I opened a message from Albert James, the managing general partner. It was to advise me to be prepared to interview for the account manager’s position at two o’clock that afternoon. I viewed the news with a combination of relief and trepidation. Although I felt confident, I was still a little anxious about an interview by committee. The interview would be with Albert James and two other managers. Minutes seemed to pass like hours waiting for interview time. I was slated to go first followed by Brent, and Peggy would close the show.
When Linda came into the office, I stood up and put on my jacket. “Well, it’s show time. How do I look?” Linda straightened my tie.
“You look—well—let’s just say I’m glad that you’re not interviewing with any women,” Linda said as we started out of my office.
“Why’s that?”
“Baby, that tie is terrible.”
I laughed. “Where are you going?”
“I’m gonna walk down with you. If that’s all right with you, of course.”
“Who are you, my priest? Coming to give me my last rights before my execution?”
“I guess you could say that,” she said as we arrived at the conference room. “When you come out of there, you’ll be one of them.”
“There goes that sellout shit again.”
“You know better than that. I’m just playing with you. You know I just want the best for you.” She tried to straighten my tie again. “That’s not gonna help. So, you ready?”
“I’m always ready,” I replied, knocked on the door, and entered the conference room. Seated at the conference table was Albert James, flanked on either side by William Berry, the manager of the data entry group and Dan Frazier, Director of Human Resources. Albert smiled at me and said “Come on in and have a seat, Tavarus. Let’s get started.”
They kept me in there for more than an hour. The questions came non-stop.You know, the standard interview questions: Where I wanted to be in five years, and how I would handle certain situations? The questioning got tough, but it didn’t matter. I felt like I was in the zone. Answering each question with confidence and poise. Once they were finished, I thanked them for taking the time to interview me. I left the conference room with a good attitude. Brent was seated outside awaiting his turn. “How’d it go, Tavarus? They sure kept you in there a long time.”
“They had a lot of questions, Brent. But I’d say it went pretty well. Good luck to you,” I said, as Brent entered the conference room.
I went back to my office to find Lester seated at my desk waiting for me. “Come on in and shut the door, Tavarus,” Lester said taking liberties with my office, but that was just the type of guy Lester was. “How’d it go?”
“I think it went very well,” I said and sat down across from Lester, as he rocked back in my chair. Why don’t you just put your feet up, too? I thought, but thought better of saying.
“Yes, I’m sure it did. Everybody here thinks a lot of you,” Lester said. “But let’s lay our cards out on the table. Stop pussyfooting around. Let the shit fly.”
I smiled. Lester always had a way with words. “So what’s up, Lester?”
“You’re not gonna get this one, Tavarus,” he said flatly.
The good feeling I had escaped me, like hot air from a balloon.
“What?”
“There are gonna be some changes made around here very soon, Tavarus. Changes that will affect the way we do things around here. I don’t particularly like them, or agree with them for that matter. But no one cares what the fuck I think anyway. I’m letting you know this because I respect you. I like the way you carry yourself, the way you do your job, and because I don’t think you’re one of them babies running off, crying to the goddamn EEOC. And if you did, hell, I’d just deny this whole conversation ever happened. And I’d probably shoot you.”
“So who is gonna get it?”
“For the time being, that’s need to know. Ah hell, it doesn’t matter. That candy ass Brent’s gonna get it.”
“Brent?” I said in shock. “Why him? I could take Peggy getting it before Brent. At least she’s good accountant.”
“That remains to be seen,” Lester said with a smug look on his face. I suspected that Lester’s comment was sexist in nature. “But that’s another matter entirely. What is important now is you.”
“So what happens now, Les?”
“Albert is going to tell you personally that you didn’t get the job. Then he’s gonna ask you to get Brent up the speed on the accounts.”
“That takes nerve, but I can do that,” I said. It really wouldn’t be so bad training Brent. It might be fun exposing Brent as being incapable. That way, everyone would see the mistake they made passing me over in favor of Brent. It would be a small measure of satisfaction, but I’d take it.
“I know you’re sitting there thinking how much fun you’re gonna have exposing Brent as the blithering idiot he is, but I’m not finished yet.”