A Brief Word

A Brief Word

“I have a message for you.” Dean Clausen, CEO of McLellan Statistics, kept walking as he snapped his fingers at the receptionist. He obviously expected a message slip and stopped when he didn’t get one immediately.

“I was instructed to give it orally, sir.”

He stared at Annie Elkhorn’s effrontery.

“Well, what is it?” he snapped. Annie cleared her throat and told him verbatim.

“Fired? That’s impossible!”

Annie shrugged.

“Who left the message?” Clausen growled.

“It was the Chairman of the Board, I believe.”

Muttering, Clausen hurried to his office and closed the door with a bang. About 15 minutes later, he came out again with a box of personal stuff from his desk and a face that was pasty pale even under his tanning bed tan.

“Wow! He’s outta here fast! Wonder what happened?” said a steno in the cubicle behind Annie

Annie cracked a small smile and said: “You know that lady he’s been seeing? Turns out it’s the Chairman’s new trophy wife.”

“Really? “

Annie nodded and went back to transcribing dictation.

“That’s what he gets for dumping me for that plastic Barbie! He’s mine, now and always! He’ll figure it out soon enough!” Annie told herself.

She grabbed her purse and headed out to lunch.

“Of course, if I hadn’t sent that letter to the Chairman last week, he’d never have known that his wife was cheating and with whom.”

She sighed and began to speculate on who would take Clausen’s place.

“I’m sure I can put a bug in the ear of Mr. Chairman! The question is, who should I push for the job? There are so many I’d like to work with and manipulate so that I’m the real power behind the throne of CEO. I’ll have to sleep on it.”