Chapter 127: And Now you tell me
Steph’s POV
Ranger’s staring out of the window, looking at the inlet that runs along the deck outside the house. He’s looked calm all morning, a welcome change.
Sex really is a mood lifter.
“Ranger?”
He turns and finishes cleaning the kitchen. I’m putting food away. Breakfast was silent.
He finally heads to the office, me trailing behind, and opens the French doors in the room. The morning breeze wafts into the room, the smell of jasmine carried on the breeze. Ranger’s home is beautiful and I love being here. We spent yesterday unpacking and talking. I pointed out some things I want to change and, although nervous, he seems to be OK with them.
I had to promise to buy a shoe rack.
This office will see the least changes in order for it to work for both of us. I love Ranger’s desk and he’s not that fond of it (he wants something sleeker, like his desk in the Trenton office), so the desk is now mine. He’s having something shipped here for him. The rest of the room is fine. It makes me feel peaceful. I curl up on the couch and Ranger sits next to me. I’m in another Ranger cocoon and we don’t speak for at least fifteen minutes. Finally, I hear him clear his throat.
“I’ve spent time trying to get an idea of what’s going on in the company from everyone. You, Tank, Les, Bobby, Hec, my XOs, each person I speak to is giving me an overall picture of the company’s status. What I’m learning is that the company is stronger, each branch is better positioned for growth, and there’s more job satisfaction overall.”
I tense. “I don’t need to be placated, Ranger,” I reply tightly. “Get to the point.”
His chin is resting on my head. “Fine. The Miami men are not as happy.”
“I know that.”
“They feel that your visit to their office was highly negative. They feel that you showed them no brotherhood at all. They feel that you were disrespectful to them, you were judgmental and you were a hypocrite—”
“Hypocrite?” I yell, pissed. “Judgmental? Disrespectful? Are you kidding me?” I break free of the cocoon and face him.
“Edna.”
“What?”
Ranger sits back and pitches his fingers, eyes hooded. “The men are considering suing you, your grandmother, and RangeMan for sexual harassment.”
I feel my stomach fall to the floor. “What?” I whisper in disbelief.
“They allege that you promoted a culture of harassment at RangeMan Miami during your month there by allowing your grandmother to freely harass every man in the building. As a General Manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure a non-hostile workplace and instead you brought in an openly hostile individual.”
“Because they needed to understand what it’s like to be harassed! They don’t get it! They think their sexism is cute and non-threatening. It’s their game,” I sneer.
Ranger’s put his blank face in place.
“No blank faces.”
“This isn’t a personal discussion. This is a discussion about the business.”
“We’re still having a discussion.”
“Right now, I’m the CCO of RangeMan and I’m detailing to you, a member of my management team, what the factual allegations are at the local branch.”
“And that means you get to have a blank face?”
“That means I’m going to conduct myself as the CCO right now.”
I leave the room.
Have at it, CCO.
—oOo—
I return an hour later, once I’ve calmed down again. Ranger doesn’t look up from his laptop. I sit for five minutes before he says anything.
“No other member of my leadership team would be allowed to storm out in a snit. FYI.”
I get up and walk right back out, headed to the garage. This time, he follows me.
“Stephanie.” I freeze. “You said you wanted to talk about this.”
“And now I don’t.” I grab my keys and my purse and head to the garage.
“You know, just because you walk away doesn’t mean this issue disappears,” he says coldly. “Right now, I’m trying to prevent the Miami men from filing suit. You can either help me or leave me to handle this by myself. I’d prefer your help but it’s your choice. Your grandmother.”
I turn. Ranger’s ultra-blank face is in place and I’d like to run him over with the Buick. We stare at each other in silence until I put my purse and keys down and trudge back to the office. I’d rather be outside working on my tan.
“Fine. What else do they have to say?” I ask, sitting on the couch. I kick off my shoes and move them neatly in front of the couch.
Ranger’s at the desk but I see his lips twitch in amusement. “As I said, they intend to file suit. I’ve sent a meeting request to the Miami men and Tank and Hec are coordinating with each branch to get the men on video call so I can address this situation. I’m hoping that by addressing it quickly, I can head off their attempts to file suit.”
“You mean you can’t order them not to file suit?” I mutter, pissed.
“I also intend to announce that the men will be moved back into the branch before Christmas,” Ranger continues, ignoring my comment. “The op is over, which is part of the reason they were moved out. Tank and I intend to discuss that with them and Mando intends to ensure they understand that the decision to move them out was his.”
I really don’t give a damn right now. All my hard work, all the time I spent trying to show the Miami men that their sexism had a real cost and was dangerous, and Ranger’s just undoing it as if it doesn’t matter! He’s not the one who’s had to put up with that in his life so he doesn’t get it! It’s not important to him. Placating that bunch of sexists is!
“So everything’s taken care of. Why did you need to speak to me at all?”
“Because this affects you. Stephanie, it would really help me if you would be willing to apologize.”
The world clearly shifted because I know he didn’t say that. I freeze and stare at him. He means that too. His face clearly says he does.
“You want me to apologize?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your solution, while creative, was inappropriate.”
“My solution was approved! It was approved by Tank, Les, and Bobby! They laughed when they found out! They—”
“Also intend to apologize.”
My mouth is gaping. “Why?”
“Because the Miami men have a point and they are correct. Your partner was the one to point this out to us. You do realize your grandmother has been warned not to touch the Trenton men, correct?”
“No. She was?”
“Yes. Hector’s little war with your grandmother was specifically designed to force her to stop pinching the Trenton men.” My mouth drops. “He told her that her behavior meant the men hesitated to protect you. He would not allow that while you were in training, so she had to stop. More than that, he found it annoying and inappropriate. He was right. The XOs also find your grandmother a threat to their backsides. They like you, but they’d handcuff her.”
