Saving Her Job

I sat down on the floor as told and started putting myself back together.

He started signing.

"Do you need me to sign the section C?" he asked.

"Yes please." I answered.

He kept looking through the document, signing his name and initials in certain spots.

"Will I be at a big disadvantage with these MXTs instead of the new MXZs?" he asked.

The fear of losing the deal suddenly poked its head above ground again. I moved to shut down that possibility.

"Absolutely not! We'll make sure of that." I promised.

He chuckled.

"That's what Cathy told me too."

It took a couple of seconds for me to make sure I'd heard that right.

"You talked to Cathy about this deal?"

"Sure!" he said with a smile.

He could see how surprised I was.

"Oh, you didn't know? Cathy was my sales representative for many years. Long before you joined the company."

I was stunned.

"But... she wasn't on the account when I took it over?"

"Oh no, she was the rep before the one you replaced. She worked my last big order."

I had never bothered to check who had preceded my predecessor!

"So... she told you not to worry about the MXZs?" I asked.

He laughed out loud this time.

"Cathy is the one who told me about the MXZs!"

"W-w-w-what?" I said. "Cathy TOLD you about the MXZs???"

He nodded. Cathy had TOLD him about the MXZs! I couldn't believe it.

Wait a minute, I thought, had she told ALL my clients about the MXZs? Was this why I'd fallen behind the others??

I remembered her words again. "You think you're the only one?" she'd asked me. Maybe I was the only one!

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, thinking, realizing.

That bitch had tried to kill me off by freezing my business!

I was angry, indignant and, in a weird way, more than a little proud that I'd still gotten the deal and was going to survive!

I guess it was obvious to him that a lot was going on in my head at that moment. He interrupted.

"She thinks highly of you though."

"Excuse me? Cathy thinks highly of me?"

"Yes," he said with a smile. "You remind her of herself many years ago."

It was a bizarre comment.

"You remind me of her then too."

I began to object.

"Oh, I don't think so. We're different in so many ways."

"Maybe, but you know, she told me you're just like she was when it comes to business" he said.

"I really disagree."

"No, I think she's right. You know, she told me, 'Just you watch Tom, she's just like I was back then... when times get tough and you're her last hope, she'll come through... she'll do WHATEVER it takes to get your business.'"