"Please sit down!" Paul directed Heather to a chair in front of his desk. "I’ve received a complaint about you."
"What? About me?" Who complained about me? And why?" Heather doubted her ears. Heather was no angel, she knew that, but she couldn't remember doing anything wrong lately, at least not something worth complaining about.
"The woman we’ve just hired."
"What?" Heather was shocked. "I hardly talked to her! What did I say wrong?"
"It wasn’t what you said, Paul answered," but what you did."
"What? What did I do to her?"
"Well, she said she finds it very offensive when people swear around her. You know this company doesn’t tolerate such behavior!" Paul exclaimed while raising his arm and shaking his index finger in the air, like a catholic priest standing on a podium.
Moderately amused by the spectacle, Heather still was baffled by Paul’s statement. This company actually had a policy that specified that no one be allowed to swear? she thought. Where had Paul been hiding out? Was he deaf? Wasn’t he employed in the same company? All the cussing and snide remarks that passed around in this company, and now he was talking to her about company polices. Heather couldn’t remember anyone else ever getting reprimanded for swearing, and now Paul was trying to scold her?
"But I’ve never used a swear word when talking to her!" Heather gasped.
"No you didn’t, but she saw you giving George the 'finger' today. She told me that she very disgusted about what she saw."
"What, she saw this? But George and I were just kidding around." Heather thought she could feel her blood rushing to her head and imagined herself blushing.
"George had made fun of my outfit and in reply, I gave him the finger. It was all just a big joke."
"Well it wasn’t very funny to her, and since the company doesn’t allow any offensive talking or gesturing, I have to order you to refrain from it!"
"Well, I had no idea anyone was watching us." Heather replied. "I’ll have to be more careful next time."
"Yes, I would strongly suggest that!" Paul replied authoritatively.
"Please tell her that I am sorry for making her feel uncomfortable!" Heather asked softly.
"Sure, I can do that." Paul mumbled, already occupied with something else.
Heather left Paul’s office in a daze and more than slightly disturbed. What was the world coming to? Of all people in this company, why would Brandy decide to pick on her? By now, she should’ve overheard many rude comments and witnessed many rude gestures, probably much more offensive than the one Heather had displayed. Why did Brandy feel the need to complain about her?
Suddenly it seemed to dawn on Heather. Maybe Bob had something to do with it. He probably didn’t talk too kindly about her. And maybe, Brandy didn't like Germans, like so many other Americans, who often reminded her of what Germans had once done to the Jews.
Nah! That seems a bit too simple, Heather shrugged off that conclusion quickly. Yet as hard as she tried, she couldn't think of any other reasons.
Hurt and confused, she tried to ease her mind by telling herself it was just a coincidence Brandy had complained about her and no one else. She just had to get back to her workstation, give herself a rest from all this nonsense and then things would be back to normal, Heather assured herself.
But before she was able to come even near her working area, the familiar smell of greasy French fries invaded her nostrils while the loud sound of Bob’s radio blasting through the entire back office violated her sense of hearing. Bob was listing to his favorite radio station, KSTP 1500 AM. The commentator’s current topic was "eliminate immigration to the USA."
Well at least some things are still easy to predict, Heather thought. And then she almost cried, when she realized that the familiarity slightly comforted her.
Copyright Terms!
Owner's consent required!