The Saga of Trudy and Frank

The meeting was breaking up in Alvin's office and the mood turned jovial. It had been a good forecast meeting. All divisions were in "sync" so there was confidence among them. Although the meeting was held in the CEO's office, Frank had chaired it. It was the first such meeting with him as the new CFO. Although Frank was new to the job, he was known to those around the table. He had been recently promoted from his former position as Corporate Controller. To most of the brass it had been a welcome elevation. Frank had spent years at the company earning their respect.

The crowd of VP's started to shuffle from the office. From his chair behind the large walnut desk Alvin called out, "Frank, would you stay behind a few minutes?"

Frank turned and took a chair in front of the desk as the office emptied. When they were alone Alvin rose, walked to the door and closed it. "Have one with me, Frank?"

"Well, Al, I would, but it's a little early for me." Frank answered.

"I'd appreciate it if you would, anyway. I think I recall that you're a Scotch man. It'll be bourbon for me."

The older man lifted the panel on a hidden wet-bar in an office alcove. In a minute he returned with two tumblers filled with three fingers each.

"Cheers!' Alvin broke the silence.

Frank lifted his glass and took a healthy sip. "That's good Scotch, Al."

Al sat behind his desk, head bowed, staring into the amber lubricant.

Frank broke the silence. "I think the forecast is fine, Al. The 10-Q will be on Wall Street at month's end. The conference call with the investment bankers will go well."

Alvin raised his head to look at Frank. "That's not why I wanted to talk with you. I know all that will be fine."

Alvin continued, "With your installation tonight as CFO, I want to clear the air. I was against your appointment, but the Board overrode me. It was nothing personal. I thought we needed a bigger name to help push through the stock offering next month. You're here now, and we'll work together."

"I will not let you or the Board down; and the stock offering will go fine." Frank answered.

"I know that, Frank." Alvin answered. "You see, what I really want to say to you is that the Board was right and I was wrong. It's hard to admit it, but now I'm glad you were chosen. I've been watching you. You are right for the job."

The promotion had been a surprise to some. "Controller-types" were not usually considered for the top finance job. It usually goes to a Wall Street guy from outside the company. The Board had taken a long time, but finally decided. Now Frank was in the corner office next to Alvin's. He had taken over the duties a few weeks ago, but tonight would be the formal installation at a management dinner party at Alvin's estate. The Board members were already arriving at the airport.

With the admission, Frank's estimation of Alvin increased. In his view, it took a big person to do what Al had just done. Frank had arrived at Western Chemicals a dozen years ago at about the same time as Alvin. The older man arrived as President. Frank had been part of the outside auditing firm that helped split the new company away from its parent. He was thirty then. From deep in the bowels of the finance organization, he had moved up the food chain to the position that he just won. Frank was short and stocky, five-eight, if he let his hair grow. He looked like he was still playing fullback for his college football team. He could be a bulldog, when required. Many said that when Frank "'had a tiger by the tail', it would be just a matter of time before a striped rug appeared in Frank's den". He had decided at the start that he would forego the office politics games and let his work speak for itself. By not playing the game he had won it. He had made no enemies and became a leader by example. When a tough assignment came up, Frank's name did, too. He earned a string of promotions.

Alvin changed the subject, "Well, are you and the little lady ready for the big gala at the house tonight?' Alvin went on, his face now crinkled with impending mirth, "We'll have a band. I'll bet you'll want to dance a few slow ones with Trudy. That must always be ... interesting." Alvin laughed at his own joke.

Frank did not speak out loud, but to himself he sighed. "That joke was only slightly funny the first two hundred times I heard it. I can't believe that I'm a senior officer in one of the largest corporations in the world and I have to sit here and listen to lewd jokes about my wife."

The joke was about the obvious disparity in height between Frank and his wife, Trudy. While Frank scraped five-eight, Trudy towered at six-two. The slow-dance image was of Frank's face in Trudy's cleavage as they paced around the dance floor. It was a fallacy. With a difference of six inches, Frank's eyes were at Trudy's chin or a little lower if she wore heels. At any rate, Trudy and Frank managed fine, and there were advantages to having a tall wife that less fortunate men could not understand.

