Parker

Chapter 87

Joanna McClain had been Calvin's secretary for the past eleven months. He was a good boss that she enjoyed working for. He was not a misogynistic pig unlike some of the other men at the firm and unlike those men he was capable of keeping his hands to himself.

He made her feel safe, respected and heard. He was everything a boss should be whether male or female.

The only thing that she did not like about Calvin was his wife.  She was rude, brash, and always giving her looks of suspicion and contempt.  Melinda  did very little to conceal her disdain for her and went behind Calvin's back on several occasions to get her fired.

She thought how she hated when she visited the office. Her presence made her skin crawl and she often excused herself to the copy room or the bathroom whenever she came around. She was sure that wretched woman was going to ambush her in the parking garage and kill someday.

JoAnna counted it a blessing when she would go a day without seeing or hearing from her.

Unfortunately today was not one of those days.

She was happily in the middle of writing an email to one of Calvin's clients and.thinking about what she was going to have for lunch when the phone rang. She was looking forward to having the wedge salad from the lobby cafe that her coworker had raved about yesterday. Thinking it was one of Calvin's clients she picked it up with a large smile across her and musically said "Calvin West's office how may I help you."

Her smile quickly evaporated when she heard the sound of Melinda's shrill voice which sent a shiver up the the twenty three year old's spine. "Put Calvin on the phone."  Melinda snarled.

JoAnna was hit by a surge of panic, she found it difficult to breathe and her heart began to race. "I'm sorry Mister West is in a meeting right now.' She nervously eyed the door.

"I don't care if he is in a meeting!" Melinda screamed through the phone causing her to pull the reciever away from her ear. "You put him on the phone now!"

"I'm sorry I can't do that." She said as she was hit by waves fear. "If you would like to leave a message..."

"I don't want to leave a message you stupid slut." She screamed into the phone causing her to jump in her seat which got the attention of the other two secretaries who shared the outer office. "I want to talk to my worthless excuse of a husband and I want to talk him now."

"I'm sorry..." She choked out as water began to fill her eyes.

"You don't know how sorry you are going to be if you don't get my husband on the phone bitch." Melinda said. "Now you better get the my husband on the phone before I come down there and tear your fake blonde hair out by the roots do you hear me you piece of trash..."

"Can I help you." Tara Moore one of the other secretaries who had pulled the phone from the hand of a now shaking JoAnna. Ire roae inside of her as looked at JoAnns who was reduced to tears. The third secretary rushed over and pulled the weeping woman from away from the desk.

"Come on." The secretary whose name was Lily said as she led out of the office.

"Yes you can help me by putting my idiot husband on the phone." Melinda yelled.

"I'm sorry he is in a meeting and can't come to the phone right now." She said in a neutral tone.

"I don't care...."

"But I will let him know you called Mrs. West." Tara said.

"Let me..."

"Have a nice day."

"Don't you dare hang up on..."

Tara hung up the phone and muttered "Bitch."

At the West residence Melinda let out a blood curdling scream. "I'm going to claw her eyes out." She said as she slammed her fingers into the buttons on the phone.