When You Have A Mean Boss But You’re Planning A Trip To Sulani So You Have To Keep Working There
The day starts out ordinarily enough. Little does Vivian know she’ll end up crying at work today, something she has never done before.
It’s another work day at Newcrest Financial. Mr. Todd, the big boss, is the first to arrive around 6:00 a.m.; Shirley, Vivian’s office manager, gets in at 7:00; Vivian is scheduled for 7:30; and the sales and finance guys start to trickle in around 8:00 if they don’t have any outside appointments in the morning.
Vivian’s usual routine is to stop in the café on the first floor of her office building around seven-ish and have an orange juice. After her juice, she goes upstairs to the office cloak room to take off her coat, uses the restroom, and then gets to her desk about ten minutes early to get settled before her work day officially starts. She usually begins her work duties around 7:25.
Her morning routine allows Vivian to fully wake up and start the day off in a relaxing way. It puts her in a good mood which prepares her to deal with any unpleasantness that Shirley might decide to throw her way.
Today, an unexpected overnight storm, the slushy weather of spring, and some road work that she’s forced to walk around make her commute unusually long. That’s okay, though, because she has that half hour of buffer time. Vivian skips the OJ and the restroom and rushes upstairs.
She arrives at the office and looks up at the clock, happy to see that it’s only 7:31. Made it!
Vivian sits down and opens the the lower desk drawer to put her purse away. Before she can even close the drawer, Shirley starts in.
Vivian: (instantly annoyed) No I’m not.
Vivian’s usual mode of coping with a mean boss is to just go along with whatever Shirley says and respond however Shirley expects her to respond, even if that means apologizing for something that’s not her fault. But she’s in no mood today.
Shirley: What time is it?
Vivian sees what Shirley is getting at, but she’s not going to play along.
Vivian: I’m scheduled for the same time every morning.
Shirley: Which is 7:30. And what time is it now?
Vivian doesn’t say anything and stares Shirley down. Shirley, who is used to Vivian’s acquiescence, is caught off guard for a moment and looks confused, but she quickly recovers and presses on.
Shirley: It’s 7:31, not 7:30. You’re late.
Vivian feels her pulse quicken and her cheeks become warm and flushed.
Vivian: I start working early every single day. Are you seriously going to make a big deal out of one minute?
Shirley: (in a calm tone as if explaining something to a child) Nobody asked you to start early; we only ask that you start on time. I’m not making a big deal out of anything, You’re the one who’s making a big deal out of it.
Shirley pauses to see if Vivian has anything else to say. When Vivian remains silent, Shirley adds...
Shirley: If it keeps happening, I’ll have to write you up.
Vivian has heard enough. She slams the drawer shut and walks out of the office. She goes into the restroom, looks in the mirror, and fights back tears. She’s mad at herself for tearing up, and she doesn’t even know why she’s crying anyway. It’s more from frustration and anger than sadness.
Vivian: Sulani, Sulani, Sulani.
Vivian repeats the words to herself like a mantra. She and Manny have been saving up money to go to Sulani in the summer, and she needs this job now more than ever. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and imagines herself on a sunny beach drinking a Sweet-and-Spicy.
A few minutes later, Vivian returns to her desk dry-eyed, feeling calmer but still ticked off.
Shirley: The coffee needs to be...
Vivian: (abruptly) I’m on it!
Vivian begins to make the coffee, and Shirley comes up behind her.
Shirley: I have to warn you, Vivian, if you insist on being unpleasant in your dealings with me or anyone else in this office, I’ll have to write you up for insubordination, too.
Vivian is in disbelief. “She just never quits,” Vivian thinks to herself.
Vivian: (tersely) Duly noted.
Vivian returns her attention to the coffee, ignoring Shirley standing there. Shirley lingers for a moment then returns to her desk.
Next: When The Office Manager Barges In While You’re Talking Smack About Her
TOC: Vintage Newcrest Year 2 Table of Contents