Let Go

Beverly squirmed, and gave her coached answer. "That is correct, but as CEO, I have the authority to terminate anyone, at will. The numbers had dropped so radically I thought we were in danger of losing some very old and lucrative accounts, in fact, that is exactly what is happening. I felt I had no choice."

The Arbitrator nodded, then turned to Dave. "Sir, does this sound reasonable?"

Dave actually grinned. "Not at all. There was a reason the numbers were low. I even tried to explain it to Ms. Patterson a few times at work and in our domestic situation, but she told me I needed to stay out of things above my pay grade, so I dropped it."

"Tell me then, why did your numbers drop so dramatically?"

"Believe it or not, it was planned. We were coming out with a new and improved product, and there was a lot of old inventory still available. I talked the customers into buying the new product by discounting the old, and clearing it out of inventory. I have here statements from four of our customers substantiating this. As soon as the old reached a predetermined threshold, they were going to order the new, in bulk. It was a win/win for everyone. They got the old inventory at a discount, which would be more than made up for when they ordered the new. So yes, I goofed off a little, played golf and had dinners with clients, while we discussed projected volume. I never, not once, forgot I had the best interests of my company to watch out for. MY immediate supervisor knew all this. Why isn't he here? I asked specifically for him."

"This isn't a court, Mr. Waxman. I can't force someone to appear at an informal hearing. Do you have any proof of your claims?"

Amanda Austin reached into her briefcase and extracted some paperwork, passing it to the arbitrator. She read through a few, frowning. The corporate lawyer tried to stop her, but she once again told him this wasn't a courtroom. He settled by demanding to see them after she was through. She would hand him a sheet when she got through with it, and his own frown got deeper.

They argued back and forth until the arbitrator put a stop to it.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I've heard and seen enough. Ms. Patterson, you were in direct violation of company guidelines when you terminated him. To put it in legalese, you denied him due process. My finding is that Mr. Waxman was let go without cause or recourse to his rights under company guidelines. Therefore, I'm ordering you to give him his position back with no recriminations, and pay his salary from the time he was separated from the company until now. Either of you may appeal this decision if you wish, but you will have to travel to the capitol, and it will be considered a legal proceeding. Does anyone object at this time?"

My head down in despair, Beverly shook her head no. Dave spoke.

"I'll accept the backpay, ma'am, and thank you. I will not return to the company because I feel it would be a toxic environment. Besides, I have a new job that I'm really enjoying."

Well, she was truly screwed, Bev realized. Her career was over, and she would be lucky if they let her stay with the company. Her lawyer, and Dave's, had a few words afterwards, and he was definitely still not smiling when he returned.

Back at the office, they went into a conference room and he spelled it out. "The hearing went pretty much as I expected. You need to make sure he gets that check as soon as possible. Amanda told me they were suing us, naming you, Adler, and the company in the suit. I told her to set a time, and we would get together and settle. Apparently, your husband doesn't want to settle. He wants to air it out in court, and make it a matter of public record. That means that anyone with any brains can look it up. How many talented people do you think would look at that and not send us resumes?

"I frankly don't know how to proceed. Normally we would throw a little money at him and it would just go away. That won't work here, because it's not about the money. You need to talk to your husband, as soon as possible, and get him to let us work something out."

"I would do that very thing, sir, if I knew how to get in touch with him. He's left me, changed his number, and just disappeared. None of our mutual friends have heard from him or even seen him. When he said he had a new job it was news to me. This is a small market, and I would have heard if he was selling for someone else. I'll try a few of his friends, telling them it's extremely urgent, but I have no idea if they'll help."

He left, saying as soon as he got the paperwork he would return. Jen took Beverly out to lunch to cheer her up. It didn't really work. Jen, clever girl that she was, distracted Bev by talking about the upcoming visit to Solomon Industries. "The old man has always liked you, Bev. Turn on the charm, and get him back into the fold. Free words of advice here; while he likes you, he doesn't care much for Adler. I couldn't tell you why, but it's pretty well known that if your..." she paused, stopping herself from saying 'ex-husband', "if Dave wasn't wasn't running interference, Adler would have angered him enough to have already left."

