d The Boss
By
Mario V. Farina
Copyright 2016 Mario V. Farina
All Rights Reserved
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Mario V. Farina
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[email protected] "The best way to a happy marriage is to marry the boss!"
It was breakfast time on a Saturday morning. The topic of conversation was having a successful marriage. Grandma, Matilda Willkie had just made the comment. Present at the breakfast table were Grandma, her son, Ronald Willkie, and his daughter, Marilyn. Grandma was cooking and serving griddle cakes with real maple syrup. "They ain't any good if they ain't served with real maple syrup, she had asserted with a strong bearing of authority."
"Mom," retorted her son, "Love, that's the key! Money, alone, doesn't guarantee a marriage with long-term staying power."
"Money is surely one of the necessary components," added his daughter. "A lot of marriages fail because of money problems."
"Marilyn, you could make any marriage succeed," commented her father. "You've got looks, education, refinement. Any man who wouldn't want to marry you would have salt in his head 'stead of brains!"
"You've got a good job, honey," said Matilda Willkie. "Do you have a boss?"
"Yes, Granny, after getting my BS in Biology, I was lucky enough to be hired by International Future Foods of the World with a branch right here in Brookford. I'm in training to be a Research Specialist. My manager is Dr. Bernard Ralston."
"Is this doctor your boss, honey?"
"Yes, Granny. Bernie is my boss. My manager would automatically be my boss."
"What's he like? How old is he," asked her grandmother?
"He's nice. Very friendly. He and I get along very well."
"Marry him, exclaimed," Mrs. Willkie!
"I don't love him, Granny," responded Marilyn! "He's probably ten years older than me!"
"A good marriage ain't worth nothin' without love," remarked her father!
A few days later the same group was in the kitchen having dinner. Mrs. Willkie was serving biscuits and gravy. She had promised there would be enough for seconds, and apple pie for dessert.
Turning to Marilyn, she asked, "How's your boss treating you, honey?"
"I was going to bring that up," answered the young woman. "Mr. Ralston informed me that, effective the first of the month, I'll be getting a ten percent raise and a promotion. My new title will be, Director, Bio-Foods, a new department. Bernie will continue to be my manager."
"Anything new about him marrying you," her grandmother asked?
"No, nothing new. And nothing old," said Marilyn with a smile.
"You refer to him as, Bernie. What does he call you," asked her dad?
"Interesting, you should ask that, Daddy," she responded. "He said, Marilyn is too long a name and made up a nickname, Marvey."
"Marvey?"
"Yes, he said it stands for marvelous. I think that was sweet!"
"I think it means he's sweet on you," said her father.
"Tell him you'll marry him," suggested her grandmother.
"You're both so funny!" laughed Marilyn. "People at work talk to each other in silly ways, at times," she rebutted.
A month or so later, Marilyn, her dad, and grandmother, where at Olive Garden celebrating Mrs. Willkie's seventy-seventh birthday. They had enjoyed their dinners, and were getting ready to cut Mrs. Willkie's birthday cake.
Her son had arranged to have it delivered, and the server had informed the diners that the cake would be arriving soon.
"What's happening at work, honey," asked her grandmother? "Has your boss asked you to marry him yet," Mrs. Willkie asked addressing Marilyn?
"No, Granny," said her granddaughter. "Nothing like that is going to happen, I assure you! But, something happened today you might find interesting."
"We can't wait," commented Mr. Willkie, but no one hearing this, could have stated for sure, whether his remark had been sarcasm or not.
Ignoring the tone of her dad's observation, Marilyn continued. "Bernie, that is, Mr. Ralston, brought a young man to me today named Thomas Copeland and asked me to take him under my wing, so to speak. Mr. Copeland is being groomed to be leader of the company at some distant time, and he needs to learn what the company does from the ground up. I was chosen to do some of the training." She paused.
"That's quite a compliment for you," commented her dad. "You're on your way up, yourself."
"What's Mr. Copeland like? Is he young? Good looking?" Asked Marilyn's grandmother.
"He's between twenty-five and thirty, I would guess," she replied. "Yes, he appears very nice, but I don't know very much about him except what Mr. Ralston told me. He's being groomed for high office within the company. A lot will depend upon what I think. I'll be asked to advise on his personality, intelligence, honesty, those kinds of things. I'll have a high responsibility in giving accurate evaluations."
"You can do it," said her father. "Nobody is more reliable than you!"
"Thank you for your confidence, dad!"
