A Man's World

A Man's World

"How dare you?" growled Claudine as she entered the bedroom. "Katrina's
my best friend, and you had no right to attack her politics."
It was obvious that the argument was not yet over, though all Simon
wanted to do, was sleep.
"She deserved it."
"This isn't over yet." she informed him, and Simon wondered if he was
psychic, or merely knew his wife rather too well.
"Yes it is!" he countered, and pulled the quilt over his head, as he
turned to face the wall.
"Don't you dare turn your back on me. You're going to hear me out if
it's the last thing you do." It was the last thing that he did: at
least it was the last thing that he did before he leapt out of bed,
took the spare quilt and slipped silently out of the room.
The sofa may not have been comfortable, when compared to the king-size
double bed, but it was infinitely more comfortable than the avalanche
of words that was certainly the alternative.
That night, he dreamt that he was fighting a huge hairy spider. For
some reason it reminded him of Katrina.
He awoke to a warm July morning, and a cold and frosty atmosphere. He
wondered if she had realised that her silence was a welcome break for
him. Yes - she annoyed him almost as much as Katrina. He was almost out
of the door when she decided to speak to him.
"Don't I get a kiss then?" she asked icily, and he took two steps
toward her to kiss her cheek, before escaping through the front door.
It was not that he was a coward, it was just that he saw little point
in trying to argue or make his peace. Whatever he did, it was certain
to be wrong - besides, it was a common enough occurrence, and her anger
would soon begin to subside.

The whole situation was soon forgotten as the day began to gain
momentum. Simon considered himself fortunate, to hold such a position
of authority, and he knew that he was regarded with some respect. He
checked his diary, and noted that he had set aside the entire afternoon
for interviews. A vacancy had arisen in the department, and it was his
lot to select an appropriate replacement. It was a symptom of the
current employment situation that so many had applied for such a
position, and while it was certainly true that the vacancy held little
to commend it, the job of stock controller commanded some
respect.
As the afternoon dragged on, the steady stream of applicants flooded
through his office, until by three o clock, he had already interviewed
more than a dozen candidates. The applicants had so far, all been of
the highest suitability. Yet Simon felt that one particular candidate
did have a much wider range of experience than the others.

After a break for coffee, Simon reached for the intercom and called for
the next applicant. Adopting a suitable pose, he picked up a pen and
some paper and pretended to be busier than he actually was. It was for
this reason that he did not notice exactly who it was, that had entered
his office. However, when he raised his eyes he was confronted by the
shocked gaze of a rather bewildered Katrina. Several seconds of awkward
silence followed, until at last, both interviewer and interviewee had
recovered their composure. It was Katrina who spoke first as she stood
to leave.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you." she began "I wouldn't have
bothered if I had known."
Simon found himself sympathising with her predicament, despite her
domineering attitude. She was a proud woman, and he admired her
strength of conviction, however misguided he felt it to be.
"Hold on a minute." He called, as she walked toward the door with as
much dignity as she could muster "You're here now. Besides, you
wouldn't have applied for the job if you didn't think that you could do
it." She hesitated, before she returned to her seat, and sat opposite
him with a slightly aggressive air about her. Simon knew that he had
control of the situation, and assumed that it was a sign of his
professional attitude, that he was not allowing his personal feelings
to distort his judgement. Katrina, meanwhile, assumed that it was a
sign of his unprofessional attitude that he had decided to play such
power games with her, and knew, beyond doubt that when the interview
had reached its conclusion, she would be informed that she had not been
successful.
Approximately twenty minutes later - which was rather longer than the
time allotted to the other applicants - they rose and shook hands.
Katrina had dropped some of her defensive attitude, and Simon felt that
he had actually begun to understand her. The smile on her face appeared
sincere, and he found himself promising to telephone her personally, to
let her know the final decision. She left, feeling that at least she
did have some chance of success, though Simon had already realised that
she was totally unsuitable for the position. Her lack of experience was
evident. Although she appeared quick-witted enough to learn the
intricacies of stock control without much effort, every one of the
other applicants already possessed all of the skills necessary for the
vacancy. By five-thirty, the last applicant had left, and Simon began
to sort through the pile of application forms, until at last he had
arrived at a clear decision. The name neatly typed across the top of
the form read Alan Gurvitz, and it was evident that he was indeed the
candidate most suited to the position.

