Third Time Lucky?

My Responsibility

Marie

Oh hell I wonder what's wrong with the Butler and Turner deal, I was sure everything was going smoothly, Jonathan and I had covered all the bases and belayed their fears.

I was panicking as I burst into Jonathan's office without knocking, only to pull up short as Richard sat behind the desk and Jonathan was lounging on the two seater sofa with a large smirk on his face.

Quickly turning to face Jonathan, I blurted out.

"What's wrong I thought everything was going smoothly, what did I miss, is.."

"Woah there, hold your horses Marie" Jonathan said holding his hands up in sign of surrender.

"You need to speak to Richard he's in charge now"

"Since when" I mumbled under my breath.

Turning back to face the man behind the desk, I stood up straight and started my monologue.

"With all due respect, I don't think Mr Freeman has the knowledge of how this deal is going and how it could go pear shaped pretty quickly, that they are really awkward customers to deal with and can be cantankerous at the best of times" and as an after thought I added.

"Sir"

I glanced back at Jonathan with a pleading look in my eyes, he shook his head and waved my attention back to Richard.

"So you're saying I don't know what I'm doing?" He growled.

I swallowed the lump in my throat before continuing.

"I didn't mean you don't know what you're doing, if you didn't, you wouldn't be where you are now, not knowing what your doing I mean" I was rambling and by the smirks on the two guys faces they knew it to, so I shut up.

"And you think you know what your doing on this deal then?" Richard prompted, leaning forward on the desk and staring at me, I gathered all my courage straightened my stance and looked him in the eyes.

"Yes I think I do"

"Only think, you're not sure then" he pressed as Jonathan sat and watched our exchange with a bemused expression on his face.

Glaring back at Richard I growled.

"No I don't think, I know"

"Good" he replied sitting back his eyes never leaving mine.

"Then you better get on to the customer and sort it out, arrange a meeting that's convenient for you both and go and fix the issues"

"Me!" I squeaked, before adding.

"You want me on my own to sort this out?"

"Well you just assured me you know all there is to know about this contract and I don't, so it's now your contract you have my full support, now go and fix it"

I couldn't stop the beaming smile that crossed my face, I got to manage my own contract at last, no boss hovering over me, I make the decisions little old me, I struggled not to squeal in delight or worse throw myself in his arms and kiss him.

"Okay Mr Freeman, I'll get on it right away, I won't let the company down, I'll sort it, don't you worry" I was rambling again, so I turned to hurry out the office and just as my hand hit the door handle he spoke again.

"Oh and Marie" I turned to face him.

"I wouldn't have giving you this contract if I didn't think you could cope with it and by the way it's Richard,  if Jonathan allows you to call him by his first name, then it's good enough for me as well"

"Sorry Mr Freeman no can do, Jonathan and I have a special relationship, built on trust" and I bolted out the door, I was pretty sure I heard Richard curse and Jonathan laugh, but the mood I was in, I didn't care, I was so happy.

I was that elated that I had to tell somebody and that somebody happened to be Marsha Reeves Mr Whitlock's secretary who just also happened to be seated at her desk concentrating on something that was puzzling her on the computer as she was twirling the end of a pencil around in her mouth with her eyes scrunched up in confusion.

"Hey Marsha, I've got my own contract at last" I squealed.

It took a couple of seconds for the news to penetrate her thoughts before she squealed jumped up and we hugged.

"That's great news Mare, now you can show them how good you are" in a high pitched squeal, plus she was the only one who could get away with calling me Mare.

Marsha and I started the same day and we came from the same college, though we didn't know each other then being on different courses, but we gelled that day and got on great since, I was there when her boyfriend dumped her while he was on holiday in Spain with his new girlfriend and I was there when he came back after his new girlfriend dumped him, trying to win Marsha back and between the two of us we sent him packing.

We shared all our problems and we have the sort of relationship that Paula and I have and there was the added bonus that Marsha and Paula got on so well as they were so alike and many a time we would venture out to the pub or cinema together.

"Come on Mare I'll buy you a cup of coffee" she looped her arm though mine and started dragging me to the small kitchen at the far end of the office.

I couldn't help but laugh that was one of Marsha's famous saying buying coffee for people where in reality it was all supplied free and all you had to do was make it.

"Can't stop Mar got to go and sort out this contract, can't let everyone down now I've got what I wanted"

"You go girl, I'll bring your coffee into you, go show them how good you are" as she shooed me back down the hallway towards my office.

Fishing out the Butler and Turner file, I flicked though just to refresh my memory and check the contact details, before dialling their number.

After managing to get past their bulldog of a secretary I spoke to Mr Butler direct, it appeared they were a little concerned on a couple of points in the contract, which I smoothed out straight away and then we came to the crux of the matter.

Word had leaked out of the takeover of Whitlock Media and they were concerned how this would affect the contract, I assured them as best I could, but they were insisting on guarantees​, that only the boss could give.

"Okay Mr Butler I'll speak to Mr Freeman, yes he's the new man in charge and I'll arrange a meeting between the three of you, what! You want me there as well, oh I see, okay I'll be there as well, I will ring you back with the details then, once I've spoken to Mr Freeman, goodbye for now"

Shit that's all I need a business dinner with those two and Richard, somebody somewhere must really hate me.