Beverly's head was swimming. She asked herself why, as CEO, she didn't have that information. A small voice was starting say she should have paid more attention to Dave when he talked about his job. She had finally admitted to herself, after half a bottle of scotch, she had been minimizing his position for quite a while, and she was struggling to understand why.

*****

Dave had won, but, he had to think hard to try and figure out what he had won. he had, without a doubt, destroyed the woman I was supposed to love and support. She would be extremely lucky if she got to keep her job, or even stay with her company. Did he feel good about it? Not really. he knew how much she loved that job, how she loved giving out her business card with 'CEO' on it. He did, however, feel vindicated. She had brought this on herself. Oh, it was a lot worse than what she would have done to just an employee, but it would have been just a matter of time before her arrogance and egotism drove her to do something just as stupid to someone else. Maybe she would mark it up to hard experience, and use it as a learning experience.

Now that that part of their lives was over, Dave wondered if they had any kind of chance to get over it and remain a couple. He knew he would never return to the old relationship; it would be a full partnership or nothing. He was damn sure never going to live in that monstrosity she called a home. It was nothing more than an edifice to her success. Sad, really. It would have made a great home in which to raise children.

Well, one thing he had to look forward to was the money. The back-pay, almost five month's worth, was a nice chunk of change. Amanda was on his ass to settle instead of dragging it out in court, reminding him that the best revenge was living well. They had sued the company for two million, and she said they would probably offer twenty per cent, just to keep it out of the papers. She found out they were in the process of merging with a competitor, and this little incident would severely impact their worth, going forward. Firing Beverly wouldn't really help at this stage, but it might save them some face.

Dave liked the new town. It was half the size of the city he left, and the pace was more relaxed. The people were friendlier, and he couldn't ask for a better place to work. Best of all, the housing market was a little depressed, and it was possible to buy a lot more home with a lot less money than he would have spent back home. He grinned and shrugged at the thought. What did back home constitute exactly? He wasn't at all sure any more.

Dave even had his eye on a place that had been for sale for almost a year, a larger, older two story on six acres of land. He didn't need that much, but it would be fun to own. The owners were getting anxious to sell, and he had feeling he could get a really good deal. He researched it on the net, and it seemed solid, with no major problems other than the roof. It was still good, but was twenty years old. He'd already decided if he bought it, he would replace the shingles with tin. It was all the rage, and he had fond memories of staying with his grandparents on their farm in the summer, going to sleep with the sound of rain on the roof.

That night, Dave dreamed, something he rarely did. Likely, he dreamed all the time, but he hardly ever remembered them. This dream had him sitting on the front porch of the house beside a woman, both of them in a glider, rocking gently while they watched three children, two girls and a boy, run around the yard playing with a ball, two dogs, one big and one small, chasing them. A large calico cat sat on the railing, looking on, seemingly bored. In a wave of love, he turned to kiss his companion, only to discover she had no face. He woke with a start, and lay there, trying to figure out what it meant.

Sighing, He got up, deciding to hit the gym on the way to work. It was going to be a busy day.

*****

Beverly didn't sleep well that night, and as she got ready for work, she noticed the bags under her eyes. She hoped it was just stress related, but if they were permanent, well, she knew a good doctor. If anyone wanted to maintain in her world, they had to look like twenty-five, yet have fifteen-years of experience.

In a way, she was looking forward to what was coming. The lawyer did a little research on Bob, and came to her with disquieting news. It seemed he was in negotiations with the company they were merging with to take over her job when the contracts were signed. Corporate's directives were very clear. Remove the cancer, immediately. This time, however, Bev had all her ducks in a row.

Jack, their lawyer, and Angela, a woman flown down from corporate HR, would be with her, to make sure there were no mistakes. It rankled Bev a little to have them there; She was perfectly capable of handling it on her own, but recent experience taught her that this could be a good thing.