“Really?” I ask quietly.
“Danny would. He says Javi definitely would. Your grandmother pinched Javi so hard she bruised him.”
I groan mentally. “Mack liked her!”
“Just because he wasn’t offended doesn’t mean other men aren’t, Steph.”
“They didn’t say anything!”
Ranger snorts. “Apparently, Hal told them being felt up by your grandmother was a rite of passage in Trenton, so Danny and Jase took it. Doesn’t mean they liked it, but men do stupid things to prove their balls. Otherwise, Jackass wouldn’t have stayed on TV for so long.”
I cringe; I loved Jackass.
“Javi? Javi wasn’t thrilled but he endured it. Anyway, your grandmother’s behavior in Miami led to exactly what Hector feared in Trenton. The Miami men refuse to protect you or back you if your grandmother is involved and if she’d returned to that building after Thanksgiving, it would not have been pretty.”
“I don’t need their protection, Ranger. I am a trained RangeWoman now.” I stand, pissed. “Why does everyone still think I need bodyguards? I don’t need bodyguards! I can protect myself and my grandmother just fine!”
He shakes his head. “That’s not the point, Steph.”
“It is the point. I’m not little miss fuck-up Steph anymore. I’m trained. I carry. I’m prepared. I’m—”
“Arrogant as hell,” he says coldly.
My mouth drops. “What?” I ask, my voice dropping an octave.
“Can you take me on?”
“What?”
“Can you take me on?”
Right now, I’d give it a good try, Ranger.
“Good luck.” He puts his feet up on the coffee table and crosses them. “I’m trained, Army trained. I know immobilization techniques you never will. I’m stronger, faster, and shoot more accurately than you do,” he says, leaning forward, pinning me with a glare. “I know far more about how to protect myself than you do, Steph, but I’m not so arrogant that I think I can go it alone all the time. I appreciate and respect having people at my back and having people willing to be at my back, including you!
You treat backup and protection, you treat having a partner, like it’s some kind of burden. No one is trying to deprive you of your freedom! We’re all trying to keep you alive. We treat you like we treat ourselves but if that bothers you, fuck it! I’ll tell the men to never back you again! Watch your own back.” He stands. “Never mind. Problem solved.”
The silent three minute bell rings in our heads and we shift to our separate positions. Ranger opens the other set of French doors in this room and the breeze blows in, gentle and jasmine scented. We both check to ensure all body parts are still attached.
Calm down. Get all the facts. Have a mental doughnut.
“Let’s get back to the original point.”
“That the Miami men hate me.” Let’s not forget that.
“That I’d like you to apologize.” I glare at Ranger. He’s calm. “One of the charges is hypocrisy, Steph. You accused them of being sexists then brought your grandmother in to harass them. You lost your moral authority there.”
“And I need to apologize.”
“Yes.”
We’re staring at each other, me sullen and sulky, Ranger calm and almost uncaring.
“Again, you thought me setting my grandma on them earlier was hilarious.”
“Yes and that’s why Tank, Les, and Bobby are willing to apologize. That’s why I intend to apologize—”
“Wait, what? You’re apologizing?” I ask, stunned.
He stares at me. “Of course. I had the opportunity to stop this and I didn’t. I owe the men an apology.”
“When?!”
“When I picked you up to go to Sarasota and you told me you flew your grandmother in. I know your grandmother, Steph. I could have stopped that right then and there but I didn’t.”
“Oh.”
He stares at me. “What? You thought I’d force you to apologize and not do so myself?”
Yes. That’s exactly what I thought. That’s what it sounded like.
Ranger’s jaw clenches. “Right. I had the opportunity to stop it. I didn’t. Tank, Les, and Bobby, having been pinched before, had the same attitude you say Mack had. They’ve learned to laugh at your grandmother. It doesn’t bother us but it pissed Hector off. He had no intentions of enduring that for a year.”
I’m stunned. “I … I never knew.”
He nods. “Why do you think he moved so fast to stop it?”
“I never considered it. I just noticed they seemed to get along. How’d he stop her?”
He looks amused. “He offered to give your grandma the time of her life, but they’d do it his way.”
My jaw drops. Ranger is trying to hide his laugh but he can’t. We both start laughing at the same time and it cuts the tension for a moment.
I love my partner. No one is better than Hec.
“Yeah,” Ranger says, wiping his eyes. “He told your grandma that he didn’t swing her way and that if she wanted to feel him up, he was willing to give her the ride of her life. Otherwise, she better keep her hands to herself.”
I’m trying to imagine this and I can just imagine the look on Grandma’s face. “He offered to do butt stuff with her?”
“Yup.”
“Oh god, now everything makes sense.” I remember that dinner where Grandma seemed to be whispering the most obscene things in Hec’s ear. “She knows he speaks English?”
Ranger nods. “One of the few people who does. Please keep that to yourself.”
“I will.” Hec! You little sneak! That explains why Mom likes Hec. Hec’s the only person I know that can control Grandma … my partner is amazing.
“Anyway, Hector told us to consider it the other way around, the same example he gave your grandmother. Would it be so funny if it were an old man feeling up your grandmother?”
“No! That’s the point I was trying to make, Ranger!”
“I know. Still, that’s why the men are calling you a hypocrite. You brought someone in to harass them then gave them a lecture about it.” He leans back against the desk, the smile still partially on his face. “You didn’t have any examples, from all the women you talked to, that inappropriate touch was an issue, correct?”
“Yes!”
“Who?”
“We lost a RangeMan because of it!”
“Who?”
I run upstairs and grab my laptop. I search my Miami notes while Ranger grabs fruit and water for us. He sits next to me and looks through my notes with me. “Ed Michaels?”
