Song of Angels - Chapter 20
Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - All Rights Reserved.
Song of Angels - Chapter 20
Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova
“Mel, This is Eric.”
“Mr. Schmidt?”
“Yes, call me Eric, Mel.”
“Yes Eric, what’s up?”
“Mel, the board has decided to hire you back as the sales manager if you want it, no loss of pay for the the days you have been terminated, no mention on your employee record that you were terminated, will you come back?”
“Oh, what has happened?”
“Honestly Mel, I thought I could handle the sales staff but I cannot. When can you get into the office? In an hour?”
“An hour? Something must have happened for the board to re-instate me, are there problems that I have to look forward too?”
“First, the incoming orders are not being sent in properly and we either have the wrong numbers for some of the sales staff because we cannot seem to contact three of our people out in the field.”
“That’s normal, who are they?”
“Benson, Rivers, and Woczlewski?”
“Benson and Rivers just need a kick in the butt but Mindy? That’s not like her at all. How long has it been since she called in?”
“Two days and she never showed up at her appointment for one of our biggest Utah accounts, Cementex. Big order, they are threatening to drop us. If they do, Arden-Moore is finished. I need you to get in here, straighten out this mess, and then hightail it to Utah to save this account.”
“I’ll do it. But I want a contract of employment this time Eric, for two years.”
“Done, now get in here and be prepared to go to Utah once everything is straightened out. When can you get here?”
“Uh, you’ll have a two year contract waiting for me?”
“I will but if you do not save the day, you know the contract is worthless right Mel?”
“So, it’s a pressure situation like every day? Do you have the number for the plant in Utah?” I’ll call them from here just after I call Benson, Rivers, and Miss Woczlewski.”
“The number for the plant is, wait - I’ll switch you over to my secretary. I’ve my fires to smother. Mrs. Rodriguez?” The line went silent for a moment.
“Hello, Mel?”
“Yes, Adornia?”
“Yes. Have a pencil and paper? (Mel mumbled) It’s 1(435)325-7788. That is for Bernard Fillmore, purchasing. Got it?”
“Yes, thanks Adornia. Who has all the paperwork now that I am gone?”
“Some is with production and the rest is with me.”
“Do you have the sales routes, Adornia?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Okay, when I come in, I’ll need those, and the hotel list of the sales staff.”
“Good to have you back Mel, the last two days have been a nightmare.”
“Thanks Adornia. I have to make some calls.”
“Right. Bye.”
“Gladys!”
“What Mel!”
“Eric Schmidt has ended my termination I am back to work.”
“That’s GREAT DEAR!”
“Gladys it is. Could you please pack me to go out? The sales staff fell apart while I was gone and I have to hit the road to Utah.”
“Sure thing Dear (Kiss).”
“Thanks Gladys you are my doll. (Kiss) I have some phone calls to make.” Gladys scurried off humming merrily.
Mel dialed Benson and then Rivers. He left the same message for each of them, “Hey knucklehead, this is Mel. I am now your boss again, why have you not reported in! Report to me, now! I am waiting.”
Then Mel dialed Mindy, “Mindy, I am your boss again, this is Mel. Why have you not called in and why have you missed several of your appointments. I want an immediate call back.”
Next Mel called Bernard Fillmore at Cementex using the ploy of finding his missing employee to reset the appointment. As he hung up the phone, Mel had to ask himself, “She called an hour before to get final directions and confirm the appointment from Delta and never showed up?” Mel called Adornia back.
“Hi Adornia, this is Mel again.”
“Hello Mel.”
“Please tell Eric I have reset the appointment with Cementex, Utah and I need the employee paperwork on Mindy Woczlewski. Oh, do I still have my old office?”
“Yes Mel.”
“Okay could HR put it on my desk before I get in about half an hour?”
“Something wrong Mel?”
“I don’t know. Odd thing, Miss Woczlewski confirmed her appointment an hour before she was to meet the Cementex purchasing agent and he gave her directions but she never showed.”
“I’ll have HR call her family contact to see if they have heard anything from her.”
“Good. Thanks Adornia. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Bye Mel.” Adornia Rodriguez hung up and set to her tasks quickly. She was efficient. She contacted HR, informed Mr. Schmidt by the telecom about Cementex. “Good work Adornia. After you transfer all the files we just moved here back to Mel’s office, I need a meeting with production and accounting.”
“Right sir.” Adornia became a whirlwind. Mel slammed on a suit. Gladys had him packed and handed him his bags, “I always hate it when you leave Mel.”
“I know doll. I know. Someday soon, I won’t have to leave until then it pays the mortgage and we have what six months to go until the house is paid off?”
“Yes. Only six more payments, then we can relax.”