Claudine waited until he was through the door before she spoke/ Simon
wondered what sort of mood she was in. Her attitude was friendly
enough, perhaps just a little too friendly. Skipping the formality of a
welcome, she informed him that she had received a telephone call a few
minutes before he had arrived.
"Oh yes! Who from?" He was determined not to lower his defences until
he knew exactly where the conversation was leading,
"Katrina - she told me that she had just been to an interview."
Claudine was giving little indication of her mood, it appeared to rest
on the next sentence. Simon pondered on the response to her statement,
and settled for, "I Know!"
"I know that you know." (was that aggression?).
"So?" He asked nonchalantly, studying her for evidence of her
mood.
"Oh, don't be like that. I think it's great that you two actually spoke
for twenty minutes without arguing. And, what's more, I think it's
great that she'll be working in your department. It'll give you a
chance to get to know her better."
He was not sure that what he had heard was what had been said at
all.
"What?"
"Oh, do listen - I was just saying how nice it is that you'll be
working together."
"Now, hold on a minute. Are you saying that Katrina thinks that I've
given her the job?"
"Of course - haven't you?"
"Of course not, I've only just finished interviewing - besides, she was
without doubt, the most unsuitable of the entire twenty-eight
candidates."
"Then why did you offer her the job?"
"I didn't."
"Well that's not what she seems to think. She told me that she had
definitely been successful, because of - as she puts it -"the forward
thinking of the company."."
Simon was beginning to think that Katrina had only heard what she had
wanted to hear, and had read too much into what he had said.
"Did she say what she meant by that? Perhaps she was referring to the
companies positive discrimination policy?"
"That's it. That's exactly what she said. Positive discrimination,
that's it."
Simon shook his head. He could not decide whether he was confused or
angry, though it was evident that he was both, at one and the same
time. How had she managed to read so much into what he had said? It was
true that women were indeed under-represented within the company, but
the nature of the positive discrimination policy was certainly not
intended to exclude all men - besides, she was totally unsuitable for
reasons that had nothing to do with discrimination, and the decision
not to employ her had been made purely on objective grounds, but
Claudine remained unconvinced.
"What I can't understand - if she did get the wrong message - is where
she got the idea from?"
Simon considered this remark to be a direct attack on his
professionalism. He certainly had not intended to convey the wrong
message, yet he began to consider that he may have inadvertently said
some small thing, that had been ,perhaps, a slip of the tongue.
"I honestly have no idea where she got the idea from, but I really
think that I should let her know exactly where she stands, as soon as
possible."
"I think that you had better phone her right now, to get it sorted
out."
It was apparent that she did, indeed, blame him for the situation,
although he was convinced that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Nevertheless, he could understand Claudine's suspicions, and believed
that in her position, he would be equally unconvinced.
Claudine stood against the wall, her arms folded, while he dialled the
number. He had almost hoped that she would be out. It was an awkward
situation, and he knew that whatever he said would be taken as a direct
attack on Katrina. He began to regret ever having...
"Hello!"
"Hello - Katrina?"
Simon - oh hi!"
"I'm sorry to phone while you're having dinner." He could hear the
sound of cutlery rattling on plates in the background.
"Oh, that's all right, we've just finished." He wondered who the "we"
referred to?
"It's just that Claudine tells me that you phoned to tell her that you
had been given the job, and I was wondering how you..."
"Yes it's great," she interrupted "I really didn't think, I stood a
chance. I'm really thrilled that we'll be working together, and I'm
really looking forward to..."
"Katrina!"
She would not be interrupted. She had something to say, and was going
to say it.
"...Working for such a forward thinking company."
"But Katrina!"
"and I'm sure that if it were up to you, you would have offered me the
job."
She had said what she had intended to say, and there was a moment of
confused silence, as Simon considered all of the possible meanings of
that last sentence.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you..."
I said that if were up to you, I'm sure that you would have offered me
the job."
"Now let me get this straight - are you saying that you have got the
job, or you haven't?"
"Oh, don't be silly. Surely you know that I've got the job?"
He did not know, but she was about to inform him.
"I had a word with your boss, and - well - I got the job."
The reality of the situation was beginning to become apparent. He had
always believed that the company operated in a fair and politically
correct manner, yet he realised that he had been deluding himself.
Furthermore, that he had been used as a pawn in some bizarre political
game.
"You spoke to George?"
"Yes, as I came out of your office. I just wanted to know how to get
out of the building, but before long we were chatting like old
friends."
"So let me get this straight. You came out of my office and asked
George for directions? And you were offered the job - there and then? I
really can't believe..."
"No, we went for coffee, we were chatting for ages. I said that I'd
just been for an interview, and that was it."
"You went for coffee - with George?"
"Yes"
"And you were offered the job?"
"Don't tell me that you didn't know?"
"No, I didn't know."
"Well anyway, I start on Monday. It's great, isn't it?"
Simon could not think of anything to say. The revelation that he had
wasted the entire afternoon, was nothing when compared to the insult
that he had suffered. He replaced the receiver, and turned to gape at
Claudine.
"Well?" she asked "what did she say?"
"I just don't believe it, she's gone over my head."
It was at this point that he decided to offer his resignation.

