The Sandstone Affair

I don’t even know who the “him” in the text refers too. It could be Mark, or Blake, or Paul Freis, my lawyer, or Dr. Vatel, or any random man on the street. Hell, it could be Sanjay from yoga. It might not even be for me. Some cheated-on spouse trying to warn another who got the wrong number. I don’t know where it came from and I don’t know what it says. All I know is I promised to give my body and trust to a man I barely know in exchange for some kind of help I don’t understand with no guarantee of success. The only person I can really count on is myself.

~~~

Three days fall off the calendar like overripe fruit thudding to the ground and still no word from Mark. First he tells me I only have thirty days to file this rejoinder then he blows three off like they are nothing. What does he expect me to do, just sit around on my hands waiting for the 29th day so he can call me and say “Sorry can’t help you”?

I spent the first two days milling around, sharpening my resume, and visiting Dad. I called Janice for lunch but she’s so paranoid about Sandstone Ventures she wants to wait another week. Finally this morning, Paul sent the packet over with his analysis of the firing documents.

Sitting at the kitchen table with his notes as a map, I finally find my way through most of the small print. Things were going pretty well until I see a notation Paul made about Termination Reason 1A. I had seen the part where they say my position is redundant because Ladies World has Valerie James as an editor and doesn’t need me. What I hadn’t seen, until Paul’s paralegal highlighted it, was the part directly afterward.

Reason for Termination: Redundant position.

Rationale for Decision: The controlling property already has someone in the position of editor. Evidence has surfaced that Ms. Sharp has been guilty of negligence and incompetence in her own position and is not suitable to replace the current editor of the controlling property.

Negligence? Incompetence? I can’t believe my eyes. How dare they suggest I was either of those things? I ran a tight ship at Lynx and no one could deny that. We were doing just fine without Sandstone Ventures until the economy crashed, and that was not my fault. But even after Sandstone, I was doing so well it pressured Ladies World. They couldn’t handle the competition so they decided to fight dirty.

My hands ball into fists and I pound helplessly on the table. Someone has to answer for these lies.

Looking around for my purse and keys, I pause just long enough to scan the rest of my lawyer’s notes about the termination papers. The conclusion, of course, is that without evidence of wrongdoing on their part, there is no way to file a rejoinder. I pause for a moment. I should let Paul Freis confront Blake about the accusations. Maybe I could use libel as evidence. I know that having my lawyer get a statement is the smartest way to go about this.

Screw smart. I’m done with that. Grabbing my keys, I storm out the door and on my way to Sandstone Ventures.

~~~

“I demand to see Blake Stone,” I tell the receptionist through gritted teeth.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. I doubt Mr. Stone will see you without an appointment,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Oh, he has an appointment all right,” I say almost conning her with my fake sweetness until she pulls up his schedule. “An appointment with my fists!”

I dodge past the girl and run down the hall, turning instinctively towards Mark’s office when I realize I’m going the wrong way. Mark and Blake don’t get along very well and have offices on opposite sides of the building. Mark’s office is dim, no lights. Turning, I run right into a burly security guard. The receptionist must have called him. He reaches out to block my way.

“I need you to settle down, Ma’am.” He says in a patient, professional tone.

“Blake!” I scream loud enough to wake the dead. “Blake Stone! Face me like a man and tell me to my face that I’m negligent, you slimy rat!”

“Ma’am!” the guard tries to shout over me. Clerks and administrators pour out of the offices to see the spectacle in the hallway.

“Blake Stone!”

The guard calls for backup and a second security officer walks into the hallway giving me firm and clear commands to stand down. Everyone is staring, talking, yelling, swirling around in front of me.

Then there is silence.

I hear an oily, drawling voice. “It’s all right. Let her go. I’ll be glad to see Miss Sharp in my office.”

At the sound of Blake’s voice, all the clerks scurry back to their desks and the guards back away. I’m sure he enjoys the power his position gives him. Even though he and Mark were left as partners of the firm when their father passed away, Blake has always needed the power more. He’s shorter than Mark with darker hair and beady eyes that never seem to close all the way, even when he blinks. No matter what the price of his suit, he always seems ill-dressed as if his own clothes were rejecting him or embarrassed to be seen on him. He holds out a pudgy hand and motions me toward his office.

“Stay in the hall outside my door,” Blake fake-whispers in a loud, breathy hiss. “I know she’s clearly a bit unhinged, but I’m hopeful she’s not dangerous.”

I walk past him into his office. He turns to his assistant positioned right outside the door.

“Call Kenneth Allen and get him to come down. Have him wait out here with the guards. I want to make sure he has visual evidence of this visit as an officer of the court.”

I enter Blake’s cave-like office, so different from the other side of the hall. Mark’s office is neat and tidy with an efficient business-like atmosphere. Blake’s looks like a file cabinet had too much to eat and vomited folders and documents all over the room. Books half-open, a Mont Blanc fountain pen dripping ink on a financial statement, and his personal shredder overflowing with paper strips reveal the chaos he both lives in, and creates.

“Can’t afford an office service?” I ask bitterly as I sit down.

“I don’t like anyone in my private space,” he says slowly and carefully as he slides behind his desk. His chair is lifted higher than mine—an old power trick that only fools the person who thinks it gives them power. “I also don’t care for people shouting my business down the hall.”

“You accused me of being negligent and incompetent. What’s the matter? Don’t want your lies shouted out for the world to hear?”

“Miss Sharp. I didn’t accuse you of anything. Your employment was terminated via Section six, Paragraph three, Subsection C which stipulates to whit that if your property is collapsed or otherwise merged into the superstructure of the corporate entity and reasonable placement cannot be secured within the remaining capital investitures due to a superior employee occupying the position, you are not afforded continued employment in any manner, property, or franchise thereof.”