Cover image courtesy of Geraldyn Saltron
https://www.fiverr.com/geraldynsaltron
Leonard Stewart was looking forward to what may happen when he arrived in Alaska. He was still puzzled as to how his boss, Mr. Baker, figured he was the most qualified to receive a promotion. The previous executive, Ronald Shakespeare, decided suddenly he wanted to become an actor. As Leonard rode on the plane, he thought Ted Marconi, the one executive who had occasionally talked with him for a few minutes, was more qualified as Ronald’s successor. Leonard, the custodial assistant, was way down on the list.
However, Leonard would not pass an opportunity like that. Everything in his environment until that moment had been slow-paced and disappointing. His biological family, the Stewarts, wanted him back in their lives after he had been raised for eighteen years by the Deane family. His mother, Angel Stewart, had not married when she was pregnant with him and her parents, Martin and Sophie, would not let her come back home until she put Leonard in foster care. Zachary and Patsy Deane treated him like he was their natural child and they gave him a lot of toys and a large allowance that came from money provided by social services.
When Angel called the Deanes on Leonard’s eighteenth birthday, she explained that her parents died and she was living with her brother, Joseph, who had lots of money and wanted Leonard to come live with them. She said that social services would not continue paying the Deanes for raising him because he was of legal age. The Deanes were not sure if that was true but Leonard thought it was possible. They told him he could decide what to do. He chose to live with the Stewarts.
Though Angel and Joseph and Joseph’s daughter, Christine, were extremely overweight, they fixed him a fine dinner on the night he returned to them. However, he discovered that a healthy meal was rare at the Stewart’s residence. Canned raviolis, macaroni and cheese, lemon lime soda, jello, strawberry ice cream and pretzels were the usual menu items. Uncle Joseph had money but he used most of it on cheap food.
Joseph’s wife, the late Thelma Stewart, had died six months previous to Leonard’s return home. Leonard had finally found the reason they wanted him back. She acted as Joseph’s servant. Joseph sat on a recliner for most of each day and he asked her to bring him everything he wanted. Even if a glass of water was within his arm’s reach, he chose not to try grabbing for it. He said he would have a heart attack if he exerted too much effort. She had finally died of a heart attack. She was also extremely overweight. Her doctor wondered why Joseph was still alive. For six months, Angel was Joseph’s servant. Finally, she wanted to put the burden on her long-lost son.
Leonard dealt with Joseph’s nonsense for a week and then he looked for a job. He figured that if he had to take orders from somebody, he might as well get paid for doing so. He would be out of the house so Joseph would need to attend to himself since Angel would not help anymore and Christine never had.
The first place where he applied was Dunford, Greenberg & Karlin, a law firm that handled divorce cases but had other side interests. They managed the careers of local celebrities like an historical fiction writer named James Kipley and an acoustic folk rock duo named Corbett and Colbert. Leonard applied because it was the first work building closest to where he lived. He noticed people wearing suits walking in and out of the establishment. If he became employed there, he could experience a good counterbalance to the hours he spent at home. No one in the Stewart family came close to looking like the workers at the law firm.
Kevin Baker, a personal assistant to Steve Dunford, co-partner in the firm, noticed when Leonard walked in. Kevin asked, “Why are you in here?” His tone was not rude but direct.
Leonard asked, “Do you have a job for me?”
Kevin said, “You cannot be a lawyer here. That position is exclusively for people of our choosing. I could hire you for a low position like a janitor.”
Leonard said, “That would be great.”
“No, it would not be great. Nobody likes that kind of job. They especially don’t like it when most everyone else in the building looks nice and smells good. Janitors feel bad when they look bad and smell bad to the clean people. That’s why I can hire you for that position. It’s a job nobody else will take.”
“I want a job nobody else will take because it means nobody else will take it from me.”
“I like that. Okay, I’ll give it a try. There are no guarantees how long I’ll keep you. I might decide to fire you after one day’s work. As long as that’s understood, welcome aboard.”
Leonard nodded. “Thank you.”
Kevin Baker never fired him. Leonard never saw his boss any day for more than a few seconds when Mr. Baker passed by and gave a quick nod. Leonard’s job was not clean or glamorous but he allowed himself to view it as fun. His paycheck was decent and allowed him to eat healthier food than what his family brought home. He appreciated the few minutes, while entering and exiting the building, when he saw people who were successful and dressed well. Even if he was considered to be on the lowest level in their world, he preferred that to being on the highest level amongst his family. He also enjoyed knowing Joseph was irritated that Leonard was not around to help him.
