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The Women's Job - It's Confidential - Chapter Eight
🕑 Added 2022-10-17 13:04:01 +0000 UTCOTHER CHAPTERS | ALL STORY LIST
The afternoon was sunny, and Dana decided to wait outside for her ride to arrive. She planned to have a quiet dinner in her room as she waited for Savannah to make her decision.
“Well, well, I thought I saw you out here,” said Vince as he walked up behind her. He cracked a smile. “I just want to apologize for my behavior in the bar the other day.”
Dana just nodded.
Vince walked closer. “I know I was out of line and I want to make it up some way. Are you free for dinner?”
While she was caught off guard by his offer, Dana had no intention of accepting it.
“Sorry, but I already have plans,” she replied.
Vince smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, you can’t hold it against me for trying.”
Dana wasn’t sure what was more unsettling, Vince being drunk and obnoxious or him being friendly.
“You know, Dana, you really are an attractive woman; that’s right, love, I called you a woman,” he said as he moved closer to her.
Dana stepped back and glanced at her watch. She hoped that Becky would arrive soon so she could leave. She wondered if she should walk back inside.
Vince moved closer to Dana. “Admit it, you like the fact that I want you. I bet right now that you’re thinking about how good it would feel to have me make love to you.”
Dana pulled away. “Please, Vince, I’m not interested.”
Vince laughed and moved closer. “Your words say no, but your eyes say yes.” He then leaned over and kissed Dana on the lips.
She pushed herself away from him. “No!”
“Oooh, I love a woman who’s hard to get,” he stated.
Dana was about to hit him when she heard Becky’s voice. It took Dana a second to realize that she was so flustered by Vince’s advances that she hadn’t heard the limo pull up.
“You ready to go, Ms. Matson?’ asked Becky.
Dana nodded and didn’t wait for Becky to open the door for her. As they drove away, she noticed that Vince was licking his lips.
“You okay, Dana?” asked Becky.
Dana just sighed. “It’s okay, Becky. Thanks for showing up when you did.”
“You want to talk about it?” asked Becky.
Dana shook her head. It was too confusing right now to discuss. She couldn’t believe that Vince had so easily taken control of the situation, and it bothered her.
Becky decided not to press the point. She had seen that creep Vince kiss Dana and how relieved Dana was when the limo had arrived. It wasn’t right, and Becky couldn’t just let it slide.
When Dana got back to her room, she debated making herself a drink but decided that it would only make matters worse. She was still physically a guy and not in bad shape; why didn’t she punch Vince after he kissed her? Had she changed that much so soon?
She debated telling someone, anyone, but she didn’t want to look weak and unable to handle her own problems. She also suspected that it would come down to her word against Vince’s. He would deny that anything happened and start making fun of her; no, it was better to just tough it out. The contract would be announced soon, and that would solve her problem with Vince, she rationalized.
Dana decided she needed to talk to someone, but she didn’t want to make her sister worry, so she called Tess.
As Dana told Tess what happened, she felt her emotions becoming loose, and before she knew it, tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“It’s okay to cry, Dana, it’s far more healthy than to hold in your emotions,” said Tess.
“I can’t remember the last time I cried, Tess,” said Dana as she reached for a tissue.
“Then it’s long overdue. Even if you weren’t going through a gender transition, it’s healthy to let out your emotions. Why do they train boys to hold in their feelings? It doesn’t make sense!” stated Tess.
“What should I do?” asked Dana.
“It’s up to you. This Vince sounds like a real pig, and he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with his behavior. I know a few women who could definitely put him in his place.”
“I know, but right now it’s his word against mine,” said Dana.
“Then I suggest that you don’t allow yourself to be alone with him. I suspect that he was waiting for you to be alone this afternoon.”
“So he’s stalking me?” asked Dana.
“Stalking may be extreme, but he’s definitely after you,” said Tess. “Not to make light of this situation, but you are getting a chance to experience something that many women go through sexual harassment.”
“I guess you’re right,” said Dana.
“Seriously, Dana, if he does this again, you have to report it,” said Tess.
“I know,” she replied. “I just feel like such a wimp for allowing it to happen in the first place.”
“You didn’t do anything, Dana. He’s the one at fault not you!” said Tess. “If it makes you feel any better, many women blame themselves when this happens.”
“Thanks, Tess,” said Dana.
“No problem, Dana. This isn’t an easy thing to get through.”
The next morning Dana got a call from Mike.
“I just was notified that they want to see us here at the hanger at one,” he said.
“You mean both us and the people from Higgins?” asked Dana.
“Yep,” he replied. “Relax, this is the way they always do this. The rep from Connell will meet with you and the sales guy from Higgins and tell you who got the contract. Dress nice, as you’ll be having dinner with Ms. Connell this evening; she always has dinner with the winner.”
“My, you sound confident,” replied Dana, as she thought about what she was going to wear.
“I am, our system is much better,” replied Mike with confidence.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” she said.
