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The Women's Job - It's Confidential - Chapter Six
🕑 Added 2022-09-28 15:13:14 +0000 UTCOTHER CHAPTERS | ALL STORY LIST
The car pulled up in front of a large stone mansion. It was a three-story building that had several additions that maintained the colonial architecture.
“The main house was built in 1762,” explained Becky. “It was expanded in 1863 when it was owned by a big industrialist; he made lots of money selling weapons to the Union army. It was bought by Maxwell Connell in 1919, who added the west wing. He had made a fortune during world was one, and it’s been in our family ever since,” explained Becky.
“I take it that he survived the depression with his money intact then,” said Dana.
“No one likes to admit it, but the truth is that he was a bootlegger during prohibition. When I was a kid, my dad showed me some caves that are located over that way. There were still empty whiskey bottles in them,” said Becky. “Anyway, when prohibition ended, he started Connell Aviation.”
“All families have some skeletons in their closets. I had a distant relative who was a pirate,” confessed Dana.
“Really?”
“Yes, he was the first mate on a ship captained by the notorious Harry Thorn,” said Dana. “So, I wouldn’t worry about a little bootlegging.”
Becky laughed. “Well, let me get the door for you. I’ll be here when you’re ready to leave.”
As Dana stepped out of the car, she turned to Becky. “So, what’s she like?”
“She’s very cool,” said Becky.
Dana could tell by the look on Becky’s face that she deeply admired her aunt.
The front door opened, and an older woman dressed in a business suit greeted Dana as she walked inside.
“My name is Elizabeth, Ms. Matson. Ms. Connell is waiting for you in the drawing-room,” she said.
Dana noticed her proper English accent.
“Thank you, Elizabeth,” replied Dana.
Elizabeth took Dana’s coat and then escorted her to meet Savannah.
Dana noticed that while the house looked imposing on the outside, it had a very homey feel on the inside. As they walked down a hallway, Dana noticed that the walls were covered, not with fine art, but with family photographs.
They walked into a room that had a roaring fire burning it the massive fireplace. A woman was sitting in a motorized wheelchair next to a coffee table. She had a smile on her face as she extended her hand to Dana.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Dana. I trust you had a pleasant trip,” said Savannah.
“Thank you, Ms. Connell. I had a good trip; I especially enjoyed the ride from the airport,” said Dana.
Savannah had bright blue eyes, and her chestnut-colored hair was pulled back in a braid. Dana knew from her research that Savannah was fifty-two, but she looked much younger.
“Please, call me Savannah. It’s the least I can do, considering the requirements that I placed on you, Dana. Please sit down; would you like coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, please,” replied Dana as she sat down on a couch next to Savannah.
“Elizabeth, you may bring the coffee,” said Savannah.
“Yes, Ms. Connell,” replied Elizabeth.
After the woman left, Savannah looked over at Dana. “I’ve been trying to get her to call me Savannah for fifteen years, but she refuses. Her father was my father’s butler, and she came to work for me after my accident,” said Savannah. She then looked over at Dana. “You look very nice, Dana. I appreciate your effort.”
“Thank you, Savannah,” replied Dana.
“I suppose that people think I’m crazy for this requirement, but I have my reasons, and it has served me well,” said Savannah.
Elizabeth returned pushing a cart with a carafe of coffee and two ceramic mugs.
“I hope you don’t mind the mugs, but drinking coffee out of bone china is so pretentious,” said Savannah. “Just set the coffee and mugs on the table please, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth made a slight sound to show her displeasure with Savannah’s opinion.
“Now, you drink it black, no sugar, right?” asked Savannah.
Dana nodded and cracked a slight smile.
“I do my research too, Dana,” said Savannah. “Thank you, Elizabeth, I’ll take it from here.”
“Yes, Ms. Connell,” she said before departing.
Savannah poured some coffee into one of the mugs and handed it to Dana. “I hate being waited on hand and foot. I know I have had my ‘limitations’ since the accident, but I still like to do things for myself. I know it annoys Elizabeth, but I don’t like to be seen as an invalid.”
Dana was finding that she really liked Savannah; she would have to be careful not to let this admiration affect her sales pitch.
The coffee was very good and was perfect for a cold raw day.
“This is excellent,” stated Dana as she took another sip.
“I wouldn’t serve someone from the Pacific Northwest anything but the best. Is it true that there’s a drive-through coffee shop at every intersection?”
Dana nodded. “Caffeine helps you get through the many rainy days.”
Savannah laughed. “While we won’t start the actual meeting until tomorrow, I’ve taken the liberty of looking over your company’s proposal, and I must say that I’m impressed so far. Of course, my technicians will have to inspect the system first,” she said.
