I just wanted to clear that up.
Unruly
"Hell no!" came out of the HR Director's mouth, and her assistant froze in front of her. It was one of the few times she witnessed her boss lose it. "I am not ….no! I will not …this belongs in the accounting department," she said to the assistant, and shoved the paper back in the woman's hand. "No, wait," Irene said taking it back.
"So when are you having the boss to your houses?" Claudia asked Pete and Steve when they came down to check on a security update.
"What boss?" Pete asked.
"What house?" Steve asked.
"Helena – she's got this new program going – get to know the employees, and she is going to have dinner at your house," Claudia said, sipping on iced tea.
"No she's not," Pete said because the image of Helena dining with employees always meant bad things happened.
"She's had brunch with us," Steve said.
"She likes us," Pete explained.
"So maybe it's dinner with employees she likes?" Claudia said.
"That would be discriminatory," Steve pointed out.
"And a short list." Pete added.
Mrs. Frederic rushed past the trio. "When is Helena coming to your house, Mrs. F?" Pete shouted. The woman was so frazzled that she stopped.
"What are you talking about?" the HR Director asked, forgetting where she was headed.
"The Boss is having dinner at the employees' houses, to get to know them better," Pete said.
"Mr. Lattimer, is this a joke?" Irene asked, in no mood for such nonsense.
"No, Ms. Bering told me. They're going to Eileen's house first," Claudia explained.
"Lucky," Pete said because his natural response was to whine when not picked first. All three friends looked at him. "I mean, lucky to get it over with," he tried to recoup.
"Are you sure about this?" Irene asked Claudia.
"Yep, the boss told Eileen herself and then Ms. Bering explained what it was," the tech director confirmed. It held more credibility that the source was Myka.
Irene remembered where she was headed and restarted her trip upstairs.
"I think I'll do a vegetarian chili. Jane says it's the best she's ever had," Pete shared and his friends looked at each other.
"Yeah, chili just screams Helena Wells," Steve kidded him.
Irene was used to Helena promoting things without giving it much thought, but in the old days that might be something like making people work seven days a week. Irene was able to refute things like that because there were labor laws on her side. The entire staff of Wells Corp referred to this time as Helena's "PMS" or 'Pre- Myka Syndrome." Since the Chief Counsel joined the firm, life for staff members was much calmer. Except, of course, for Mrs. Frederic.
Now Helena had rearranged people and positions without any consultation. The Chief Financial Officer who questioned Helena's jet expenses received a very nice termination package when he got back to his office. Artie didn't know it yet, but he was about to be promoted to that position. At least Irene understood being involved in this. What she shouldn't be involved in was Millie's new job, but without a CFO to approve expenses, Irene was next in line.
"Are you going to authorize this?" Irene said pushing the paper in front of Helena after barging in.
"What is this?" Helena asked unable to read the scribble.
"It's a bill for one hundred and forty-four …..bananas," Irene said.
"What is it for?" Helena asked, perplexed.
"It's for the cooking class you created. Millie's Food for Lovers. Now you tell me what you think they're going to do with one hundred and forty four bananas," Irene said staring down at her boss.
"Eat them?" was the first thing that came to Helena's mind.
"Really? You think you authorized her to give a class on Food for Lovers, and you think they're going to eat them? Are we just going to allow that?" Irene said. Helena noticed how often Irene reminded her she authorized this – and – how she kept repeating the name of the class with great annoyance.
"What else would they do in a cooking class? Sit down, Irene. You're getting all upset. Let's call the woman and ask her," Helena said - as Irene talked about rules and regulations and things that had to be followed.
"Miss Barone? This is Helena Wells. I am looking at a receipt for a gross of bananas and this has somehow alarmed your HR Director. I believe she is worried that you might be using them for – how shall I put this delicately, something other than cooking," Helena said and Irene's eyes were the size of saucers.
"Don't- you- dare," Irene warned her about being so flippant. If Helena had played with the steel ball contraption on her desk, Irene would have found it less annoying. The woman was by no means a prude, but she did have a definite sense of decorum.
"Oh yes, I will tell her," Helena said and hung up. "Banana pudding. Sounds very reasonable to me -where is your mind, Irene?" the CEO asked brazenly.
This would be the second time in hours the Brit had purposely toyed with the woman….and won. Irene would make her regret it. She snatched the paper back off of Helena's desk and stared at the smirk on her boss' face. It was – utterly obnoxious in victory*.
Irene didn't say a word as Helena reminded her not to be a spoilsport. The HR Director went outside and quietly told Eileen that she and Claudia should be working on a program that would allow open access to Helena's schedule so that they could sign up for the employee get togethers.
"You mean any night of the week?" Eileen asked thinking she better put her name down soon.
"Oh breakfast, lunch – anytime. I don't think the point will be to make Helena dinner. No, the woman wants to get to know her employees better, so anytime would be good. Let's see, three hundred and fifty employees, divided by three possible meal times," Irene started to calculate and decided it was a great deal of time of Helena out of her hair.
"We'll work around her schedule though, yes?" Eileen worried because Helena often had business meetings at those meal times.
"Oh yes, of course we will," Irene said feeling better.
"Do you want me to ask her about the times?" Eileen asked.
"Ms. Bering did say this was Helena's way of getting to know her employees, didn't she? So no, let's just tell her when people are signed up," Irene said. "Think I'll take this lying down? You've got another thing coming," Irene said to herself as she went to the elevator.
Helena Wells would have to get up a lot earlier to knock Irene Frederic off her game.
"Ms. Barone? Yes, it's Ms. Wells again. I want to elaborate on something about your class, dear. I'm all for freedom of expression in your cooking workshops, having been the beneficiary of your ideas. However, I ask that you do not cross the line. So let's make that - banana pudding - instead of fruit for the bedroom ok? How will you know? You'll check in with Mrs. Frederic. I do not want her upset by anything that is done in your classes, understood? Yes I know that might seem restrictive, but that is how it will have to be, " Helena instructed.
Helena had told Irene a white lie about the planned use for the food, so the woman wouldn't be upset by the real reason.
No one was allowed to upset her dear friend – except her.
*That line actually belongs to M4BW. Thank you for allowing me to use it.