Wendy Chapter 5: Late Again

The fight begins

CHAPTER FIVE: Late Again

       

I stayed up so late the night before, it was hard to get out of bed in the morning. I was determined to look my best. My uniform I could do nothing about, but I was careful with my hair and makeup. I grabbed a yogurt in lieu of breakfast and didn’t pack a lunch but still arrived late.

 

Luck was not on my side. Dave was working that morning. I clocked in at 8:08. To my surprise, he called me over to his office. We had pretty much stayed away from each other since the flood.

 

“Please sit down, Wendy.” His voice was strangely friendly. Trying to be pleasant sat oddly on him. His eyes stayed cold. My hackles rose. I had a feeling this could go nowhere good.

 

“This is your third day late.” I had been six minutes late, three minutes late and now eight minutes late, over the course of six months. Hardly a pattern of gross tardiness, yet he addressed me with the gravity due a written reprimand. I waited for the triplicate form to appear, but it did not.

 

“Your six month progress report is coming up next week. We've known each other for six months now. You're up for a raise if you perform well on your report.” He put a strange emphasis on 'perform well' that I didn't like.

 

I said, “Yes, sir.” I wanted to keep this as formal as possible as my intuition went into overdrive.

 

“You can make up for your poor attendance record. With some overtime. For me.”

 

I was supposed to read between those lines. I refused to acknowledge his hidden meaning. I replied coldly and formally, “I don't anticipate being able to do overtime. I have family obligations.”

 

His voice snapped shut on all pleasantness when he said, “That is all. You may return to work.”

 

I didn't start shaking until I reached the third floor supply room and closed the door behind me. Eventually I came to my senses. I had to do a good job today. He would be after me. I knew it.

 

Four furious hours later, I had caught up on my rooms. At noon I remembered my lack of lunch and set off for the sub shop. Eric was working second shift today so I ate alone. I didn't have much appetite and threw away most of my sandwich. At twenty ‘til three, Eric emerged from the emergency stairwell door.

 

“What's wrong?” were the first words out of his mouth. I shook my head warningly.

 

“I can't talk here. I'll call you later.” I answered his concerned look with the whisper “It's about Dave.”

 

“I'd better go then. I get off at eleven. Call me.”

 

I wanted to whisk through my remaining rooms, but I knew Dave would be doubly meticulous and I couldn't mess up. With speed, but great care, I finished right on time. Dave was nowhere in sight when I clocked out. I snuck out of the housekeeping back door like a thief.

 

Just as I pulled into the driveway, my phone went off, my ringtone for Uncle Philip. For once, I didn’t want to talk to him, but he would want a report on my night out with Eric.

 

I was right.

 

“Wendy, tell all. How did last night go?”

 

“It went great. The show was a lot of fun and the clothes were perfect.” I stepped out of the car and bumped the door closed with my hip.

 

“And Eric? How was the young man?”

 

“He was great too. We both had a good time.” I managed to get the door unlocked while juggling phone, bag and keys.

 

“Tch tch. You have to give me all the details. Start from the beginning.”

 

“Well, you wouldn’t believe the car he had…” I began, flopping on the sofa.

 

Uncle Philip’s exuberance was contagious. By the time I had gotten to the décor of the Double Crown, Dave was pushed out of my mind.

 

“So then he walked me to the door, and…” I trailed off, blushing.

 

“Say no more. Honey, I’m happy for you.”

 

“Thank you again for the boots. They were great.”

 

“Anything for my favorite niece.”

 

“Let’s have lunch next week, on my day off. I’ll call you when they post the schedule.”

 

I hung up feeling much better.          

 

Eleven o'clock rolled around. I gave Eric five minutes to clock out, then punched his number.

 

“Hey. I'm on my way out to my car,” he said. “What happened?”

 

The lift I’d gotten from Uncle Philip’s call drained away. I couldn't keep the tears out of my voice as I related my interview.

 

“I'll come over.” I didn't know what Eric could do, but I welcomed his presence.

 

When he arrived, we sat on the porch swing. I described in greater detail my conference with Dave. He agreed with me that it didn't bode well for my future at the hotel. It wasn’t just that Dave could deny me a raise. He could get me fired.