Katrina stood by the telephone, with a smile on her lips.
"Who was that?" called Judith, from the kitchen, as she scraped the
remnants of their meal from the plates. Katrina had almost forgotten
that Judith was with her, but she could hardly wait to tell her what
she had done.
"That was my new boss." She called, and began to chuckle to
herself
"What are you talking about?" asked Judith, as she entered the room,
and feeling that she had missed the joke, began to laugh with her
flat-mate.
"I've just been getting revenge on a friends sexist husband, that's
all." She decided that she would explain the situation later.
"Who the hell is George?" she asked herself aloud, before lapsing into
hysterical laughter. Judith looked on in bewildered silence. She had
not known Katrina long enough to understand her completely, but she
decided to laugh with her just the same.
Katrina knew that it would not be too long before Simon realised that
she was merely playing a joke on him, but she decided to savour the
moment while it lasted. She toyed with the idea of telling Claudine,
but quickly decided not to. Claudine was married to the pig, after all,
and she could not be certain of her confidence. How sweet it was to get
revenge on such a sexist pig. She felt as though she were striking a
blow for the female gender. She was a warrior, battling against the
patriarchal system.

Simon chewed on the telephone conversation he'd had with Katrina, until
it was a distorted mess, and he could no longer distinguish between
what he had said, and what he should have said. He pictured himself at
five minutes past nine on Monday morning, in George's office, and as he
rehearsed his speech, his apprehension increased. He had enjoyed his
job, and at his age there was little chance of finding another, but it
was a matter of principle, and he would not be treated in such a way.
And as the weekend passed slowly, his trepidation grew, out of all
proportion.

He was depressed, that much was obvious. Claudine knew the signs only
too well. Ten years of marriage had given her a clear insight into his
moods. She could not reach him. He had built a wall around himself that
was as impenetrable as stone. She was his wife, and she felt as if she
were a stranger. Why was he refusing to allow her in? She wondered what
it was, that made all men so insular, and as the weekend passed slowly,
her resentment grew, out of all proportion.

Katrina wondered how he had managed to control his anger over the
telephone. He was a man, and men were always so aggressive. She
pictured him strutting back and forth across the room, shouting, while
Claudine sat cowering in the armchair. She hated him for his anger, as
she hated the anger that was part of every man. And as the weekend
passed slowly, her hatred grew, out of all proportion.

Judith had come to know Katrina's devious nature, in the short time
that she had spent with her, and began to feel sorry for a man that she
had never met. She had heard Katrina's version of events, and even if
what she claimed was true, surely Simon did not deserve to be so
cruelly treated. He was a man, and men are such emotional weaklings.
And as the weekend passed slowly, her sympathy grew, until she decided
to act.

