SIX MONTHS EARLIER
To: Seth Hoffman From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: My Helpful Suggestion Idea
To Seth,
I was wondering if you’ve given more thought to implementing my suggestion about eliminating business lunches.
Sincerely, Dawn Schiff
To: Seth Hoffman From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Helpful Suggestion Idea Follow-up
To Seth,
I previously was inquiring about the business expenses. I’m attaching a proposal that would show how limiting expenses would save our company a large amount of money. Natalie alone accounts for at least half the expense budget.
Sincerely, Dawn Schiff
To: Seth Hoffman From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Helpful Suggestion Idea Second Follow-up
To Seth,
Did you receive my previously emailed proposal? Sincerely,
Dawn Schiff
To: Seth Hoffman From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Helpful Suggestion Idea Third Follow-up
To Seth,
Did you receive my previous email about whether you received my previously emailed proposal?
Sincerely, Dawn Schiff
To: Dawn Schiff From: Seth Hoffman
Subject: Re: Helpful Suggestion Idea Third Follow-up
Yes, I got it. Decided to go in another direction.
To: Mia Hodge From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Re: Greetings
Dear Mia,
So today I did something I probably shouldn’t have.
This morning, I knocked on the door to Seth’s office. He was doing something on his computer, and when I showed up at his door, he didn’t smile.
I wasn’t sure how to take that. A lot of the time, I have trouble reading facial expressions. Other people seem to know when another person is angry or sad or happy just based on their face. I have no idea how they do that. If somebody is smiling, I assume they’re happy, but beyond that, I am at a loss. You’re the only person whose expression I can read. Well, and my mother, but that’s an easy one because she’s always annoyed with me.
So I thought there was a chance Seth wasn’t happy with me. I had sent him a few emails recently about my ideas to save the company money, and he only replied with one sentence or not at all. So I figured it was better to speak with
him face to face. Except then the first thing he said when I walked in was, “What is it now?”
I don’t know why he said that. It’s not like I bother him a
lot.
I sat down in one of the wooden chairs in front of his desk.
He was looking at me now, so I went forward and explained once again why it would be wise to implement my plan. While I spoke, he kept running his hand through his hair, which is thinning just a little bit at the top. Not too bad though, for a man his age. He keeps a photo on his desk of his family, and every time I’m in his office, I look at it. It’s Seth and a woman
—his wife, I assume. His wife is about his age and sort of plain looking with brown hair and a round face, but she seems like she might be a nice person. She seems like the kind of person we could have been friends with.
When I finally finished talking, he shrugged. It was the same as his email responses. He didn’t even give me a reason. So I asked him. Why? Why can’t we limit spending?
Again, he didn’t have a good answer. “Why don’t you let me worry about that, Dawn?” That’s what he said to me.
So I said back, “It’s just a very poor managerial decision.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. But you always tell me to stand up for myself. For once, I decided to do it.
Seth didn’t like me saying that. He wasn’t smiling. In fact, he was definitely frowning. “Good thing you’re not the manager then,” he finally said.
It was the wrong thing to say. I shouldn’t have told him that he made a bad decision. He did make a bad decision, but he did not want to hear that. Some people only want to be told that they’re right.
My legs felt a little wobbly as I walked out of Seth’s office. I didn’t need to scrutinize his expression to know that he was angry with me. And worse, he wasn’t going to take my suggestion. I gave him advice that could save the company, and he just blew it off. For no reason.
Anyway, that was when my day went from bad to worse.
I decided to get a cup of coffee before returning to work. I don’t like to waste a lot of time in the morning, but everybody else does it, so why not? There’s a coffee machine in the break room and there’s a tub full of those little coffee pods. Seth probably wastes a fortune on those, but I’m sure he does not want to hear my advice on that.
I selected a French roast and set it brewing in the coffee machine. I reached into the cupboard to grab my turtle mug, but then I got a big surprise.
My mug was lying on the shelf above the sink, in five pieces.
I almost cried when I saw it. I couldn’t help myself. You bought me that mug! It’s one of my most prized possessions. I’ve brought it with me to every job I ever had!
I retrieved the pieces from the shelf. At first, I thought I could attempt to reassemble them, but it was too badly broken. In addition to the five pieces it had been shattered into, other shards were missing. The mug was unusable.
That’s when I noticed Natalie was standing at the entrance to the break room. Watching me. I had partially reassembled my mug, but when I released it, it fell apart immediately. One of the pieces dropped to the floor and broke in three.
“Oh no!” Natalie cried. “Your mug! How awful.”
There was a lump in my throat, but I swallowed it down. I didn’t want Natalie to see me crying over a broken cup. I didn’t want her to think I was a loser who would cry over a mug. Even the raised part with the turtle was broken in half.
“What a bummer,” she sighed. “You know what I bet happened? I bet you left it on the edge of the shelf, and then when somebody was reaching for their own mug, it just tipped right off.”
That didn’t sound right. I’m careful to never leave my mug close to the edge of the shelf for that very reason. In fact, I remember telling Natalie that when she was putting her mug back too close to the edge. I warned her that sort of thing could happen. I told her she should try not to be so careless.
But I supposed she was right. Obviously, my mug had fallen and broken, so somebody must have knocked it over.
“Next time,” she said, “you should try not to be so careless.”
With those words, she turned on her red high heels and walked out of the break room. I picked up the pieces of my mug and stashed them in my purse to take home with me. I tried to put them back together tonight, but it just wasn’t the same. I ended up having to throw them away.
I know it’s impossible, but is there any way you could let me know where you purchased the mug? I know it was years and years ago, but I feel lost without it. I’m counting on you.
Sincerely, Dawn Schiff
To: Dawn Schiff From: Mia Hodge
Subject: Re: Greetings
Oh no, that’s awful! I’m going to find you another mug ASAP. My brother is visiting at the moment though, and he’s dragging me to every tourist attraction. Maybe he can help me look for another mug. He sends his love, by the way. I know you always had a bit of a crush on him, wink wink.
XXO
Mia
To: Mia Hodge From: Dawn Schiff
Subject: Re: Greetings
Dear Mia,
I hardly remember your brother, and I assure you that I did not have any sort of romantic infatuation with him. But if you feel he would be of assistance in finding another turtle mug, feel free to take him with you.
Sincerely, Dawn Schiff
