The other day, I realized it had been about a year since "the incident" and Tammy's subsequent move to her new job as assistant to Cheryl, the EVP of Marketing at our company.
I couldn't believe it had been almost a year already, and it had been weeks since I'd even thought about "the incident." Time pushes even the most vivid memories to the recesses of the mind, I guess.
Tammy and I have lunch together once in a while, but we have never discussed "the incident." That is, until this week. I don't know how she got started. I guess it was a passing comment of mine in which I compared her current boss Cheryl to the nightmare that was Susan, her tormenting former boss. Tammy started talking about Susan with emotions too fresh to be related to "the incident" of a year ago. I realized "the incident" had not been the end of it. Tammy didn't fully explain everything that happened, but she didn't need to. I can read between the lines.
Tammy hasn't changed a bit. She is truly gorgeous in every way. Maybe even more attractive than when she worked for Susan, the result of a less stressful work lifestyle and another year of maturing.
I often wonder if such beautiful skin is the result of nature or nurture. It doesn't matter, both are working in Tammy's favor. She is the perfect, long, flowing brunette who could walk into a room of models and still be the envy of all.
Tammy loves her new job. That's been obvious for months. She thinks very highly of her new boss Cheryl. She's very protective of her too. I must say, Cheryl is lucky Tammy is on her side, especially with what's happened at the company in the last few weeks. As sweet as she is, Tammy has proved she can be rather vicious when pushed.
About a month ago, the firm lost the Grant account. That set off a massive round of finger pointing and executive backstabbing. From where I sit, I wasn't too affected. I didn't think Tammy was affected either, but I learned at lunch that this was not the case at all. In an executive-level civil war, every senior executive was affected, assured Tammy.
The Grant account debacle fractured the senior execs into two camps, one which emanated from the CEO and a second which aimed to take the company "in a new direction." Susan, Tammy's rain-making bitch of a former boss, fell into the second camp, the one aiming to oust the CEO.
This was ironic, given that her own billing games had caused the biggest problems with the Grant account, but her blue-eyed, dirty-blonde charms (and some creative accounting) had hidden her culpability.
Unaware of the executive conflict, Tammy had kept her word to Susan by remaining silent about their creative bookwork.
That changed when Tammy saw an email Susan had written to another executive. In that email, Susan was up to her old tricks, proposing a clean sweep of several executives, including Cheryl! It was pure self-service. Cheryl had nothing to do with either of the warring political camps, and she certainly had nothing to do with the Grant account.
Susan's proposal would have had Cheryl swept out (along with Tammy) as part of a new management structure. All Tammy would have seen is a restructuring in which she lost her job, with not even a hint that Susan had been involved. Tammy, the one person with dirt on Susan, would have been ousted from the company. Oh, and here was the kicker: Susan was proposing a major promotion for herself to the executive suite!
I'm not sure how Tammy came to see it, but I believe she is friends with other assistants on the executive floor. When Tammy described her reaction to that email at lunch, flames practically burst from her eyes. It was one of the few moments in the years of knowing Tammy that I preferred not to look into her beautiful stare.
She got all the information she needed from the email. By the time it had fallen into Tammy's hands, two days had passed since Susan had sent it. Presumably by then, the slate of proposed executives had been cemented and the coup was set to happen within days.
Tammy was rocked by the thought of losing her job, the injustice to Cheryl and Susan's blatant disregard for their agreement only a few months before.
Tammy spent hours back at her desk plotting her next course of action. She had seen the email in the morning. By three in the afternoon, she had concluded she would have to save Cheryl's bacon. Plus, she would make Susan pay!
Tammy launched her operation at 3:30pm by calling Susan. Her new assistant answered. Tammy asked to be put through to Susan's voicemail.
"It's Tammy. You better call me back!" Her tone was menacing and urgent. She slammed the phone for effect.
At 4:15, Susan called. Tammy saw Susan's number display across her phone and spoke before Susan could get a word out. Tammy snapped up the phone.
"I saw the email, and I know about your proposal. Drinks, 6pm, The Germain, you will have 30 seconds to explain, and you better be there!" Tammy slammed the phone before Susan could speak.
Susan called back. Tammy did not answer. She listened to the message.
"Uhmmm, Tammy, it's Susan. Just... don't overreact. I mean, I'm not sure what you're referring to. Let's talk at six...please..." Susan sounded as if her hand was still stuck in the cookie jar as she spoke. The plan was in motion.
Tammy arrived at The Germain ten minutes late. The Germain is a nice lounge-like establishment in town. It is a little dark with fancy smallish tables everywhere, and there's a constant hum of people's busy conversations. Susan was waiting at a somewhat secluded table in a corner overlooking the city.
Susan was in her power suit, of course. Her good looks and sharp dressing style usually serve to disarm, if not intimidate, most people. But not Tammy. Not anymore. Tammy was just as formidable as Susan now. Her dressing style equally pointed, her looks head-turning to say the least.
More importantly, Tammy had dirt from their years of working together that gave her a special edge over Susan. Tammy approached the table and took her place just as their waitress arrived, blunting Susan's opportunity to say more than "hello."
Ordering drinks, Tammy observed Susan up close for the first time in almost a year. During that time, Susan had refocused on her marriage and regained her momentum at work.
She'd also had time to keep up her health club routine; she was the picture of the successful mid-30's rising executive. When the waitress walked away, Tammy got straight to business.
"I'm not going to repeat myself, Susan. You have thirty seconds to explain yourself or the Grant account will mark the end of your career!"
Susan's plans to play dumb evaporated at that moment. If she had forgotten, Tammy's blunt statement served as a reminder of what she was up against. Her eyes darted for a moment, searching for an alternative route. There was none. When Susan began to speak, her tone was apologetic.
"Ok, Tammy. I didn't mean for anything bad to happen to you in this whole thing."
The lie was too much for Tammy to sit still.
"Stop!" She commanded.
Susan attempted to speak again, but Tammy put up her finger. The anger boiled up in her as she sat silent. Susan wasn't sure what would happen next.
"Susan, I know you've proposed that Cheryl be ousted and that I would lose my job too. You are truly underhanded. I want you to know that tomorrow people will notice the phantom account numbers on the Grant account. I couldn't remember the numbers today, or else it would already have happened."
"Tammy, no..."
"I just need to go home and get the numbers."
Susan's eyes began to grow wider.
"Please Tammy, no..."
"And that will be the end of you."
Susan inhaled deeply. The waitress approached with their drinks. Susan feared Tammy might walk away right then and there. She was relieved when the waitress walked away and Tammy remained in her seat.
"Wait, Tammy, please let me explain..."
Susan's eyes turned particularly desperate. Tammy waited a few seconds before responding.
"You had your thirty seconds."
Tammy gathered herself to stand back up. Susan almost jumped out of her chair.
"Please, Tammy, just give me a chance. I'll do whatever you want!"
Her voice rose and then trailed lower as she feared being heard. Susan's hands tensed. It was the same desperate Susan from a year ago. Tammy marveled at her ability to push Susan to this point again. She relaxed back into her seat.
"Ok Susan. Let's try a little game we'll call 'Susan Being Honest'"
Susan continued to strangle the air.
"Anything!"
"First, Susan, I want you to tell me how sorry you are for trying to run me out of the company."
"Tammy, I'm sorry I put your job at risk..."
"I said run me out..."
