Here We Go Again
Chapter 18: Here We Go Again
“We’ll go with the original presentation and make some changes to fit our vision.”
Tawan snapped her head to Mr. Tek who stood at the front of the conference room and fiddled with the television to show his computer screen. Someone inhaled sharply which halted the low groans that had accidentally escaped from members of the team. Meena closed her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip, her head slowly falling down.
Tawan’s ears were ringing and her vision started to blur as her boss continued talking.
“I think the team compiled some great things that just need a little tweaking here or there,” Mr. Tek continued as he scrolled on his laptop. “For example, if we take out this interview about children’s fashion and replace it with a spread about menswear in the office then we will draw in a more prestigious crowd.”
“Sir, the interview about children’s fashion targets our much needed 25-40 age bracket,” Meena interrupted, raising her hand. “Moms are one of our highest demographics in our subscriber list. That was proven when we polled our readers for content they would like to see.”
“Menswear is always profitable, Meena,” Mr. Tek insisted, clicking his keyboard and pointing at a slide with his proof.
“Sir, we have more women readers than men,” Meena insisted, flipping though some of her papers. “These polls show that we need to consider-,”
“This idea will work,” Mr. Tek cut her off, a little harshly, a hand slicing the air for finality.
Meena closed her mouth and fought an eye roll as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms under her chest. Mr. Tek nodded to himself then continued on with "his" presentation, but everyone had already tuned him out. Tawan looked around the table and she felt sick to her stomach. She knew she had to defend her team, to defend herself, but she did not know where to start.
If she started now with the way she was feeling, they may have to to pull her off of him and escort her out with security.
“Any questions?” Mr. Tek huffed as he unplugged his laptop.
Some shook their heads no and some made a sound that resembled a no. Tawan looked to Meena, biting the inside of her cheek and her eyes burning with a wildfire. Just as Meena saw the flicker, it was too late and she attempted to reach across the table just as Tawan abruptly stood from her seat.
With wild eyes, her shaky hand started buttoning her suit jacket at her stomach then she shot her cuffs out before reaching down to grab a paper. Meena cleared her throat to get her to look at her to talk her off the cliff but she was ignored.
“Mr. Tek, um, this just isn’t going to work,” Tawan started, trying to hide the shake in her voice, then looked to him.
The room was so silent that you could hear a pin drop on the carpet.
“Oh,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest in challenge. “And what is not just going to work?”
“Well,” Tawan said and ran her tongue between her bottom teeth and lip. “For starters, we had already put this presentation together perfectly in the beginning. As Meena stated, it was carefully curated and cognizant of many factors and considerations from both statistics and subscriber feedback. It was, essentially, an issue launch that the subscribers and the public say they want. It’s bulletproof.”
Everyone’s widening eyes shot between Tawan and Mr. Tek, placing their bets on their boss for who would come out on top of this argument with facts and intellect.
“Go on,” he said, holding her gaze in hopes she would fold.
“Just like with that presentation, we also sacrificed a lot of time and energy to create this. To create this new one that you promised we could present today,” she continued, picking up her USB to show him. “Everyone here worked really hard to make this last minute change that you requested a few weeks ago to happen. It is only fair that you respect their time and efforts by letting us present it and use it as the launch issue. We are already behind on scheduling for the planning of the planning.”
He eyed her, hoping she would falter, but Tawan stood her ground and mentally squared her shoulders at him. Everyone else in the room watched as if it was a long awaited showdown.
“I am sure your new presentation is good,” he responded and eyed the USB in her hand. “However, I have changed my mind and we will go with the first presentation with some changes. You and Lai will head the project.”
“Mr. Tek,” Tawan insisted, an incredulous smile on her face as she scratched her eyebrow. “I don't think you understand what I’m-,”
A throat cleared and Tawan, finally, flicked her eyes to the source, Meena. She faked wiping under her nose to shake her head at her, sneaking a plea with her eyes for her to be quiet and sit back down. As much as she and the team appreciated her for always defending them, they valued having her as their boss more than the potential to lose her for going off on Mr. Tek for his mistreatments of them, especially since they rarely saw him.
When Tawan called in sick on Friday, before Meena knew she was really taking time to spend with her family, some of the team asked her if Tawan was okay because they were worried Mr. Tek had stressed her so bad she got sick again. Meena still needed to tell Tawan about how some of the team shared with her that they did not want to work for anyone else but her.
