Chapter Eight - The Offer
Laura couldn't decide if 5 PM was approaching too slowly or too quickly. She turned the events of the day over in her mind while trying to listen to her children talk about running the dogs in the woods and all the other things they had seen and done. It was strange, she thought, that they seem to be happier just now than they ever were at home, even though they were among only adults and there were no other kids around for playtime. Still, these adults treated them like people, not chattel; maybe that was the difference. Richard never seemed to have much time for any of them, unless he was bringing a client home to dinner. Then it was always show time, best behavior, good clothes, make an impression; as soon as they were shown off, it was as though they didn't exist anymore. Richard would depart with his client without so much as a good night, good dinner, go to hell, for any of them. It had always bothered Laura, but he did seem to provide what they needed and they had all the amenities to keep up appearances, at least they did have until recently. She did wonder about other families and how they got along, but it didn't occur to her to ask a few little questions here and there. After all, she was the devoted wife and mother. It had not yet occurred to her that they had been used like property. Besides, that era was apparently gone forever and she had to make choices now about her future and that of her children.
The time to choose was getting near. Alice would watch the kids while Laura had her business meeting; in fact, Alice, who almost never cooked for herself, had promised them supper at her place when that time arrived. In the meantime, she had some grandkid games available, and some kidvids; incongruous as it seemed, she looked forward to sitting on the floor and enjoying herself. Kept her sharp for her own grandkids she thought to herself.
Refreshed and ready to face whatever came, Laura went to the office area to find Roger. Seeing her approaching, the men rose as one from around the small conference table, an act of habit for them, but for her an act of courtesy awesome in its simplicity and statement.
Calvin Harrison worked his way through college in a variety of jobs, sometimes several at once, but always with the goal of a degree and the good job it would merit him. Majoring in business, he interviewed for and was hired as an assistant to the purchasing agent in the local branch of a major manufacturing company. The PA was scheduled to retire in two more years, but the truth of the matter was, he had already retired in place. Mostly, he didn't care what Calvin did, so long as it didn't involved much work on his part and the materials kept flowing into and out of the plant. For Calvin, it was a golden opportunity to learn the complete operation while still having some protection from a senior department head. Given plenty of leash to run on, he learned to negotiate with vendors for almost anything of consequence in the plant, learning when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em as the situation warranted. Then came the day the PA actually did retire and left the plant, recommending strongly that Calvin take over as PA. Everything had finally fallen into place after a lot of hard work: good job, bright future climbing the corporate ladder maybe to division headquarters, beautiful wife carrying their first child, and their own home; it might be sort of a starter house, but it was theirs to do with as they pleased. They truly were pleased with both the house and themselves. Then the company went offshore and shuttered the plant, taking only the division manager along.
Calvin found a job working in a local hardware store and although it wasn't the income he had been receiving, they had reined in wherever they could and things were working out. That was where he was when Ryan had come in for some repair parts Franz needed. The two men knew each other from charity golf outings the previous several years, and although Ryan knew about the plant closing, he had assumed a bright guy like Calvin had been moved up the line and somehow protected as a valuable asset. But the old company didn't care about people assets, and Calvin had to make a living, so it was the hardware store. Ryan thought about the injustice of the situation first, but that was quickly overtaken by his mind searching for a place Windmere could use this man, not for charity but because Windmere needed good people in its growth phase and this was a good man. Arranging an after-hours meeting with Calvin, the deal was made, and two weeks later he started as the power shopper for Windmere. It was a decision Ryan would regard as one of his best. And so it was that Calvin had been invited as a member of the interview team and joined the other two men at the table. He was quick to notice Ryan's eyes watching Laura as she entered, although he didn't read much into it at the moment.
As usual, Roger took the lead: "Please, have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Anything I can get for you before we continue?"
"No, thank you; I'm fine and, I think, ready to deal with life, at least for the moment. That would not have been true this time yesterday, having found myself without a home, any means of support, and a sister who wouldn't help. Oops; I'm sorry. That just sort of slipped out; one too many things to keep track of, I guess."
Ryan interjected: "Your sister? You have relatives in Conyerville?"