Bob was surprised to find he wasn't going with her to see Sal, and by then, she had no reason to sugarcoat the reason. "Sal despises you, Bob. I'm trying to get back in his good graces, and bringing you along would undermine that."

He seemed surprised, then got angry. "Screw that old fart, babe. His business doesn't mean that much to us."

"Do I need to remind you to remain professional here? I was never your 'babe', so you need to cut that out. If you think losing eighteen percent of our sales base means so little, perhaps you're not as suited to your job as I first thought. You were pretty pissed when you heard the news. Think about that while I'm gone, and remember, we need to meet after I get back, so keep your schedule flexible. I'll call you when I return."

She enjoyed the look on his face as she left, and couldn't wait to see it when they lowered the boom that afternoon. Pushing him out of her mind as she drove, she worked on her presentation to Sal and his new purchasing manager. It had to be just right if she were to have any chance.

Sal was waiting at the restaurant, even though Bev was fifteen minutes early. He stood and seated her, and she appreciated it. Dave had always been well mannered, taught by a great uncle who instilled in him that manners never went out of style. She missed that, among other things. They chatted for a minute, but when she started talking business, he stopped her.

"Please, Beverly, let's wait for my purchasing director. I want his opinions and insight on anything we go over. He should be here any minute, in fact, here he is now."

Bev turned to greet him and the words died in her throat. Dave! He was the new purchasing director? If she wasn't dead in the water before, she was now. He must have seen the despair in her eyes, and spoke to her gently. "Hello, Beverly. Wow, you went all out, I bet I haven't seen you in that dress three times, and every one was an important event in your life. I can see why you wore it, though. You always looked spectacular in it."

Beverly didn't know how to answer, so she changed the subject. "This is the job you talked about in arbitration? You're in purchasing now? For a salesman, that must be like going to the dark side."

He grinned. "It is, kind of, but it's really just sales in reverse, if you can understand what I mean. Besides, it's worth it when I see salesmen, and they realize who I am. It blows their plans completely. I've been there, done that, and there isn't much they can surprise me with. It actually makes things easier. They know they can't bullshit me, so they just get down to negotiations. That being said, let's enjoy lunch, and talk business later."

It was surreal to Beverly, sitting there eating lunch with her husband, knowing he held all the power. She couldn't help but wonder if that was how he felt at times. Dessert over, with cups of very good coffee in hand, she began her speech.

She pointed out how long they had done business together, how well they had responded to Sal's needs, and how they could continue to service him with excellence in the future. Dave let Sal take the lead, for which she was grateful. Sal listened, but stopped her halfway through. "All you say is true Beverly, but let's not forget who landed our business in the first place and served us so well over the years. I was buying that as well as material, and now, well, the situation has changed. Before you ask, yes, I did have a verbal commitment with your salesman. Once he left the company, though, I no longer considered it binding.

"The South Koreans, to be honest, have a better product at a great price. It exceeds the specifications we have for your product. My purchasing agent happens to know the son of the owner, and finds him trustworthy. Who were you going to replace Dave with? Adler? I don't think so. I've never liked him, but more importantly, I never trusted him. Even if we had stayed with you, I'd insist on another account rep."

He stood, looking down on her. "I always liked you Beverly, even if I didn't exactly like the things you did sometimes. I'm still your friend, if you let me, but professionally, we're pretty much through. I have another appointment, so I'm leaving. You can continue to press your case with my purchasing agent, if you wish. Best of luck."

He said the last with a grin, bent down and kissed her cheek. "He still loves you," he whispered, "but it's going to be a long road to get him to trust you again. Give it your best shot."

*****

Did Dave enjoy the lunch? Yes, on several levels. Did he enjoy her pain? Just a small amount. It was very satisfying to see her looking lost and confused, and not the supremely confident megabitch she projected most of the time in her natural environment.

She looked at him sadly. "We don't have a chance, do we?"

