Laura's Big Win (14 page)

“Those guys; you know, they come up
with about anything they see a need for. My kids aren’t here very
often, but I guess they were thinking about your kids. Anyway, it
looks right and the kids all like it.”

“They seem to. I’m so glad your kids
are here today. Mine haven’t seen anyone their size for several
days, and I know that as great as Dennis and Franz are with them,
they still need someone their own age to play with and grow with. I
look forward to a lot of Saturday mornings, I hope. You probably
know what’s going on with us, all that has happened in the past
couple of days. This morning I have to decide our future, at least
for the foreseeable future. How long have you been
here?”

“About three years, back when the
Senora Mary was still with us. She was such a nice person, and I
felt so bad for Senor Ryan when she died. Maybe I shouldn’t be
talking about that. You must have many more things on your
mind.”

“Yes, I do have a lot to think about
this morning, but some time I’d like to hear about Senora Mary. You
say she died?”

“Yes, very suddenly. But Senor Ryan is
here now; he doesn’t like to hear about those things. I think it
still makes him very sad. You go; we’ll talk some other
time.”

With that, Laura turned to meet the
approaching Ryan.

“Good morning Laura, Maria. Kids. How
is everyone this morning? Ready to do business, I hope.” he said,
looking directly at Laura. “Yes, I can tell time, and I know it’s
not quite 8 yet, but we have a little problem at a facility and I
have a plane to catch this morning. Any chance we can make some
early progress?”

Sensing the change in things, Maria
brought a couple of steaming mugs of fresh coffee to a table for
Laura and Ryan. She didn’t miss the way Ryan looked at Laura;
although she couldn’t quite place the level of interest, her
instincts said this man was interested beyond hiring another
employee. But, that was for the two of them to work out and she
turned her attention to the kids for the time being.

Laura continued the conversation.
“Okay, we can do business. The kids and I took a vote this morning
and you lost, or maybe you won, depending on how you want to look
at it; anyway, we’re staying, if you still want us.” Laura paused
for a moment and studied her clasped hands in front of her before
continuing. Sensing her anxiety, Ryan remained silent, waiting for
her to resume speaking. “I guess I’m still a little nervous about
this happening so fast. I know I have a valid offer, and I know
this may sound really strange coming from a prospective employee,
but is this the best thing for the company? Sorry, I must sound
crazy.”

“Remember yesterday when we said
Windmere makes good decisions based on the relevant information,
and wants those decisions implemented quickly to start reaping the
benefits? We continue to believe that is the situation here, so if
you have no objections, you’re hired; is that simple enough? Can
you start Monday morning?”

“I hope so. I need to get some things
in place for the kids; they still have to come first, but, yes;
I’ll do everything I can to start Monday morning.”

“I thought that might be the case, so I
did a couple of things yesterday evening that might help. Alice
will be here in half an hour or so. Dennis will take the two of
you, and your kids, to see her sister in Conyerville; Alicia has a
lot of contacts for day care and things like that; we frequently
use her services when we have guests with children. Next, Windmere
management met concerning this matter; it was decided that you
should be given a hiring bonus up front, mostly because you need
some wardrobe funding; I’m not saying you’re not well dressed; I’m
not going there at all. I’m just saying the company may have some
dress expectations at an event and it was thought you should be
prepared. So, here’s a debit card for you to use shopping, with
enough funds credited to at least give you a good start. It was
decided the bookkeeping to reclaim a loan would be too expensive
and time consuming, hence the bonus idea. Also, rather than expense
out ATM costs, it was determined than you would probably need some
immediate cash funding; again, that will be part of the hiring
bonus, which you will find in cash in this envelope. So, everything
you should need for the immediate future can be in place today, or
certainly within a couple of days, if you do some power shopping.
We believe we have made a good decision and are willing to invest
in supporting that decision. Questions?”

“I am nearly speechless. Do you move
this fast with all your new hires, or am I getting special
treatment because I look like I need help or something? I knew you
wanted a decision; I’m just not accustomed to things moving this
quickly.”