Alvin saw Frank's distant look. "You probably hear that one all the time. I'm sorry. Actually, I like Trudy. She and Gloria should get together more. They'd probably hit it off!" Al glanced back to the picture framed behind him on his credenza to emphasize the reference.

"Not really!" Frank thought, but again, kept his silence. Gloria had that trophy wife aura. It was Gloria's job to look good all the times. She had a standing weekly appointment at an exclusive salon. No one knew her actual hair color or her age-even Gloria may have forgotten them. She had a personal trainer that would visit her in the mini-gym at the estate and help her work on her tummy and derriere; afterward they would crush cellulite away from her thighs with a rolling pin. She would luncheon at the club, then attend a Board meeting at her 'charity du jour'. After such a hard day she would relax on the veranda by sipping iced tea and vodka as she watched the muscular gardeners tend to the grounds. She served as 'fashion coordinator for all formal social gatherings. Gloria had an entourage of other executive wives. They all had the same routine, but Gloria did it best and the others wanted to learn from the Grand Mistress.

Frank downed the rest of his drink. "Al, I have to clear a few things off my desk before I go home. Thanks for the drink. Thanks for your confidence, you won't be sorry. See you tonight."

The two shook hands as they parted.

Frank was walking to his car in the company lot a while later. He saw Al waiting for his driver. Frank could have a driver, too, but hated the pretension of it.

The corporate office was near the center of the city. Frank lived in a suburb some miles out of town. Traffic was heavy. During the drive home he had a chance to think about his conversation with Al earlier that afternoon. He was happy that it had taken place. He had not known of Al's opposition, but it didn't bother him now that the air was clear. He had wondered why the Board had taken so long to select a new CFO. It had been difficult to be a candidate and function as Controller at the same time. The delay had given the obvious signal that there was serious opposition. He had considered withdrawing briefly, but decided to hang tough.

Frank and Trudy lived in a suburb that was not far from the one where most of the corporate executives had there homes. They chose the location because the public schools were the best in the County. To most executives that factor didn't matter because they sent their children to private schools, or their children were grown. Frank and Trudy considered the Public School experience an important part of the girls' education. There were times when they enjoyed the small, but meaningful separation from the corporate world. Frank and Trudy considered their home to be what suited them. They could have traded up, but never had a keen desire to do so. They had a large lot and a tree-lined back yard that gave them privacy. They enjoyed the pool they had built. When the nest was empty they would think about it.

The couple had two children, both girls. Now they were eighteen and fifteen. They weren't perfect, but it is hard to find a perfect person. The elder, Patricia, was tall, like her mother. Margaret was short like Frank.

In Frank and Trudy's marriage each of them had needs that the other could satisfy. Frank sought sanity in a world that was sometimes crazy. Trudy was grounded. She made their home a peaceful haven. Trudy needed protection from the sting of sharpened serpents' teeth that poured venom into her vulnerabilities. Frank was a willing mongoose. When he was unable to bite off the snake's head before it struck, he would neutralize the poison before any real damage could set into the wound.

Trudy was somewhat like Frank in her disdain for social climbing. She chose not to join Gloria's corps of Ladies in Waiting. She suffered and prospered from her decision. She never regretted her choice. Her home and family kept her busy enough. She could afford a live-in housekeeper like her peers, but turned it down. "She preferred to raise her own kids", she explained.

****************

Frank arrived home and walked upstairs to the bedroom. He called out to Trudy, and she answered from the master bath. Her gown was hanging on the closet door. He saw that Trudy had his tux laid out for him. He started undressing for his shower.

Trudy emerged from the bathroom in her robe. "Frank, I can't do anything with my hair!"

"It will be fine. Just comb it like you always do."

Trudy's hair was medium length. Being perfectly straight, it hung straight down to the tops of her shoulders. It was naturally blonde, bright like sunshine.

"Frank, this is a big night for you! I can't show up looking like I'm going to the grocery store."

"Relax! Your blonde hair will look great next to your blue gown."

"I don't know, Frank..."

Frank walked over to her and hugged her from behind. By this time he was down to his boxers. "Besides I wouldn't want a fancy hairdo taking attention away from this gorgeous body."