 

I thought about this. I had only a small savings reserve. Losing my job could be disastrous. And damn it, I did good work. I shouldn’t have this hanging over my head. I had put up with Dave’s persecution, like I had put up with so much in my life, but this was it. I was tired of Dave’s maltreatment.

 

The more I followed these thoughts, the hotter I got.

 

“But he didn't DO anything,” I said. “Nothing I can pin on him. I can't prove he was threatening me or propositioning me.” Frustration was making me crazy.

 

“Well, we can't solve this tonight. I think you should talk to Brenda.”

 

I rested my head on his chest, his arm across my shoulders.

 

After a while, I said, “You'd better go. I need to be on time and I have to get some sleep.” I reluctantly pulled away from him. Eric gave me a kiss on my cheek and left.

 

***

 

I showed up early Friday morning, before even Brenda had arrived. When I caught sight of her car, I hurried into the parking lot to intercept her.

 

“Hey,” I said breathlessly, “I need to talk to you. Out here.”

 

Her warm smile faded into a look of concern. “Are you okay, Wendy?”

 

“No, I'm not. Eric told me to talk to you.” I tried to explain my situation, stumbling over my words, speaking so quickly that I made no sense.

 

“Okay, calm down. Here, we can sit here.” She steered me to my usual lunch bench. “Slow down. You're having a problem with Dave?”

 

I nodded through tears.

 

“You'll have to talk to me after our shift is over. We don't have time now. We have to clock in and get to work. You can tell me everything later. Okay?”

 

I nodded again, trying to stop crying.

 

“Only Johnny is here, so you go to the ladies' and wash up. No one will see you.”

 

I ducked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. I tried to think calming thoughts. Brenda said she would listen. I just had to get through the day. Dave was off, so all I had to do was keep up with my rooms.

 

Brenda gave me fifteen rooms instead of the usual sixteen, saying they had to keep overtime down. I would get off a half hour early, the same time she got off. Sean was my houseman, for which I was grateful. Eric's sympathetic presence would have entirely undone me.

 

I checked off my last room, collected my backpack and lunch bag and headed out towards my car. Halfway there, I found Brenda on my lunch-time bench.

 

I started at the beginning, with his meticulous and unreasonable inspection of every single room.

 

“I knew he was riding you, but I didn't know it was so bad. You're our best housekeeper.”

 

I explained the menacing encounter I endured the night of the flood. When I got to the encounter over tardiness, Brenda stopped me.

 

“This is more than I can handle, Wendy. You're going to have to talk to HR.”

 

“What is HR?”

 

“Human resources. That's where all harassment and hostile work environment cases have to go. A very nice lady named June Harvey is the head. Go to the front offices and ask for her when Dave isn't around. No one can ask you why you need to see her.”

 

The knowledge there was some sort of recourse available relieved me.

 

Brenda's chocolate brown eyes fixed on me when she said “This isn't going to be easy, and you could lose. If you want to find another job instead, I'll give you a glowing reference. There are other hotels.”

 

The bottom dropped out of my tentative encouragement. I could lose? What did that mean?

 

She patted my knee and pushed herself up. “Good luck.” I could hear the unspoken words: You're going to need it.

 

  When I arrived home, I made a bee-line for the computer. No man was going to trap me or force me out. It was time for serious research. I spent several hours online and did not feel encouraged. One thing I did come away with was suggestion of documenting all incidents. I dug out an old notebook and made my first two entries, the night of the flood and the tardiness confrontation. I also determined I needed to get hard copies of my two commendations and my previous progress reports.

 

***

 

On Saturday Dave was off again and Brenda was managing. I decided to be straightforward. I caught her at the end of her shift and asked her to print out hard copies of my two progress reports and my two employee of the month commendation letters. She looked like she was going to say no but I pressed her on it.

 

“Dave might not stop with me. He might bother other women when he's done with me. He might bother you.”

 

Her brow creased. We all knew Dave. Anyone who helped me would be on his s**t list.

 

“I’m entitled to the hard copies, and you're not doing anything against the rules. Please, I need your help.”

 

 “Alright, but you didn't get these from me.” She got behind Dave's desk and started clicking with the mouse, occasionally typing something in. Then the printer spit out one page after another. I leafed through them, making sure all four documents were there.

 

“Thank you.” I wanted to say more, but I knew I had put her in a dangerous situation. I went straight from the printer to my car, not trusting anything to luck. No one but Brenda could know about these hard copies.

