"Hey Henry! How's the best machinist in the east?"
"What do you want?" Henry asked with a smile. It was a game they always played. Typically, Tara would have some small item for the plant's machinist to fix or make for the lab and she'd always said that it's easier to attract flies with honey than vinegar. Hence the flattery.
"Here's a card to sign. John is retiring next week."
Henry grabbed the card from Tara and then grabbed her hand.
"Whoa gal! Those could be dangerous!"
Tara laughed and said "I guess I should shorten my nails, they are getting a tad long."
"A tad? Them things are a quarter inch long!"
"Yeah, yeah. Just sign the card, will you?"
Henry signed the card, provided twenty dollars for the gift and Tara went on her way, gathering more signatures and gifts for the soon to be retiree.
* * * * *
That same afternoon, Henry was required to go repair a hydraulic pressure system. Tom, the new supervisor was hanging around the system where Henry was working, trying to be helpful but really getting in Henry's way and on his nerves.
Tom was not well liked. He was arrogant and pushy. His so-called help had already cost Henry two gaskets. The gaskets were hand made by Henry and he only had one more made and only enough material to make one more. He was trying to get the hydraulic system back together but the way the system was, the gasket had to stay up below the upper part while Henry ramped up the bottom part. It was not possible to simply lay the gasket on top of the bottom piece and the gasket kept falling and then getting caught crooked between the two metal parts, ruining it. They had tried a few different methods of holding the gasket up but it just didn't work.
Henry asked his supervisor "Can we please take this whole thing apart and take it to the shop where I could do this upside down and get it done right?"
"No, we're doing this here and I promised it would be done by the end of the day. Taking this apart will take too long. Now what if...." and Tom kept talking, insisting they try it his way even though it had failed before.
Soon, the third gasket was ruined. Henry stood up and said "Boss, we have two choices. I just have enough material to make one more gasket. We either take this apart and take it to the shop or you go get Tara."
"Tara?"
"Yes, Tara. Tell her I said she's the best helper in the east and that I need her help."
"Tara. The girl in the lab. She won't be any help! A girl like that won't want to get her hands dirty!"
"Listen, do you want this job done or not?"
"Yes, but..."
Henry cut him off.
"It's Tara or it's the shop. It's close to quitting time for me and if you want me to stay OT, you'll have to do it my way. Go get Tara, tell her I said she's the best helper in the east and tell her to meet me in the shop. She shows up, I finish the job, otherwise, you can do it!" With that, Henry left.
Meanwhile, Cecil, the maintenance manager had arrived and had overheard the last bit of the conversation.
"Cecil, did you hear that? This guy thinks he can set conditions!"
Cecil quietly said "Do it. Go get Tara before she leaves."
"You're serious! You're going to bend to his blackmail?"
"Listen Tom, Henry has been at this plant for 20 years and if he says Tara can help, I trust him. Now go get her before she leaves!" Cecil had started quietly and had raised his voice towards the end.
"All right, all right, I'll go get the little helper" the supervisor said with much contempt.
Tom went up to the lab and asked Tara to come help. After he repeated what Henry had said, Tara grabbed the safety gear she knew she'd need and she went to the maintenance shop.
