Changing Roles
By Julie Dawn Cole
Chapter 6

I was surprised at how Melanie seemed to have changed in such a short time. She’d always been wary and slightly nervous in my company but now she seemed totally confident and was displaying her newly found authority. Maybe George and I had been holding her back and not giving her the opportunities she deserved. My thought was broken by Melanie.

‘Jules is there anybody there. Come on pay attention. I wanted to know who you were visiting. Are you refusing to tell me?’

‘No but I didn’t want to cause any trouble. I was just following Emily’s instruction as her PA.’
‘Yes, your new role and hopefully you’ll surprise us all and prove Emily right to retain you on the payroll. I think your loyalty to George didn’t do you much good.’
There was a knock on the door and Melanie got up and walked across to open it. I was pretty sure that walk was for my benefit as she strode assuredly in her heels glancing back to catch my reaction. It was Charles Cameron, so I stood up to shake hands to congratulate him on his promotion. He was dressed in a normal business suit with no company uniform, but I didn’t say anything.

Melanie spoke after we settled into our seats. ‘Now then Charles you know that Jules has been retained as Emily’s PA, so I asked her to join us. Sorry I meant him. It’s just that PA’s are usually females. Anyway, we’ll soon see such practices disappear. Jules is going to arrange some appointments with key customers, so I want you to work together so we are all on the same page about our key customers and they don’t take advantage of us.’

‘Yes, ma’am it’s not a problem.’

‘Ma’am. Where did that come from. They are similar age and Charles was on a higher grade until Emily arrived.’

She was quick to intervene ‘No need to refer to me as ma’am in informal meetings like this Charles. Just use Emily or Ms Baxter. You should of course use ma’am when important clients are visiting or if you are addressing Ms Waterton.’ I guess my chin dropped until it almost hit the desk.
She must have seen me looking at how Charles was dressed since he wasn’t wearing the new uniform. She quickly spoke before I was able to comment.

‘You see that I’ve decided that senior sales staff in my department wear business suits rather than the Company uniform when they are out on business trips or meeting clients. Charles keeps one of his uniforms in the office in case visits finish by lunchtime. We have to project a professional image at all times.’

I agreed with Melanie, but had she discussed it with Emily? It did seem like the uniform policy was inconsistent and I wondered how Emily would react.

‘Now then Jules as Charles already knows we are strengthening our sales team and bringing in some fresh blood with younger ideas and she’ll be on an attractive salary and bonus arrangement. Starting next month, we will have a new Sales Executive Account Manager. Emily thinks fits her plans. She will be my second in command for sales and she will be Charles’ in-line boss. You may have come across her in the past, she’s the same age as Emily and they were at private school together and their families know each other. They have exchanged a lot of ideas together in recent months. Her name is Heather Carmichael, and her father is head of an investment company in London so he has a lot of contacts who might point is to major projects here and for export.’

‘But she works for one of our main competitors. I know of her, even though we have never met. She isn’t Sales Manager or Executive level though. Her boss was the real threat to us. He was always slashing his prices to beat us and wining and dining those with influence. Why would Heather Carmichael leave? She’ll have a clause in her employment contract to prevent it. She will be added cost.’

‘Well, she was able to get around that according to Emily. But this is confidential. The cost is worth it she can have an instant impact, It wasn’t difficult for her to manipulate the situation so she could walk out. Apparently, her boss always took a fancy to her, and he couldn’t keep it in his pants. Allegedly he got over-excited one day and went too far after buying her some perfume. Whilst she was testing it he was playing with himself under his desk. Supposedly he stood up to show her the effect she had on him, so she called him a dirty old man and left the room and the next day she reported him. He denied everything of course like most men do in such situations. Since there was no witness, and she didn’t immediately report him their CEO agreed the best solution was to pay her compensation and allow her to leave without any restraints.’

‘I suppose that is why George was reluctant to employ too many female staff in senior positions. It’s a minefield.’

‘You have a lot to learn Jules. Maybe Emily was too generous to give you a chance to re-build your career.’

Charles cut in. ‘I met her last night with Melanie, and she seems very switched on with lots of confidence. I think she’ll be a great asset to the company.’

‘Well said Charles. I think you’ll make a good team and Heather won’t be in any danger from Emily or me. Nor from you Jules I expect.’