“Yes.” I jab a finger at the screen. “Ed Michaels! He left because Julio harassed his sister at the club!”
“Ed left RangeMan to return to college. He just finished his Masters at UCLA in May.”
My jaw drops. “What? No! He left because of what happened to his sister.”
“No, he left to go to college. He wanted to be a teacher. He was just awarded a Masters in Organizational Behavior. We know because he requested permission to write his thesis on the RangeMan environment. I have a copy of his paper.”
Ranger stands and walks back over to his computer. My email pings a short time later. An email from Ed Michaels to Les, with a copy of his master’s thesis and his thanks for allowing him to discuss his time at RangeMan. I mark it to be read later. Ranger returns to the couch with me.
“I spoke to Ed when he handed in his resignation,” he says calmly. “I like to know why my men are leaving because I don’t lose many, less than ten in the past five years. What happened to his sister? That pissed him off, but he and Julio handled that privately. The men know that I don’t tolerate that shit on RangeMan time. You got woman problems? Handle that on your own time.”
“But Julio looked shocked!”
“Julio probably never heard what happened from Sasha herself. He probably just heard Ed’s accusations and brushed it off.”
I stare at Ranger. “So … you knew what happened?”
He nods. “He told me because he intended to flatten Julio for it after he left and he did. Check Julio’s medical notes. He had bruised ribs for a month.”
I check, my stomach churning. It takes me a while, because Ed left two years ago and Julio’s records have been marked ‘Closed’, but I finally find the appropriate information. Jackson’s notes are clear. Julio had lighter duties because of … bruised ribs. I feel … betrayed.
“Any other examples?”
I search my notes, my heart sinking. “No,” I whisper. “But Ranger, I mean, Candy got groped! She had her ass patted in the building, so you can’t tell me that they don’t touch inappropriately! I’m sure they do!”
“But can you prove it?” he asks calmly.
“Candy is proof! My God, do I need more than one example?”
“To tar and feather the entire branch? Yes.”
My mouth drops. “Are you really defending them?!”
“No. I’m saying I don’t condemn unless I can prove it. I’m not calling Mario a sexist because of Ben’s behavior.” Wow, he’s really been looking through RangeWorld; Mario had one of the lowest sexism scores. I’m winding up again to kill his argument when he cuts me off. “Are all the Trenton men dumb because you managed to down Hal?”
“No! But no one is accusing all of Trenton of being dumb. The gossip in Miami was that all of RangeMan was sexist!”
“Based on the interactions with the bodyguard department and the head of the group, Tony, who you fired. What did they say about Diego and Mando? Monitoring? Research? Bonds enforcement?”
I hate arguing with Ranger! I’m always on the defensive! “OK, they liked them—”
“So not everyone is inappropriate.” Ranger cuts off my argument again! “The men may be sexist but what matters is their behavior.”
I scream silently in frustration. “The men’s club behavior? Hello?! Sasha’s treatment in the club was horrible!”
Ranger stares at me. “Are you really judging the men by their club behavior, Steph?” He lifts a finger to his lips and stares. I hear the bee just as it buzzes near me.
“Don’t move.”
“OK.”
The bee hovers near me and lands.
“Steph?”
“Yeah?”
“Stand up slowly and walk to the doors.”
I follow his directions and the bee decides that I’m not a flower and flies away. Ranger pulls the gauzy curtains to act as a screen while I check my neck and shoulder, just in case.
“I expect my men to remember that they’re RangeMen on and off the clock,” he says quietly, “but when they’re off the clock, I can’t enforce that. I can’t fire them for behavior I find offensive. So if they act like animals in the club, as long as they behave appropriately during working hours, I can’t say anything.”
“Except that their behavior off hours has an effect on our contracts,” I reply, turning around.
“I’d love to be able to legislate morality,” Ranger mutters sarcastically. “Let’s see … how would I begin?”
“By not being sarcastic,” I reply. He smiles. “Ranger, I have the tapes of our clients, clients we lost, saying that our men didn’t respect them. Mack saw it. He rescued a contract because Tony’s sexist behavior meant they were about to lose it.”
“Read Ed Michael’s paper,” Ranger says calmly. “Part of his thesis is on the effect of top leadership on corporate culture in a personality-driven organization. In other words, men take their cues from the leadership.” He waves to cut me off. “The argument is that RangeMan’s corporate culture is largely what it is because the men take their cues from Leadership Core. The men take their cues from the XOs. Would you agree?”
“Yes,” I mutter. Les and Bobby are definitely man-whores at the club, but during business hours it’s all about business. I’ve never seen them act inappropriately with anyone. Ram, Vince, all the Trenton guys cut loose after hours but when they’re on the clock they’re appropriate. Hector and I really let loose at the clubs, but ….
“Again, when we talked about this in Sarasota, you said that every other department at RangeMan had excellent satisfaction ratings, but the gossip and unhappiness about the bodyguard group was what was causing the dissatisfaction and the loss of contracts. In other words, the personality at the top of that department, Tony, was causing the problems and the men under him took their cue from him. Tony had an adversarial relationship with the Miami Core Team so he was left unchecked. I didn’t handle that issue and fire him, trying not to micromanage Miami. So bodyguards were a problem. The highest sexism scores were in that department, right?”
“You’re trying to paper this over, Ranger.”
“No, I’m not. I did some number crunching. If you remove the bodyguard department from Miami’s numbers, they come out roughly the same as Atlanta.”
I stare at him. He walks back over to his computer and prints off a sheet of paper. I examine it closely as Ranger kicks back on the sofa and puts his feet on the coffee table.
I can tell I’m not going to win this argument with Ranger. “What’s your point, Ranger?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.