Dana went through her wardrobe and picked out her gray knit suit. The weather outside was gray and gloomy again, and the hanger would be drafty In the short time she had been wearing women’s clothing she had learned that wearing skirts could be very uncomfortable in cool environments. She debated wearing slacks but decided that it would be best to continue to wear a skirt and deal with the discomfort.
Before she left, she examined her appearance, making sure she looked perfect. True, the contract had already been decided, but she still wanted to look her best.
Becky arrived around twelve and drove Dana over to the hangar. Dana debated asking Becky if she knew anything but decided that would be unprofessional.
Mike was waiting for her, along with the other technicians from Wade. They all seemed in a good mood, and Dana hoped it was a good sign. She glanced over at the team from Higgins. Vince was wearing a dark blue suit and winked at her, sending chills up Dana’s spine. No matter which way the contact came out, she would not have to see that creep again after this afternoon, she thought.
Ronald Baskins came walking out of the main office a little after one and motioned for both Vince and Dana.
“It’s in the bag, kid,” said Mike with a smile.
Dana did her best to act confident as she walked toward Ronald. The sound from her heels seemed to echo through the hanger.
Ronald led them to a conference room.
“Please sit down, and we’ll get started,” he said.
Dana looked around, expecting to see a monitor for a video linkup with Savannah’s estate, but was surprised to see that there wasn’t one.
Vince was sitting across from Dana, and when Dana looked at him, he ran his tongue over the edge of his lips.
Just then the door opened up, and in came Savannah Connell. Her appearance caught both Dana and Vince by surprise.
“Good afternoon,” she said. “I’ve looked over both of your proposals, and the results of our testing, and I must say that I’m very impressed with both companies' products. I am fully confident that we would be happy with either system. Now, this is where the hard part comes in. It’s so much simpler when there is a substantial difference between the products, however, when they are fairly equal, I am forced to take other things into consideration.”
She paused and took a sip of water. “I just want to tell both of you that I am not basing my decision on my rules regarding my estate.”
A big smile started to form on Vince’s face.
Dana suddenly felt a sickening feeling in her stomach.
“Mr. Holmes, from strictly a business point of view, I could not hold it against your company for your refusal to abide by my rules.”
Vince made a fist and made a slight pumping motion with it.
“I’m not done; as I said, I cannot make a business decision based on my rules, but I can make a decision based on your conduct while you’ve been out here.”
Vince turned to Savannah and then looked at Dana. He turned back to Savannah. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Connell.”
Savannah glared back at him. “This is not the time to try to play me for a fool. It was bad enough that you sexually harassed Ms. Matson here, but you made several rude and suggestive remarks to my driver.”
Vince’s face began to turn red with anger. He turned to Savannah and started to open his mouth.
Savannah put up her hand. “I’m not through talking, Mr. Holmes. First, the man who held you back in the bar by the hotel is one of my employees; his name is Frank Myers and he’s a licensed private investigator. Next was your obvious sexual harassment of Ms. Matson outside the hangar yesterday. It was witnessed by several of my employees and also by my driver, Elizabeth. I also had her statements that you made several sexually suggestive remarks to her.”
“Hold on, Ms. Connell, Dana, I mean ‘Ms. Matson’ came on to me, and as far as that girl is concerned, she’s a liar,” explained Vince.
“My niece is not a liar, Mr. Holmes,” stated Savannah in a firm tone.
It took Vince a second to realize what she was saying.
“Now, I am not awarding Wade the contract based on your behavior,” said Savannah.
Vince cocked his head and a smile started to form on his face.
“I wouldn’t smile if I were you, Mr. Holmes, as I’m awarding the contract to Wade based on the attitude of the personnel at Higgins I talked to concerning your behavior. They didn’t seem to think that this was a problem. I then did some research and found that there are no women in any supervisory positions at Higgins, so I’m not surprised that they seem to think that sexual harassment isn’t a big deal those are their words, not mine, Mr. Holmes. Just so you know, in addition to awarding Wade the contract, I will not do any business with Higgins until there is a turnaround in the corporate attitude there. My lawyers are putting this all into nice legalese in a letter that your CEO will be receiving soon,” stated Savannah.
Vince sat in silence, not knowing what to do or to say.
“I think you should go, Mr. Holmes, and be thankful that you don’t work for me or for Wade, as not only would you be unemployed right now, but you would also be facing possible civil litigation,” continued Savannah. “Just to be safe, I would start looking for a good lawyer if I were you, one that specializes in defending sexual harassment defendants”
Vince stood up and appeared to be biting down on his lower lip. He looked at Dana and shook his head. He then walked out, muttering to himself.
When the door closed, Savannah turned to Dana and smiled. “Congratulations on a job well done, Dana.” She then extended her hand.
Dana took it and smiled back. “I don’t know what to say. There are so many things to comprehend right now.”
