Chapter 1: Slavery Becomes You
"I'm sorry Cathy but the board feels that with your marriage and recent childbirth you are not as focused on your work as you were a year ago." Mr Albert said, "We have therefore decided to recruit from outside, I'm sorry."
Cathy got up and slowly walked out of the directors office. She was angry, in fact she was extremely angry she needed that promotion, the extra money would have helped of course, but what made her so angry was she had been promised the Senior Executive's post and now they were giving it to an outsider. She went into the ladies and sat in a cubicle tears running down her face.
Later that evening she told her husband Rob the bad news "Don't worry Cat." he said, "We'll manage somehow, even if we have to move to a smaller house."
That didn't make her feel any better but they had discussed it before, she had always put it off because she was expecting the promotion but now they may have to think about it more seriously.
Cathy was a career minded woman, being a Leo she was confident in herself and her abilities, some said she was domineering and all said she was exceptionally good at her job, which until 18 month's ago had been her whole life, then at the age of 28 she met Rob and it was love at first sight, she just couldn't help herself, but to an outsider it was difficult to see what he had that enthralled her so much.
Cathy was a successful business woman, fashionable with a great 38 24 34 figure she could have chosen any man she wanted, she had been financially secure and was going all the way. Rob on the other hand was a lorry driver who didn't even own his own lorry, some would say he was cocky and ill mannered, but not to Cathy who split from her parent's in his defence. They seemed happy and it wasn't long before baby Jordan was born. Jordan repaired the rift with Cathy's parent's and brought them all closer so they moved to a big house to be near the doting grandparents.
A week after being told she had been passed over for promotion Cathy was called into the directors office, when she walked in Mr Albert was sitting at his desk talking to someone "Oh I'm sorry." she said, "Shall I come back later?"
Mr Albert stood up, "No! Cathy please come in." he said, and waving his hand at the 'someone' added, "I would like you to meet Ted Heron, he's your new boss."
Cathy almost stopped in her track's but recovered enough to put her hand out, "Hi! glad to meet you Ted, welcome to the team." she said with her nicest smile. He was smartly dressed in typical pinstripe suit, late 40's early 50' she guessed.
Taking her hand Ted said, "Cathy I have heard a lot about you, I think we will make a great team."
"Good." Mr Albert said, "I wanted you two to meet before tomorrow Cathy when Ted will be taking up his post, I just know you two will be the driving force for the future."
Cathy stayed another ten minutes making general chit chat and then left, 'he seemed ok' she thought to herself, 'looked a bit familiar though I wonder where from'
"So what do you think Ted?" Mr Albert asked "Think you can work together?"
"Oh I don't doubt it, she is a knowledgeable woman," he replied, "and eager to achieve." and quietly added to himself 'but I know that face'
The following day Cathy arrived at her normal time to find Ted in his office 'the bastards trying to undermine me on his first day' she thought, "You're an early bird." she said, "I thought I was the only one silly enough to be here at this god awful time of the morning."
"Always like to be first in." he said, "But I have to admit I was told what time you normally arrive so I got in a little earlier, thought we could go over a few thing's before the rest arrive."
It took a couple of week's to get thing's sorted out, most of which involved Cathy showing Ted how thing's were done, she hated every minute of it, in fact she hated him, he was demeaning of her abilities and those that worked in the office, introducing new idea's that although they worked were no better than the one's already in use, he had her making coffee and instead of treating her as an equal treated her more like his secretary, fetching and carrying and other menial work, but she stuck with it hoping it would get better and besides, what choice did she have. It was all very well being a young success but she was unlikely to get a better job anywhere else so she couldn't afford to leave. It wasn't all bad though, she got to attend more meeting's with him than she had with his predecessor even though it meant more late night's, thank god for her mum who cared for Jordan more and more these day's. Underlying all this she still had the niggling thought that she knew this man.
'Well thing's are coming together nicely,' Ted thought to himself 'that stuck up bitch Cathy was put nicely in her place and the more work he took off her the less likely she would be able to usurp his position, shame though, she was a nice bit of eye candy, short skirts thin tight blouse those wonderful tit's and what an arse, but she had that snobby attitude that really pissed him off sometimes, she was far too confident for his liking, and then there was that nagging feeling that he knew her, where could he have met her before, he had taken her to a few after work drink's to try to get a hint of where, but had come up with nothing new, still he would find out, he had to or it would drive him mad.
"There we are then," Cathy said, "Scotch for you and a Vodka for me."
"Your knocking them back a bit tonight." Ted said.
"Oh just ignore me," she said, "husband trouble, nothing serious."
"Can I help." he asked, "Maybe I could meet Gem's on my own?"
"No, it's fine." Cathy replied. The last thing she wanted was for him to meet there biggest client on his own "Just Rob being the butch husband, we can go whenever your ready."
They finished there drink's and got a cab to the restaurant where the meeting was being held, it wasn't an important meet just an introductory one really so that Ted could meet the Gem's director's. The meeting went well, Cathy was in her element, 3 men all discussing business and her matching them always got her excited. About midnight the two guest's had to leave so Ted suggested he and Cathy went for a celebratory drink at a quiet club he knew in Kensington.
Cathy was feeling quite tipsy by now but was enjoying herself too much to decline, she felt that she had got one over Ted tonight and wanted to keep hold of it for as long as possible. They got a cab to the club and chatted for a while about the meeting then Ted asked, "How did you get into this business, forgive me for saying it but you don't seem the type."
Cathy had got past the tipsy stage now and was bordering on drunk, "Oh believe me I wasn't always the prim business woman I am now," she said, "I used to be a wild child, really over the top."