“Mr. Tek, if I may?” Lai cut in, slowly standing and nervously putting her hands in her pockets as all eyes were on her now. “What I think Tawan is trying to say is that team morale is low. Low team morale affects the overall performance which impacts customer satisfaction. She just wants to protect that by making sure she’s being a good leader to her team.”
Lai looked to Tawan, her eyes begging her to agree, and Tawan took a moment before pushing her emotions down to give her a small nod.
Tawan took a deep breath then looked to her boss. “Exactly my point,” she said, plastering on an, albeit strained, smile.
“The team needs that kind of support with deadlines being so close now,” Lai continued and stared him down. “Since the deadline is so close and we have a lot of content to use now, I think we should launch two issues in one.”
Mr. Tek narrowed his eyes at her in study and everyone now turned fully to her.
“We did this for a sports magazine I consulted for a few years ago,” Lai supplied, smiling at the table. “It was a big year for women’s basketball around the globe, but the editor-in-chief wanted to cover men’s tennis since it had some high profile names announcing their retirement at the big tournament. So, we compromised with two releases featuring both in the same issue. It ended up being the highest viewed that year for them.”
“What are you thinking?” Meena asked, mentally piecing some ideas in her head together.
“We do the team’s original presentation from a few weeks ago and we mix in your ideas, Mr. Tek,” Lai answered her before looking back to him. “It will be like a double feature issue. Two issues in one which would really get the summer started. I think we could fit everything you wanted and everything the team originally developed. It doubles our chances of increasing the subscribers if we include all targeted audiences.”
Mr. Tek put his hand to his chin in thought, dragging out a painstakingly long wait for his response as if he enjoyed the torture he inflicted on his employees.
Tawan kept her eyes on him, hoping her stare would burn him alive the longer he took. Though she appreciated Lai stepping in and quite possibly saving her job for her as she could feel everything bubbling to the surface before she did, she also wanted to release her anger on him finally. But she reminded herself that there was a time and place for everything, so she would wait patiently for just that moment.
“Draw me up something by Friday,” he said and went to grab his laptop.
It was like someone was slowly letting air out a balloon until he answered which then sounded like the balloon flew away from that person’s hand when he did.
As everyone gathered their things, Tawan tried to hide her haste at wanting to escape the confines of the conference room. Her heart was still beating fast through her chest at almost unleashing on her boss, and her unoccupied hand reached up to unbutton the top few buttons of her dress shirt. Dao was already at her office door, opening it and extending a cup of tea to her as she entered.
“No calls or meetings for the next hour, Dao,” Tawan sighed in annoyance, placing her tea down and dropping her items on her desk. “And thank you for the tea. I really need it.”
“Of course, Mrs. Tawan,” she smiled sadly, closing the door on her way out.
Tawan growled out loud as soon as the door closed, throwing her hands up in fists and cursing anyone who was listening.
She was beginning to wonder if she could make it two more years, but she was committed to trying if it meant she could be in a way better place by then. Her and Ira talked about if Ira did get a bigger break than Paris then they could reevaluate her quitting plan if things were worse than they are now. Tawan was hoping that would not be the case, but she kept underestimating how much Mr. Tek could push her to the edge of the cliff.
A knock at the door interrupted her spiraling and she noticed she kept flexing her hand as if she had her stress ball in it.
“Come in,” Tawan called, thinking it was Dao. She began to rummage around her desk drawers for her stress ball.
Lai poked her head around the door and gave a short wave. Tawan stopped her search to look up, frowning at it not being Dao, and then gave Lai a look like she thought she was a lost guest. Lai chuckled as she stepped around the door and closed it.
“I told Dao that I had a message from Mr. Tek,” Lai supplied, but Tawan still looked at her confusedly. “She said you were not to be disturbed for an hour.”
Tawan took a moment before she remembered her instructions. “Oh, yeah. It’s fine. I, uh, just needed some time alone,” she told her and motioned for her to sit.
Lai unbuttoned her suit jacket and took a seat across from her. “I figured. She still almost didn’t let me in. That woman is protective of you,” she chuckled as she pointed her thumb behind her to the door.
“Yeah,” Tawan said with a small laugh. “She is the mother of the office.”
“Oh,” Lai said and looked at her inquisitively. “How long has she been here?”
“Hmm,” Tawan hummed in thought. “Well, it’s been about four years since she started here. When her husband passed, she was having a hard time finding a job to support herself. Lily met her at a food stand when she was interviewing at various places and told her we had the opening to come apply for. She used to be a secretary to a lawyer. Ever since then she has been the protecting, motherly, auntie force around here, always showing up right when you need her. She’s the best.”
