Please note that there is no one in the following story under the age of 18.
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It had been the third long day in a row.
Corporate meetings in the dead of winter, it was dark when I got up, and it was dark when the last meetings finished. I am younger than all of the other managers and the only male in a group of twenty-five women, all in their late-fifties and early sixties.
The women had worked together for many years and I felt very much the outsider, and not just because of the age difference. Although I am polite and respectful, I have lots of new ideas and I am not afraid of speaking my mind, which in this very staid group of retail managers, only combines to make me even more unwelcome.
They were friendly and nice enough, but as I sat alone in the hotel restaurant, I knew I just didn't fit in. I was figuring that after having a bite to eat, I would go workout in the weight room and maybe have a swim before heading back to my room and summarizing my meeting notes from today for my staff.
Sitting at a table in the back corner, I was working on those notes, when I heard a voice behind me.
"I thought you would have gone for dinner with the rest of the managers?"
Jean Edwards, my boss. The person who hired me to shake things up.
She was tough, opinionated, and outspoken; but she was fair, and I can't think of a person male or female that I respect more. She is also funny and a good mentor; and although likely more than twenty-five years my senior, she was, very beautiful. She was the subject of many quiet fantasies that had bounced around in my mind during some of the more boring segments of the meetings.
"Hi Jean, I figured you would be out with them too", I said and smiled.
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"I wanted to check to see if anyone was eating alone, and besides, I thought I would skip the gossip-fest."
She added, "They are all nice enough, but they only ever talk about the same things and after two nights of listening to that I am getting a little sick of them."
I smiled again and said "Thanks, I appreciate the company, would you join me?"
"I would love to. I was actually planning on a quick supper and then I wanted to try to get some rest because my neck and back are killing me. These meetings are so stressful with all the head office brass around."
I could see how tense and tight she seemed and I said as much.
"It's nice that you noticed, I appreciate that," she replied with a tired smile.
Before I could say any thing else, the menus arrived and we both ordered and then we talked about the meetings, our opinions of the speakers, her goals, and how difficult it is to inject new ideas to a group of people who didn't want to change.
"I think that is why, I'm sick of listening to them, they don't want to change despite the pressures of the economy. There is so much pressure to adapt and be more flexible."
I laughed and said "Right now, even you don't look very flexible, with your stiff back and neck."
She gave me that tired smile again, "I would love a good massage, with the rest of the week to go, I'm afraid I will be stiff as a board before the end of the week."
The meal arrived, we ate, and talked the entire time. As I listened to her, my appreciation for her only grew stronger, as did my concern for the stress that she was under.
"I am so glad you are here. I know that I can count on you to help turn things around."
When she said that I smiled again, and that made me feel a little bit better about being an outsider.
I decided to take a chance, knowing that the odds were against me, and that I would likely have my offer turned down.
"Jean, why don't you let me see if I could help with your neck and shoulders, I'm worried about you; you look like you are in real pain."
"I wish I could, and I'm grateful for the offer, but could you imagine the gossip; it's bad enough that I'm having dinner with you in a quiet restaurant."
I was surprised at the response; I had figured that I was going to get brushed off or worse. When I didn't, I took another chance.
"Jean, I am pretty good with massaging and I know that I could help, and besides, the place is deserted and nobody will know, do you want to feel like this for the rest of the meetings?"
"Okay, just a short one, after we finish the meal."
Totally, not what I had expected.
Not wanting to seem too excited, I steered the conversation back to dinner and working. I was glad I did, because she told me more stories of the funny things that she had experienced in her different jobs with the company and I could tell she was relaxing a little.
When it came time to leave, she paid the bill with the company credit card and we walked through the empty lobby to the elevator. I was almost afraid she had forgotten her massage.
"What floor are you on? We better use your room because too many of "them" have visited mine."
When she said that, it would have been impossible for her not to see the huge smile on my face.
I told her the floor, she pressed the button, and I forced myself to relax.
The elevator doors opened and the hall was empty. We walked to my room and I swiped the door lock and turned on the room lights.
