Chapter 5: Tommy & Rebecca
It was almost 1:45 when Tommy knocked on my door. I called him in and he said, "You called for me, Ms. Jackson?"
I smiled at him. I always thought he was a very handsome black man, He is in his late 20s (29, I think) and he has to be strong with all the boxes of crap that we get in our building. Like I did with Frank, I relaxed my dress code with him, so he was the only other man in the building who did not have to wear a coat and tie. I pointed to the chair in front of my desk and told him to take a seat.
I started out by asking him, "Have you heard anything this morning about the company, Tommy?" (When I first hired Tommy I had called him Tom, but he corrected me and let everyone know he liked Tommy.)
Tommy looked up at me and said, "No. Is something going on that concerns me? Are they saying I'm not doing my job or sumpin'?"
I kept smiling as I said, "Oh, no, Tommy, I just need to inform everyone on the second floor that I am required to lay off everyone but three people.
"Now, what I am doing is at the suggestion of the head office: I am setting up a contest to see who I keep, and the people I do keep will be getting a 100% raise."
I loved looking at the faces of the people I told this to. First, there would be a look of shock, then a look of something else. Call it amazement; call it excitement. Now, I knew that the boys did not have to be cut, but based on what I wanted to do upstairs, I was going to make sure I had studs who could and would put out when the need arose.
I handed him the copy of the letter that I had Becky run off and told him to read it. I sat there quietly looking at him imagining what he would look like out of his clothes.
When he finished reading it he handed it back to me asking, "Are you unhappy with my work, Ms. Jackson?"
I responded, "Your work, no. However that does not have anything to do with this layoff. I need to keep three people here that can do the work of eleven, counting you and Frank. So in order to do that I am going to take the contest approach and see who can outperform the others."
Tommy looked puzzled as he said, "Ms. Jackson, I can't type or file, I just know the mailroom. No one here can compete with me in there. How's that gonna work?"
I sat back in my chair, feeling in total control as I said, "Well, Tommy, the contest isn't about your job. Keep in mind that Rebecca is the one who trained you and if I had to, I could switch her back into the mailroom. So, while I do not wish to lose you, no one here is irreplaceable.
"The thing is, Tommy, this contest it is something entirely different, and it has nothing to do with your job performance. It has to do with your personal performance. I know what you and everyone here at the company thinks of me.
"Everyone thinks that I am a puritan, a miss goody two-shoes. In truth, I am totally different. Things are going to change here and by that I mean upstairs. Downstairs, the world will see our company as the conservative insurance giant that it is and always has been. However, upstairs we are going to work hard and party hard and nasty. The dress code is out the window for the girls. Of course, you and Frank won't have to worry about that part.
"Now let me explain my little contest; I think you might just like it. I'll tell you what I am looking for starting today: I am looking to see which of my nine girls can be the biggest whores or sluts (it's all in the mind of the beholder). Now in you boys, I am looking for your support β sexually, I mean. From now on, you are going to get all the pussy you could dream of, both you and Frank. The girls are going to be fighting to suck you off and get screwed by both you guys."
Tommy stood up quickly as if he was sitting on hot coals. He said rather loudly, "Are you out of your fucking mind? I ain't gonna be nobody's sex boy or sex toy, I don't give it shit if you fire me or not. I can have anyone of these bitches up here I fucking want. Hell, I've had over half of them already and so has Frank. You are one sick fucking bitch. You can't get away this shit. I fuck who the hell I want, and when I want. If I got ta fuck anyone, including you, you sick fuck, you can keep my fucking job. Fuck you. Hell, fuck this place! I fucking quit!"
I was in shock as Tommy stormed out of my office. He left the door open and Becky stood up from her desk in the doorway. She said, "That didn't go over well. I thought for sure he would love the change. Shit, the way he does it, he would make a nun beg for more. What are we going to do?"
While Tommy did shock me, he did not do anything to lessen my resolve, I told Becky to send in Rebecca. It wasn't long before Rebecca was knocking on my door.
I called her in and I began all over again. Now, to be honest, I knew that if she balked at my idea, I would be putting my company in a bind, at least in the mailroom. I studied her face as I went into detail. When I told her about what I wanted from the girls, her face was one of shock. I was happy that at least she did not jump up and begin calling me names.
When I finished explaining the whole thing to her, I sat and waited. She said nothing and finally I asked her, "Well, Rebecca, what do you think? Do you want to stay on and see if you can be one of the three, or do you want to take the severance pay and get a great recommendation. Before you answer I need to tell you that in your case you have an inside edge. You see, dear, Tommy doesn't want to go along with this, and I will need to move you back into the mailroom. Now, I had hoped that he along with Frank would go along with this thing, but Tommy won't."
Rebecca interrupted me and said, "You are kidding, right? He's always trying to get into the girls' panties. He said 'no' to this idea of yours? He must be sick or something."
I perked up a little. Rebecca sounded as if she knew Tommy rather well.
I asked, "Did he ever get into your panties, Rebecca?"
She put her head down and said softly, "Yes, it happened during the time I was training him. We worked late a few nights and somehow I let my guard down and we did it. It only happened one time and I was sick about it. I have only cheated on my husband three times in the fourteen years that we have been married. I never did it with a black man before Tommy. Maybe it was curiosity that took me over the edge, I don't know, but it only happened one time. I would not let him do it again, no, that's not it. I would not allow myself to do it again."