I let that remark slide by unchallenged. The meeting closed and I headed back to my desk. By the time I got there I suspect that

‘But you should take care Melanie. If she has a friendship with Emily won’t that cause problems between you?’

‘I think we women will work well together to set examples to the staff and show the shareholders the Chairman made the right decision to get with the times.’

Then there was a knock and Sally popped her head around the door. ‘Sorry to interrupt but you have a staff meeting that is starting shortly Melanie. People are starting to gather in the meeting room.’

I was glad to get the chance to leave since I felt that I was being made to feel humiliated. Sally said she’d call me when she got out of the meeting to help set up the lunches that would arrive at 11-30. I passed a few employees from the sales department who were hovering around, and we were all in uniform as per the dictate. I was just one of the staff now that was clear, and as I walked through the main office most staff looked the other way to avoid my embarrassment. Most had been hired under my watch.

Emily’s door was closed when I returned to my desk and she was on a call so I logged onto my computer and opened the site for Marks & Spencer. If I was to visit clients with Emily and Melanie, I needed a suitable jacket to improve the appearance of my uniform. They would both be wearing business suits and my preference would be to wear one of mine if Emily agreed.

After searching the men’s department and finding nothing that was suitable, I switched to the womens department and found they had an elegant blazer in black that would match my trousers. It looked masculine enough with long sleeves and longer fit than male style so it would cover my butt and my frontage when fastened. It was a business style jacket and it seemed to match the men’s style I envisaged would be suitable it was tucked in at the waist for a much slimmer fit. With my narrow shoulders and slim waist it looked ideal so I decided I could call in after work and the store would be open provided I left on time and took the bus home. I called the store to ask them to set aside two jackets in sizes 14 and 16 just in case the fit was not as shown in the image. I left my name and contact number that satisfied the kind assistant who helped me. At least I had something that didn’t appear too casual for a business meeting.

Emily buzzed me when she completed her call, so I went into her office to find out what she wanted. She wanted me to go to her apartment at 2-30 pm to meet some workmen who were carrying out some maintenance work and I could use her car and leave the meeting early if it was still going on. I had little choice but to agree since as her PA I was supposed to assist her with most things.

At noon I had a call from reception to say the caterers had arrived with the lunch items, so I called Sally, but no answer. She was probably still in the meeting with Melanie, so I texted her and told her I’d be upstairs setting up the lunch. In reception I was greeted by two young delivery men with the trays of sandwiches and accompaniments. They introduced themselves and I noticed how both looked me up and down. They seemed friendly and joked with me about me not looking strong enough to carry the trays and offered to carry them. Whilst enroute to the boardroom they said they’d not seen me before but worst of all they referred to me as Julie. I decided not to correct them to save embarrassment. Perhaps it was Maddy, the receptionist, who had told them that was my name, but I decided I needed to consider a haircut and to pay more attention to my appearance.

As they left the taller one gave me a business card and said to call them when we’d finished and they’d return to collect the trays. He was definitely treating me as if I was female and I tried to escape his gaze. As much as this felt awkward a part of me was flattered and I knew that if I wanted to I could be a lot more convincing.

I let Emily know I was upstairs if she needed me and set about laying out the lunch as best I could on the side table and I covered everything to keep it as fresh as possible. Sally joined me as I was almost complete and with a few adjustments everything was ready. We made some flasks of coffee for the table and put bottles of water at each place with a glass.

‘Well Jules you passed. I bet you never expected to have had to do this did you?’

‘No never. It’s like I’m being re-trained starting at the bottom.’
‘Well, the good thing is that Emily seems to be giving you chance to stay with the Company. I think she likes you.’

‘Maybe or perhaps she feels sorry for me but that isn’t likely given her reputation.’

‘She is smart to hang onto you if you want my opinion. You know the business and she is using all your knowledge to her advantage.’

‘I guess that is one way of looking at it but on the other hand what about all the employees? What about my family? I can’t just give in and let them all down. It’s not how I was raised.’

‘Look Jules sometimes you have to think about yourself, or you will lose your ability to care about others. I think you are such a sweet and kind person. Maybe changing roles for a while will let you see what life is like at the lower end of the scale. Most people have lived through hard knocks and maybe you had everything go your way growing up. You were raised in a comfortable middle-class family and had a good education.’

