One who understands - S01 E06

3 years ago

One who understands - S01 E06

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 6

Grace drove home thinking about how much better today had been than the day before. Still not wonderful but showing promise at least. She recalled how surprised she’d been when she was immediately called into Mr. Chambers’ office when she’d first arrived. He was store manager and the administration offices were definitely buzzing as she passed through them. She knocked and heard his voice calling out for her to enter. She stepped inside.

“You sent for me, Mr. Chambers?” she asked.

“Yes, please, have a seat,” the white haired older man said gesturing to the chairs across from his desk.

Once she was sitting he got right to the point. He was direct like that and the staff all appreciated that.

“Frank Gorely has been fired. Effective immediately.”

She couldn’t stop the smile from leaking onto her face.

“From your expression this isn’t unhappy news to you,” he said.

“No, it isn’t,” she agreed.

“So you weren’t having an affair with him?” he asked bluntly.

“God no! He was disgusting!” she growled then reined in her anger.

The manager hit a button then flipped his monitor around to display the image of Frank’s privates hanging in her car window.

“Your car? Your picture?”

“Yes, from his surprise visit in the parking lot last night as I was trying to go home. From his slurring I think he’d been drinking. He threatened my job if I didn’t do something nice for him. I took some pictures then did something nice for me instead. I guess having a travel mug slammed down on his nuts didn’t match his expectations.”

That drew a smile from the man. “My question is this. Are you going to sue the company over this?”

“What? No! I can take care of myself as I proved last night. I told him to stay away from the women in the store. I sent him the picture as a warning to heed my words. I appreciate having a job. I just want to keep it. Your action in firing him certainly fulfills my need for justice,” she blurted. She looked at the man. “How did you get the emailed image?”

“His own policy backfired on him. He implemented a mail filter on all company email to copy any messages containing ‘pornographic images’ and certain offensive words to a special HR inbox. Your message to him contained both so the first HR staff to arrive this morning got an eyeful of their bosses… parts. Frank is in the hospital recovering from emergency surgery last night. Seems he had a little accident. I doubt he will press charges considering what he was doing when the ‘accident’ occurred.”

She nodded with a smile.

“Alright then. I formally offer you my apology for having to deal with Frank Gorely and my thanks for giving us the means to expediently remove him from the company.” Mr. Chambers stood up and held out his hand. Grace stood and shook the offered hand. She understood the meeting was over. He walked her over to his door and the staff saw they were both smiling when she left to go back to her cashier’s desk. She saw a few thumbs up on her way back.

When she got back to her desk after lunch she saw every station had a bright and shiny metal travel mug perched atop it. News of her dirty deed had passed quickly and for the rest of the day she had been accepting thanks from many of the women in the office.

She felt kind of warm and fuzzy about it on her drive home but that hadn’t added any extra money into their account. She had to keep in mind that she still had a job. And Frank’s job was gone, like his testicle.