Chapter 2

I arrived at the packaging company on time dressed in my suit and tie. I was to go to human resources for my interview and instructions. According to Mrs. Able it was all a formality but I did need to fill out my paperwork.

I met Mr. Henderson and he gave me my paper work and explained my benefits and wage. I was surprised that my wage was as low as it was. I know I could make a lot more money if I went job hunting.

I need to explain a little about the business. As I mentioned they package things for any customer anywhere. They mostly dealt with major manufacturers who find it cheaper to outsource their packaging needs.

My dad had told me that when Mary Abel's dad owned the business it was a sweatshop, with very low wages and no benefits. After Mary took over she tried to make it a better work environment.

Later after I had seen the payroll, in fact part of my job was doing the payroll, I noticed that the hourly workers made eight dollars an hour to start. After every six months of employment their pay increased fifty cents till they reached the maximum of eleven dollars an hour.

She did add paid holidays and offered to pay half the health insurance through a group plan for those who chose to take it. There were eighty to a hundred hourly workers depending on the season, with the now added new warehouse which would employ up to another twenty five full time people. She really was trying to do right. It made me respect her even more.

The salary personnel were on fixed wages. The four salesmen were at three-thousand a month, except her husband, Tom who received five-thousand a month because he was the vice president, but it was just a title. He did sit in on the meetings but all major decisions were made by Mary.

After talking to Mr. Henderson he told me Mrs. Abel had asked to talk to me. I headed up to her office. The receptionist asked me to sit down. She said Mrs. Abel would see me in a few minutes.

"Hi Samuel, please come in. Jennifer please hold my calls," said Mary.

We went into her office and she asked me to close the door and sit down.

"You look very nice Samuel, welcome to Abel's Packaging. I know you are a bit disappointed with your starting wage. I tried to give you the best I could. As you will find out, Ethel receives four-thousand a month. By the way, please don't discuss our financial situation including wages with anyone. That's why you had to sign the secrecy statement.

"After Ethel retires later this year I was hoping to increase your salary to five-thousand a month. Hopefully you might be able to find some ways in which we might increase our bottom line. I really do want you to stay but if you want to go elsewhere, I understand."

"Mrs. Abel..." she stopped me.

"Samuel, please call me Mary except in major meetings. I feel so old when you call me Mrs. Abel."

I smiled. "Mrs. I mean Mary, you look anything but old. I'm sorry, that might be a little out of place."

"You can compliment me Samuel. I rather like it," she was smiling.

"About the wages. Yes I expected more but I've also always wanted to work for you. You're one of my most favorite people. Let's take it a day at a time and I'll do my best to find some loopholes and maybe it will all work out fine. I just want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do."

I really was glad she gave me a chance and the freedom to do my work. This was a good starting ground and who knew what the future held. Right now I was happy, and satisfied with my position. Besides in a few months I would become the head accountant with a substantial increase in pay.

She held her hand out for me to shake. "No hugging at the office," she laughed. I shook her hand and headed out to my office and to meet Ethel.

Ethel is a wonderful woman. She was old enough to be my grandmother and treated me like a grandson. She was great to work with and explained to me how she just couldn't handle the computers. I smiled at her and said we would work on all the latest information together.

I could see where she would be missed. She was just a nice elderly person who I feel was totally trustworthy and gave her best. She said she would be happy to finally retire and see her kids and grandkids more often.

Over the next few months she showed me all the pertinent information I needed to start loading past and present accounts into the computer. I worked with Ethel each day for about four hours. After that I went to my office and kept uploading the necessary data, sometimes spending twelve hours a day on the job.

I found myself a nice apartment not far from the business. It had a large bedroom, living room and kitchen. I loved the outdoor pool and spa that I found myself using quite often. I also met a few lady friends that were fun spending time with.

I didn't date the women at work. I just figured it would be hard working with them and there weren't any that I was serious about. I will admit to having sex with a few of the ladies in the surrounding apartments. I just wasn't serious about any of them.

I guess Sasha cheating on me somewhat led me to distrust women. Then there was the fact that I was infatuated with an older married woman, my boss Mary. I knew it would never go anywhere but a guy could dream.

I really enjoyed my job and most people treated me well. Since I worked in the main office they must have felt I was important. I forgot to mention that Bill started in the new warehouse as an Assistant Manager. He was peeved when he found out he would receive eleven dollars an hour but his mother told him he had to learn all the jobs before she could pay him more.

Of course I know she made sure he was taken care of on a personal level. He lived in a nice house and his mother would surely make sure he had sufficient funds to take care of his wife and child. He just wasn't getting the money he expected he would be getting.

I saw him from time to time but rarely spoke to him but I was civil like I promised. Ethel had told me she had always thought he was a spoiled brat ever since he was born. She also said it was partially her fault that he was that way.

Sasha had her baby and of course it was bi-racial but a very beautiful baby. Tom wasn't really happy about his son Bill marrying a woman of mixed race but Mary told him he better not cause trouble. It was Bill's choice not his.