“First, the men are products of their environment. Miami is a Latin town that’s heavy on the machismo. Can I come up with ways to remind the men that when they’re dealing with women on the clock, they need to listen to the client first? Yes, I can and will. Tank and Candy are already on that.” I know. I have three companies to review with Candy. “Atlanta? Southern chivalry, according to Bobby, and chivalry and sexism walk a fine line. Talk to Bobby about Atlanta. He’s working with Danny on how to change attitudes there.”
“OK,” I whisper. I sit up, annoyed. “Why didn’t I know about this?”
Ranger’s brow lifts. “Because you left this in their hands.” I cringe. “Right. You told the Miami men this was their problem to solve since you were one of the many women suffering from the problem.”
“Amazing they can remember word for word what I said,” I reply bitterly.
“Yeah. They remember that. Second, the men are human,” he says, his voice hard. I swallow hard. “They’re handsome, single men and they’re in the clubs. You’ve never seen the Trenton men in Atlantic City.” I know my face looks confused because Ranger suddenly looks amused. “The Trenton men in Atlantic City?” He laughs quietly. “They party hard. Tell me, where did the men find Candy?”
My face heats up.
“Right. The only difference between the Trenton men and the Miami men is where they party. Miami men are partying in their main service area, so clients and potential clients see them. The Trenton men don’t and really can’t because Trenton is a shit place to party.”
No disagreement there.
“Atlanta? NYC? Boston? Atlanta, NYC, and Miami, especially, are known as club towns. The Trenton men get out of town because Trenton is tiny and the party scene is shit. Their service area doesn’t really include Atlantic City, so they aren’t being seen by anyone. Your view is skewed, Steph, because you see everything through a Trenton lens.”
“Ranger, their behavior is inappropriate. That’s the bottom line.”
“Fine. Fine.” Ranger stands and stretches, looking bored again. “How do you regulate behavior after hours? Tell me, since you want me to tell them how to behave off the clock.” I grab a piece of paper, ready to write some rules. “While you’re at it, come up with rules for how and when they should bathe, brush their teeth and fuck their wives and girlfriends and when you’re done writing them, you implement them on yourself first. By the way, don’t expect me to follow your rules because I won’t allow you to tell me what to do. Not if I don’t get to tell you what to do.”
He leaves the room. I hate arguing with Ranger. I ball up the piece of paper and throw it at the door.
“And I’m not picking that up,” he yells.
—oOo—
We meet again in the kitchen an hour later, circling each other warily. Ranger hands me a glass of OJ and offers me some slices of apple. I decline the apples with a wave and search for cake. I don’t find any, so I snitch an apple wedge. Ranger’s lips twitch.
“Got your rules?”
I shake my head, chewing carefully. He sighs.
“That’s my job, Steph,” Ranger says quietly. “I always speak to both people. I never accept the word of one person because there’s always two sides of an argument. You made assumptions about why Ed Michaels left because of the word of Sasha Michaels and I don’t blame you. Anyone who heard that and learned we lost a man after his sister was groped would make a causal assumption that we lost Ed because Julio groped Sasha. It’s not true though. A + B did not equal C here. Response?”
I shake my head again. If, if, Ed left to pursue a degree, which it appears he did based on the separation paperwork he signed at the time, then … I made the wrong assumption. And I read through his paper. It made many of the arguments I’ve been waiting to make to the entire Leadership Core. His paper said, in essence, that when you have good leaders at the top willing to make and enforce rules for the entire organization, the company culture can survive and thrive. The problem is when there’s a breakdown anywhere in the chain, like there was in Miami. He didn’t mince words in his paper. I wish I could meet him.
But Julio’s behavior at the club was embarrassing.
Ranger hands me half of the turkey sandwich he just finished making and a small bag of baby carrots. We sit at the table and eat quietly. Finally, Ranger pushes his plate away and runs his hands through his hair before turning to me.
“As an example of their sexist attitudes toward women, Edna is perfect as a behavior modification therapy. As the example of a difficult client, she’s brilliant. I can and will argue that. I can argue that the entire reason that you set your grandmother on them was because of their attitudes, but that still doesn’t make it right. I can tell them that I’ve been pinched and I understand their anger and frustration, but I also recognize that the shit your grandmother does is inappropriate. So give me proof that the men groped, fondled, and harassed our clients.”
I stare at Ranger, feeling hurt and let down. My grandmother was perfect to show the guys the harm of their actions. They didn’t like having their club behavior mirrored back to them! They felt demeaned and degraded and, gasp, it upset them!
I expected Ranger to back me here but he’s caving to avoid a lawsuit. Some leader, Ranger.
“None?” I shake my head silently. “Then I’d like you to apologize.”
No fucking way. What I did worked and I won’t apologize for it.
“Can I count on you to do that?”
“No. Don’t think you can, Batman.”
His lips tighten. “I’d also like your grandmother to—”
“You can stop that sentence right there. My grandmother will not be apologizing.”
“Fine. Fine. Can’t make you.”
I nod emphatically. No you can’t and no one can make my grandmother apologize.
“I would like your grandmother’s phone number, Steph, to talk to her.”
“Why?”
“I’d like to ask her to apologize.”
“I already said no.”
“Not up to you, Steph. I’m going to ask her to apologize. Her actions.”
“She has nothing to be sorry for and I won’t allow you to verbally trick her into thinking she does.”
“Your grandmother is an adult. She can make up her own mind about what she wants to do.”
I pull my cell phone and write her number on a slip of paper.
I’m done with this. Ranger’s not backing me and is forcing me to go apologize to those sexist assholes to make them feel better?
No.
No fucking way.
—oOo—
Ranger’s POV
Steph walks out of the kitchen, back stiff. A few minutes later I hear the garage lift and her car leave.
