Page 41 of A Heartfelt Christmas Promise
The tension was undeniable. Lilene repositioned the microphone. “We’re here tonight to introduce you to Ms. Vanessa Larkin. She’s from AGC headquarters, and she’ll be staying in town for a few weeks. It was at her request that I scheduled this meeting.”
Everyone in the room was stoic. Lilene attempted to soften the mood by offering a joking comment. “I know there’s been a lot of speculation about why she’s here. At least we’re off to a better start with her than with the last guy. She’s not sneaking around pretending to be someone she’s not.”
Mike nearly choked on that comment.
A thunderous groan rolled across the auditorium.
“Come on now.” Lilene stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out a whistle. “Let’s give her a warm Fraser Hills welcome.”
The room quieted.
Vanessa walked out and stood next to Lilene, but the welcome was as icy as it was outside tonight.
“Thank you.” Vanessa took the mic from the stand. “This town knows how to do football, and chicken stew. I haven’t been to a game like that in years. It was a fun night. Congratulations.”
Guys patted one another on the back.
“As Lilene said, I’m Vanessa Larkin with AGC out of the Chicago office. I don’t have a lot to share with you at this point, but I did want to introduce myself and open the dialogue to keep things as transparent as possible.”
She paused, and the room was so quiet it was as if everyone was holding their breath.
“I’m here because AGC has an opportunity to use some of the vacant warehouse space for growth in another area in our company. I’ll need your help as we explore this. I know change isn’t easy, but the one thing I can personally promise is that I’ll be up front with you. I’ll make every effort to convey information as we reach conclusions. Lilene will be setting up some meetings over the next week. Some of you may find that I’m reassigning you temporarily. There will be additional compensation for those tasks. Please give Lilene your complete cooperation.”
A shout from the back broke the silence. “Let’s cut to the chase. Are we losing our jobs?” The hum in the room fell to a hush again, but heads nodded and people leaned in expecting an answer. Slowly, an unintelligible mix of conversations began to rise.
Mike watched Vanessa onstage. She stood perfectly still except for one visible deep breath as the locals continued to mutter. Probably exchanging stories about the last layoff.
“I—” She lifted a hand in the air, trying to regain command of the room. “I understand your concerns.”
The sound of doubt crossed the crowd like a crashing wave.
Even Mike doubted that this woman, dressed in her outfit that probably cost more than a month’s salary, had any idea what it was like to count on others that there’d be a job tomorrow.
She took a step back, letting them have their moment. She moved the microphone from her right hand to her left, tapping her pants as if she were drying damp palms, and then rubbing her hand across her neck.
“Okay, so tonight, I’m not here to raise doubts or increase the rumor mill. I need your help. I wanted to offer a good-faith gesture by introducing myself and letting you know why I’m here. Yes, I’ll be reviewing the profitability and forecasting of Porter’s, but more important, evaluating the remaining footprint, and the buildings that aren’t currently being used. It could mean new and additional opportunities for Fraser Hills. I look forward to meeting you and I will keep you updated. If there’ll be any significant changes, I’ll bring them to you in this forum so that we all stay on the same page.”
“When will you know something?” another man yelled from the back. “We’re all working double shifts to keep up with the orders. Business is good.”
“Yeah, you could probably go home now,” another man scoffed. “Things are fine the way they are. There’s no such thing as good change.”
“I can promise you that I’ll work as quickly as possible. I appreciate your help and patience through the process. Lilene, put us down for a two-week touch-base. Same place, same time. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating another good football night. Thank you.”
Mike watched her step offstage on the high note, and head out the side door faster than a horse could canter. She hadn’t even paused for one question. She’d handled the crowd like a seasoned cowboy herding wayward calves.
It was doubtful anyone else in the room even realized that she’d already made it out the door.
Smart lady.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
When Vanessa stepped outside, the brisk air took her breath away. She pulled on her coat as she walked, lowering her head as she moved quickly around the corner toward the street. Luckily, a taxi was already parked there.
At least, it looked like a taxi, with the removable white glowingTAXIsign on top of the driver’s side of the roof. Honestly, it looked more like a pizza-delivery car, but at this point she’d pay a hundred bucks to get back to the apartment.
She slid into the backseat of the black Toyota. “Are you Jimmy?”
“I am. Lilene asked me to be on standby tonight. Where to?”