“I hit them up for a two year contract doll.”
“We’ll save.”
“Gladys, Mindy Woczlewski seems to be missing for the last couple of days. What do you think?”
“She called asking for you four days ago while you were out at the store. I forgot to tell you.”
“Anything seem amiss?”
“No not at all. We chatted and she said she was doing well.”
“So she seemed happy and was making sales?”
“Yes, quite happy in fact. She asked how you were taking it.” The phone rang. Mel heard it ring from the garage, went inside, and picked it up.
“Hello, Benson.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“Caller ID. Hey why are you, Rivers, and Woczlewski not reporting or calling in any orders?”
“Rivers and I thought we would stage a protest so you could have your job back.”
“Uh-huh. Like I believe that for one instant.”
“Okay, ask Rivers, he’ll tell you.”
“Such loyalty. I am deeply touched. So you have sales orders to call then right?”
“Right, plenty.”
“Okay so what about Mindy?”
“She’s not in on it. She’s a kid.”
“Where’s Rivers, Benson?”
“I’ll get a hold of him for yah boss.”
“You do that. I am on the way to the office, call me there.”
“Will do boss.”
“Bye.” Mel hung up, walked back out to the garage, to Gladys. “That was Benson doll. He says Rivers and him staged this mess so I could have my job back.”
“Sure.” Gladys said. I’ll bet they did.
“If it turns out they did, they did, and we owe them. Benson or Rivers might call before I get back to the office. Can you watch the phone for me doll? Let me know?”
“Sure thing.” Gladys tilted her head for a goodbye kiss. Mel gave her a big smooch. His arms were full. He stowed the bags in the trunk.
“A free one and I’m off.” He took Gladys in his arms and kissed her properly. “I’ll say hello my doll soon.”
“I’ll say hello Mel soon.” It is the way they always talked to each other when parting. They never said goodbye, only hello.
“Running late, Doll.” Mel said out the open window and he was off while Gladys waved.
“Someday soon, we will say hello again.” The Doll said to herself as she waved. The phone rang. Gladys went inside to answer it. If Mel was the irate, demanding father, Gladys was the mother of the sales people. It was Rivers. In a couple of minutes she thanked him for Mel’s job back, set up a party, and knew Mindy Woczlewski was acting far outside of her character. She called Adornia and left a message for Mel that something must be wrong with Mindy Woczlewski.
Mindy used a square piece of leather to wash Cyrus as he stood in the middle of the basin. He wasn’t nearly as dirty so she never had to scrub. Just wet, soap, wipe, and rinse. Bathing Cyrus made her feel so useful, wanted, needed. She ran the leather over every square inch of his body, washing and rinsing him thoroughly, tenderly. She popped his pimples. There weren’t nearly as many as last time. She combed his hair when she was done. They talked while she bathed him. They would leave for the Jeep tomorrow before sunrise and take the wagon. Mindy dried him off with a towel. Cyrus stepped out of the basin.
Mindy stepped into the basin and Cyrus washed her. She was gentle with him and so he was very gentle with Mindy. Each part of the bath he gave her with as much love as he could give. Her hair was not washed because she said it would take too long to dry but Cyrus could not wait for the moment until they bathed again and he could wash her hair like she washed his. He patted Mindy dry with a fresh towel.
As erotic as he found bathing Mindy, he was finished for the night. So was she, worn from their love making earlier in the evening. They stoked the stove and went to bed. They kissed several times. They adjusted their body positions for comfort, warmth, and they fell sound asleep. They dreamed.
Cyrus had fitful dreams about planes, jets, jeeps, and huge buildings. His dreams were filled by what he knew and so the planes and the buildings, the jets were monsters in his imagination.
Mindy’s dreams were much different. She saw herself as a mother of three children. How their little shack was abandoned and a house big enough to shelter their growing family was built. And all through the dream, she searched for Cyrus and could never find him, or when she found him, he walked away from her so they could not talk, so that she never saw his face.
It wasn’t really a nightmare of a dream, just frustrating. She was frustrated all night long in the dream because her mind thought Cyrus might leave her somehow, that something might happen to end their new relationship..
Mel had arrived in Utah and took a motel in Delta so he could arrive at the Cementex purchasing agent’s office, bright and early. HR had spoken with Mindy’s mother and it was not unusual for Mindy to not call home when she was on a sales trip. Her mother had not heard from her in five days. But that was normal. The mother was calling around to see if anyone in the family or friends had heard from Mindy. She would call Mel back tomorrow or sooner if she found out Mindy was in contact with anyone. What wasn’t normal was Mindy filled up her Jeep in Delta, Utah about an hour before her appointment at Cementex.
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