Читать книгу I Hate Walt - Vicki Andree - Страница 20

Before going into her office the next morning, Mary Lou stopped by Joe Gillespie’s office. She stuck her head in the door. “How we get any work done around here is a mystery to me.”

Her boss looked up from his computer. “Are you referring to all the practical jokes and partying? Well, yes. They certainly impact productivity.”

The latest joke had been on Joe. His expense account had been returned by Accounting, and Walt had brought it up at the meeting in front of all the agents. Mary Lou would never forget how the room literally shook as the six-foot-four three hundred-pound Walter Pederson used his booming voice to accuse Joe of abusing his expense account by including a new suit as a business expense. The look on Joe’s face had been priceless. Obviously, he didn’t have a clue as to what Walt was ranting about.

Walt loved center stage. Mary Lou remembered bracing herself, thinking that Walt would fire Joe. Instead Walt ended the tirade by telling Joe that if he needed a suit that bad, he would donate one of his personal suits to Joe. Walt’s roaring laugh then filled the room, and the rest of the men nervously joined in. Joe could fit in Walt’s suit with ample room left over for any of the other men in the room to join him.

Later, Mary Lou found out one of the salesmen had doctored Joe’s expense report as a practical joke.

Joe and Mary Lou shared the disability of being “vertically challenged,” as Walt referred to their heights. Joe’s stocky frame and dark, curly hair only added to his good looks. Between their similarities and the camaraderie from suffering from Walt’s frequent remarks, Joe counted on her for input every now and then.

Mary Lou shook off the remembrance. “Especially the practical jokes.”

Joe answered her with a serious expression. “Our job is to sell. What Walt does is his business. We need to sell enough to keep up with expenses, and that’s a challenge at times. That’s not why I called you in here. I wanted to give you a heads up.”

Yes, about what?”

“Walt hired another salesperson.”

She tilted her head. “He hired another salesperson? Why? We’ve got too many now.”

Joe grimaced. “He didn’t consult me. You know Walt. This fellow is originally from Texas, and I guess he knew Walt in college. In any case, Denny Adams starts Friday. I’ll be sending a memo out this afternoon. You’re assigned to show him how we do things here.”