A Slave at Wor

I DO NOT KNOW HOW I GOT INTO THE SITUATION I AM IN, BUT EVEN WORSE, I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO GET OUT.

I am forty-two years old and a mother of two teenage boys. I was divorced fourteen years ago and have worked very hard to provide a good home for my sons. I have rarely dated, putting all my attention into raising my sons and forgoing any personal life of my own.

Last year, I was laid off from my job as national sales manager of a large hotel due to downsizing. I had been at my job for ten years, but as the economy and markets changed, I was unable to maintain my quota, and my position was eliminated. I was devastated to say the least. For ten months, I sent out my resume and talked to everyone I knew, but the market was soft and few jobs were available unless I wanted to move. This I did not want to do because of the boys and the friendships they had built up over the years. The longer I was out of work, the more the availability of jobs dried up. Even with my years of experience, it appeared every place was looking for younger people without any ties, to travel or transfer, plus work for much less money. I was about out of funds, and had resigned myself to taking anything, no matter what they were paying.

The Memorial Day weekend was approaching in a couple of weeks, and I was trying to make plans for the three of us to go away and just relax. The tension around the house was almost unbearable due to the shortage of funds and the needs of everyone.

I was day dreaming when the telephone rang, to the point I did not hear it until probably the fourth or fifth ring. When I answered, the person on the other end, a gentleman, asked if I was Cindy Albright.

I said, “Yes, why do you ask?”

He told me my name was given to him from my old sales director and wanted to know if I was still looking for a sales position. I thought my heart had stopped. I said I was and asked what type of sales position was it. He apologized and introduced himself as the sales director at the local resort hotel. He explained they were looking for a national sales person to book conventions, and it was somewhat of a new position, as they had always been fortunate enough to stay full through travel agency business. Now they had fallen off in certain areas and were looking to add to their sales staff. Did it sound like something I might be interested in?

I was speechless and could not collect my thoughts. This was too good to be true. I told him I certainly would be interested and would meet whenever was convenient to discuss the position.

“How about tomorrow, first thing in the morning? Is eight o’clock all right?”

“Absolutely, I will be there,” I responded. I did not care if it was five am, I needed this job and right now I knew that whatever was required, I would do it. Little did I know what was in store for me.

The next day was Wednesday, and I got up extra early to make sure I looked my best. After taking longer in the shower than normal, partly to relax under the hot water, I set about to get ready. I had always presented a professional look and wanted to make sure that today I was at the top of my game. First, I worked on my hair, combing it out until it was relaxed and fell free around my shoulders. I felt today I would tie it back in a ponytail, to give a cleaner look to my appearance. Then I worked on my facial makeup, making sure the colors were soft and not in any way overpowering or loud. Standing there naked, I felt good at how I had kept myself together. At forty-two, my breasts still had little sag to them even at size 39D. My waist had grown a little over the years, and I was at thirty-two inches. My hips had grown the most, now forty-one inches, since having the two kids. At five foot seven, I felt I still had some good years ahead. Stepping back, I proceeded to put on a matching pair of lace bra and panties, followed by silk stockings and garter belt.

I have always enjoyed sexy underwear under my clothes as it helped keep up my moral whenever it was a tough day. Next, I took out a blue double-breasted business suit and a white silk blouse. My last step was my shoes. I put on a pair of blue pumps, matching my suit, with three-inch heels. This gave me a very statuesque look that I hoped would impress my new boss-to-be. Now it was time to go for the interview.

I had never been to the hotel before, and was quite impressed with how clean and well appointed the lobby was. Most resorts always seemed to appear somewhat disheveled, but this was a horse of a different color. I approached the front desk and asked where I could find the sales director. They directed me to his office, at the far end of the main building. I arrived at the office by 7:45am. There was a receptionist already there. She greeted me, took my name, and called to the back to advise of my arrival.

Within a minute, a gentleman, no more than thirty, came and greeted me, introducing himself as John Read, the director of sales. I was shocked and also impressed that someone so young could have such an important position. We walked back to his office, where he offered me some coffee.

The office was simple, having his desk at one side, two chairs directly in front of the desk, and a small seating area with two couches directly behind the chairs. It was a nice idea, I thought, where you could sit with your clients in a little less formal manner rather than behind the desk. He asked if I did not mind the couch, or would I prefer the chair. I said the couch was fine, hoping to present a professional but not stuffy appearance. He sat opposite me on the other couch and proceeded to make small talk about the hotel, himself and what they were looking for. He complimented me on my appearance and said they were looking for someone with a little maturity that would represent the hotel in a professional manner.

He then asked if I did not mind calling him John and him calling me Cindy. He said within the offices he enjoyed a little less structure, except when customers were present, and then proper etiquette was required. I agreed and somehow felt drawn to this person I had just met. The more he talked, the more comfortable I became, finding it very easy to understand how he was in such a position. His voice was quite pleasant to listen to, he was direct, and thorough on each item he discussed. He constantly looked me in the eyes, making me feel important, but whenever I shifted my position on the couch, it appeared that for a brief moment his eyes diverted to my legs.

