Living had become choices of percentages. How much could be lost so that more was gained? How many people were expendable so that the company would thrive? It was all math. Nothing was real. Life meant nothing. How could it? She had nothing to loose.
~~~~~~~~~~
Copeco had its annual meeting as usual in Dallas, Texas. All executives attended the weeklong conferences. These were also the times that redistricting of different areas was announced and transfers solidified. One obvious difference in this conference was that the CEO of Copeco would be attending the gala celebration. The office was buzzing with this news when Matt walked in one morning.
"What's all the excitement Claire?" Matt leaned over with a bright smile. He had been trying to get Claire to go out with him for the last four months.
"All execs just got a memo that Ms Andieta will be at the gala dinner this year. Your memo is on your desk."
Matt quickly went into his office and looked at the memo lying on the middle of his desk. Raisa was coming. He knew that one day this would happen. He told him self over and over again to play it cool.
"Matt, did you know she was coming?" Claire asked from behind him.
"Naturally, but I couldn't say anything." Matt turned around with his confident smile.
"Do you know when she is actually coming in?"
"I'm sorry Claire, I really can't say. Raisa is a very private person."
"Oh, of course. Will you introduce me Matt?" Claire was hanging on his every word.
"If that's what would please you, yes, of course." Matt smiled devilishly.
"And who am I suppose to be meeting?" A voice from the door made them both turn around.
Matt froze instantly.
"May I help you?" Claire walked up to the dark haired woman in front of her.
"Claire!" Matt held her back by the arm. "This is Ms Raisa Andieta."
Claire was surprised then could not stop talking. "Oh Ms Andieta, it's such a pleasure to finally meet you. I read the articles about you in Money Magazine and the one in Fortune 500 last month! It's such a pleasure to meet you!" She continued shaking Raisa's hand.
"Yes, I can see that," she said soberly, looking Matt. Matt immediately intervened.
"You must let go of her hand now Claire."
Claire looked embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Matt has told me so much about you."
"Has he now," Raisa said with a sardonic smile. "All good I hope Matt."
"Of course, of course." Matt laughed but Raisa could see him beginning to sweat.
"Now, if you don't mind I would like a few minutes with Mr. Stenbeck," Raisa said as she walked into the office and sat down behind Matt's desk.
Claire looked at Matt uncomfortably and left the office closing the door behind her.
"Sit down, please," Raisa purred.
Matt sat down without uttering a word.
"I plan to attend the gala this year and to hand out the promotions and so on. I am making some changes in management and I want to see all the execs. First hand. I will of course count on your advice and guidance."
There, he said to himself. She had given him a way of saving face.
Matt nodded his head and accepted the offering. Their pact was still intact.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Amanda, you simply cannot do things your way just because you want them!" Carolyn said to the child, trying to contain the anger in her voice.
"Ms. Wasneski is an idiot!" The child said and turned her face away from her mother defiantly.
"Amanda!"
"Well, she is Mom! She babbles on and on about things that are absolutely ridiculous. I asked her a real question and she said I was insolent because she didn't know the answer. I know that's why!" The child blurted out.
"Amanda darling, you can't keep on with this behavior. I know that history is a subject that you love, but, sometimes you have to focus on what's expected in class and do more on your own." Carolyn tried to sound reasonable.
"I thought that school is for learning," Amanda said pouting in defiance.
"Yes, school is for learning. It's also so that we may learn to deal with people. You can't always challenge people Mandy...most will push back."
"Hmmm..."
"You have to learn that some things are just not acceptable. I know that you are a very intelligent girl. I know that. Your teacher knows that. But, it doesn't give you the right to make fun of others."
"I don't do that, mom," She said looking ashamed now.
"We have to watch what we say darling. Sometimes words really hurt."
The child looked out the car window and really thought about what her mother said. She looked towards her mother again. "When someone says awful things it means that they don't like you."
"Yes."
The child looked at her mother awhile longer then out the car window once more without saying another word.
~~~~~~~~~~
Raisa walked into the boardroom. All of the executives of Copeco in Dallas, Texas were present. She gave them detailed information as to what she expected to happen at the upcoming one-week conference for Copeco.
Suddenly, the agenda to the conference was changed but not one person in the room voiced a protest. All knew better to challenge Raisa Andieta. Her temper and her retaliation to opposition were legendary.
Everyone left the boardroom with unpleasant looks on their faces. All of a sudden they had to plan a whole new conference within two days. Matt was the only one whose feathers seemed unruffled. Her presence in the boardroom and her referring to him had established the pecking order early on in the game. All knew that he has her right hand man.
As all left them both alone now Matt made the invitation he dreaded making. "Ms Andieta, if you are not busy this evening I would like to invite you to dinner."
"At your house?" Her comeback was quick.
"Yes, if you like of course," he immediately added, being thrown off course.
"Thank you, but no. This trip won't be a long one and I have pressing business to see to in Europe." She dismissed him with just a look.
He got up and walked out with a sigh of relief.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next day things still seemed to be on overdrive for Carolyn. She had woken up with a restlessness that she had not felt for a long time. The afternoon was the culmination.
"Mom, it's not as bad as it seems," Simon said to his mother as she walked in further into the room
"Oh my God!" Carolyn gasped.
"He hit me first!" Amanda exclaimed.
Carolyn looked at Simon who looked elsewhere.
"Amanda, you have a black eye! What happened?" Carolyn asked as she was trying to gage her daughter's injury.
"Jarod is a pain. He is always going on and on about how much better boys are then girls."
"And?"
"I told him he was a girl!"
"Amanda!"
"He swung at me, and missed so I slugged him!" She said proudly.
"How did you get this black eye?"
"His two other friends then started fighting too."
"But..."
The phone rang and Carolyn went to answer it signaling her children to wait.
"Hello?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Yes, Ms Wasneski, I am talking to her right now." Carolyn replied once the person on the other end identified herself. "No, I didn't hear that. Of course I will talk to her. Yes. Tomorrow at 9am is fine. Thank you for calling me."
Carolyn turned around to face her daughter again.
"Oh-oh, I think she knows Mandy," Simon said under his breath.
"What did you do to the computer lab?"
~~~~~~~~~~
All four members of the Stenbeck family were sitting around the dinner table. And as usual all ate quietly.
"What happened to your eye?" Asked Matt, annoyed as usual.
"I was in a fight in school," Amanda answered.