The Challenge Continues

Good Morning All - Last day of November - now the race is on..Did everyone survive the holiday and Black Friday?  Tell me, is Black Friday just an American thing?  I can tell you it's not my thing.  There is no way I would shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday.  I won't set foot in any store but the grocery store until at least Monday.   

I put up my Christmas decorations this weekend, such as they are. When we drove home from friends Thanksgiving night, I was amazed to see how many houses were already alight with their decorations.  They must have taken advantage of the nice warm sunny days we've been having.  It's a little cooler now - more back to normal.  Normal weather here, though, is so much nicer than in so many other areas. Thank you, Lord, of course, I won't be proclaiming that come summer.

Enough blabbering, here's why you stopped by.  The Challenge, Part Four.  You know what you have to do if you want to read from the beginning

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Brian Sanderson worked on his speech for the employee meeting later that afternoon.  He wasn’t sure whether Wendy would be there or not so he didn’t know if he should include her in his talk or even mention her.  Hell, he didn’t even know if he would be there.  Wendy may well be filing a police report to have him arrested for assault and battery.  He didn’t know what possessed him.  Granted he had been thinking about spanking some of that sass out of her from the beginning but he should never have acted on it.  The year is 2015 for God’s sake, not the 19^th century; it was an utterly irresponsible act. He didn’t know his Uncle Gene, but he was pretty sure he would be turning over right about now.

An hour passed and when no police showed up to arrest him, he figured he was in the clear. Connie returned from her long lunch and asked about Wendy.

“We had a disagreement, and she left.  I don’t know if she’ll be back.”

“There is a problem out on the floor, what do you want to do about it?”

“What kind of problem.”

“Something with the latest shipment.”

“So get someone to fix it.”

“That’s the thing, Mr. Sanderson.  Wendy is usually the one who deals with matters like this.”

“Damn,” he said. 

“Well, tell the supervisor to deal with it.”

“Mr. Sanderson, if they’ve sent the wrong item and we accept the shipment, we’re responsible. He doesn’t have the authority to sign for a shipment this large.”

The phone in the outer office rang, and Connie answered the phone on Brian’s desk.  Wendy was on the other line, and Connie related the problem.

“Is that Wendy on the phone?”  Connie shook her head yes.

“Give me the phone,” he said as he practically grabbed the phone out of Connie’s hand.

“Wendy, this is Brian.  Where the hell are you?”

The next thing Connie heard was “I know you’re not here, but I don’t know what to do about this shipment problem.  Hold on while I put the call on speaker.”

“Okay, Wendy.  Do we or do we not accept the shipment?”

“Mr. Sanderson, this is your company, and as you so succinctly told me earlier, the final decision is yours.  I suggest you follow your own advice.”

“Wendy, are you still pouting?”

There was silence on the other end.

“Okay, okay.  I’m sorry.  I was wrong.  I don’t know what came over me.”

“A large dose of testosterone topped with an even bigger dose of pomposity,” he heard her say.  He stifled the laugh that was trying to erupt.

“You may be right, but it doesn’t solve the current problem.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“What do you want me to do, grovel?”

“It would be a start.”

“Wendy, I don’t grovel.”

“Then I suggest you make your first CEO decision,” he heard her say and the line went dead.

“How dare she hang up on me?” he thundered and slammed down the receiver. He let loose with a few strong epithets before he went out to the floor. Connie couldn’t help but snicker as she watched him storm out of the office. He must have looked fierce as he strode to the loading dock because not one person acknowledged him.  He signed the damned authorization without question and went back to his office.  Wendy Thurston raised his hackles like no other person, male or female, ever had before. ‘Why was that?’

Wendy Thurston was having the same conversation with herself.  She had called Connie to check on Brian Sanderson’s mood and perhaps start smoothing the waters.  Instead, she made it worse by hanging up on him.  He frustrated the hell out of her, but she had more of a clue than he did.  She understood her attraction to him.  He was easy on the eyes and even though his authoritative manner rubbed her the wrong way, literally and figuratively, his behavior matched what she always imagined she wanted – a man to take charge. She never imagined it happening at her workplace. 