‘Yes I know. I’m advantaged but also very naïve. I was always a whimp at school and I was bullied. People though I was gay but I’m not. Even the sandwich man took me as either gay or as a woman. I must project a soft image.’

‘Yes you do project a soft image but it’s a caring image. So what made you think he thought you were a woman.’

‘First of all the way he was looking at me. I swear he fancied me as a woman. He might have punched me if he thought I was gay.’

‘Did he make any lewd comments or touch you?’

;’No, in fact he was very nice and carried the trays upstairs and offered to come back to collect them.’

‘Yes that’s Max he’s the owners son. She raised him very well and he’ll take over the business soon. Did you fancy him?’

‘No Sally. No way. I thought he was nice and much nicer that all the boys I met at school.’

‘Well, I was just checking. You seem very content to work as a PA to Emily and quite comfortable in the new uniform. It suits you better than it suits me. I’m too big in the hips.’
‘What does your mum think of all the changes and the threat of losing your job.’

‘She doesn’t think anything because I didn’t tell her anything. She has enough on her plate and sometimes I don’t even think she knows I’m there. Ignorance is bliss.’
‘Come on we’d better get back to our desks. I’ve to be back here for the meeting shortly since I’m taking the notes.’

After a quick turnaround at my desk I followed Emily back to the boardroom where everybody was waiting. I sat alongside Emily as she welcomed everybody and explained the purpose of the meeting and that I’d be taking notes that I’d issue. I sensed apprehension and most only knew Emily through rumour and listening to her short introductory speech when she took over mine and Georges positions. I guess that was a cost saving I hadn’t considered.

Then Emily did a presentation without any notes or prompt cards talking for at least 20 minutes uninterrupted. She set out her plans to improve the customer base and work as a team where everybody had an important role to play. She wanted to focus on team spirit and to deliver products on time in budget and then to ensure they were reliable and that customers paid progress instalments to reduce our reliance on head office financial support and bank financing. All seemed so simple but not so easy in practice as George and I had found.

There was a short break to ask questions and I was impressed the way that Emily responded without any hesitation or deflection. She was selling herself and no doubt the management team seemed as impressed as me.

Then she surprised me by referring to George and myself. ‘I want to give huge credit to George Waterton and Jules here. They built this company and as a result we have a lot of shareholders who have benefited considerably. It’s just that we have a lot of very aggressive competitors now who have made the market very tough, so we have to become even better. You will see some new faces and some changing roles in the next few weeks. I am strengthening areas that need a more modern approach and I’ve already promoted Jenny Isaacs and Melanie Baxter because they are talented young women with a desire to do well. I have a new Financial Controller arriving soon who is key to our success and a new assistant for Melanie in Sales who transferred from our main competitor. We can attract the best talent because of the reputation this company has attained through hard work. I want to build on that success. ‘

At the end of her speech there was some muffled applause and Emily suggested we break for lunch. I had the job of ensuring everybody came up in an orderly fashion and that coffees were poured. I was last to take a plate and go back to my seat.

Emily turned to me and complemented me on my efforts and the selection of sandwich and I owed it all to Sally so I gave her the credit.

As we cleared the table to re-start the meeting I noticed the 3 production managers grouped together in a corner and whispering. They were always difficult for me to handle since they felt I wasn’t experienced enough in production matters and never spent any time on the tools. Probably they felt secure in their jobs as there weren’t many females in their departments. They didn’t feel that women liked to damage their nails or get their hands dirty so it was going to be another key challenge for Emily.

The meeting re-started on schedule and Emily did seem to interject to keep things on track and was aiming for a 2-30 pm finish. I had to help clarify actions reading back from my notes and deadlines were set. There was a little grumbling but in general everybody had things to do before the next meeting. Emily wrapped up the meeting and everybody dispersed.

I called Sally and she came up to help tidy up and she asked if I was going to ring Max and invite him back. She winked as she said it and I stuck out my tongue.

She asked how the meeting had gone and I had to admit that it went very well and that everybody seemed impressed with Emily.

‘I guess the business needed a woman’s touch. I sense you two will make a good team.’