"Are you talking professionally or privately? If you're talking business, then no, you don't. Their product is superior to yours in almost every way, much cheaper, and readily available. Even if I were still with the company, it would have only been a matter of time before we would have started losing customers. You need to get with corporate and rethink your business plan. Maybe you should go in the direction I suggested a year ago, retool your assembly lines, get R&D more involved. It's time to reinvent yourselves, or you'll be as extinct as the dinosaurs in a few years."

Dave looked into her confused eyes, and realized she didn't recall what he tried to tell her all those months ago. He was no business genius, but he was literate enough to read the writing on the wall. Then again, he didn't have power goggles on. Arrogance and egotism is its own reward.

They sat silently for a few minutes. "Dave," she said in a timid voice, "May I ask about us?". Dave almost laughed but stopped himself. Instead, he asked her as gently as possible, what us?

"You and me, honey. Please, you need to move back home so we can go back to what we had. I miss you very much."

Dave got the impression that she was surprised by his reply. "What us? There hasn't been an 'us' for going on three years now. There was me, the ornament at dinners and parties, someone to come home to, but that's about it. I was just a minor supporting character in the movie of your life. Intimacy died between us years ago, Beverly, and I don't see a resurgence in our future. Before you say it, yes, we were intimate on rare occasions, but stop to think, how many times did I initiate it in the last two years? I'll give you a hint, never. I felt like I was just a human dildo, there to give you release when you needed it. There was no foreplay to speak of before, and no snuggling after. As soon as you got off, you were ready to roll over and go to sleep, whether I'd gotten anything out of it or not. Don't deny it. Instead, think about it and you'll see I'm right."

He could see conflicting emotions playing across her face, but he was on a roll, getting things he'd wanted to say for years off his chest.

"As for coming home, well, I'll never darken the door of that house again, whether we stay together or not. It was never a home, it was a monument to your success, and you fought me tooth and nail when I wanted to make changes. In fact, I have a bid in now on a HOME I think I'll really like. It's an older two story, too much house for me, actually, but it has lots of room and a little acreage. Best of all, it already has a building that would be perfect for the workshop I've thought about for years, and room for the vegetable garden I always wanted to plant. I'm sorry honey, but after eight years of living in your shadows, I've learned to love the light."

"Where does that leave us?"

It was so sad and forlorn that he toned it down. "I couldn't tell you. I suspect we'll never be together as man and wife again. You have to respect your partner, and I haven't had that from you as a man or employee for quite a while now. I'm not a supporting character anymore, Beverly, I want my own show. I realize now that it's at least partly my fault we ended up like this, but at the time I loved you so much that if it made you happy I learned to live with it. And the more I gave, the more you wanted until it got to the point I had nothing left to give. I suspect, deep down, that that is the exact moment when you realized you didn't need me anymore. You had minimized my impact on your life to the point that I was invisible to you. Really, it shouldn't be that hard on you, just carry on as you've been doing, and pretty soon I'll just be a dim memory."

He stood, placing my hand on her shoulder. "Go back to the love of your life, Bev, your job. And free advice, stay away from Adler. The man's a snake. I don't know how he got into your head long enough to scramble your brains, but step back and consider. What did he have to gain by poisoning your mind against me? Think about it. And don't worry too much; you've been too good for too long for this brain fart to wound you fatally. You might lose a notch or two, and have to do some major ass kissing, but the company still knows your worth. Goodbye, Bev."

He paused for just a second. "I'm sorry my company and yours have come to a parting of the ways, Beverly, but really, it's just business, you know?"

She flinched, and he wondered if she caught his meaning. It was the exact phrase she had used to justify firing him.

*****

Beverly wanted to sit for a while and digest everything, so she went to a park she'd seen on the way into town, parked, found a bench, and reviewed her life. Some of it filled her with immense satisfaction. She could remember every promotion, the hard work she had done to get it, and the immediate plans to move to the next level, until finally she was at the top of her little food chain.