Motion to Compel

Chapter Two

My heels could be heard echoing from down the hall as I approached the meeting room. Pausing before the closed double doors, I ran my fingers through my hair, flattened the front of my dress, and cracked my knuckles. My assistant opened both doors for me and took a step to the side as I strode in. I surveyed the long table of executives sitting at attention, holding their breath, waiting for me to begin berating them for their recklessness. Some of the men attempted to look unfazed by my scrutinizing gaze but I knew the dread that I instilled in them, and I also noted the annoyance that was brewing amongst the group.

I was the killjoy to their little escapades - the force to be reckoned with. Righting their wrongs and scolding their poor decision-making. I was at a loss for why these incompetent jokers got paid their unconscionable salaries just to make messes all over the place, meanwhile, they resented that I got compensated to dig them out of the graves that they dug for themselves.

"Boys, I thought we would've been done having these chats by now. You know the rules. I assumed you've been taught right from wrong a long time ago, hopefully in early childhood. So please explain to me why we find ourselves here yet again."

I took my place at one end of the table, folding one ankle over the other and propping my chin up on top of my hands, leaning forward over the grooved wooden surface.

"Some decisions are more difficult than just 'right or wrong', Eleanor. Sometimes we need to take risks to reap the rewards and it's not your job to lecture us. You get paid to be compliant and keep us out of trouble. We've been over this before," Josh said condescendingly from the head of the table, giving me a scathing look of disdain.

"It must feel so good to be big and powerful and all-knowing, doesn't it?" I asked with a deadpan expression and didn't give the smart-ass a chance to respond. "If you resent my role here as much as you seem to, then maybe try to act like a law-abiding corporate puppet and make my job redundant. Until then, be appreciative that I'm here and you're not in prison."

"You're easily replaceable."

"Replace me, then."

The room fell completely silent and I waited for somebody to speak up against me. Every single one of these clowns knew that I was irreplaceable. My track record was pristine and I successfully wooed the courts and judges into sentencing the company with minimal fines. Or, at least, the lowest the fines could be considering the crimes.

After several minutes of staring at one another, Josh finally spoke up.

"We were following instructions. Rob gave us a financial goal and a deadline and we were expected to go above and beyond to meet it."

"Take responsibility for your actions and stop deflecting blame on your superiors. Do you know why I'm here?"

Again, silence.

"Rob and I had a similar conversation this morning, the main difference being that he doesn't act as pig-headed as you, Josh. We've come to an understanding and I'm here to relay the message. If you have an issue with that, you can take it up with him. Now, does anybody else want to speak up and give another pathetic excuse for the nonsense that I'm forced to deal with?"

One of the other men tentatively opened his mouth to give another bullshit reason but I cut him off.

"Let me take a wild guess: 'the shareholders'? I've heard these reasons before and they still aren't sufficient to justify your actions. We're taking a new approach." I stood up, lacing my hands together behind my back, and took one step after the other circling the table like all the men were my prey. The rhythmic click of my heels against the floor was the only sound in the room aside from my ice-cold voice. "Starting now, there will be weekly meetings with the leadership here. Every Tuesday we're all going to get together in this room and you're going to present me with every single crackhead scheme that you come up with. To move forward with your so-called 'strategies' I need to sign off on them first. This is Rob's new risk-management plan and you're all expected to be forthright with me. Am I clear?"