“That’s nice,” Lai smiled and crossed her legs.
“Yeah,” Tawan agreed, smiling as she reached for her cup of tea. “So, what can I help you with?”
Lai took a deep breath in even deeper thought. “It got pretty heated back there,” she said and looked to her.
“Unsurprisingly,” Tawan replied, smiling humorless at her.
Lai cleared her throat and sat up in her seat. “Look, Tawan. I don't want you to think I’m stepping on your toes,” she said and waited for her.
Tawan nodded, eyes on her tea before looking to her. “I would be a fool if I said you didn’t possibly just save my ass back there,” she said with a tight nod.
“It happens. I’ve seen worse,” Lai smiled comfortingly.
“Still, I almost lost it back there and that’s not the kind of person I am,” she continued, scratching her eyebrow a little embarrassedly.
“Well, there is only so much disorganization and lack of support one can take. Especially, when the organization is under a lot of unnecessary stress,” Lai concluded.
“That’s why you’re here,” Tawan said, smirking and winking at her in jest.
Lai laughed and it made Tawan laugh, too, cutting the tension from earlier completely away.
“Look, the compromise sucked. I know,” Lai told her and shrugged. “But it incorporates the idea you and the team originally developed while also appeasing him with is desires. Once the numbers come out and the feedback is garnered, we can use those to catapult the ideas you guys produce.”
“You believe he would support us then?” Tawan asked quietly, looking at the pen she was now twirling between her fingers. There was both disbelief and knowingness lacing her tone.
“I believe he hired me to do a job, so he wants a return on that investment,” Lai said truthfully.
“He is a greedy ass about some things,” Tawan mused to herself, grimacing when Lai chuckled. “I-I shouldn’t talk about him like that in public. Sorry.”
“Do you want to know my secret to success in this field?” Lai asked, grinning a little mischievously and making Tawan laugh.
“Rich people are lazy?” Tawan asked, making them both laugh.
“Something like that,” Lai nodded and leaned on her crossed legs to her like it was a secret. “Most business owners and CEOs are the reason why they're struggling to do the things they hire me to fix.”
Tawan’s hearty laugh pierced the silence of the room and Lai laughed as she pointed behind herself to the door.
“I’m not kidding!” Lai guffawed and jabbed her thumb towards the door more. “And most of these places are ran by men who are too stubborn and old school to get out of their own way. I get paid a stupid amount of money to tell these people that their teams are right and they are wrong. I just have to word it in a way that makes them feel like they’re not the problem and it was all their idea. Works every time!”
“I cannot say I’m surprised,” Tawan mused, shaking her head.
“Tawan,” Lai said and waited until she looked at her. “I just want you to know I support you and the team. The one thing I will never do is lie to you about material being good. We’ll launch this issue to praise then we’ll get started on the next one you guys want to do with no setbacks.”
Tawan nodded, eyeing her USB a little sadly. “Thanks. I appreciate your support, Lai,” she told her, smiling earnestly.
“No problem,” Lai smiled, standing and putting her hands in her pockets. “And I’m sorry about your other presentation. Maybe we can schedule it in another issue soon.”
“Maybe,” Tawan said and placed the USB in her messenger bag. “Until then, we now have an issue to launch.”
“We do,” Lai smiled and nodded as she headed to the door. “First thing tomorrow morning let’s get the entire team together for breakfast in the conference room to go over everything. Should boost the morale a bit, too.”
“I like that idea,” Tawan agreed and made a note on a sticky note. “Dao knows some good places, so I’ll let her take care of it.”
“Good. Now, let’s make it through the rest of the day,” Lai sighed tiredly, sticking her tongue out in amused disgust.
Tawan chuckled as she watched her exit her office then went back to her tea for some stimulation.
Lai had managed to talk her from jumping off the building again, but the real stress reliever was that they did not have to start all over again on another presentation. They would just need to insert whatever ideas Mr. Tek had and pass it along to him for review. This would allow them to not have to do any overtime and provide them another week of work/life balance.
The vibration of her cell phone broke her out of her thoughts and she grabbed it from her desk drawer where she kept it for meetings. It was Ira and she felt like it was a sign from the universe that she was meant to speak to her after this morning’s fiasco. Tawan debated on if she wanted to saddle this much mess onto her wife so early in the morning on a Monday, but she also remembers her wife practically begging her to lean on her more about work.
If Tawan was serious about her two year commitment then she had to be serious about the promise to talk to Ira about these things as they happened.
With that thought she let out a deep exhale and slid her finger across the screen.