“The jet I flew out in is an older version of the jet that you’re about to produce, and it has a near identical system installed in it. Of course, we’ll make the necessary adjustments to fit your jets,” said Dana.
“You’re well prepared, I’m looking forward to your presentation tomorrow,” said Savannah.
Dana was up early the next morning, reviewing her presentation. She also wanted to give herself enough time to get ready. Thanks to Tess and Lisa, Dana was very pleased with her appearance. She decided to wear her gray knit suit. The weather was still nasty, with light rain, and the temperature was hovering around freezing. The weather guessers called for possible snow later in the day.
Becky arrived at nine and helped Dana carry her bags to the limo.
“Did you have a good night’s sleep?” she asked.
Dana nodded. “Yes, the bed was surprisingly comfortable.”
“By the way, you look great,” said Becky.
Dana smiled. “Thanks.”
“I shouldn’t say this, but some of the people who head out to the estate look awful. I know that my aunt bases her decisions on what’s right for the company, but she notices the efforts of the salespeople who visit her,” continued Becky, as she started the car.
“Do all the companies send someone out to see her?”
Becky shook her head. “No, some sales reps refuse to do it. They feel it’s degrading and humiliating. Idiots! I mean, it’s not like she’s asking anyone to dress in a French maid’s outfit!”
Dana laughed. “Still, I can understand why some men wouldn’t want to do this.”
“But it could be the difference in making the sale, it seems childish. You know, there’s a rival of yours staying at the same hotel,” said Becky.
“Really?”
Becky nodded. “He’s from Higgins Engineering and is a real jerk. Oops, I shouldn’t have said that!”
“It’s okay; I won’t tell anyone,” said Dana.
“Watch out for him. He wouldn’t go out to the estate and did his presentation via video from the hotel. When I picked him up at the airport, I heard him make all kinds of derogatory comments about people like you to his coworkers on his cell phone. His name is Vince Holmes.”
“Thanks, Becky,” said Dana.
“No problem, Dana.”
The presentation was flawless from Dana’s perspective. The weeks of preparation paid off, and she was able to answer every question that Savannah asked.
“Well, I’m very impressed, Dana,” said Savannah. “It all comes down to performance tests. We’ll have a jet standing by for your techs to install your system. Then my engineers will see if it does everything you claim it will.”
Dana nodded. “They’re just waiting for my phone call to tell them to start.”
“When do they think they’ll be ready?”
“Two days for installation, one day for testing before we turn it over to you,” replied Dana immediately. “The new system is designed to be compatible with the older version, so if you like it we can also retrofit your older jets.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from Wade. Still, Higgins has a very good system, so the tests are very important.”
“In the meantime, your engineers can see how the system works on the jet I flew out here in,” added Dana.
Savannah nodded. “Thank you, we’ll start this afternoon. Now, would you like to join me for lunch?”
“I’d love that,” replied Dana.
“Good, and afterward I’d like to take you on a tour of my estate,” added Savannah.
Dana was slightly surprised when she found out that Savannah would be the one who would be driving her around the estate.
“Since we’re not leaving the estate’s grounds, we can use my vehicle,” said Savannah.
Her car was a specially outfitted Land Rover. The driver's eat had been removed so that Savannah could use her motorized chair. All the controls were hand operated.
“I like having a sturdy four-wheel drive car,” said Savannah as they drove down the driveway.
The sky was still overcast, but for now, the rain had stopped. Savannah predicted that it wouldn’t start to snow until late that night, and at most, it would only give them a light dusting.
In addition to the main house, there were several cottages.
“They were added back in the twenties,” said Savannah. “I use two for guests, and the other two are used by my staff.”
They drove down by the old airfield. Savannah told Dana it was still operational. She stopped by the hangar and asked Dana if she wanted to see her planes.
“You still own aircraft?” asked Dana.
Savannah nodded. “I may not be able to fly anymore, but I still love planes. Come on, I’ll show them to you.”
Inside the hanger, there were six vintage planes.
“The biplane is a Navy trainer; it’s a Stearman, and it was the first plane that I ever flew,” said Savannah proudly. “I soloed in it six weeks later.”
“How old were you?” asked Dana as she looked at the meticulously maintained aircraft.
“I was ten,” she replied. Then she started to laugh. “My mom was furious, but my father insisted that I learn. I loved it.”
“Do you miss flying?” asked Dana.
“Every day. If I could, I would have a plane rigged like my car, but nowadays everything is so much more complicated,” said Savannah. “I have no regrets about the accident that, that grounded me. The accident board cleared me of any fault. It was caused by a mechanical flaw. I can live with that. I would be very angry if the crash had been my fault. I still have great pride in my flying ability.”