The skirt of my business suit was cut just above the knee and sitting on the couch made it rise up about two more inches. I was hoping that my shifting had not caused it to ride up to the point where my garter belt was visible, but from his actions, I wasn’t sure. I became a little embarrassed thinking this, wondering if he could, in any way, see up my skirt. What was I thinking was that this was not my nature, and if he felt I was doing this on purpose it could ruin my chances for the job. I dropped my hands to the front of where my legs were crossed, and shifted slightly to the side, just in case.

This couch was not the best, I decided, to sit on in a skirt, especially during an interview. He asked about my personal life and how the job might affect it. He looked a little shocked when I told him my life had been dedicated to my sons since I got divorced and that I really didn’t have a social life.

He laughed at one point and said, “You haven’t dated in fourteen years?”

I laughed myself, but told him that my sons had become my social life and that I really enjoyed spending my free time with them. It did not interfere with my work. We talked for almost two more hours, him asking me about my experiences, thoughts of what I felt I could do for the hotel, what I could bring to the table, and what my goals were. I felt great about the hotel and the job. I really wanted the position. He finished with a dialog of how he liked team players, those that put their personal feelings aside and did what was best for the job. Personal conflicts among staff were not acceptable and everyone had a job to do and would be expected to do their part. All sales persons had quotas to fill and were solely responsible for filling them. He went over the salary structure, which was based on the sales goals, part of which would be a percentage of the sales.

He then stopped talking and looked straight at me. “Would you be interested in the job?”

Without hesitation, I said, “Yes.”

I needed this job so bad. I was out of funds, and here I sat as if it was Christmas. I felt I was going to cry but kept my composure and thanked him in the most professional way I could muster. He told me to stop by the personnel office on the way out to get all my paper work completed, and I would start Monday. He welcomed me aboard but added, “It is no picnic, and we have a lot of work ahead of us.” I thanked him and said I was ready to do whatever was required.

“Great,” he said, “See you Monday.”

The rest of the week went so fast, as did the weekend. The whole house was in a frenzy. My kids were so excited that I got a job, and were already making plans for the things they were going to get or what they wanted and things we could do. I was just exhausted.

Monday came all too soon, but I was excited. When I arrived at the office, John was there to greet me and introduce me to the rest of the staff. There were three other sales people, all men, Dave, Rick and Bill, and all younger than myself. I almost felt I was among my kids. Everyone was friendly and made the start very smooth. I was shown my office, which was very simple, the same as John’s except without the couch seating area. I was given the tour by Bill, who was the assistant director and responsible for tour and travel. The secretarial set-up was done as a pool, with John’s secretary receiving all the work and then assigning to the next available girl.

The week was spent setting up strategies for the goals, reviewing the market areas, and putting together call sheets. The days went so fast that it was hard to believe when the end of the week came. On Friday morning, John had stopped by my office and asked if I could stop by to see him before I left for the weekend. I agreed. The rest of the day I was on pins and needles not knowing why John would want to talk to me. I had stayed busy all week, and got everything lined up that I was assigned. In fact, I had gotten more done than I was scheduled to do, and had helped Bill out on several of his projects, since I had the extra time. It was approaching five, so I called over to John’s office and his secretary told me to come over whenever I was done. He was just finishing up his last call.

I straightened my desk, put all my papers in order, and proceeded to John’s office for our chat. When I arrived his secretary was just leaving, and told me to go right in. John, just hanging up the telephone, greeted me with a warm smile, and directed me to the couch. He came around the desk and sat opposite me on the other couch. He was not wearing his jacket, as no clients were in the office, so he allowed the men to take off their jackets within the office area. I felt too uncomfortable yet to remove my suit jacket, although I always wore a blouse underneath. I still wanted to establish the professional image I had always maintained.

He was smiling as he started to speak, saying I had “shocked the hell out of everyone.”

I was somewhat startled at the expression, being so casual, but also curious as to what he meant.

“I guess I should have expected it,” he said. “Everyone was somewhat skeptical of me hiring an ‘older woman’ who might be set in her ways and not fit in with a younger group. When you walked in Monday, your appearance was stunning. Very professional, but stunning. The other sales people were enamored with how you looked and held yourself. The ‘older woman’ syndrome went right out the window. Then, as the week went on, the beauty was forgotten because the brains took over. ‘Beauty and brains, wow,’ were the comments. Everyone was shocked at how you jumped right in, helped out on things that were not your responsibility and just made everyone feel that they had known you for more than just a week.”

He was still smiling, like a little kid, and said “I am really glad I made the decision to hire you. You’ve done a really good job for the first week.”

I really felt great and was now smiling from ear to ear. I told him it was great to be here and I really appreciated his comments. I told him that the staff was really nice to work with and that it was easy to be part of such a team. I really enjoyed myself.

His smile had lessened a little, and he was looking me straight in the eyes when he started to talk again.

“I have to ask you something, which is your choice,” he said, “but based on your performance this week I felt that it would warrant the question.”

“Ok,” I said, not sure of what he was getting at.