Sigh.
Well, I did the best I could with that.
I text the number to Hec. He’s going to ask her to apologize since I have to remain in hiding. I kick back and continue to surf through the Miami site. Bodyguard contracts are up and so are renewals. Ren’s doing a good job. I review a few and note that we’re not protecting as many women. Interesting.
“Yo!”
“Yo.”
“We’re not protecting women anymore?”
Takes Les a moment. “No. Diego wanted to shift the focus back to our original emphasis. Businessmen and dignitaries important enough to have protection but not important enough for the State Department to give a damn.”
“Sustainable?”
“Yeah. I told him and Ren that the issue of protecting women and families was going to come back. They understand. They just want to allow the heat to die down first. Plus, the men all need a break from that. He’s working with Diego and Mando to come up with rotation schedules, to give the men a break.”
“Fine. Anything else?”
“Nah. She in?”
“No.”
“Surprise.” Click.
—oOo—
I decide to take a different tack if she comes back. I send the file to Hector and ask him to clip part of it out. He sends it back and says that he’s talked to Edna.
She’s willing to apologize.
“Really?”
“Yeah. No skin off her back either way. She doesn’t care what the Miami men think of her so ‘if an apology will make those big babies feel better, fine. Bunch of whiny little boys.'” Hec’s impression of Edna is spot on and I hang up the phone grinning.
Edna’s amusing but my mindset has shifted to Hec’s now: Not funny. I wouldn’t allow any man to grope Julie or Steph.
Maybe Les (and Rod) had a point: need to work on that benevolent sexism. I saw Edna as funny but a man would get his fingers snapped. Actually, that’s not even a sexism issue. That’s just simple respect. We teach children about inappropriate touch but Edna’s running wild.
The Edna thing made hypocrites of us all and showed all of us that sexism really is alive and well. As Les said, “We were never bothered by Edna because the stereotype is the creepy old man. Edna? We just humor her. We’re humoring her bad behavior, some shit we’d never humor from a man. But the behavior is still the same, so why is it just funny when she does it?”
Good question.
—oOo—
Steph returns. Retail therapy was apparently needed.
I watch as she puts her new clothes away, refusing to look me in the eye. I consider what I’ll need to do to allow her to use the unused vertical space more effectively.
“Steph?”
“I’m done with the discussion, Ranger.”
“Fine. I’ll leave you with this.” I set the CD on top a box of shoes and leave.
I’m going to swim a few laps then clean my boat. Time to start wrapping up the branch checks and preparing for the NYC review.
—oOo—
Steph’s POV
The CD catches the light everywhere, just like my ring. It screams Play me!
I don’t really want to listen to whatever’s on it, but I’m curious. I finally pick it up and leave my closet. I head into the bedroom and put it in the DVD Player, climbing on the bed to listen. I stop it before anything starts playing and head back downstairs and grab the fruit bowl I bought at the grocery store. A bottle of wine, some fruit, and I’m back upstairs, under our thick and soft duvet, wishing I’d grabbed a pound cake, but I can’t button my skinniest jeans anymore. I restart the CD and get ready to be very angry.
“OK, Tony and his crew were assholes. There were some other die-hard sexists in the group. Gotcha. Remove them and what are you left with? It’s a branch of mostly good men. Somewhat sexist? Yes, but that’s Miami. It’s the city and the culture of that city. Could she have reviewed Miami without insulting them constantly?”
Insulting them constantly? Rod, you weren’t even there! What do you know? I didn’t insult them! I just didn’t take their insults and disrespect!
I need whipped cream.
“Oh yeah, I heard. I heard from the men, not Thomas, because Thomas likes her. He was sick of Tony and his ilk, so whatever Steph did was good for him”—I knew I liked Thomas—“but talk to the men. Talk to the men here. Their view of her is not so friendly.”
“How many are here?”
“Six. Each branch took six of the men with the highest sexism scores. I’ve gotten to know the men here, supervising them while we’re at the Boys and Girls Club and helping out at the battered women’s shelter. There’s no love for the CO among them.”
“Why?”
“Because they felt prejudged. Miami is home base. They wanted to get to know her. They really did.”
A grape falls from my mouth. What! They spent their time, from the moment I hit the branch, snooping, spying and following me! No one simply walked up and said, hello Ms. Plum, welcome to Miami … OK, asshole Tony did, but he wasn’t trying to get to know me! He wanted to know what I was doing so he could tell me what to do!
And they felt prejudged? Well, I’m sorry if you have a rep and your rep got around! Everyone told me you were a bunch of assholes! Did you really expect me not to think you might be assholes? That was your rep! Own it!
“The prevailing view is that she’s your woman, regardless of the cop.”
Regardless of the cop? What does that mean? Does that mean Joe? I cringe a little, wondering what they thought about that.
“They expect that she’ll spend a lot of time in Miami in future and they wanted to develop a relationship with her like RMSA has with Lula. Like Trenton has with her. Then they were caught off guard with a sexism survey?” Momentary pause. “Some of those men have wives and girlfriends trying to endure this separation.“
Oh. I pause the tape and consider that. I didn’t think about how that was going to affect wives and kids. I hate when Ranger leaves, no matter what the reason … I’d be kinda pissed about that too. Ouch.
“The Miami men look at how the results of that survey were implemented in Miami versus everywhere else and they’re not happy. Their jobs were threatened and their lives disrupted. You know they talk. They get together on IM and on the phone and talk, sir. Four of them are considering talking to a lawyer.” Longer pause. “I don’t think they will, but that’s how hurt they are. Like me, they’ve been transferred away from family and friends based on the results of that survey, not previous performance reviews or disciplinary write-ups. A survey!“
Well, boo hoo. I had nothing to do with those transfers but since they hate me it’s all my fault. I open the wine and chug directly from the bottle. You can’t get drunk off Beaujolais.