The sign stencilled onto the glass said "G. Hurley - Man. Dir." Simon
read the sign repeatedly, pronouncing the words in his head. "Gee Hurl
EE - Man Deer." He had always thought that it was a rather strange
sign, as it said little about the person who sat behind the heavy oak
desk. George was neither man, nor deer. He waited for a few seconds
before he knocked, and entered the office.
The girl who smiled at him from behind the desk was a complete
stranger. Simon realised that it had been some considerable time since
he had occupied this exact section of parquet flooring, and had no idea
that George had employed a new PA. He found himself floundering in a
situation that he had hitherto failed to envisage. It was to have been
a short speech, and to the point, but reality had dealt him a final
insult.
"Can I help you?" asked the PA. As she reached for George's appointment
book, but all that Simon could say was " Who are you?"
"I'm miss Hurley's PA." She replied, stating what Simon had already
understood.
"Did you want to make an appointment to see her?"
Simon stood, his letter of resignation in his hand, not knowing what to
do, or say.
"There's a space free at ten-fifteen, if you want?" she continued "or
can I help?"
It was an indication of the way the company was going, that he had been
reduced to making an appointment to see the very woman who had sat with
him in the canteen, discussing ideas for the proposed expansion, less
than a week before. His anger, and confusion rose, as he hovered in the
doorway.
"Just tell her that Simon wants to see her when she gets in." He took a
step backwards into the corridor, and reached for the door handle. As
he was about to close the door behind him, Georgina Hurley's personal
assistant continued to address him.
"Oh, so you're Simon?"
She spoke hurriedly, allowing him no time to close the door.
"George has told me a lot about you."
He opened the door fully, and stepped once again into the office.
"Come in, and sit down."
She smiled warmly, and Simon felt that perhaps he had been rather too
abrupt. She had nothing to do with the situation, and it was wrong to
be hostile toward her. He relaxed a little as he pulled the heavy chair
away from the desk, and sat down slowly.
"I hear that you're quite an asset to the company." She continued
"George speaks very highly of you."
Simon wondered if this was merely a device to put him at his ease, but
his resignation had not been mentioned to anybody - not even to
Claudine. He decided not to speak, until he had heard more, and could
gain a better insight into the situation. He thought that perhaps,
George had regretted her decision to employ Katrina without consulting
him, and this was the reason for the flattery.
"Only yesterday, she told me how she had given you the sole
responsibility for appointing a new stock-controller, and how you
always managed to appoint the right person for every vacancy..."
She continued to speak, but Simon was not listening. He was too busy
trying to make some small scrap of sense out of what she had just
said.
"...And she told me that you had really found the ideal person for the
job."
She stopped speaking. It was his turn, but he could think of nothing
sensible to say, except, "I'm sorry?"
"Alan Gurvitz, that's his name, isn't it? She read your report, and
rather than wait until this-morning she phoned him to let him know your
decision straight away. That's where she is now - showing him the
ropes."
"But! - But!..." Simon could still think of nothing sensible to
say.
"I'm sure that Miss Hurley would like to see you in the stock-control
department. I know that she would like to speak to you about the
ramps."
"Alan Gurvitz? - but I thought...?"
He did not let her know what he thought: He considered that it was not
a good idea to let her know anything. He suddenly realised that he was
still holding his letter of resignation in front of him, and hurriedly
thrust it into his inside jacket pocket: a pocket that did not exist as
it belonged to his other jacket. The letter of resignation fell
silently to the floor, unaddressed, unstamped and unnoticed.

Alan Gurvitz was overjoyed at the successful outcome of his interview.
The company was large, and offered excellent prospects for promotion.
The managing director, had shown herself to be a considerate and
friendly employer, and he had felt that he could speak to her about any
problems that he might encounter. He had not realised at first that he
was speaking to the boss. She had introduced herself as Georgina Hurley
- call me George - and bore little resemblance to the image that he had
formed across the telephone line.
Somebody, somewhere had thought of everything, and had even removed the
chair from behind his desk, to make room for the wheelchair. The
computer terminal had been positioned perfectly, and Alan knew that he
would have little difficulty operating the keyboard with his one, good
hand. He began to feel a sense of pride in being an active part of such
an open-minded company - a company that could see beyond his
disabilities.

