Courage & Resolve
1.4 - A Rival in the Workplace
“So! Amelia! As I’m sure everyone here knows, ever since you joined us, you've been one of our top performing employees here at Beauchamp Law,” Genevieve said dramatically, standing in front of the employees of Beauchamp Law with Amelia at her side, all of whom she'd asked to gather in the rec room.
As was standard at Beauchamp Law, on the first day of every quarter, Genevieve held a mandatory gathering for all employees, where she announced the top performers of the previous quarter, and everyone celebrated their achievement with donuts and coffee. Today, she'd called Amelia to stand up beside her.
“As I’m sure you all know, we give our top four employees their own offices, so they can enjoy a space with their own door as they continue their excellent work. While our regular workspaces are luxurious, nothing tops having your own office. Keep that in mind as a motivator to work hard, everyone! Amelia here reached the position of our fourth best performer in the latest quarter, so we’d like to recognize your outstanding achievements here by rewarding you with a coveted office space of your own.”
Amelia smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much, Genevieve. This means so much to me.”
“I’d have Felix come down here and speak to you himself, but as you know, he’s a very busy man. He wishes you all well, and Amelia, he wanted me to commend you on his behalf,” Genevieve went on. “You're doing amazing work Amelia, and serve as an inspiration to us all. Now, everyone! Back to work! Amelia, I’ll show you to your office.”
Everyone wandered off, some muttering things under their breath, others just wanting to get back to their computers. Genevieve gestured for Amelia to follow her. Her office was a few paces away from the common area. Once they got to the door, Genevieve pulled out a key from her pocket and fumbled trying to get it into the lock.
“Damned key,” Genevieve cursed.
“Here. Let me try,” Amelia offered.
“No, no, I’ve got it!” Genevieve laughed. “If I can’t open this door on my own, I wouldn't know what I’m good for here. You'd nearly be better off guiding yourself!”
After another 30 seconds, she finally got it open.
“There!” Genevieve said, smiling even though she looked slightly frazzled. She flipped on the light, and hurried into the room so she could give Amelia the brief tour that seemed so important to her.
“Genevieve, I don't know if this is my place... but, are you alright?” Amelia asked, a look of concern on her face.
Genevieve looked somewhat surprised. “Everything’s fine, Amelia, just fine! Okay. I can't say much, other than that Felix is considering some… interesting career moves, and I’m justifiably concerned. But those concerns are all relatively minor, and don't affect you or anyone else here. It's nothing you need to worry yourself over.”
She started to head for the door. “You’re free to do whatever you want with this space, short of painting the walls. Have a great day, Amelia.”
Genevieve shut the door behind her, and Amelia watched her dash up the stairs from the window. Clearly, despite Genevieve's claims of all of Beauchamp Law being a family, even being one of the top four employees at the main branch of the company wasn’t enough to make her privy to that information. The Beauchamps clearly liked to keep a lot close to their chest.
Amelia sighed, and sat down at her desk. She logged into her new computer, and as she waited for it to boot up, she took the opportunity to take in her new office. Blank walls, basic furniture, overall… pretty bare. She could see why Genevieve had suggested that she could do anything she wanted with the space, it needed decor desperately. It was almost hard to believe she’d originally started working here just because she desperately needed money and they desperately needed employees. And now, here she sat, one of the top four employees.
Amelia was interrupted from her musings by a sudden hard knock on the door.
“Come in!” Amelia called out cheerfully, assuming it was Genevieve again.
Instead, a man who’d had his hair dyed white since the day he first started working there stepped into the room. He was a man Amelia had never paid much attention to. He'd started working at Beauchamp Law around six months after she had, and from what little she’d heard about the man from her co-workers, he sounded as if he was a largely mediocre employee. It wasn't due to any lack of talent, however, office gossip claimed that he was just unmotivated.
“We need to talk, Amelia,” he said smoothly.
“Uh, sure... I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been acquainted.”
“Stefan.”
“Sure, Stefan. Say your piece.”
Stefan shut the door behind him and approached her desk menacingly. “I want you to listen closely, Amelia. I’m sure we both know that I deserved that promotion just as much as you did. More so, actually. I’ve been working here for nearly as long as your have, and much harder.”
Amelia cut in. “Don’t make up stories, Stefan. From what little I’ve seen of you, you spend a lot of your time here by the coffee machine, waiting to harass whatever poor girl happens to wander over there next. This isn’t a job for you. It’s a place for you to find women- women that you have no intention of treating with any respect.”
“A man gets what a man wants, Amelia. And I want this office. I want to see you march up those stairs, pound on Genevieve’s door, and recommend this position for me. You have kids at home! You obviously have other things going on, this job isn’t your number one priority. You know whose first priority it is? Mine! I deserve this damn office. It’s bullshit that a woman who can’t even fully dedicate herself to her work ends up with one of the four special offices instead of a man dedicated to his work like me.”
“Leave my office, Stefan.”
“You don’t fool me, Amelia. I’ve seen you out back, sobbing, talking on the phone with your kids who have the misfortune of growing up without a father. If Felix actually observed this office like Genevieve does, I can assure you that I’d be in your position right now. I keep my head on straight. Do the right thing, make sure I get this room, then go home and do what you’re good at. Crying with your kids as the three of you try to figure out what went so wrong in your life.”
“You- How dare-“
Stefan turned around, and made a swift exit, shutting the door loudly behind him.
Amelia sat there for a good minute, gasping for air. The nerve of that man! She couldn’t believe he had the audacity- she wanted to go out there and give him a piece of her mind, but she didn’t want to risk her job by yelling at some man who was beneath her. And… she hated to admit it, but some of his words cut deep. She did have days where she desperately wished she had someone else beside her that could help her raise her kids, even if she was over having a husband. She could vent about it to Jo, but Jo could only watch her kids so often, and was hardly a replacement for a father.
She had a feeling that Stefan was waiting just beyond his office door, waiting for her to leave the relative safety of her office so he could go on berating her. Amelia doubted this new situation with Stefan was going to change, unless she ceded her office to him.
Amelia shakily picked up the office phone, and dialed Genevieve’s number.
Genevieve picked up immediately. “Yes, Amelia?”
“If you don’t mind… do you think I could have the rest of the day off?”
Stefan may be irritating, and she was sure he'd make her days at work infinitely more frustrating, but Amelia refused to give into his demands.
“Of course, Amelia! You have so many vacation days saved up by now that you could probably take several months off before I had any right to complain. Have a great rest of your day!”
Genevieve hung up with a click.
Amelia hurriedly logged off the computer, then quickly exited her office, not even bothering to lock it. Wasn’t like there was anything in there for other employees to steal anyway. Stefan could sit in her office chair and dream of the office he'd never have, for all she cared.
Stefan watched her leave her office from the red area, giving her a meaningful look. He seemed surprised when Amelia headed right past the stairs that led to Genevieve’s office upstairs, and headed right out the front doors instead.
Amelia’s brisk walk escalated to a run as soon as she was out of sight of the windows. She needed to figure this out, quick. She wasn’t going to leave her job, it paid well, and she liked Genevieve, but she couldn’t work in that environment with that man hounding her. Not even for one more minute.