“Does it still fly?” asked Dana.
“Oh yes. Becky flew it last fall in a local air show. She’s a natural flyer, even better than me.”
“I like her,” said Dana.
Savannah nodded. “Now, this Piper Cub was my next plane. It’s a very simple plane to fly. Have you ever flown a plane?’
Dana shook her head.
“You ought to try it,” said Savannah. “I do miss piloting a plane.”
Dana debated asking Savannah why she never left the estate but decided that she didn’t know the woman well enough for such a personal question.
They spent the next hour looking at Savannah’s collection.
“I know it’s silly to keep them, but they all have sentimental value to me,” said Savannah.
“It’s not silly,” said Dana.
“My accountant doesn’t think so. He told me that I could make quite a profit selling them,” stated Savannah. “Now, let me show you the rest of the estate.
Savannah drove down a road that was barely a path. “Don’t worry, Dana, I know every bump in these roads like the back of my hand.”
They stopped in front of an old mill building.
“What’s this?’ asked Dana.
“It was a munitions factory back in the civil war. They made gunpowder here. It was located far away from anything important because factories back then had a tendency to blow up. This one had two minor accidents; you can see how the bricks on the far wall are a different color,” she noted. “It was then used as a factory for making bootleg whiskey during Prohibition.”
“Where are the caves?” asked Dana. “Becky told me about them.”
“Over there,” she said, pointing to a ridge. “They’re not real caves; they were carved into the hills during the Civil War to store gunpowder.”
“I think it’s really cool,” said Dana. “There’s so much history here.”
“Well, we’d better head back to the house before Elizabeth starts worrying,” said Savannah, glancing at her watch.
“Thank you for showing it to me,” said Dana.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
The next day Dana was at the airport, watching the technicians from Wade working on the jet.
Mike Westfall was in charge of the installation. He was forty-eight and had been working for Wade since he left the Air Force. While he knew that Dana was actually a man, he knew better than to say anything derogatory. Personally, he admired Savannah Connell and figured she was entitled to her quirks. He also respected the various salesmen over the years who had been willing to dress in women’s clothes to get Wade the very lucrative contracts that had allowed him to own a nice house, and a boat, and to have two kids in college.
“It’s going pretty smooth; we should be done by tomorrow morning. I have to hand it to the engineers this time; they actually designed something easy to install,” he noted.
Dana nodded. After they finished their time in sales, all new engineers worked for a year on installing systems. “So, you’ll be able to start testing the jet tomorrow afternoon?”
Mike nodded. “I expect to turn the plane over to the guys from Connell tomorrow afternoon. By the way, I sneaked a look at the Higgins system. It’s a piece of crap if you want my professional opinion.”
Dana laughed. “Define piece of crap.”
“The fans are much larger and have to be removed completely to be worked on. As you know, ours can be worked on while onboard.”
“I’m sure you’ll point that out to the Connell techs,” said Dana with a grin on her face.
“Already have. I also pointed out that our system is lighter and uses thirty percent less energy,” he said. “Don’t worry; we’re going to get this contract. Connell is a smart company, and they want the best for their jets.”
“I’m glad you’re so confident,” she said.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I wouldn’t work for Wade if we made crap.”
Dana laughed, and then she noticed a large man in a suit standing by the other Connell jet in the hanger. He was staring at her, and she wondered if he was the sales rep from Higgins. For the first time since she had taken the Connell contract, Dana felt uncomfortable.
The man in the suit walked over to her. He was dressed in a tailored pinstriped suit. Dana estimated he was six-two. His brown hair was styled short, and his mustache was trimmed neatly. She noticed the large gold Rolex around his right wrist. From his walk to his appearance, he oozed confidence and arrogance.
“You must be the Wade salesman,” he said as he extended his hand. He smirked slightly as he ran his eyes over Dana. “I’m Vince Kramer, Higgins Engineering.”
Dana felt his hand compress hers; she fought off the discomfort and smiled back. “I’m Dana Matson, Wade Industries.”
“Dana? Christ you’re really taking this charade seriously aren’t you?” he asked in a mocking tone.
“I do what it takes to get the contract,” she replied.
“Well, we at Higgins refused to play her silly game, and we’re in the position to get the contact,” he stated. “I have to admit though; you look pretty good in a dress for a man.”
Dana decided to save time and just start hating him now.
“Anyway, she didn’t complain when I made our sales pitch over a video link, so I suppose it doesn’t really matter, right?” he continued.
“You haven’t got the contract,” replied Dana.
“True, but it’s just a matter of time. After they see our system in operation, we’ll get the contract,” he said.
“We’ll see,” said Dana.
“Well, let’s just say may the best ‘man’ win,” he said. He then laughed at his own joke.
