Julia wrapped up her pathetic speech by saying, “I’m sorry I have to leave before your commission checks are passed out, but Bruce has scheduled a big event in D.C. to celebrate everything we’re doing, so I have a flight to catch.”
She flashed a phony smile. “Thank you ladies for being so dedicated.” With that, she swept out. As for me, I felt like I was being pulled under by a riptide when Matt took the lead.
As charming as ever, he bantered a bit before saying, “And now our own Kimberly has what you’ve all been waiting for.” Everyone clapped, expecting to receive what they had justly earned. Damn him. He could have at least set the stage. My hands felt clammy and my stomach was twisted into knots. The fragrance of the floral arrangements nauseated me as they filled the space with their overly sweet aroma. Clutching the envelopes in my hand, I stepped before the group hoping my voice wouldn’t shake too badly.
Voice? What voice? It seemed to have deserted me. When I finally overcame the paralysis generated by fear of their predictable reactions, and said, “Okay, before I pass these out, I need to share some information.” I cleared my aching throat.
“I know all of you are expecting big checks, and with good reason. You have done an outstanding job.” They clapped again, while I steeled myself for the reaction to my next words.
“However, most of you will discover the amounts are not what you expected.” I looked at the shocked faces. “As you know, your commission arrangement, and my bonus as well, is for payment after merchandise is shipped. Due to a computer program glitch, many of the shipments shown as going out before the cutoff date actually missed it by a few days. The dates that were entered were when the products came out of production, not the day they shipped. That means those commissions aren’t on this check, but you should see them next quarter.”
Matt circulated among the women passing out the envelopes while I spoke. The first angry shout came from Tucker. “Why y’all are cheatin’ us out of what we earned! This is only a tiny bit of what I should be gettin’.”
Others joined the uproar even as I tried to calm Tucker. Matt shouted over the din, “Ladies, ladies. This isn’t Kimberly’s fault.”
One of the reps named Margie yelled, “Easy for you to say! I expected $20,000 for my big deals and this is nowhere near that. This really sucks!”
Between Matt and me, we managed to get the ruckus tamped down. Then he chose the worst possible moment to pass out the Teamwork cups. Margie took one look at the cup and smashed it on the marble floor. “That’s what I think of this stupid cup.” She began to cry.
As we stood there, mouths agape, every one of the reps smashed their own cup on the floor. The growing anger rapidly turned into pandemonium. I noticed Cami and Kate had retreated to the side of the room and weren’t joining in the fracas.
One of the caterers timidly poked her head into the chaos. “Excuse me. The bus is here to take you all to the airport. The driver said he was stuck in traffic and now has to leave right away or some of you won’t make your flights. Hurry!”
Angry silence blanketed the room. Tucker hissed, “This isn’t the last of this. I want my money!”
Matt raised his voice to ensure the rampaging women heard every word clearly. “Ladies, you’re not being cheated. Every order entered by mistake will be on next quarter’s check, just as Kimberly said. Meanwhile, please calm down, get on the bus, and Julia will be sending you an email later in the week. She is planning some things that I think will make this all worthwhile.”
He glanced at the shards of smashed cups and shook his head. “You’ll also be receiving new cups by Fed Ex. We are a team, after all. Have a good trip.” With that, he strode out of the room.
I sidled over to Cami and Kate and said in a stage whisper, “Get on the bus with the rest. When you get there, take the shuttle to the Holiday Inn just outside the terminal. I’ll pick you up in about an hour. Don’t let anyone know you’re staying in Seattle.”
My conspirators nodded, giving me a thumbs up approval.
Before my dynamic duo boarded the bus, I added, “Tomorrow’s definitely the day for Operation Takedown. Wait till you hear what I found out.”