"Yes, my sister, Nancy Pickett, but I don't want you to think she left me out in the cold or anything like that. Actually, when we got into the bus station yesterday, I called their house, but her husband Lennie said they were having hard times and just couldn't help for the moment. I called again this morning and talked to Nancy. She was still furious at Leonard. She said she had seen us on the late news, but by the time she called we were gone and the night supervisor would only tell her we were in a safe place. But, we are not here to talk about my family issues. Sorry that came up."
Roger continued: "Not a problem. I'm sure in the long run you'll work things out with your sister. And it is true, you are in a safe place; you've seen how we run things around here. But, I digress. We are indeed here to see what can be worked out to everyone's best interest. Oh, I'm sorry; my manners are terrible this afternoon; please, let me introduce you to Calvin Harrison. Cal is our expediter for want of a better word, does purchase contract negotiations, that sort of thing."
"I'm please to meet you Mr. Harrison."
"Please, Calvin, or Cal; either is fine with me. If you decide to stay around here, please feel free to yell anytime you need a hand, or have a question about something we do; it's how I learned a lot of this, sort of making it up as we went along in the early days. I guess we did all right. Anyway, welcome to Windmere."
"Thank you. I look forward to the adventure."
"Don't let that smiling face beguile you. Ryan and I both learned Cal can be tough as nails in a negotiation; probably why he makes way too much money for his own good. So, cards on the table. The three of us met to consider the situation, Windmere's needs, things like that. We are fully aware that you have some reservations about being able to do what we ask. In that regard, please let me assure you that the position we are considering is wide ranging in scope; it is still very much in development, and we would expect you to have a lot of input as it fleshes out. As mentioned, we are prepared to hire assistance in developing the system, but you would call the shots for the consultants; we can tell you what we need, how you deliver it would be your call. Since you clearly know a lot more about that than at least two of us, we will trust your judgment in formatting and so on. All we ask is that you deliver product in useable form. So, you know what we need; here's what we are willing to trade for that service. It makes things a little easier if we reduce it down to dollars and cents, but that doesn't mean there is no wiggle room. For instance, if you elect to move to a cottage, there is a figure that is comparable to what you would have to pay in rent for equivalent housing in Conyerville, plus an allowance for utilities, that sort of thing. The medical is pretty straight forward, standard deductible although we use a disappearing deductible our agent hates; the numbers are all there. We did assume you would elect to buy insurance; I believe you will find the rates favorable, but you always have the right to go shopping. Board is spelled out, including the allowance for meals taken in the kitchen. We pretty well assume breakfast is a g
iven; Doris told me she truly enjoyed feeding the kids this morning; I know she would look forward to that being a regular occurrence. Other meals are as scheduled. I know you are looking to start at least one person in elementary school this fall; I think we can waive any costs if he decides to carry rather than use the cafeteria; not a big issue. If you decide to buy your own car, there is a small offset cost for not using a Windmere car, but since we have to maintain them anyway, you won't find it to be a real significant line item. Income tax withholding and all that is pretty well determined by Uncle Sam, as you know. There is one other item I need to clarify: this is a corporation operating under the laws of this state; this umbrella wholly covers the three subsidiary operations. As a corporation, although it is not publicly traded, it does have treasury stock available; that stock is used solely to provide shares to employees who elect to withhold some pay to buy shares. You may want to think about that for the future, or if you feel confident, you can elect in or out at any time. Shares are redeemable only upon severing your connection to the company, and only by being returned to the company; they are not negotiable, and will not be recognized if held by anyone not in the employ of Windmere, Inc. I don't mean to sound harsh, just very thorough so no wrong ideas are conveyed. Now, having rambled on for some time, we come to the bottom line. Here is what we offer at this time. I know this is sudden and that you have had to cope with major changes in the last few days, but please consider our decision making process. You see, Windmere is a company that tends to make good decisions, and make them quickly; the sooner a good decision can be implemented, the sooner the benefits accrue to the company. I don't want you to think we're buying a piece of machinery or an automaton; we are very well aware of you as a person. We believe your potential as an excellent team member lands us clearly on the positive side of the hiring equation. Decision made. Okay, your turn. Any questions?"
"This is a lot of information to swallow at one time. Please, let me be honest and very forthright at this point. Clearly, I need a job, but I would rather look at this as an opportunity to grow, get better, learn things. I can find something to do for money if I have to, but I see this as an opportunity I never expected to come along. Two things: working hours, and, I'm reluctant to ask this, time off?"