Trudy appreciated the hug. She would rather be alone in her bedroom with Frank than at a stuffy soiree. Mentally, she searched for Frank's reassuring hardness and felt it developing. "Frank, you always say the right things." She said. Her answer portrayed her affection for him, but betrayed her lingering doubts. A fleeting temptation to skip the dinner party fluttered across her thoughts, but she knew it was impossible.

Frank gave her a pat on the behind. It wasn't a slap or a spank; it wasn't a grope, either, just affection. Frank turned to the bathroom. Before he got into the shower he called out, "Are the kids deposited at your parents?" She replied that they were.

Trudy felt warmed by Frank's attention. He understood her shyness because of her tallness, especially over him. After all these years she had not gotten used to the difference, although she always tried to hide it.

Trudy reached for her gown. It was rather plain, she thought. It had a choker-style neckline that formed a halter. Trudy was a little flat-chested, so she could wear it with just cups sewn into the inside of the front. It was sleeveless and backless, so it would be comfortable in the summer heat. It was full length. The fabric was embedded with luxe threads to give it the illusion of sequins sewn into the dress.

She dropped the gown over her head and down her long body, zipped and fastened it. Turning to the mirror, she felt dissatisfied. Whatever gown she would have chosen would have left her wanting. She ignored her long, slender figure filling the garment at all the right places; her supple arms and shoulders on display, perfect as they were, and a back that showed muscular trim; her crowning glory of sunburst yellow atop the blue gown with the sophisticated blue fabric. Surely, it was not a gown that spilled out cleavage over satin, like the other wives would undoubtedly wear. It was, nonetheless, by any impartial estimation, a great look. Trudy overlooked the fact that most of the wives could not wear the gown that she had on.

She checked her makeup. She wondered if she could brush on some more to hide her imperfections. Trudy's family was not financially well-off during her teen years. For sure, there were dentists who advised braces. The money just wasn't there for them. They would have corrected the slight overbite that had ridden with her to her adulthood. The deformity was seen more in Trudy's mind than in anyone's eye. Frank never mentioned it, except when she complained about it. Then he would cast the worry aside.

"Just don't give me a hickey", he would say. "You might hit an artery!" It was Frank's way to attack fears by ridiculing them. Trudy pretended that his corny jokes helped, but the little demon would never stop whispering in the background.

In the mind's eye of most people, a vision of Trudy would be a kind smile as she was doing or saying something nice to or for someone. If she liked a person, she made no effort to hide it. People liked themselves because of her. They were attracted to her sincerity and discretion. She neither gossiped nor listened to it. Only those envious of Trudy disliked her.

In her make-up struggles she had not noticed Frank emerging from the shower. As he was throwing his tux on he called over to her, "Trudy, you look great! That gown is just right. I'm glad you chose that one. I only regret that no one will be listening to my speech. They'll be looking at you."

"It's about the best that I could do." She answered.

"C'mon, Trudy!" Frank retorted. She knew his impatient tone whenever she started getting down on herself.

She perked up. Maybe Frank knew better. At least he had never let out a peep of dissatisfaction in their almost nineteen years.

"I'm ready when you are, Frank."

In a minute they were in the car heading to the soiree. Trudy's attitude changed. She would enjoy this dinner at Alvin's and Frank's speech. The real party would start when the two of them got home.

*******************

As they drove, Frank asked again for the girls. "Any problem getting them to your parents?"

"Not really", she answered. "You know 'Tricia, eighteen going on twenty-one."

Frank chuckled.

"Mom and Dad haven't seen them in a while, so it'll be good all around."

Patricia, Frank and Trudy's eldest, was nearly as old as their marriage. When she was born the gossip wags started counting back the months and it led to a lot of titters. Most assumed that Trudy was pregnant when she walked down the aisle.

Among those who believed it were Trudy's parents. They waited for the breakup, assuring themselves that the two had little in common. In a way they had been glad for Trudy's "condition" because it assuaged their own guilt at the meagerness of the wedding. As years passed, and the expected split had not ensued, they shrugged their shoulders and accepted the union. Now retired, they had moved to the same city "to be close to the kids". Frank's cosigning the mortgage for their patio home in the retirement community helped to foster new "warmth" among them. It was now Frank's turn to shrug. He accepted it, but didn't relish it. At times, like that night, it was a convenience.