“Next weekend, although it is a holiday weekend, the hotel has a FAM trip planned for one hundred meeting planners, to arrive Friday and depart Sunday or Monday. Over the weekend, we will give tours of the property, seminars, games, a pool party, barbecue, and other functions to show them what we can offer their group here at the hotel. All the sales staff, front office and catering staff, plus management will be here to entertain the clients and answer any questions they might have. Due to your being new on the job, I did not mention it to you as I felt you would not be a benefit, having little or no knowledge of the resort. However, this week you have proven to me that just by way of your personality and dealing with people that you could be a great asset to the FAM trip. I know it is a holiday weekend and that is why I am leaving it to your decision about working. It would be for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday up until around 6pm. Monday you would be off.”

I sat there dumbfounded and without words to speak. I had planned to go away with the kids and wanted the time, but I had just started this job and did not want to appear negative. Although he said it was my decision, I knew that if I did not work, it might look as if I was special since everyone else was working. He was still staring straight into my eyes when I looked back up at him. I had to do it.

“Yes I would be glad to, but I am not sure how I can help, not knowing the property.”

“Great,” he said. “Actually, your job will be the easiest of anyone’s. Comes with being the new guy. We will put you in charge of the hospitality suite, which will have one of our best bartenders and waitresses that know everything about the hotel. You will just be the host, and with your personality, they will love you.”

“Also,” he added, “Since all the guests will be casual for the weekend, it might be more appropriate if you were able to wear a dress rather than a suit to make them feel more relaxed in the suite.”

What he said made sense and I was flattered by his compliments but disappointed that I could not go away as planned with the boys. The whole way home I was trying to think of how I would tell them that our weekend away was off.

They say every black cloud has a silver lining, and mine were coming in droves. When I got home, the kids greeted me at the door all excited. Their uncle had called and invited them up for the holiday weekend and they were waiting for me to get home to see if they could go. They knew I wanted to spend the weekend with them, but this would really be fun. Mt brother lives in upstate New York and has a house on the lake with a boat. They had always enjoyed their visits with him, and this would be a perfect plan for the holiday weekend without my having to worry about them having fun. I agreed without any mention of my working the weekend and told them to call Uncle Joe right back and tell him it was all right. I just could not believe that everything was just working out so perfectly.

The next week at work seemed to fly by, and suddenly it was Thursday, and I was getting the kids ready to go to the airport. My brother had sent down the tickets, as he knew I still didn’t have the funds, and said it was the least he could do to help me out. The boys were elated about going, but said they really wished I was coming along. I told them that I was going to work and just to enjoy themselves and I would see them on Tuesday. With them gone, the house was quiet. I could not remember the last time that the three of us had not been together. That night I did not get much sleep, feeling lonely for the first time in fourteen years.

Friday was crazy at work, with all the staff working on the events and preparation. The clients were all arriving and trying to get checked in after traveling from all over the country. I was assigned the hospitality suite, a one-bedroom suite, where the living room was larger than normal. It had a full bar, dining table, and open living room with a built in entertainment center. It was very impressive. On the dining table, they had set up fresh fruits and other snacks for any clients that came to the “lounge.” The living room and bedroom both had a toilet, so we designated one as the “men’s” room and one as the “women’s” room, so no one felt compromised.

Throughout the weekend, people stopped in to relax, have a drink, and just chat. I kept very busy, and I was making some good contacts to call on. Very rarely did I see any of the other sales people, unless they happened to walk a client over to the suite and then they would introduce me and leave. During the meals, we closed the hospitality suite. The bartender and waitress worked the banquet, and I was seated with the clients. It was really a great weekend, and planned very well. Saturday night there was a dinner dance, and John got up and made a speech. He thanked everyone for coming, went over Sunday’s itinerary, introduced the staff, and again told everyone to have a great time and not to forget to visit the hospitality suit.

Well, to say I had a late night Saturday would be an understatement. After the dinner dance, it seemed everyone took John’s offer and came to the hospitality suite. It was early morning before the last guest left, and by the time we had put everything away and I got home, it was close to 5AM. I was not sure how I was going to handle Sunday with so little sleep. John had told me before he left around midnight that I was not required to be at breakfast, and not to open the suite until noon. That was a little relief.

Sunday proved to be a very slow day at the suite, with people just drifting in and out, saying goodbye as they made their plans to depart for the holiday. I would have preferred to stay busy, because at times the slowness and just sitting around was making me more tired. I figured I would end up sleeping the rest of the weekend.

Just before six, John called the suite and told me to have the staff clean everything up and to let them go home. He would be up shortly just to check everything and then we could all relax. It was about six thirty when John arrived, followed by Dave, Rick, and Bill. John immediately took off his jacket, loosened his tie, went to the entertainment center, and turned on some music.

Then with a grin, John looked at me and said, “I need a drink, how about you?”

The others had also removed their jackets, grabbed either a beer or a drink, and were lounging on the couch.

John was still smiling and said, “What’ll you have?”

I declined and told him I did not drink, He laughed and said, “After such a successful weekend, and such hard work, we all need a drink, no exceptions. Now, what will you have, wine, scotch, beer? Just relax and let your hair down. You deserve it. You did a great job.” He was very good a making me feel comfortable, and although I did not drink, I figured having a glass of wine would not hurt. He poured me a glass and got himself a scotch, then headed for the couch.