Maybe that was the answer.  She thought about it some more and decided to go back to work and have a talk with Mr. Brian Sanderson.  She’d come right out and ask him if he was attracted to her in a personal way.  If he answered yes, she would suggest they could pursue it out of the workplace and then, just maybe, they could separate their work and personal lives.  If he could manage to treat her as another valued employee at work, then she would let him take charge of her in their private lives.  After all, he wouldn’t think of spanking Connie, would he?  Maybe she’d ask him that question too?  It might make a good segue for her suggestion.

She decided to wait until a few minutes before 4:00 pm before she arrived at Sanderson Manufacturing; knowing the employees would be in the breakroom for the scheduled meeting.  She slipped in the door unnoticed and sat in the very back of the room.

She couldn’t help but admire the positive way Brian strode into the room.  He was definitely a “take charge” man.  He thanked Connie for her assist in arranging the meeting and then began to tell the employees that he planned to conduct business in much the same way as it was under his uncle’s stewardship. 

Hands raised, and Brian acknowledged John Atkins.

“Yes, John, what’s your question?  By the way, it’s nice to meet you, and I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to ask a question.” Brian said.  Wendy was impressed that he knew John’s name.  He must have studied the employee files while she was gone.

“Where’s Wendy fit into this plan?  She’s been with this company since the beginning and since your uncle has been pretty much an absent owner the last couple of years, she been running the company?”

Wendy watched Brian and although he maintained his composure, she could see the twitch in his eye.  It made her feel a little stronger knowing he was human after all.  She hadn’t been sure anyone or anything could penetrate that buttoned-up exterior.  She continued to watch him hem and haw for a few moments before she spoke.

“I think I can answer that question, John.”  Wendy stood, and all eyes turned to the back of the room.  She enjoyed the shocked look on Brian’s face.  She could see the wheels turning as he wondered what she was going to say.

“I met with Mr. Sanderson this morning, and he assured me that my position here is as secure as yours.  He’s offered me the opportunity to stay on if I wish and that we would work together to maintain the integrity of Sanderson Manufacturing.  I am mulling over his offer and will make a decision very soon.  Does that answer your question, John?”

“Yes, Wendy, thanks.  I hope you decide to stay.  I think I can speak for the rest of us too.”  Most heads shook in agreement.

“Thank you, Wendy,”  Brian said. “Are there any other questions?” he asked.  There were a few more questions, and if he didn’t know the answer he told the questioner he would find the answer and get back to him.  He looked to Wendy a couple of times, and she watched as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, but she remained silent. It may not be groveling, but squirming was as good.  She was impressed though that he acknowledged he had a lot to learn, he hoped to get up to speed soon.

“If there aren’t any other questions, this meeting is over. If you want to stick around,  Connie has set up some refreshments.  I’d love to meet each of you personally but if you want to take off, I understand that too. Thank you for coming.”

When he stepped away from the makeshift podium, he looked for Wendy but she must have left. He hung around, meeting the employees who stayed behind and when the last of them left he went back to his office.  When he opened the door, he saw Wendy was sitting in a guest chair.

“Hello Wendy,” he said with a slight smirk on his face.

“Hello, Brian.”

“Have you come to make amends?”

“I believe you’re the one that has to make amends.”

“Maybe we both do,” he told her.

“That’s a good first step.  I have a proposition for you.”

                                                                                                              

“I await it with baited breath,” he told her.

“Maybe you should refrain from the comments since that’s what got us here in the first place.”

“Funny, I could have sworn it was the spanking.”  He watched the color creep up Wendy’s  neck, and she started to stand.

“I’m sorry.  I couldn’t help myself.  Sit down and let me hear what you have to say.”

I couldn't help myself either.  This story just begs for continuance.  See you later for more Aimless Rambling.