After four years of working as a janitor, Leonard received a phone call from Mr. Baker, indicating a change would occur starting tomorrow. Mr. Baker added, “If you have a good suit, I want to see you wearing it.” Aside from the words appearing direct, his tone was rather pleasant.
That next day, Leonard entered Mr. Baker’s office. He said, “These aren’t the right clothes to wear while scrubbing toilets.”
Mr. Baker nodded. “I agree. That is why you won’t be scrubbing toilets here anymore.”
“I assume you’re not firing me because you asked me to come wearing a suit.”
“I like how you’re as direct as me. I am promoting you. Ron Shake, as we like to call him, has quit to pursue his dream of acting on the stage. Aside from a few behavioral quirks that I couldn’t stand, he was the best worker at what he did. He was not a lawyer. We do other things besides divorce cases. We’re also an entertainment firm as well as handling matters that are more private between friends. Ron Shake handled those. He had a certain type of look that clients liked. You have the same look. You have that look when you’re wearing dirty clothes and even more so when in the suit. There are some papers I am to receive from a friend of mine, Tobias Schirmer. He lives in Alaska. I have a private plane you’ll be flying in so you can get the pages from him. I prefer you ask him as little as possible unless a part of the transaction seems to warrant an inquiry. You’re there to show him you look good. Sometimes in business that’s all that’s required. He’s gay and single but pretends he’s straight and married. You’re going there to talk with him for however long he chooses, then get the papers and leave.”
“That sounds fun. I like cold weather and have always wanted to see Alaska.”
Mr. Baker smiled. “Very well. The plane is outside, waiting for you.”
Leonard was surprised by the quickness with how everything was suddenly progressing but he enjoyed it. Alaska would be an experience he appreciated more than another night at home.
The trip was maybe a couple of hours but he spent the time thinking about everything leading to the trip. He wondered whether or not everyone wore heavy coats or if the weather was somewhat warmer so people had on regular shirts and pants. When the plane landed at the airport, he got out and Mr. Schirmer was outside, standing by a limousine. Mr. Schirmer said, “Hello. I imagine you’re Leonard Stewart. I’m Tobias Schirmer. Come inside.” He held the back door open. They entered.
The ride was merely a few minutes because Mr. Schirmer’s office was just two blocks away from the airport. That seemed a bit strange to Leonard, as did the company’s name: Correlative Results. He did not ask what that meant because he remembered his boss’ preference for few questions.
When Mr. Schirmer and Leonard entered the building, Mr. Schirmer directed them to his office. They stood in the office for thirty seconds and then Mr. Schirmer said, “There is a room I want you to go in. I will be there soon. I will give you the papers in the room and then our meeting will have been over.” He pointed to a room at the end of the hall, four doors away.
Leonard was feeling positive about the results. If he did everything as asked, correctly and courteously, he could finally make enough money to live alone, away from his family. Whatever happened, he would focus on that goal. Everything was going well for him.
He entered the room and noticed it was completely empty except for a woman standing there, looking as if she was in deep thought. She was wearing a layered look; white blouse with a grey v-neck sweater over it, both tucked into blue jeans cinched tightly with a black belt. Her pant legs were tucked into ankle boots. The sleeves of the shirt and sweater were rolled and pushed up by the elbows. Something about her appearance seemed metaphysical as if her clothes were not company policy but a rule she applied to herself; always wearing shirts and sweaters tucked in with no exceptions.
He was puzzled why she stood in that room, empty of everything. No desks or file cabinets. The room contained two people only; her and him. However, Mr. Schirmer told him to wait in there for him so he obeyed orders. The account was too good to lose. He felt nervous, not wanting to pay attention to the woman but not able to ignore her style. Those thoughts took form within just a few seconds.
The woman looked at him. She had immediately extended her hand and said, “Hello, I’m Maria.” Then she held out her other hand as if to insist he was taking too long to shake her hand. He was nervous because her attitude seemed insistent and impatient. He could react merely as fast as possible and not faster. Her insistiveness was a magnet, almost pulling his hand towards her. When he gave her his hand, she held firmly, patting his hand with her other hand a few times and then shaking his hand.
He said, “I’m Leonard.” He wanted to ask if she worked there but he withheld the question. He figured he should wait for Mr. Schirmer before he delved too deep into the situation.
Maria smiled. “So, I am wondering… what is your favorite music?”
He sensed she was flirting. He thought he heard a noise outside the door, perhaps a person like Mr. Schirmer turning the doorknob to enter the room. Leonard was uninformed as to whether or not Mr. Schirmer was lenient towards work-related flirtations but he did not want to be told the deal was off. He tried pulling his hand free but Maria’s grip stayed tight. He pulled again but she would not let go.