“Now, in every other branch, that survey was used in conjunction with disciplinary write-ups and performance reviews, but not Miami. Miami was deemed the land of sexists and since they’re all sexists, she’s not helping them grow their branch stronger.“
What! I gave them their review! I supported a lot of the things Mario wants to do with Bonds Enforcement! I backed Ren as the head of bodyguards and armed guards. I stayed for an entire month and I asked the strongest strategist in the company, someone I was angry with, to join me in Miami just in case I had to do a mass firing! I came prepared to help them rebuild their branch from the bottom up! I did it after being rattled after being kidnapped and being used as bait for killers and gang members!
Assholes! I wipe the tears and chug more wine.
I did lots of stuff and, most importantly, I met with women in Miami to stop the hemorrhage from the branch! I met with angry women to ask them to stop gossiping about us so bad! I told them I was in charge and fixing the problems! They don’t think that helped?
“Oh no, unlike every other branch, they have to figure it out on their own. So what was the point of her visit? So she could drop in, yell at them, and leave?”
No, so I could find the mole, give their branch a review, and relax a bit! You need to stay out of it, Rod! You weren’t there!
“The men there said it was basically a ‘Kiss my ass’ visit.”
Fuck you. Ranger actually listened to this? He took this seriously?
I need cake. I need cake to listen to this.
“Mando and Diego wanted to fire the troublemakers in that office. Why not let them? She could have done the same review and allowed Mando and Diego to do their jobs.”
There’s another long silence. I’m fighting tears, I’m out of fruit, and I’ve drunk half the bottle. I need a dozen doughnuts. Fruit isn’t cutting it.
“Still, the view there is, couldn’t she just give them their scores and work with them to show them how this impacts their lives? The men like Candy because that’s what she’s doing and she’s serious about this.”
“Not because of her figure?” I hear some chuckling. I don’t know why. This isn’t funny.
“The men aren’t dead yet, sir.” A snort. “There’s appreciation for Candy because she’s a beautiful woman, but they consider her like they do Mariela. Beautiful but taken and her man doesn’t play, so stop ogling her ass and pay attention to the brain.”
How kind. A woman has to have a man for them to consider her brain instead of her body. I snort. More sexism at play.
“No, they like her because she comes up with good examples for them to discuss. She’s a Miami native. She understands the culture better and she knows how to get them talking and thinking.
50 Shades of Gray? Genius. Once they finished reading that and talking about the discussion questions she gave them, they were surprised at how hard it was not to see parallels in their own sexist tendencies and the actions of this literary character they widely considered an asshole.“
And why was that? Because I’d shown and proven to them that they were sexists! That they had sexist tendencies! That they had sexist behaviors! Candy could have talked until she was blue in the face and they would have nodded and talked about her tits and ass, but I proved it! They couldn’t run away from that assessment! I gave Candy the ability to keep pushing the discussion! They had something concrete, a number, to work on!
“Agreed.” Why, Ranger? Why are you agreeing with that?
“Right. The scores were pointed out to them, they talked about it, the men are working with those impacted by sexism. That approach is appreciated in Miami and the respect that the CO gets everywhere else, Candy would get in that office. They aren’t Neanderthals. They’re men, products of their environment like we all are, but we can learn if given the information we need.“
And I gave it to them! Candy followed it up!
“Candy respected the men, which shows how big she is since I heard she was groped when she first visited. Yeah, but that was the action of one man. She didn’t make every man pay for that.
Now, the CO? Did she have to allow her grandmother to harass them? She diluted her own message doing that and was amused by it, which showed her to be a hypocrite. And, by the way, the men still in Miami intend to file a complaint. If they liked Ms. Plum they wouldn‘t, but since they don’t and her grandmother is back in house, they intend to. I think you‘re probably the only person who can talk them out of that right now, sir.”
“Noted. Thank you for the warning.”
“You’re welcome.” A heavy sigh. “At the end of the day, sir, I like the CO professionally.”
Yeah? Can’t tell from all the shit you just said, Rod. The CO doesn’t like you. She thinks you’re an asshole and if Ranger had not already taken you off probation, she’d leave you on probation until the end of time.
“She’s done a good job with the company over the course of this year and really moved it forward. That’s great and I respect her for that.” How kind. Throw me a bone, like your partner and his ‘you’re not incompetent’ at the beach.“I think that’s the prevailing view in Boston. We respect her professionally but not so much personally.”
I’m numb. I have no response to that. I thought they liked me in Boston. This last visit felt like they liked me.
“Miami?”
There’s a pause. “Don’t come back. We don’t like you personally, we don’t really like you professionally because you didn’t do shit for us, and if your grandma pinches one more man, we’ll ship her ass home in a body bag.”
That sends chills down my spine. Oh. Ranger wasn’t joking about that.
“So what do you think I should handle first, Rodney?”
“The most dire thing? The Miami men. They feel betrayed, hurt, confused, annoyed, you name it, they feel it. They got tarred with the brush of assholes and are being penalized for their beliefs about male-female relationships and the role of women. If she wanted to make a point, she made the point.“
Good. Thanks for telling me. But isn’t the whole point of this little grumble that you don‘t like that I made the point? That you’re whining about having taken the survey? That you’re unhappy that you were revealed to be sexist assholes?!
“Work with the men to reduce those scores. Talk to them about how it affects their lives. Don’t just point out what you think is a problem, then walk away.”
I didn’t walk away! I was there for a month, with Candy, writing performance plans for each man and searching for ways to make a point!
