All Other Things Being Equal...
The name on the business card read: Jackie Walton.
Tom Watson had been in the marine supply industry for a lot of years. He had built one of the most successful supply houses in the Biloxi area. He was known as a tough guy to deal with, when he chose to be difficult. Looking at the card, he just shook his head. When he had scheduled the appointment with the Troy Anchors rep, he had not realized the rep was a woman, of all things. He thought aloud, "What the hell is a woman doing trying to rep anchoring systems in this industry?" Tom was from the old school of male chauvinists and was openly politically incorrect without apology, in these enlightened times.
Tom picked up his phone and buzzed his secretary. "Jan, that Walton woman, tell her I can't see her right now. If she wants to wait, okay by me, so tell her I am tied up right now on a project or something like that."
Jan knew her boss only too well. "So you want her to go away, right boss?"
"Yeah, Jan, thats the idea."
Jan put the phone down and tried to figure out how to diplomatically translate her bosses refusal to see a "woman" rep. "Mrs. Walton."
The attractive brunette in the business suit looked up. "Yes?"
"Mr. Watson is going to be tied up for awhile. Would you like to reschedule your appointment with him?"
"Umm.... No I think I will wait a bit. Hopefully he will still be able to see me today. " She went back to reviewing her notes on the customers she had met with earlier in the day.
An hour and a half passed and Tom Watson had let her cool her heels. It was almost 5:00 PM. The secretary had left her desk momentarily. Jackie got up and went to the door for Tom Watson's office. She opened it without being invited and started talking before the heavyset fellow at the desk could protest. "Mr. Watson, is it true that you are the son-of-a-bitch that people say your are?" she asked him without blinking an eyelid.
He was momentarily at a loss for words. Very few people talked to him that way and certainly no woman he had ever known. Most people were a little wary of him. Still, he liked people who stood up to him. People like that, he thought, had real moxie. And he started laughing. "Lady, you got balls. You are okay, in my book. Come on in, let's see what you got to offer me."
She smiled inwardly and inwardly sighed a huge sigh of relief. She had carried off her bluff, knowing very well that it could have back-fired royally. But it didn't.
Outlwardly confident, she walked into the office and sat down. She opened her briefcase and started talking business.
Tom Watson had been in the marine supply industry for a lot of years. He had built one of the most successful supply houses in the Biloxi area. He was known as a tough guy to deal with, when he chose to be difficult. Looking at the card, he just shook his head. When he had scheduled the appointment with the Troy Anchors rep, he had not realized the rep was a woman, of all things. He thought aloud, "What the hell is a woman doing trying to rep anchoring systems in this industry?" Tom was from the old school of male chauvinists and was openly politically incorrect without apology, in these enlightened times.
Tom picked up his phone and buzzed his secretary. "Jan, that Walton woman, tell her I can't see her right now. If she wants to wait, okay by me, so tell her I am tied up right now on a project or something like that."
Jan knew her boss only too well. "So you want her to go away, right boss?"
"Yeah, Jan, thats the idea."
Jan put the phone down and tried to figure out how to diplomatically translate her bosses refusal to see a "woman" rep. "Mrs. Walton."
The attractive brunette in the business suit looked up. "Yes?"
"Mr. Watson is going to be tied up for awhile. Would you like to reschedule your appointment with him?"
"Umm.... No I think I will wait a bit. Hopefully he will still be able to see me today. " She went back to reviewing her notes on the customers she had met with earlier in the day.
An hour and a half passed and Tom Watson had let her cool her heels. It was almost 5:00 PM. The secretary had left her desk momentarily. Jackie got up and went to the door for Tom Watson's office. She opened it without being invited and started talking before the heavyset fellow at the desk could protest. "Mr. Watson, is it true that you are the son-of-a-bitch that people say your are?" she asked him without blinking an eyelid.
He was momentarily at a loss for words. Very few people talked to him that way and certainly no woman he had ever known. Most people were a little wary of him. Still, he liked people who stood up to him. People like that, he thought, had real moxie. And he started laughing. "Lady, you got balls. You are okay, in my book. Come on in, let's see what you got to offer me."
She smiled inwardly and inwardly sighed a huge sigh of relief. She had carried off her bluff, knowing very well that it could have back-fired royally. But it didn't.
Outlwardly confident, she walked into the office and sat down. She opened her briefcase and started talking business.
posted by hfireman | 6:46 PM
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