Three servers arrived balancing a huge object in their arms.
"Here comes the cake," called out Marilyn cheerfully! "Happy Birthday, Granny!"
A few days later, the phone rang on Marilyn's desk. "Yes, Julie."
"Mr. Ralston would like to see you in his office, Ms. Willkie. Just knock and walk in," he said, "no rush, but at your earliest convenience."
"Thanks, Julie."
She left her office and walked half way down the hall to the elevator. Despite the fact that she was on Floor 64, she pushed 65 inside the elevator. Riding up one floor would give her the minute she needed to think. Exiting, it was another short walk to 6432. She knocked and entered. Mr. Ralston, standing next to his ornate desk, was waiting.
"Good morning, Marvey," he said, "Thanks for coming so promptly."
"Though you didn't say so, Bernie, I knew it was important," she replied. Though she had been in his office before, she was still awed by its luxurious woods, and fabrics. Her own office was luxurious but, as nothing, compared to her manager's.
"Let's sit here," said Mr. Ralston as he led the way to a nearby couch. It had three cushions. He motioned her to the end cushion on one side while he sank into the one on the other end. He turned his body to face her and she matched this action at the other end to face him.
"Tell me, Marvey," he said, "have you had a chance to talk to Tom Copeland?"
"Yes, I have, Bernie, I have a lot to tell you."
"There was a second reason I asked you to come to my office," said Mr. Ralston. "Do you mind if I tell you that reason first, then ask what you learned about Mr. Copeland?"
"No, Bernie. It may be out of sequence, but perhaps, better this way."
"Marvey, the main reason I wanted to talk to you is because I have fallen in love with you, and am asking you to marry me! I know this may come as a surprise, but since you joined the company two years ago, I have come to, not only admire you greatly, depend upon you, but also fall deeply in love with you. Women usually know about these things. Have you suspected any part of what I'm saying?"
"Yes, I felt this was happening, but did not know how to handle it. I know you've never been married before, and would make an excellent husband, but I have to say no."
"Marvey, I could give you luxuries that you probably have never even dreamed of. I was with the group that started t
his company, and the stock that I own has made me a very wealthy man. And this is just the beginning. There is not another company in the world like this one. Is there nothing I could say that could make you change your mind?"
"I'm sorry, there isn't, Bernie. I have come to know that you are a very fine man. I'm sure, there are many women who would discover this as well as I have, and, one of them would make a wonderful wife for you."
"I'm sorry about your decision," said Mr. Ralston. "But, at least, I'll be able to continue relying on you in the company!"
"This brings us to the second reason why you asked me to come here," said Marilyn. "About Mr. Copeland."
"Yes, I know he is an up-and-coming employee of the company. What did you learn about him that I can report upstairs?"
"Bernie, Mr. Copeland's purpose in coming to visit us was for me to find out whether you would make a good candidate for vice president of the company. The name he gave you, Thomas Copeland, is not his real name. He is Jeff Sanders, founder of the company. He started the company in his garage at age sixteen. Never completed high school, never went to college. He knew you would recognize him when you saw him, so he came in heavy disguise. You never knew this, but he had brought Hollywood make-up artists with him who would remove the disguise at night and replace it in the morning, each operation requiring more than an hour." She paused for a few seconds.
"You're right, Marvey, I had met and talked to him several times at various meetings in the past. But when he came here, his disguise fooled me completely. He obviously trusted you in not revealing his true identity."
"I had a horrendous dilemma on my hands, Bernie; I was torn between my loyalty to you and to the company. I finally decided that I needed to place the company first."
"I would have done the same, Marvey, responded Mr. Ralston. Do not feel guilty. Your decision was the right one. Are you able to tell me what you told Mr. Sanders?"
"Yes, I told him that he could never find another person that had higher qualifications for the office of vice president then you. He told me that relying on what I had said, you would be offered the position within the next few days, and he gave me permission to tell you this if the subject came up."
"I guess that is all the business we can discuss at this meeting," Mr. Ralston said sadly.
"Well, not exactly all! There are a few more minor pieces of information I can tell you. First, my granny has been advising me to marry the boss. My dad has kept insisting that love is of paramount importance in any marriage. I will be able to go home tonight and tell them their suggestions will both be taken. During our meetings, Jeff and I got to know each other and fell in love. He asked me to marry him yesterday, and I said yes!"
Note: The author of this story reads one of his stories on Youtube every day. To see and hear, open www.youtube.com and search for "Grandpa Mario reads"