All the gossip wags were wrong about the assumed pre-marital pregnancy. It had actually occurred on their honeymoon. Trudy had misread the instructions and got her birth control pills out of sequence. It pointed to another difference between the couple.

Trudy had barely made it to high school graduation. Algebra and Shakespeare were no friends of hers. She was not a whiz in academics, but was smart in other ways. Her radar could detect hypocrisy from long range. She had the ability to know when her children needed her for more than laundry and meals. She could foresee warning signs, better than anyone, when something or some person threatened to veer her family's life off-course. With Frank's income it was easy to afford great amounts of material goods. The family would always enjoy, but never over-taste, them. She was most adroit at closing her ears at the laughing of the gossip hyena.

Frank had met her when she worked as a receptionist at the accounting firm where he was employed. Frank had been recently certified, and was at the top of his class. As they started dating, everyone, except for Frank and Trudy, assumed that all he saw in her was a lithe, willing body.

All of the erroneous suppositions that others made about them served to strengthen their bond. They were signposts to them to travel life's road as they saw fit. The gossip hurt Trudy more than Frank. He would not "give it the dignity of a response". Trudy tried, and usually succeeded, to do the same. If it wasn't for her parents' continued belief in the month-counting of her first pregnancy, the sting wouldn't have been so sharp.

They arrived at Alvin's estate, and as Frank handed the car keys to the attendant, she repacked her private thoughts and stored them in the back of her mind. There would be time for them later. This night belonged to her husband.

***************

Management social gatherings were seldom different from one another. There was a cocktail hour before dinner. Frank and Trudy moved through the crowd. Well-wishers were everywhere. As Frank got involved with a Board member on the capital budget, Trudy looked for an escape. Gloria, Alvin's wife, was standing in the corner with her Queen's Court around her. Trudy walked over to say "hello".

Trudy stood out from the rest of the women because she looked so unlike them. Of course, she towered over the group. There were other differences, hairdos, makeup. The most noticeable was that there was an unannounced, but obvious, contest as to who could present themselves in the most immodest way, yet still be legal in public. With breast exposure earning points, Trudy didn't even score. It was no surprise, the contest was held at every soiree and Trudy routinely held up the bottom. This time the women had to pay attention to her because it was the night of Frank's induction. Some polite banter went around the group. Trudy kept smiling and issued compliments on the gowns of each contestant. Trudy's gown had an elegant simplicity that most of them admired, but none bothered to mention. It would have meant a lot to Trudy if they had, especially on her husband's big night. Trudy excused herself and went to look for Frank. As she walked away, her ears picked up a whispered "blue giraffe" from the group of women. "Giraffe" was a word that always piqued Trudy's hearing, regardless of any din. She knew that she was the object of the same old joke. This soiree, to be sure, was like all the others. The women huddled, tittering. They knew that Trudy, unlike them, would never qualify to be a brass statuette on a walnut base. There was melancholy in their giggling.

Trudy anesthetized herself with a few glasses of wine. The dinner went as expected. Frank made a nice speech without ruffling feathers. Everyone was happy. Finally it was time to depart.

****************

The event was over. Trudy was happy to be heading home with Frank.

The wine had done its job for her. She was far from drunk but pleasantly happy. With the pressure of the evening over, she gave her reserve a rest. She could look ahead to the real party with Frank that she had promised herself hours ago.

"I'm proud of you, Frank." She said.

"You mean for the promotion? We've known about it for weeks."

"No, Frank, I meant the way that you didn't look down Gloria's front to get a better view of her tits."

Frank realized that Trudy was feeling no pain. She only used slang like 'tits' when she had a few. Frank was not going down the "poor Trudy" route.

"I'm too short! I would've had to stand on my toes and that would have been too obvious." They shared a laugh at Frank's joke. He followed up, "Tell Gloria to wear flats with low heels next time and I'll be glad to oblige her." They laughed again, and Trudy got the hint to forego the self-critique of her physical endowments.