 

The fight had begun. 

Author's Note

Thank you for reading. Any and all comments are welcome.

Reviews

[AUU]

So Wendy's in a pickle with Dave. I admit, it doesn't seem as though she has enough proof of Dave being inappropriate. I'm very interested where you take the drama. I would think the most she could do is put a grievance in with HR, saying he made her feel uncomfortable.

You did a good job with her back and forth emotions. It was clear she was struggling with what to do with Dave.

Brenda being almost not help was a pleasant surprise too. I was expecting her to be all gun-ho about getting Dave. It makes sense she wasn't, as earlier she was dismissive over the whole walking-in-on-nude-guests thing. She seems to be the type of co-worker who's there for work, but doesn't want to get too involved in people's problems.

1. "I'd stayed up so late the night before, it was hard to get out of bed in the morning." -I don't think "I'd" sounds right. Maybe drop 'd?

2.I feel like there are a lot of "but" in that first paragraph. I'm not sure if they are all needed. I find it it hard to write without them too, but too many slow the action down and take me out of the immersion.

3. "Sit down." When I read Dave's sentence, my first thought was he was being a dick, but then you said his voice was friendly. I feel like you should try to offset that in the line. Maybe with a please, and having him address her by name? I do like how Wendy is uncomfortable because the friendliness.

4. I feel as though Wendy should know what HR stands for. I think you were trying to make her a little naive by not, but it almost seems out of character for a blue collar worker not know about human resources...unless this is her first job. Don't feel like you need to change it.

Thank's for writing!

[SweetNutmeg]

Thanks for the review! I took care of those small word choice problems you pointed out. About Wendy knowing what HR is... Revealing my age, I will say all my experience with working low level jobs was 20 years ago. 20 years ago, neither I nor my coworkers had any idea what HR was, and management certainly didn't inform us that there was a body within the company that could intervene with their managerial decisions. I'm pretty sure this was deliberate. Things do change and hopefully improve, though. So these days it would be improbable that an entry level worker wouldn't know about HR? I try to write from experience, but some of my experiences are pretty far in the past, lol. (Erm, yeah, flashlights on cell phones...)

I appreciate all the time and attention you put into this review. Thanks!

[AUU]

That makes sense! Thanks for the explanation.

[SweetNutmeg]

Well, actually that was more of a question... Would it be so improbable that Wendy not know about HR? I don't want my reader's immersion in my tale disrupted by thoughts like "Why is she saying that?" or "Doesn't she know?"

[AUU]

Well I think every reader brings something different to the table, and for a moment I forgot that. If your looking to show tha Wendy is inexperienced in the working world maybe have a few sentences alluding to that much throughout the chapters?

[AUU]

Now that I think about it, you kind of did this with her walking in on the nude people.

[Shep]

Good for her now let's take Dave down a peg or two get his a*s fired. another awesome chapter. I don't know why you gave up on Wendy because this some good stuff you write about.

[SweetNutmeg]

Why did I give up? I didn't exactly give up, I just turned this into a learning lesson. I still think there are fundamental flaws, but I also still like it, so it's all good. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

[Shannon]

I like the way you describe some of the subtleties of the scenes. Especially Daves predatory encounter, followed by Eric's sweet one.

I would like to hear more about Wendy's decision to follow through on a complaint. Either her internal thoughts or a more in depth conversation with one of her people.

I also enjoy Wendy finding her voice. The quiet strength is fascinating.

[SweetNutmeg]

Hmm. I guess her turning point was the idea that Dave could get her fired. Wendy is a long-suffering person, but eventually even she comes to the end of her patience. I think the best place to insert that would be in her conversation with Eric on the porch. I will work on that.

I'm glad you find Wendy strong. That was my intention. She might seem wishy-washy but underneath she has a bedrock of strength. She just needed something to bring it out. I follow Kurt Vonnegut's advice: "Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-- in order that the reader may see what they are made of."

Thank you for the read and review. You've been very helpful.

[Shannon]

I am glad that you find it helpful. I have taken your comments on the book at face value: that you are treating it like an excersize.

[SweetNutmeg]

Yes, that is exactly right, and it has been a very profitable exercise. I have learned so much and I am applying it to my new work. WritersCafe is a wonderful place, where you can get so much valuable feedback, if that is what you're looking for.