Me Tarzan: "Was Donna Right?"
Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:41 pm
For better or worse the next chapter in Ethan's adventure is here! Please feel free to comment in any fashion. I hope you enjoy it...
“Ethan...Ethan? Are you ok?”
Donna was staring at me with a quizzical look.
“Ahhhhh I’m fine, sorry.”
Ok, ok, I zoned out into another one of my fantasies. I couldn’t help it, she’s attractive and my mind drifted as she outlined the offer from Textil.
“What do you think? Do you like the package?”
Before you hurt yourself wondering what exactly I told Donna, it wasn’t anything other than typical interview banter. I made the mistake up opening up once and look where it got me. What you read were my thoughts about this whole situation only through Donna’s voice. One person knows all the missing pieces, Judy. I’m going to get answers today and won’t stop until I do.
“I need more time Donna. I realize I’ve put this off much too long, but I have to wrap up loose ends before I can make a final decision.”
I could tell by her body language she wasn’t pleased with my answer.
“That won’t do Ethan, I need an answer today.”
“Maybe I should call Kayla?”
Her whole demeanor changed.
“No need to bother Mrs. Wagner, tell you what, you take another week? Will that work?”
“Thank you Donna, I appreciate that.”
I thanked her for her time and fired up the beater. Just before I pulled away my phone went off, it was Judy.
“I need to see you today ASAP.” The text read.
I replied “On my way now.”
When she opened the back door to let me in I couldn’t help notice how tired and run down she looked.
“Go in to Herb’s room Ethan.”
Judy followed me in and before she could say a word, I let her have it.
“I’m tired of all this shit. It has to end and you haven’t been honest with me have you?”
Leaning back against the bar, folding her arms across her chest, Judy fired back.
“What are you saying Ethan, it’s not like you have much choice is it?”
I walked right up to her. We couldn’t have been more than a few inches apart.
“I said… I’m tired of this shit Judy.”
She burst into tears and fell into my arms sobbing.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you everything.”
She went behind the bar and poured a drink for herself while getting me a beer.
“Please sit Ethan.”
Sinking into Herb’s faux leather couch, Judy sat in the chair next to me
.
“I have to go back to the beginning so you understand everything. A few years after we moved here, while you kids were little, Herb got himself into deep trouble at work. A young woman had accused him of sexual harassment. She was a secretary used by two or three of the IT staff, one of which was Herb. “Peaches” as she liked to be called, accused Herb of unwanted touching and advances. At that time we had a huge mortgage, three small kids, and a mountain credit card debt. Herb couldn’t afford to lose his job.”
“What does this have to do with anything? No bullshit anymore Judy.”
“Please let me continue. Peaches was set to have a meeting on Monday morning with HR. Herb had set up Kayla with the latest software Pharmaceutical Reps needed just a few weeks earlier. He arranged for Kayla to have software no other rep had giving her a significant edge in sales over all the other reps. Herb reached out to her for help. Kayla told him she had someone in the HR dept. that would help and not to worry. When Monday came, Peaches never showed up. Later that day her sister and the police found her dead on her apartment floor.”
“You expect me to believe this crap!!”
“Listen to me!” Judy slammed her drink down on the end table.
“Her name was Pattie Sykes. They called her “Peaches” because she had extremely large breasts. She was a heavy set and curvy. Google her name, she died around 2001 or 2002.”
I took out my phone and googled. Sure enough her obit popped up.
“It says Pattie Sykes died suddenly at home in July of 2002.”
“That’s right, after an autopsy it was determined she died of anaphylactic shock. Pattie had a severe peanut allergy.”
“Ethan...Ethan? Are you ok?”
Donna was staring at me with a quizzical look.
“Ahhhhh I’m fine, sorry.”
Ok, ok, I zoned out into another one of my fantasies. I couldn’t help it, she’s attractive and my mind drifted as she outlined the offer from Textil.
“What do you think? Do you like the package?”
Before you hurt yourself wondering what exactly I told Donna, it wasn’t anything other than typical interview banter. I made the mistake up opening up once and look where it got me. What you read were my thoughts about this whole situation only through Donna’s voice. One person knows all the missing pieces, Judy. I’m going to get answers today and won’t stop until I do.
“I need more time Donna. I realize I’ve put this off much too long, but I have to wrap up loose ends before I can make a final decision.”
I could tell by her body language she wasn’t pleased with my answer.
“That won’t do Ethan, I need an answer today.”
“Maybe I should call Kayla?”
Her whole demeanor changed.
“No need to bother Mrs. Wagner, tell you what, you take another week? Will that work?”
“Thank you Donna, I appreciate that.”
I thanked her for her time and fired up the beater. Just before I pulled away my phone went off, it was Judy.
“I need to see you today ASAP.” The text read.
I replied “On my way now.”
When she opened the back door to let me in I couldn’t help notice how tired and run down she looked.
“Go in to Herb’s room Ethan.”
Judy followed me in and before she could say a word, I let her have it.
“I’m tired of all this shit. It has to end and you haven’t been honest with me have you?”
Leaning back against the bar, folding her arms across her chest, Judy fired back.
“What are you saying Ethan, it’s not like you have much choice is it?”
I walked right up to her. We couldn’t have been more than a few inches apart.
“I said… I’m tired of this shit Judy.”
She burst into tears and fell into my arms sobbing.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you everything.”
She went behind the bar and poured a drink for herself while getting me a beer.
“Please sit Ethan.”
Sinking into Herb’s faux leather couch, Judy sat in the chair next to me
.
“I have to go back to the beginning so you understand everything. A few years after we moved here, while you kids were little, Herb got himself into deep trouble at work. A young woman had accused him of sexual harassment. She was a secretary used by two or three of the IT staff, one of which was Herb. “Peaches” as she liked to be called, accused Herb of unwanted touching and advances. At that time we had a huge mortgage, three small kids, and a mountain credit card debt. Herb couldn’t afford to lose his job.”
“What does this have to do with anything? No bullshit anymore Judy.”
“Please let me continue. Peaches was set to have a meeting on Monday morning with HR. Herb had set up Kayla with the latest software Pharmaceutical Reps needed just a few weeks earlier. He arranged for Kayla to have software no other rep had giving her a significant edge in sales over all the other reps. Herb reached out to her for help. Kayla told him she had someone in the HR dept. that would help and not to worry. When Monday came, Peaches never showed up. Later that day her sister and the police found her dead on her apartment floor.”
“You expect me to believe this crap!!”
“Listen to me!” Judy slammed her drink down on the end table.
“Her name was Pattie Sykes. They called her “Peaches” because she had extremely large breasts. She was a heavy set and curvy. Google her name, she died around 2001 or 2002.”
I took out my phone and googled. Sure enough her obit popped up.
“It says Pattie Sykes died suddenly at home in July of 2002.”
“That’s right, after an autopsy it was determined she died of anaphylactic shock. Pattie had a severe peanut allergy.”