She said, “You didn’t answer my question.”
“I guess I listen to whatever is on the radio when I’m driving.”
“What station do you play?”
“I don’t really think about it. I just press play and the radio goes to whatever station comes on first.”
“You sound undecided, like your mind is scattered and you could be listening to anything, including news radio, and you wouldn’t know it wasn’t music.”
“Would you stop this?” He pulled harder a few times, irritated.
She was apparently in the mood to put him in his place, in the physical and mental sense. Her grip stayed tight. She shrugged. “I’ve got you. It’s done.”
“How do you mean that?”
“Exactly as I said it.”
Mr. Schirmer entered. “Here are the contracts.” He handed a stack of papers to Leonard. “When you get back to California, you can sign them.”
Leonard asked, “Why can’t I sign them now?”
“Alaska is a very particular type of state. We like things to stay centered and exact. The weather is very cold, if you have noticed. We don’t have the schizophrenic environment of California, especially Oakland where you live. We don’t want your California energy to come out in your pen when you write your name on the paper. We can handle everything more contentedly if you sign the papers when you are in Oakland and you fax them to us.”
“Is that why Maria won’t let go of my hand?”
Mr. Schirmer frowned. “Is that her name? I don’t know anything about her. I’ve seen her a few times but, if she works here, she’s not in my department.”
“Why is she here, then? You told me to come in this room and, when I did, she was standing here.”
Mr. Schirmer nodded. “This is the neutral room. Each department has its own protocol. Sometimes one person wants to talk with another person but they cannot acknowledge each other in any official department if they work in different departments. However, that is why we have the neutral room. We can do whatever we want with whoever we want in here.”
Maria said, “I come in here for ten to twenty minutes each day so I can feel stimulated by the nothingness around me.”
Mr. Schirmer said, “I asked you to come in here, Leonard, because I made the deal with your boss, Mr. Baker, under the table, so to speak. We have been close friends since high school but, officially, my company is not supposed to do business with his company. I could discuss things on a hypothetical level with you in my office because of a clause in our rules that allows me to say you came for a job interview, but any handing of papers has to be in here.”
Leonard said, “So, I guess Maria will let go of my hand when I leave this room.”
She said, “No.”
“What?” He tried prying her hand off with his other hand but that did not help, either.
Mr. Schirmer said, “I don’t know the protocol of her department so I cannot get involved.”
Leonard said, “I thought you could do whatever you wanted to do in the neutral room.”
“Then, let me say it this way. I do not believe personally in getting involved with matters concerning the inter-relationships between people.”
Maria stopped the handshake motion. Leonard thought that was an indication she was ready to let go but, when he tried again to pull free, he discovered that was not the case.
Mr. Schirmer said, “My suggestion, which I will give you against my usual rule about doing so, is to see what happens. I am a married man and have never cheated on my wife but, if I was single, I would not be adverse to the pleasures of spending time with someone so beautiful. I very much doubt you’ll have the opportunity again for this type of situation.”
Maria smiled. “Plus, you don’t have to worry about missing any other opportunities because this is forever.”
Leonard felt unexpectedly a sudden jolt of arousal encompassing him after hearing what she said. There was no possibility she was serious but, as a hypothetical situation, he had to admit the idea was exciting. He had rarely ever mentioned that his favorite fashion style on a woman was a tucked in shirt and a tucked in sweater was even better. If he had not felt that way about Maria’s outfit, she might not have reacted as she did. He assumed she was aware of what he was thinking. He was uncertain if she intended to soothe him or cause him to panic but he now felt too tired to ask. Her grip was giving its own communication to his hand and drained him from wanting further conflict. He had no choice but to wait and see what happened.
Mr. Schirmer said, “When you see Kevin Baker, please tell him for me that our trip to South Dakota is still on for next month. I had told him my wife might have had plans to see Utah and visit her brother and I would have needed to go with her but that did not materialize. I’ll also tell him but you should so he has proof we visited. I must go now. Goodbye.” He exited the room.
Maria and Leonard stood, side by side, as if she was ready to walk somewhere with him. However, she stayed still, her hand lowered, holding his, as if their connection was merely technical and she was more concerned with her thoughts. Leonard was glad she stopped the shaking motion. He would be able to calm himself and reassess everything. His inward feeling had a tingle he knew was not generated by him. She was feeding him vibrations. He wondered if long hand grips were common in Alaska so people could stay warm during the cold weather. He also wondered if tight tucked in sweaters were also common there.
After several minutes of stillness, she sighed and said, “Let’s leave.”
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