“First off, your company had a great offer, and you presented it very effectively, and I look forward to continuing our relationship. Next, as far as Vince is concerned, we’ve had trouble with him and their reps before. However, I never had the proof until this time. I’m sorry that I didn’t let you know, but I just want you to know that you were never in any danger.”
“Thank you. I guess I should have said something, but I didn’t know how to do it.”
“That’s understandable, as many real women have the same problem. Minorities are often afraid to make waves, even when they’re right. Oh, I did contact Howard and told him everything. He said that he’ll fully support you if you want to take any legal action.”
“That won’t be necessary,” she replied. “However, thank you for the important lesson. I won’t let something like that happen again.”
“I know that, Dana,” said Savannah.
Dana nodded. “What about this? I mean, I thought you never left your estate, why now?”
“It seemed like the time. Besides, I was so impressed with how brave you were to take on this job and to see and accept the real you at the same time; it seemed rather silly to stay away. I have been scared about how others might treat me, and on my estate, I could control almost everything, but now it’s time to get back to the real world.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Dana.
“Also, since I’ve been on a crusade to get women into higher positions in the workplace, I suppose I can widen that to include the disabled.”
“Does that mean that you’re going to open up the estate to men?” asked Dana.
Savannah laughed. “Heavens no! It’s too much fun seeing some of them having to walk around in heels to give that up! Now, Marsha is cooking her famous chicken Parmesan tonight, and I am not going to take no for an answer.”
“That sounds wonderful; I’m famished,” replied Dana. “I just need to call Mr. Wade first.”
“You can use the phone in here; we’ll be waiting outside when you’re done,” said Savannah.
Dana was surprised when Beth joined them for dinner.
“So, am I off driving duty, for now, Aunt Savannah?’ asked Beth with a smile on her face.
“Yes, my dear,” replied Savannah. “I appreciate your hard work.”
“It was fun,” she replied.
“So you were in on this too?” asked Dana.
Beth nodded. “I eagerly volunteered to do it, as the last time a representative from Higgins came out here I was hit on by a guy even slimier than Vince.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, Dana,” said Savannah.
“It’s okay,” replied Dana. “So, do you think that Higgins will change?”
“They might not have a choice. I didn’t tell Vince everything, as a friend of mine is currently working up a lawsuit against Higgins for several female employees who were discriminated against. From what she has told me, they have a really strong case.”
Dana nodded. “I feel a little silly that I got into a situation like that.”
“Don’t be. Besides sexual harassment isn’t just a man making unwanted advances toward a woman; it’s one person abusing another, and that’s all that counts.
“Is Vince really a person?” asked Beth.
“In the legal sense of the word, yes,” replied Savannah.
Dana laughed. “Well, I was glad to have been of assistance.”
Dinner was served a short time later, and it was delicious. Dana had to admit that it was the best chicken Parmesan that she had ever had.
“Have you told Howard about your decision to stay as Dana yet?” asked Savannah.
“No, I was waiting until I got back. I also plan on requesting some time off so I can go to Chicago and tell my family,” said Dana. She then told them about Peg.
“I suspect that things will go smoother than you think,” said Savannah, “Now, what about your ‘friend’ back west?”
“I wish I knew,” replied Dana. “I haven’t talked to him since I flew out here. Oh, I’ve e-mailed him a few times, but I haven’t called. I guess he thinks that I’m not interested anymore.”
“I doubt that, as I suspect he knows that you’re out here to work. However, as you have the contract, I suggest that you call him,” said Savannah.
“I agree,” added Beth.
“As I now consider you a friend, may I ask you something?” asked Savannah.
“Yes,” replied Dana.
“Do you love him?” asked Savannah.
Dana immediately nodded. “For the first time in my life, I feel really in love.”
“Well, you’d better skip dessert and coffee and head back to your hotel so you can call him,” said Savannah.
“I’ll get my coat and drive you,” said Beth.
“I thought you weren’t a driver anymore,” said Dana.
“For this, I can do it one more time,” said Beth as she stood up.
Dana sat in front of her phone for several minutes before she got the nerve to pick it up and call Pete.
She nervously counted off the rings, and just as she expected to hear his answering machine, he picked up the phone.
“Dana, this is a pleasant surprise. So, did you get the contract?” he asked.
“Yes, we got it,” she replied. “There are some details to work out, but I should be heading back in a day or so.”
“Well, this calls for a celebration then, and I know just place to take you,” he said.
“So, this means that you’re not angry with me for not calling you sooner?” asked Dana.
“Please! Look, you’re out there on a very important trip; the last thing you needed was to be distracted by me,” replied Pete.
“Thanks for understanding,” she replied. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, Dana,” he replied. “Look, I’d rather say this in person, but I want to tell you that I understand how complicated this is, but I want to make it work. I see you as a lovely woman, and I’m deeply in love with you.”
“You, you mean that?’ stammered Dana.
“Of course,” he replied. “How do you feel about this?”
Dana wiped away a tear that was rolling down her right cheek. “I love it. I love you, Pete.”
“And I love you too, Dana. We’ll make it work.”
