into-spring May day, the wind was howling at 60 miles an hour. I'd never seen anything like it.

My main supervisor, Lauren, had one of her rare days off. We all pitched in and covered for her. Everybody covered for anyone who had the opportunity to take a day off; it was the least we could do. Everyone worked damn hard.

Peter called. But this time, he sounded strange.  "Hey, we're flying in today."

What? Just like that? Flying in today?  

"Can you make reservations at a restaurant? And make sure all your supervisors are there....and Bonnie from HR.

"Lauren is off? Well, can you call her at home? Can she be there? She really needs to be there."

I called my remaining four supes in and informed them that their presence was required at a "dinner". I told them that Bonnie from HR would also be there.

We glanced around the room at each other. Somebody made the crack, "Do I need to update my resume?" We laughed uncomfortably. 

I reached Lauren at home. She asked what was up.  I said, I don't know, but it doesn't sound good. Lauren assured me she'd be there.

I called the East Forty and made a reservation. The East Forty was the most "upscale" restaurant in our little middle-of-the-prairie town. Since the president of our division was flying out with Peter, I figured McDonald's drive through would probably not be conducive to whatever conversation was forthcoming (although, in hindsight, the image of the president and Peter in the back of my Ford Taurus, scrunched together with Penny, Cathy, Lauren, Tracy, Lynnelle, and Tricia, with Bonnie from HR sitting on Peter's lap, all yelling out their orders of Big Macs and large fries, with a chocolate shake for the prez, makes me feel a whole lot better).

My staff and I were, naturally, the first to arrive at the bistro. We literally blew up to the front door. It was seven o'clock at night and the cold wind hadn't stopped howling. I wore a light spring sweater decorated with blue and yellow flowers. When I'd purchased it, I thought it was lovely. Now it seemed hideous. We sat there in the anteroom, next to the crackling fireplace, and we ordered drinks all around, because our mindset was, if this is bad news (which we all knew it was), why not be half snockered?

Again, like earlier in the day, black humor was tossed about. "I wonder if Target is hiring", somebody said. "Gee, I hope nothing happened to the plane. It is pretty windy out there."

When Bonnie from HR showed up, she squeezed into a seat unobtrusively, and barely exchanged pleasantries. We knew she probably knew something, so we essentially ignored her. Bonnie had always been one to throw her weight around and make herself feel all warm and fuzzy in her perceived superiority, so we didn't feel bad giving her the cold shoulder. Under the circumstances, we felt entitled.

Eventually, Peter and the prez alighted upon the lobby. Peter would not meet my gaze, so I  thought, you know what? The hell with you. The two drinks I'd guzzled down had bolstered my bravado. I made the decision then that I would ignore him the rest of the night.

So there we all sat at that long dinner table, and we placed our orders with the wait person, and we choked down our fish or prime rib, or whatever we'd blindly managed to order. If anyone felt comfortable, it was not the six of us supes. I think we managed to grunt a response here and there to snippets of awkward conversation. Mostly, we just fidgeted in our chairs.

And the prez, after everyone had been fed and sated, cleared his throat and announced, "Your division is the best division in the company. You have exceeded; no, well exceeded everyone's expectations. Everyone looks to you as the gold standard. I can't tell you how proud we all are of you and your department."

"Now, let's all go back to the office, shall we? Let's continue the conversation there."

And the cold wind stirred the crackled leaves past our window.


To be continued..........

Next up ~ Thank You, Goodbye