“To reiterate, we plan to make good
decisions, and the sooner we make them, the sooner the dividends
from that decision start to accrue. May I confirm that you’re on
board?”

“Yes, thank you, and thank you for the
‘hiring bonus’. Somehow, I suspect that is not a routine
exercise.”

Mentally Ryan acknowledged her
observation, but did not verbalize confirmation of the exception
they had just made for her. It was an idea he himself had proposed
to Cal and Roger even as he realized he had no clear motive to do
so. “Madam, please let me remind you of the adage about gift
horses. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m off to sooth a restless
client or two. I should be back at start of business Monday or
thereabouts. Should a crisis arise, Alice knows how to get hold of
me, or Roger, or Cal. Okay?”

“Okay, and again, thank you. Please
have a safe trip; I’m getting accustomed to having you around.” and
having said that, Laura promptly blushed under his gaze, something
she had not done since being a high school girl. For his part, Ryan
told himself he sure would be back just to look at her, and was
surprised at himself. In both of them, the tiny flame of attraction
was beginning a warm glow, although both knew the wall between
them, and knew that good people of high standards didn’t breech
that wall. Still, time was running on many things yet to
come.

With Ryan out the door, Laura turned
her attention to the kids and found them totally absorbed in
chatting with their new found friends. Alice and Dennis arrived at
about the same time Laura was finishing off a bite to eat and
considering what to do first. Clearly, the Windmere staff was out
ahead of her in some respects, and she wondered just how deep Alice
was immersed in the organization. Ryan seemed to know she didn’t
have much more that a couple changes of clothing, although he had
never seen the duffle bag that held their worldly belongings.
Anyway, it appeared her morning had been outlined, and it was time
to get started.

“Good morning Alice, Dennis. I
understand we’re going to get in some quality time today, lots of
togetherness. Alice, I’ll have to depend on you for a lot of
guidance since I don’t know a thing about Conyerville, or even have
any idea about where to start shopping. You saw the list from
yesterday. We sort of need everything. So, where do we
start?”

“Well, first of all, Mr. Anderson here
has to select our transportation. It needs to be something that can
easily hold all of us, is easy to get in and out, and has a ton of
storage room for boxes, bags, probably some hangers. Get the
picture Dennis?”

“Yes madam. You’d like a semi trailer
with a monumental grand staircase entrance; tough luck. But, I do
have a family friendly blue van with room for eight and cargo space
in the back. And, I have an idea: why don’t we take Ernie and Vicki
along for the ride; I’ll take the kids to the park while you power
shop. That way they get to burn off some energy, and in the
afternoon when they need to be with you to try things on, Maria’s
kids will be back with her and yours will be too tired to resist.
Sound like a plan?”

“Dennis, I’m thinking of nominating you
for sainthood. That’s a great idea. Maria and her husband work very
hard for what they have; I think it would give everyone a break.
How much fun can it be to sit here waiting for her to get off work?
Besides, the four kids seem to be getting along pretty well.
Deal?”

“Deal, if Miss Laura
agrees.”

“No disagreement here. Dennis, how do
you come up with ideas like that?”

“Second childhood probably. Besides, I
like the park in summer to watch the girls go by, you know, observe
for fashion statements in accessorizing and things like that, but
don’t worry, I can pay attention to the kids at the same time.
Right, Alice?”

“Right; from a guy who thinks clean
sweats are a fashion statement. Maria, can we borrow your kids for
a while?”

And the adventure started. Alicia
Resnick welcomed them into her home, and once the kids got past the
twin sisters issue, she showed them her playroom and briefed Laura
about available services. At the end of an hour, Jack and Amanda
were enrolled in a six week church summer camp that was starting up
Monday, one where Alicia would be around so they would have a
familiar face in the crowd, and transportation issues to the camp
and back were all resolved. Mostly, the kids just needed some
suitable clothes, and that was next on the list. A six week camp
would buy a lot of time for planning, and give Laura a chance to
exhale for a change.