"I suppose that we should tear it up then?" Georgina Hurley - call me
George - held the letter of resignation at arms length. It had come as
rather a shock to discover that Simon was unhappy with the companies
positive discrimination policy. However, it was to some extent,
understandable, when one considered the events of the past three days.
Her personal assistant remained silent. It was not for her to tell the
boss what to do, especially, on her first day at the office. Georgina
Hurley - call me George - folded the letter, and placed it in the
envelope.
"Here! Keep it as a souvenir." She said, as she reached across the
desk.

Simon felt slightly embarrassed as he entered George's office, for the
second time that morning. He had to have dropped the letter somewhere,
and a process of elimination had led him back to where he had last seen
it. George had returned to her position behind the heavy oak desk, and
appeared slightly more pleased to see him than was usual
"I'm sorry to bother you," he began "but, you haven't found an envelope
in your office, by any chance?" The expression that swept across her
face assured him that she had.
"Oh Simon, you are silly." She began "Sit down, and we'll have a chat
about it."
Simon did not wish to chat about it, and as he dropped into the padded
leather chair, he realised that he was beginning to tremble
slightly.
"I thought that you were happy with the positive discrimination policy"
she continued "but I realise that what the company set out to achieve,
has been misunderstood. This really is a silly lot of nonsense, and I
just hope that there are no bad feelings on your part? It really is
quite awkward to achieve a balance these days. Still no harm done,
eh?"
"So you'll tear up my letter of resignation then?"
"Consider it done." (Though it was not done).
Simon left George's office in a far better mood than he had entered.
The situation had reached a satisfactory conclusion, and it was at this
point that he decided to telephone Claudine.

Judith removed the suitcase from the bed, and placed it against the
open door, and with one last check to ensure that she had not left
anything important, she took the keys from her purse and threw them
unceremoniously onto the dresser. Katrina would be hurt to know the
true reason for her sudden departure from the flat, but Judith did not
care in the least. The last three days had served to highlight their
differences, and Judith knew that if she stayed, things could never be
the same between them. She removed Simon's letter of resignation from
her pocket, and placed it next to the keys. It would do no harm to let
Katrina know just how much harm she had caused. Simon did not appear to
be such a sexist, and she was happy that she had finally met him. She
picked up the suitcase and left the place that she had called home for
the last three months.

George watched as Judith closed the door of the flat, and reflected on
the circumstances of their friendship. If the situation with Simon had
not arisen, Judith would never have telephoned her, and they would not
have become friends. She had been impressed by her concern for a man
that she had never met, and she had realised almost immediately that
she possessed the correct balance of diplomacy and forcefulness
required for the vacancy of PA. She opened the passenger door of her
silver Porsche, and smiled as her new lover approached.

Simon returned home to find an empty house, and a brief note from
Claudine. He had tried to telephone her at frequent intervals
throughout the day, without success, and as he read the note, he slowly
awoke to the reality of the situation.

"I can't put up with your selfish behaviour any more. This weekend has
made me realise just what a sexist pig you really are. You've been so
wrapped up in yourself that you haven't even noticed me. I can't
believe that I've put up with you for ten years. I won't be back. I've
gone to stay with Katrina. She understands me better than you ever
could.

Claudine."

Simon tore the note into tiny pieces, before punching the air. He could
hardly contain his excitement as he picked up the receiver and dialled
Alan's number.
"Hello - Alan Gurvitz speaking."
"Alan- great news..."
"Simon?"
"She's gone to live with Katrina."
"Who- Claudine?"
"Yes, it's great isn't it? You can come over whenever you want. Don't
bother to pack, we'll move your stuff in later."
"That's great news. Are you sure, she's really gone?"
"I'm positive - she left a note - she's not coming back."
"Right! I'll be over straight away - and Simon..."
"Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Alan!"
Simon replaced the receiver, and reflected on the situation. The world
outside may be harsh and cold, but at least inside his home there would
be no women to manipulate him. From now on, it would be, exclusively, a
man's world.