know.
Anything else?” She paused. “Don’t forget that I’ll have afternoon individual
sessions with each of you, separately on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.”
Janice followed Madison to her office. After closing the
door she said, with a bow, “Great session, Madame CEO Winston.”
“Oh, Janice, you’re a hoot, but thank you for all your help.
Quite a threesome isn’t it?”
Janice laughed, “Oh, yes, especially Hollis.”
“What do you make of him?”
“I only know him by phone and of course one couldn’t help
but hear D.R.’s conversations with him, when sharing his sexual escapades.
Sometimes he had the speaker phone on. I gathered Hollis is a skirt-chaser just
like D.R. What a pair.” Janice sighed. “Well, let me take them to the inn.” She
closed the door.
Madison sat at her desk glancing over the phone messages
that Roxy had taken for her. She mentally ticked off how she would answer a few
at home and some in the morning before their staff meeting.
There was a timid knock on her door.
“Yes?”
Rodney poked his head in. “Do…do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure, come in, sit, and relax. What’s on your mind?”
Rodney hurried to one of the chairs facing Madison’s desk.
His right knee began to bounce up and down.
He said, “I have some things I need to tell you. First of
all, thank you for defending me in front of the staff today, and second I
thought you did a splendid job with the meeting. It’s the first real staff
meeting I’ve ever attended. You really know your stuff, Madison.” He smiled,
but his right knee kept bouncing.
“Thanks for your compliment. We’re going to give Fallington
our best shot.” She thought a moment. “I really didn’t think of it as defending
you; just setting the record straight. I needed to nudge Hollis into the
future. Anyway, as we’ve worked together, I’m confident you’ll handle anything
that comes your way.”
He said, “I hope you still feel the same after what I’m
about to tell you.”
Madison remained poker-faced, waiting, wondering.
“Wilma and I are splitting up, getting a divorce.”
She paused only a moment, before saying, “I wish you both
the best with your decision. I only met Wilma once, at the Christmas party.
Both of you are very nice people, Rodney. Do you anticipate any special
problems to develop?”
“Oh, no. We both feel it’s best for both of us.” He paused,
chewing on his bottom lip, right knee bouncing like a jack-hammer. “I’m gay,
Madison.” His face spelled anguish.
“Okay.”
He stared. “Well…”
Madison leaned into her desk. “Well…am I supposed to say
something else?” She smiled.
“Well I thought you might be…upset or something.”
“Should I be?”
“Well most people are.”
Madison took a long breath. “Did you come in here to tell me
bad news or good news? So far I’ve only heard good news. Of course I’m always a
little sad when a relationship doesn’t work out. My marriage ended in divorce,
but I’m happier now, and I guess my ex is also. You deciding to embrace
honestly who you are is good news whether your gay, straight, or whatever.
Honesty begins on our own doorstep.”
His knee had stopped bouncing. He shook his head a couple of
times. “What makes you so understanding? This company really needs you,
Madison. We all need you.” His excitement began to show. “I can’t believe how
you’ve worked with D.R.’s bed buddies and turned them into workaholics.”
They both laughed.
Madison got up and rounded her desk. “Unless you’ve got more
good or bad news, let me give you a hug, Rodney.”
As he hugged her, Rodney thought what a good woman she was
and how thankful he was that she was their CEO. As he got ready to close the
door he said, “I just want you to know that my brother is the biggest blind
fool on the planet.”
The door closed quietly, and Madison stood there in the
silence thinking, was that bad news or good news.
Chapter
Anything else?” She paused. “Don’t forget that I’ll have afternoon individual
sessions with each of you, separately on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.”
Janice followed Madison to her office. After closing the
door she said, with a bow, “Great session, Madame CEO Winston.”
“Oh, Janice, you’re a hoot, but thank you for all your help.
Quite a threesome isn’t it?”
Janice laughed, “Oh, yes, especially Hollis.”
“What do you make of him?”
“I only know him by phone and of course one couldn’t help
but hear D.R.’s conversations with him, when sharing his sexual escapades.
Sometimes he had the speaker phone on. I gathered Hollis is a skirt-chaser just
like D.R. What a pair.” Janice sighed. “Well, let me take them to the inn.” She
closed the door.
Madison sat at her desk glancing over the phone messages
that Roxy had taken for her. She mentally ticked off how she would answer a few
at home and some in the morning before their staff meeting.
There was a timid knock on her door.
“Yes?”
Rodney poked his head in. “Do…do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure, come in, sit, and relax. What’s on your mind?”
Rodney hurried to one of the chairs facing Madison’s desk.
His right knee began to bounce up and down.
He said, “I have some things I need to tell you. First of
all, thank you for defending me in front of the staff today, and second I
thought you did a splendid job with the meeting. It’s the first real staff
meeting I’ve ever attended. You really know your stuff, Madison.” He smiled,
but his right knee kept bouncing.
“Thanks for your compliment. We’re going to give Fallington
our best shot.” She thought a moment. “I really didn’t think of it as defending
you; just setting the record straight. I needed to nudge Hollis into the
future. Anyway, as we’ve worked together, I’m confident you’ll handle anything
that comes your way.”
He said, “I hope you still feel the same after what I’m
about to tell you.”
Madison remained poker-faced, waiting, wondering.
“Wilma and I are splitting up, getting a divorce.”
She paused only a moment, before saying, “I wish you both
the best with your decision. I only met Wilma once, at the Christmas party.
Both of you are very nice people, Rodney. Do you anticipate any special
problems to develop?”
“Oh, no. We both feel it’s best for both of us.” He paused,
chewing on his bottom lip, right knee bouncing like a jack-hammer. “I’m gay,
Madison.” His face spelled anguish.
“Okay.”
He stared. “Well…”
Madison leaned into her desk. “Well…am I supposed to say
something else?” She smiled.
“Well I thought you might be…upset or something.”
“Should I be?”
“Well most people are.”
Madison took a long breath. “Did you come in here to tell me
bad news or good news? So far I’ve only heard good news. Of course I’m always a
little sad when a relationship doesn’t work out. My marriage ended in divorce,
but I’m happier now, and I guess my ex is also. You deciding to embrace
honestly who you are is good news whether your gay, straight, or whatever.
Honesty begins on our own doorstep.”
His knee had stopped bouncing. He shook his head a couple of
times. “What makes you so understanding? This company really needs you,
Madison. We all need you.” His excitement began to show. “I can’t believe how
you’ve worked with D.R.’s bed buddies and turned them into workaholics.”
They both laughed.
Madison got up and rounded her desk. “Unless you’ve got more
good or bad news, let me give you a hug, Rodney.”
As he hugged her, Rodney thought what a good woman she was
and how thankful he was that she was their CEO. As he got ready to close the
door he said, “I just want you to know that my brother is the biggest blind
fool on the planet.”
The door closed quietly, and Madison stood there in the
silence thinking, was that bad news or good news.
Chapter
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