“Even more, don’t treat them like they’re diseased. Miami had the worst scores, but not by much. Every branch has a problem with sexism. They don’t see her shipping Atlanta’s men off to other branches. NYC’s men had an issue with hostile sexism just like they did. Why weren’t they moved?”
Because I didn’t make the decision to move them! Don’t blame me for Mando and Tank’s decision!
“The men here, volunteering at the shelter? It’s made a difference. They see the correlation now. They’re talking about it. I think Miami will vote to continue their work with the shelters. It’s made a difference to them personally.”
The recording stops there. The remote has slipped from my fingers. I’m ignoring the tears running down my face.
Even when I do a good job, I fail! This isn’t fair! I did what I had to to save the branch and those assholes want to crucify me for it and no one is backing me!
I never heard Ranger walk in but I’m quickly wrapped in a Ranger cocoon. I fight it, hitting his chest. “Let me go! Let me go!” I scream, sobbing against his chest. Ranger rubs my back and holds me while I calm down.
“OK, bad idea,” he says softly.
I lean back and look at him. “You thought letting me hear that was a good idea?” I ask, hiccupping. He nods. “You’re clueless!”
His lips tighten. “No, I wanted you to hear from the horse’s mouth what I heard. No secrets.”
I sniff. Well, at least he had a decent excuse.
“First thing you need to know.” I look up. “Rod was expressing Miami’s opinion, not necessarily his own, so don’t get mad with him.”
“Too late,” I mutter. Rod will never leave my shit list.
He smiles slightly. “You see, that’s part of the reason I had to take it seriously. The Boston liaison in Charlotte had information about the mood of the Miami men across the company. That meant he was tapped in to their anger. The Miami liaison? He supported your actions so the men aren’t going to complain around him. Thomas is in a blind spot at the moment and unable to do his job effectively.”
I calm down further, considering what Diego said. The men are learning to stay out of my hearing with complaints and bullshit.
The Bvlgari is calming me quickly. “Rod’s not mad I moved him to Charlotte?”
“He was, but he also admitted he understood why. You wanted to see if he was a leader or a follower. He’s learned, but I didn’t just take his word.”
Well I’m glad he got the point. I’m calm again, thinking fast. “Ram?”
Ranger nods. “Bobby did some digging for me. Step one, check with the other liaisons. Adam, Ram, Drake, and Ches all admitted that the Miami men in their branches had the same complaints. So Rod’s report to me was verified.”
My shoulder’s slump. “Next?”
“I didn’t just take his word for it. I met with the Miami men in Charlotte, to hear directly from them, while each liaison and Bobby all dug for me.”
“Bobby? Couldn’t Ches handle RMSA?”
“He did. Bobby made the calls to Miami, since no one is going to tell Thomas how they really feel right now.” Oh. “So I got a comprehensive report that basically said Rod is right.”
I nod, feeling defeated. “Next.”
“There are a lot of things on the tape from Rod—”
“That isn’t the full tape?”
“No.”
I pull away from Ranger and cross my arms, just in case they decide to do some exercise. “I want to hear the full tape.”
“That’s for you and Tank to discuss.”
“Why? You’re the CCO and the complaint was made to you—”
“But Tank is your supervisor and if he wants to address any of that, he will.”
“So I need to call Tank?”
He shrugs. “You can, but you already know how Tank feels.”
“No, I don’t—”
“Yes, you do.” Ranger cuts me off. “Not only is he apologizing to the men, but he’s letting them know that the decision to move the men was his and Mando’s idea, with my support. I told you that earlier.”
I try to remember him saying that, but I don’t. I want to hear the full tape.
“The management above you backs you, Steph. You and Tank worked together all year on what to do. The guys backed your every decision. They’re not going to not back you now.”
I snort. “They just want me to apologize for proving that the men are sexists.”
“They want you to join them in apologizing for being hypocrites. We all were and the men are calling you out on it. We’re saying that we all were.”
You’re backing down because of their whining. They don’t want to change. They don’t want to take their sexism scores seriously. This is step one in dismantling everything Candy and I have been doing and I’m not impressed. “What else is on that tape?”
“A few other things but what’s important is that the section I had cut out for you—”
“Who heard that?” The moment I ask, I know. “Hec?”
He nods. “The section I had cut out is the only part I’m addressing with you and only because I said I would—”
“Wait! What does that mean?”
“That this entire conversation should have been addressed by Tank.”
“Why?”
He sighs deeply. “Because the men are calling you out about your job performance. That’s really an issue for you and him. I’m addressing it with you because I want to address this with them fast, before the men stop thinking about filing suit and actually do it.”
“You really think they would?” I whisper.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever faced this issue. I don’t want to chance it. The Miami men aren’t stupid and they’re still pissed. Four months later and they’re still angry? I have to cut this off quick.”
“So I have to apologize.”
His lips tighten. “All of management is apologizing for Edna only, Steph. You are not the only person who will be issuing an apology. There’s one other section I have to address—”
“What?”
“Susan’s allegations about my lack of support for Maria in Miami.”
I nod in complete agreement.
“You don’t know what she said.”
“What Maria endured was insane. Another example of sexism at work.”
Ranger stares at me before shaking his head. “Really?” I nod. “OK, what she said was that she and the other housekeepers lost respect for me and Ella for that.”
My stomach drops. “Ella? Ella’s great! Why would they lose respect for Ella? She—”
“Failed to do her job,” Ranger says coldly. I wince. “Mando’s taken the heat for years but Maria was the ultimate loser. So Ella and I need to address with Maria how we intend to support her going forward and I have to stand by as Tank or Bobby reprimands Ella for not doing her job. Probably Bobby.”
