Julie sat in her car outside the imposing warehouse and gave a deep, resigned sigh as her finger hovered portentously over her mobile phone in its cradle. She seemed to make up her mind and began searching through the phone for her boss's number and got it on screen. She stared at it for a moment, blocking out the glare of the high morning sun and pondering whether to push the send button. She wanted to, wanted to get him on the phone and tell him where he could stick his job and his company. Wanted to, but didn't. Instead she pushed the back button and blanked the screen.
She had too many responsibilities now to be quitting her job without something else lined up, and what else was there, the company had been her sole job and career since she was eighteen, ten years ago. She had fought and studied to rise to the position of Sales Rep and enjoyed it, or at least had enjoyed it until six months ago. She had to think of her four year old son, Jacob, had to think about that new house she had just bought and become mortgaged to the hilt with three months ago. She was a single working mother, Jacobs father a loser than bailed as soon as he heard Julie was expecting. But then that had suited Julie just fine, allowed her to see and be with any man she wanted (as long as she arranged babysitting for Jacob) and for a while there she had wanted quite a number of guys. Casual sex mostly, one night stands that she picked up in pubs and clubs and was happy not to see again, guys she vaguely knew or worked with or that she didn't know from Adam, Julie wasn't too picky about credentials. It had been a phase, something she went through and had to get out of her system. Sure she got a reputation, around town and work, but she didn't care then and didn't really care now what anyone thought of her.
She glanced up into the mirror behind the driver's sun visor and surveyed her face. She brushed away a few strands of the light brown hair from her forehead, she had it tied back in a tight bun today, as businesslike as she could muster but normally it was shoulder length and framed her face beautifully. She applied a little lipstick to her lips and made a mock kiss at the mirror, still not seeing in the reflection the image of a young Jennifer Aniston that nearly everybody she met immediately tagged her with. I mean the actress was pretty, yes, but no way was she was hot as Julie thought she was! Her green eyes twinkled at that thought; it was a brief smile on what was no doubt going to be a grim day.
As she flipped up the visor and forced herself to undo her seatbelt and finally get out of her car (she had sat in the car park for at least fifteen minutes so far) she gave one last glance at her mobile phone and considered her boss and how he had ruined things for her and put her in this unenviable position and his final, telling words to her.
"I mean it Julie, you get him to sign that damned contract, and I don't care what you have to do but come back with it signed. If you can't get the Van Zanten deal done then I don't know what else I can do to save your job."
There was more to it than that though. Nine months ago when Kenneth Barclay had taken over as her direct boss he had seemed as nice as they came, caring, considerate and keen to get to know Julie. After a couple of months though she realised why - her reputation for putting it about previously in the office, being the office slut if you like, had gotten back to him and he obviously wanted a piece for himself. His advances came at the wrong time, she was trying to stay off all men for a while after a couple of bad experiences and catching her on a bad day she had turned him down flat. He had acted cool about it but they both soon knew he was not going to let it lie or forget about the rejection and Julie's life became progressively more difficult. Suddenly, any short cuts she took or corners she cut were picked up on. Anytime her figures were down she was in his office with him pouring over them and criticising and hinting at veiled threats to her position. Which just made her all the more determined not to give in to him. And it worked - for a while. Initially her figures were up and he couldn't touch her without opening himself up to scrutiny but that just created more pressure on her in the long run as her targets and budgets rose and the demands of being a single mother and moving house took their toll.
Things had progressively dropped off for her and with the parent company looking to cut costs rumours spread among the sales force of upcoming cuts and territories being merged and jobs going, she sensed she was in real danger of losing her job. That meeting the previous evening had all but underlined her perilous situation; if she did not get this major account signed up then there would be no question which sales rep of the two in her area would be in danger. And while things looked bleak she was determined not to let the bastard get rid of her easily, to really make it look like he had it in for her.
And Van Zanten! Why did it have to be him? David Van Zanten owned and ran his own company to which Julie's firm were the major component supplier, he was a tough, pragmatic businessman, always on the look out for a cheaper option, a self made man and a tough negotiator. He was also, as Julie had found out, a disgusting, leering, lecherous, fat pervert. Really, he disgusted Julie and she thoroughly dreaded visiting him and his stuck up Personal Assistant, Fiona. He was that horrible mixture of rude and arrogant and gallingly for Julie he was by far her largest customer in her territory so she had to keep him onside - worse still, he knew it. She put up with his innuendoes and smutty comments, ignored his attempts to peer down her cleavage and tried to stay as professional as she could but it was difficult, even if he had been nice looking it might have been a bit easier but he was an ogre: fat, balding, smelling awful with body odour and had more gaps in his teeth that she dared to count.
Without really realising it Julie found herself standing in the reception area of the large building waiting to be called up for her appointment. She gripped her case tightly for fear of her hands trembling, this was vital, she knew that, whatever she thought of the man she must exit this building with his signature on the contract in her possession, for the sake of her son and their new house, she must succeed. That had definitely affected her clothes for today, normally she came here dressed as conservatively as she could, but today she had worn her shortest skirt, her highest heels and her sheerest blouse - it wouldn't be the first time she had used her looks to secure business.
"Miss Duncan?" the cheerful receptionist called over to her, "You can go up, Miss Massie will meet you at the elevator."
It was a short vertical journey and Julie had done it before but this time she was hot and bothered, flustered and when the doors slid open she was more than grateful. It was just a pity that gratitude quickly passed as the grinning countenance of Fiona swung into view. Neither woman had taken to the other during Julie's visits and indeed their relationship could be described as antagonistic. This was mostly on Fiona's part, she was a condescending young woman who seemed to think herself better than she was and she had really taken against Julie the minute she met her. Fiona was good looking herself, but nowhere near as hot as Julie plus Fiona was extremely tall (over six feet) and very thin, she just didn't look right somehow.
Julie received her customary sneer from Fiona and the tall girl led her along the carpeted corridor towards the offices. Without knocking she opened the door marked Chairman and ushered Julie into Van Zanten's large office, he was just finishing a telephone call and waved Julie into the seat across from his desk as he finished the conversation.
"I'll have to go, got someone here who wants my body, sorry business, ha, ha. Yes, come round later, see you."
Julie winced at his lurid joke and steeled herself for this, it would be bad no doubt. She sat on the high chair and nervously crossed her legs, she had never been totally comfortable visiting him here before but with what was riding on this she was doubly nervous and evidently it showed. After the briefest preamble Julie launched into her sales spiel as to what a good job the company had done with that account and why he should sign up again for another two years. Disconcertingly, Van Zanten just held his big, chubby hand up to halt her and chuckled across at her.
"I don't doubt that little lady, not for a minute but I should tell you that you are wasting your time. Just yesterday I verbally agreed a deal with Kelly's (Julie's firms' big rivals), they are beating your prices hands down plus the service and delivery is better too. I'm sorry but I won't go against my word. Thank you for the visit but I'm afraid we shall be changing once the contract runs out at the end of the month."
The shock and disappointment was written all over Julie's face, she was crushed. In that instant her mind panicked and blanked, all her training and knowledge went from her and she was left like a stammering schoolgirl, her voice high and pleading.