Back in the van, and off to the mall
and the park. Dennis dropped the ladies at a very well known but
rather exclusive women’s store, then headed for the park with the
kids. Sensing Laura’s reluctance, Alice reassured her it was the
right thing to do. “Laura, think about it for a minute. Does
Windmere look like a one on every corner chain store type
operation? Do you know the company pays more for a pound of coffee
than most people pay for a whole large can, and what about that
behemoth Dennis drives most of the time, even the little van we
have today has every accessory known to man on it. The kids were
watching video’s as we were driving into town. So, do you believe
that appearances have an important part in the product Windmere
sells?”

“Well, yes, I’m sure they do
but…”

“No buts. Windmere charges companies
right up in the “ouch” range for its services, and it delivers top
shelf every time. That means if you advertise a Rolls, it better
look like a Rolls, run like a Rolls, and ride like a Rolls. Is
today’s mission becoming a little clearer?”

“Okay, I get the message. It’s just
that, I’ve always tried to be a little more conservative, you know,
save something for a rainy day, get by with a little less. You know
what I mean.”

“Yes, I do know, but let me ask you
this: you did all that, and when it rained on you, what happened?
You were nearly drown. Let’s step up a notch to higher ground so
the water can’t get you ever again. Okay? Ready to
shop?”

“Okay, it does really make sense when
you tell it that way. I’m not very good at this. Where do we
start?”

“Lingerie. Us girls gotta make the most
of what we have, and that means working from the inside out. The
guys don’t have to see it; we just have to know we’re wearing it. I
know, makes me sound like a tart, and at my age, but let me tell
you something: Alice Hamilton may be reserved on the outside, but
my husband, God rest his soul, never lacked for a playmate. Now,
into the store, debit card in hand. Let’s find out just how
generous the big boys really are.”

Three floors up, Laura and Alice
stepped into the world of push up, push down, push around, whatever
it took to achieve “the look”, whatever that was. One thing for
sure, this store had everything from basic cotton to exotic silk,
prices to match, and proud of it. But they were no match for Alice
Hamilton, a woman on a mission to convert Laura Nessing from okay
housewife to office chic. Essentials gathered, they checked out at
the floor cashier stand, and learned they still had over $500
credit to go.

“Guess the old boys like you, or maybe
the young boys. I’ve never known anything like this to happen
before, but I’m sure it’s all in the best interest of Windmere,
Inc. Those guys don’t miss much. Anyway, so much for the inside,
down one floor for the outside and accessories. Gotta have shoes.”
Alice was clearly enjoying herself, and Laura was beginning to get
the spirit. Maybe these people really did believe in her that much;
she was just hopeful their trust would be met, and exceeded.
Regardless, she was aware that she owed them a great deal already,
and it was barely three days into this whole new life. For just a
second she wondered where Richard was, and what he was doing, but
the thought had no staying power next to Alice Hamilton’s shopping
drive.

“And, we need to get you a basic black
dress, you know, one that says you’ve got it all and you know what
to do with it, you’re in control, but you might negotiate. I’m not
real clear what makes them work so well, but they do.”

Two hours and $400 later, Laura and
Alice found themselves burdened with more packages than they could
safely carry, and the call went out for Dennis. Promptly answered,
they met with Maria after lunch to return her kids to her keeping,
then drove to another store to shop for the two kids who were
equally in need of clothes. Along the way, Jack mentioned something
about bully’s in the park trying to pick on Ernie and Vicki. Her
attention elsewhere at the moment, Laura had to ask him to repeat
what had happened. Jack said two older boys had approached the four
of them on the playground equipment and said something about not
liking illegals in their park, that Ernie and Vicki were wetbacks
and should leave. Jack said he told them he didn’t know what a
wetback was but these were his friends and they could play anywhere
they wanted. Laura assured him he had done the right thing in
defending his friends rights, and asked what the two boys did
then.