My mouth drops. “That’s not fair! The Miami men ran Maria down! She started working there while she was grieving her husband and—”
“Excuses, Steph. That’s all excuses. At the end of the day, Ella wrote Maria up every time she to traveled to Miami but did nothing to reprimand Maria, even though she knew what Maria was doing. That’s why she’s been reviewing contracts and duties with each housekeeper, trying to ensure that never happens again.”
This feels like another Sasha Michaels. I had an argument; Ranger is tearing it apart.
“I also failed to both support and reprimand Maria because I got irritated every time she served me inappropriate snacks, but I ignored the issue. Maria also has some culpability because she never said anything about her treatment. She allowed the men to run her down and never complained.”
He leans back against the pillows and stretches. “Basically, Susan pointed out that no one gave a damn about Maria’s treatment until we realized you would have to deal with it. Then Maria got all the help she needed. Now Maria’s ready to complain and she won’t take it, but we all bear responsibility in that mess. And since it’s my branch and my housekeeper, I’m ultimately responsible. So Ella and I both need to ensure Maria gets an apology and we determine how we’re going to move forward.”
I’m silent. Nice to know they finally helped Maria because of me.
“You see, I have the shame of having to let Bobby clean that up because Ella is my aunt. I can’t even protect her here.”
“Ella’s my report.”
“But this isn’t your issue. This issue predates you and involves me and Ella. That’s something for us to discuss. Do you really want to be the one to tell Ella she’s being reprimanded?”
I wince. Nope. Not a chance.
“So that’s why I wanted you to hear that. I wanted you to know what the mood was like in that office. I wanted you to understand why I would like you to join us in apologizing.”
I shake my head and roll until I’m off the bed.
“I’m not apologizing for shaking the truth into them. They don’t like it? Tough, Ranger. I stand by my decision and I’m not apologizing for it.”
—oOo—
I decide to spend the rest of the day with Grandma. She and Larry look happy sunning themselves on the beach. I’m trying not to look. I see my future and it droops.
I think I’ll run a few miles today. I made another pineapple upside down cake in my Crock Pot, but I think I’ll leave that alone for a while.
I refuse to look any lower than Larry’s Adam’s apple, which he finds funny.
“How’s it going?” I ask, when Larry ambles back to his condo. I’m thrilled to see him go. I hope he returns with clothes.
“Fine.” Grandma slathers on some more sunblock. I shift and reapply sunblock too. I refuse to strip down.
“Do I need to help you look for an apartment?”
She sighs and stares out into the water. “No.”
“Why not? You like being independent.”
“Yeah, but I like having someone with me.” She smiles. “I think that’s probably what Gloria finally realized. There’s no shame in sharing my life with someone who respects me.”
Gloria?
“So … how are you independent now?”
“I pay the utility bill. I keep the lights on.”
“Is that enough?”
She snorts. “Larry showed me the fall and winter electricity bills. Believe me, that’s enough.”
“He lives here year round?”
“No, in the summer he has a place in Maine.”
“Are you going to go with him?”
“I’m thinking about it.”
“How rich is Larry, Grandma?”
She lies back and waves the gnats away. “He spends the electricity bill on one good meal.”
I stick around for dinner, which is wonderful. Fresh fish, great wine, and Larry plays guitar music for ambience. Watching the sun drop into the ocean, I really wished I was with Ranger. That’s his kind of evening and I’ve grown to really love it. Grandma and Larry look so happy together and they tease each other. I don’t remember ever seeing Grandma and Grandpa like this and I tell Grandma so when Larry leaves the room. She snorts.
“He wasn’t a man to tease,” she says, finishing off the pound cake. “Anyway, apology Wednesday. You know what you’re going to say?”
“You’re going to apologize?”
She snorts. “The babies need an apology, so I’ll apologize. What? You won’t?”
“No.” I cross my arms. “I expected Ranger to back me and he didn’t. He’s caving to make them feel better.” I start bouncing my leg, trying not to get mad and hurt all over again.
I expected Ranger to back me.
Grandma stares at me before her face softens into a small smile. “No, Stephie. He’s not caving but he’s a businessman. He has a business to protect. If an apology will make his employees feel better and trust him again, he’s willing to give it but he doesn’t have to.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this,” I mutter. I snag the last piece of corn on the cob and concentrate on that and it hits me that I just revealed that Ranger’s here. I cringe mentally. “Grandma, you can’t reveal that he’s here.”
She rolls her eyes. “You mean like you just did?” My face heats up. “I won’t say a word.”
“Thanks.”
“You love him?”
I look up. She’s staring at me like she did five months ago at Point Pleasant. “Yes.”
“Then pull your head from your ass, Stephie.” My mouth (and some corn) drops. “Your man is asking you to have his back and you’re leaving him out there to face the wolves alone after you and I caused this problem. That’s why I’m apologizing. Because whenever you’ve needed him, he’s been there for you. If my actions mean his employees won’t protect you, I’ll choke back my pride and apologize.”
She stands and takes my plate. “You need to determine if your pride means more than his face.”
She walks out with my plate and Larry walks in and sits. He smiles and pats my hand. “Your grandma is right.”
I clench my jaw. “I expected Ranger to back me and he’s caving.” Why isn’t anyone understanding this simple point?
Larry shakes his head, his watery blue eyes fixed on me. “Do you think your grandma wanted to apologize to Bertha?”
“Who’s Bertha?”
“My friend whose husband’s funeral she disrupted.”
I snort. “No. I know she didn’t.”
“But she did. She did because it meant a lot to me. Is your young man the kind to make apologies if he doesn’t feel that they’re deserved?”
No. I know that and my face says it. Larry passes me a cigar and we light up and relax. I watch the stars wink off the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic. Grandma rejoins us and we sit quietly, listening to the frogs croak in the distance.
My pride? Or Ranger’s face?
His support for me? Or my support for him?