One of his technicians called for him, and he walked away without another word. Dana shook her head and walked back to the jet that Mike’s team was working on.
“What an asshole,” said Mike. “Just so you know, I was talking to his team, and they can’t stand him either, so he’s pretty much an equal opportunity offender.”
“Thanks, Mike,” she replied.
Mike smiled and then turned back to see how the installation was proceeding.
There was little for Dana to do but wait until the system was installed and tested, and the next few days passed by slowly. She wondered if Pete missed her. She then thought about what she would do when she returned to Oregon. With the exception of that asshole Vince, everyone had treated her well.
If she did stay as Dana, she knew that she would have to deal with more people like him. For the most part, she had been shielded by supportive people, but she knew it wouldn’t always be that way.
What made it harder was that she loved her job and didn’t want to give that up. She knew that Mr. Wade would support her; what about others in the company? It was too much to think about; what was important was that Wade got the contract, and she flipped on the TV.
Mike was very pleased with the tests. He called Dana and told her that the system actually performed better than expected.
“Any word on our competition?” asked Dana.
“Competition? Please!” stated Mike. “First off, they had installation problems; second, they had some power issues as one of their fans had a bearing seize up. The Connell rep told me that he wasn’t impressed.”
“I wish I was as confident as you are,” she said.
“Relax, Dana, we’ve got this one in the bag,” said Mike.
It was a little after three that Dana got a call from Savannah.
“Can you come on out to the estate?” she asked.
“Of course,” replied Dana.
“Good, I’ll have Becky pick you up in twenty minutes,” said Savannah.
Dana hung up the phone and rushed to get dressed. She had been relaxing in jeans and a sweater, and she hurriedly changed into a skirt and blouse. She’d barely finished her makeup when there was a knocking on the door.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” she called out as she looked at her watch. It was exactly twenty minutes since the phone call from Savannah.
“Okay,” replied Becky.
Soon they were heading out to the estate. For the first time since she arrived in New Jersey, the sun came out, and Dana wondered if this was a sign.
Elizabeth led Dana into the study, where she was greeted by Savannah.
“My apologies for not being in contact with you for the past few days, but I don’t want to appear to be showing any favoritism. I just got the preliminary performance test results back from Ronald, and he’s very pleased with your system.”
Dana wasn’t sure if this meant that they’d get the contract or not, so she just nodded.
“We still have a few more tests we want to run, including some more operational flight tests, but I have to admit that it looks promising for Wade,” continued Savannah. “Please sit down, Dana.”
“What sort of flight tests?” asked Dana, as she sat down in a chair across from Savannah.
“They’re going to fly the jet down to Florida and then across the country and back. The static tests are fine for getting a baseline, but the operational tests are what sells. We have some test subjects who will be riding in the jet, and they’ll evaluate the system at the end of each flight,” continued Savannah.
“Are they engineers?” asked Dana.
Savannah shook her head. “No, they’re from a company we use when we’re testing a new product. I know what an engineer likes, but I also want to know what regular people think. They’ll be asked to grade all aspects of the plane for comfort and ease of operation.”
“That makes sense,” replied Dana. “I have full confidence in our systems.”
“Spoken like a true believer!” replied Savannah. “Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that these tests will take a few days. I don’t like keeping people in the dark.”
Dana nodded. “I appreciate that, thank you.”
“Now, since you’re here, would you like to stay for dinner? My chef, Marsha, is making her special Hungarian goulash tonight.”
“That sounds wonderful,” replied Dana.
“Just so you know, I extended the invitation to Mr. Holmes, but he refused,” said Savannah.
Dana wanted to say that this didn’t surprise her, but she kept her mouth shut.
“I suppose I owe you an explanation,” said Savannah. “We’ll talk about it over dinner.”
“This is excellent,” said Dana.
“I know, it’s one of my favorite things that Marsha cooks,” said Savannah.
“We had neighbors who made it like this. They also drank beer with it,” said Dana.
“Dark beer goes well with it, but so does a red zinfandel,” commented Savannah. “Anyway, I guess you’re wondering about the rep from Higgins.”
“It crossed my mind,” replied Dana.
“I was told by my lawyers that while I could control the circumstances around who visit my estate, I couldn’t restrict someone from doing business with my company on the same basis. They said that if they had the best offer, then I would have to listen to it. From a strictly business point of view, I can understand this; I mean, I may have my quirks, but I do take running this company seriously,” explained Savannah.
“So why do request that men dress as women when they come here?” asked Dana.
Savannah cocked her head. “You know, I bet that every man who has come here has wanted to ask that question, and would you believe that you’re the first person to do so?”
Dana didn’t reply, she just stared back and shrugged her shoulders.
