Sandra Flocks strode through the office bathed in a brand of mock confidence she often used to belie insecurity. The comely blonde secretary had asked for a meeting with her superior, Troy Banks. To her surprise, Mr. Banks had put the meeting off until the end of business at 5 p.m. making Sandra feel more like a student summoned to the principal's office than a business woman with a legitimate complaint. She cleared her throat as she approached and knocked on Mr. Banks' door.
"Come." Troy's muffled voice beckoned.
Sandra entered to find the handsome, if slightly graying, executive standing beside his desk. He was holding a fly-fishing pole the end of which he casually flicked causing a lure at the end of the line to land in a far off wastebasket again and again.
"Mr. Banks?" Sandra said, as if meeting him for the first time.
"I'm going after trout in Idaho this summer. So relaxing."
The lure hit its mark a few more times.
"I need to talk to you about Mr. Claypool." Sandra said, needlessly straightening her blouse as she spoke.
Putting the pole aside, Troy sat at his desk and offered Miss Flocks the opposite chair. "What's Doug done now?"
Sandra carefully seated herself.
"Well, this may seem trivial, but I assure you, I take it quite seriously.
"Tell me." Mr. Banks urged her on.
Sandra took a deep breath, lowering her eyes as she spoke.
"He slaps me."
"In the face?" Troy clenched his fists and began to stand.
"No!" she stated loudly, trying to calm him.
As Troy lowered himself back into the chair, his hands flattening out onto the desk, Sandra began again.
"He publicly slaps my... you know."
But he didn't know. Then suddenly, he did.
"Oh! You mean your rump! Your backside! Your fanny!"
Sandra's eyes widened at the barrage of inappropriate terms.
"Yes!" she replied softly but firmly. "All around the workplace, he takes every opportunity smack my...."
"I know, go ahead."
"And I don't mean little pats, I'm talking about full contact swats, right in front of all the others!"
"Well, he certainly shouldn't-"
"I'm a good secretary, Mr. Banks!
"I know."
"I'm a hard worker and loyal to this company!"
"Okay, just-" Troy pushed some tissues toward her.
Sandra, having willed herself not to cry, pushed the box aside. "I do not deserve this and I shouldn't have to put up with it!"
Troy shook his head with less than surprised disappointment.
"Yeah, Claypool is a jerk. Good employee, but a complete chowderhead when it comes to women. I'll have a few four-letter words with him tomorrow."
Sandra raised a knuckle to her lips, half pretending to hide her amusement. She'd been in need of a mental nametag for Doug and "chowderhead" was a positive bull's-eye.
"Thank you, Mr. Banks." she said with a sigh of relief.