"Cal thought of everything, as he usually does. Here's our schedule of paid holidays, vacation days earned with time worked, sick time accrued, and working hours. We like to do somewhat regular hours Tuesday through Thursday, flex on Monday and Friday. Because some of our operations are in different time zones, we adapt as needed and compensate accordingly. We do not believe working harder is any way to get ahead; working smarter is. No 80 hour work weeks for us. I know you may be concerned about the kids, who takes care of them, and so on. If you decide to stay with us, we can work all that out. Alice is very knowledgeable in that area since we do have whole families stay here from time to time, as is her twin sister Alicia Resnick. Dress is normally casual in the office area unless we are hosting; then dress is predicated on the level of the operation; some companies like it formal, some don't. We will always keep you appraised of that ahead of time so you don't get caught unawares. Also, Alice did mention in passing that your wardrobe might need a little help; should you elect to join with us, we are prepared to advance you expenses to some level adequate to replenish your wardrobe, to be repaid over time as you generate personal revenue, that is, get paid. So, the big question is in your hands. I know it's pushing pretty hard, but we would like a decision in the morning if at all possible. W don't normally work on Saturday, but Ryan lives here; you can let him know your decision. What do you think?"
"I intend to have an answer for you by 8 AM if that's acceptable. I don't want to awaken anyone too early on a Saturday."
"Not a problem for me," Ryan interjected. "Please, call any time you want, I mean, any time you need to; never mind. You know what I mean. I run early and will be back in by then for sure. I look forward to hearing your answer." Silently his mind continued the sentence with 'but only if it's YES.' The two men noticed his seeming mental lapse; not like him at all, and they concluded this woman seated across from them was the catalyst. It just seemed to them that there was more going on here than they could quite see, whether Ryan could see it or not.
Laura folded the paper, thanked them for their courtesy toward her, and headed for the kitchen and a little evening snack of some kind. She found herself not at all shaken by all this; it just seemed to somehow flow naturally. 'Maybe', she thought, 'it's because they don't treat me like Richard did; they talk to me, not at me, and it's a dialog, not a monolog'. Entering the kitchen, she remembered that Doris had told her where to find sandwich materials, and to help herself. 'Use the food,' she had said with a laugh; 'it stays fresher that way.' Laura quickly found a plethora of sandwich meats, cheeses and other things necessary to construct a really fine sandwich of significant proportions. Just as she was really starting to enjoy the experience, Ryan arrived in the kitchen with about the same thing on his mind.
"We meet again, and so soon. I have about everything out here you could possibly want; what can I assemble for you?" she asked.
"Please, I can do it myself, really; I don't want to put you out any."
"Not a problem. I enjoy this sort of thing. It's a lot less complicated than other things in life, and I know the end result. Not too many things like that anymore, so what'll it be? Start with some roast beef, thin slices for better flavor, layer of Swiss with the big holes on one side of the beef, slice of provolone on the other, quartet of pepperoni slices for a little zest, light mayo on one whole wheat face, light mustard on the sourdough face, leaf lettuce, pickle on the side and some chips if I can find them, cut on a diagonal, no fancy toothpicks. Sound about right?"
"Yes, sounds great. How'd you ever think of a combination like that? I'd never think to use two different kinds of bread, or the pepperoni. Guess I'm too conservative."
"No, not at all. I worked in the campus sandwich shop one semester; money wasn't great, but the food supply was pretty endless. I'm a little out of practice. The kids can live on peanut butter and jelly, so my life has been pretty basic in that area. Anyway, does this look like something you can get your teeth into, so to speak?" as she slid the loaded plate across the table hash house style.
"Yes, ma'am. I can do that. How about I find us some drinks. Name your poison and I'll see what I can find in the fridge."
"Ice tea, unsweetened if possible."
"You're on."
And the two sat across the table and dined, enjoying both the food and the conversation, with no idea that in the long run the scene had repetition possibilities. Ryan seemed interested in the kids, asking what they did and how they thought about things, what they played, and if they got along with each other. Laura was pleased to talk about her children; Richard had never seemed interested in any of that, yet this man whom she barely knew seemed truly interested. And never once did he mention the job offer or any of the other events of the day; it was as though the two of them were on an island alone in the middle of the house.
Dishes in the washer, they parted ways for the day, each bidding the other a good night, each anticipating the morning.
Laura's Big Win Page 8