I ate lunch in the cafeteria at work quite often and Mary often confided in me. After seeing Bill's baby she told me she had always thought of having another baby, she would have liked a daughter, but she was probably too old now and besides she and Tom didn't have the best relationship.

Later when I talked with Ethel, (she was my gossip center), I found out that Tom and Mary were married in name only. They had very little to do with each other except for show and at business functions.

Ethel told me they pretty much went their separate ways years ago when she took ownership of the business. He thought he would get fifty percent of the business but Mary's dad said he was too much of a scoundrel. He was a good salesman but also screwed every woman that let him.

"Why does she stay with him?" I asked Ethel.

"She doesn't have any other love interests except for the business. He knows if he leaves her, he could end up with nothing. The business is incorporated and they also had a pre-nuptial agreement", said Ethel.

"She's such a good looking woman and has such a good personality. Don't say anything but I've had a crush on her ever since I was a little boy. Can't understand why any man wouldn't like to hook up to her wagon," I laughed when I told Ethel. It's funny but I've never told anyone about my feelings for Mary. Ethel really was like a grandmother.

"Believe me, I've seen a lot of men try and get shot down, but if she has had affairs, she sure keeps it a secret," replied Ethel. "I never really liked her husband Tom. To me he was always flirting with all the women and married Mary hoping to someday own this business. I was happy when she saw him for the rat he is."

"What about her son Bill. Do you like him?" I asked.

Ethel laughed. "I know all about you and Bill trying to outdo each other your whole life. I think you came out ahead here. You got a good education and he got a woman that married him for the money she thought he had."

"I don't understand," I said to Ethel.

"Sasha thought that Bill had money. He always bragged to everyone how one day he would own this business. If he had tried studying harder instead of trying to impress the girls, he could have helped himself a lot more. If I know Mary, whoever she turns this business over to will have to be really smart and have a lot of common sense. This business is her baby and she won't give it to Tom, Bill or anyone else who doesn't love it as much as she does."

Wow, I found out from Ethel the real reason Sasha picked Bill. I felt much better now. I didn't lose Sasha to a better man but to one whose family had money. I would never want a woman like that anyway,

I think Ethel could see I seemed happier. With a couple of months to go I would miss this elderly woman. She really was like a grandmother to me. I adored her.

After the birth of the baby Mary seemed relieved that it was all over. She confided in me that Bill had done a DNA test to make sure the child was his. What a way to start off a marriage.

We threw a going away party for Ethel and everyone said how much they would miss her. I had grown to really like her and she said if I ever had a problem to feel free to call her.

We talked privately and she told me more about the business and Tom and Mary. I had to laugh when Ethel said, "If I was forty years younger I'd have hooked up with you."

"If you were forty years younger I would have let you." I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. Mary had stood back and I guessed she was watching me with Ethel.

I heard Ethel later tell Mary, "Don't lose that one, he's a good one."

It made me feel good when I saw Mary smile at Ethel, and said, "I don't plan on losing him." That really made me feel good.

The following Monday I began working on the programs I set up. I found some ideas to share with Mary. I showed her a few ways of saving money and she was really happy with them. She asked me to start attending the board meeting every Monday.

During the week I shared ideas with her and on Mondays she had me explain them to the board. Most of them were accepted. Tom was one of the few to try and knock some of my ideas but he was quickly knocked down when other board members took to my defense.

I'll just explain one of my ideas to give you an example of some of my hopeful changes. I thought instead of paying the salesmen three-thousand a month that it would be better to guarantee them fifteen hundred a month and give them a percentage of their sales. That way the higher producers who brought in more business would be rewarded for it.

After the idea was brought up to the salesmen, one of them quit. When his selling history was pulled, it was proven that he very rarely earned his wage. His territory was divided among the other salesman. In the next few months the salesmen were all producing more business. They realized that their income was only limited to the time they put in.

Tom kept his territory and also kept his five thousand a month wage. They credited it to him being a vice president. He also received a thousand a month expense account. The other salesmen received five hundred a month unless they turned in a special reason for more money. The final decision was always Mary's.

I had been there for nearly five months when Christmas rolled around. I went through the books and explained to Mary that the business could afford a small bonus or gift for each employee. This had never been done before.

After showing the board where the money would come from, all but Tom agreed that it was a good idea. Tom thought it was setting a bad precedent. Mary said she could see where the employees would be more thankful than trouble. She gave each employee a check for a hundred dollars and also a turkey.

It was amazing how well the employees responded. When they heard it through the grapevine, production seemed to increase. Mary couldn't be happier and that was good enough for me.

We closed two days for Christmas. Mary gave me a hug and wished me a Merry Christmas. "I thought hugs weren't allowed at work," I said.

"For you it's an exception," said Mary. "We're so lucky to have you here."

I got my usual hard-on when she hugged me. I know she must have felt it but I didn't care. I was still infatuated with her.

I gave my mom the turkey and went to her home for Christmas. I had a nice time being with my family but I also missed seeing Mary's smiling face in the morning or having lunch with her, even if it was talking business.