Writer's Cache I: Lesson 5

Pantsing Method

Celeste's Tryst

Celeste leaned against the water cooler, glad for a respite from the endless piles of paperwork on her desk. She sipped from the paper cup in her hand, in no hurry to return. A colleague, Paul, walked up and smiled at her, dimples creasing his tanned face.

Celeste smiled and stared as he filled his cup. He looked clean and wholesome in his pinstripe suit and shiny black loafers. Slicked-black hair and a clean-shaven face made him appear in his twenties even though Celeste knew better. He looked fresh, open and honest, an unusual trait for a corporate lawyer who’d been with the firm for almost ten years.

“How’s it going today, Celeste?” Paul sipped his water and started to move away. His spicy cologne, a mix of musky wood and spice wafted over her, tantalizing her senses.

Celeste fell in step beside him. “Same old, same old,” Celeste winked at him. “You know how that goes. How’s the legal department?”

“This merger has us all scrambling. They’re pushing it pretty fast. I slept in my office last night.”

“Well now, that’s a shame,” Celeste leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “You should have called me, I’d have come kept you warm.”

Paul laughed, tugged at his tie and faced her. Celeste traced his hand with a long red fingernail then leaned to whisper in his ear, allowing her breast to graze his arm. “Will you be in your office late tonight? I have some legal documents that need review.”

Paul looked up and down the narrow, empty hall and stepped back. “Celeste, we talked about this.”

Celeste laughed. “Oh that. I’m sure you’ve come to your senses by now.”

“I’m sorry but I haven’t changed my mind. I’m with Amber now. Don’t come to my office again.”

Celeste stiffened and stared at Paul. How she’d ever found enjoyment in those pathetic brown eyes eluded her. “Fine, whatever. Enjoy the little tramp while it lasts but eventually you’ll come crawling back to me.”

Paul shook his head and stomped off, leaving Celeste standing in the middle of the hallway to watch him leave. She sighed and continued toward her office. Looks like I’ll have to find a new office friend.

Word count: 372


Plotting Method

The Meltdown

Michael hesitated at the large oaken door, fist hovering in the air. He rapped his knuckles on the mahogany and struggled to control his uneven breathing. The thick ream of paper in his left hand felt like it could drag him to the floor any moment. A stern voice inside beckoned and Michael entered the opulent office. Floor to ceiling windows surrounded three quarters of the room. An enormous executive style desk sat in the middle of the room and behind it a portly, balding man scribbled on a notepad.

Charles didn’t look up. “What is it Michael? I have a meeting in ten minutes.”

“Chuck, we need to talk.”

“You’ve got three minutes.”

Michael set his packet down and wiped his sweaty palms on his suit pants as he sat in a plush leather chair. He leaned forward and met the eyes of his CEO, a man he’d respected for over fifteen years.

“J. P. Morgan is taking heavy and unexpected losses. If this trend continues, it’ll be insolvent in eighteen months.”

Charles laughed. “This is J.P. Morgan. We’ve weathered the Great Depression, six recessions, and four wars in this country. This company will never fail.”

Charles’s secretary peek her head into the room. “You’re going to be late sir.”

Charles waved her off. “Get them some coffee and donuts, I’ll be right there.”

Michael spoke, his tone firm. “Chuck, we need to act now. The numbers I’m seeing are disastrous. Unprecedented. We’re looking at a 1.1 billion dollar loss in the second quarter. That’s a total of 10 billion in losses for the last four quarters. And that’s just the financial sector.“

Charles frowned. “I thought we were slated to improve after the recent merger?”

Michael shook his head, feeling sweat bead on his forehead. “The merger hasn’t happened as fast as we expected. It’s adding to our losses quicker than anticipated as well.”

Charles’ secretary peered in again and Charles stood. “I have an investor meeting. Start eliminating non-critical personnel, enact a hiring freeze, and see what we can afford to sell to get more liquidity. I want your proposed cuts on my desk after lunch for review and approval.”

Mike nodded and headed toward his office right next door as Charles went into his meeting.

“Janine, hold all my calls and cancel all my appointments for the rest of the week. Then get an emergency meeting of all the department managers in the large conference room in twenty minutes.”

He shut the door to his office and leaned against it, breathing heavy. He looked around his office. Not as opulent as Chuck’s, it still had an impeccable decor and an exquisite view. He moved to stand before the large window, feeling a gentle warmth coming through the glass from the sun. He stared down at the bustling traffic far below and thought of the news stories from the Great Depression. More legends than reality, they told of Black Tuesday when the stock market crashed and bankrupted investors flung themselves from towering skyscrapers similar to this one.

The weight of his upcoming decisions seemed to push at him. The lives that will change this day, security and trust exploded in an instant due to poor decision-making over the last five years. Michael’s shoulders slumped lower as he stared at his tired reflection.

He thought of his secretary, a woman who’d been with him for over twenty years, raised two children and looked forward to retiring with her husband in five years.

Straightening his shoulders, he moved to his desk to gather up paperwork; the latest facts and figures of the quarter and began to prepare for the upcoming meeting.

Word count: 612