SPRINGING AHEAD... A busy time (Part 127h)

SPRINGING AHEAD... A busy time (Part 127h)

I was awake early the next morning, nervous about the prospects for both presentations. I waited to tell both Trish and Lena about what was to happen and their role in it about an hour before the meeting. We did a run through that wasn’t great but was acceptable, at least in my eyes. They were both instructed to wait to change into their pants suits until I told them to get ready. They’d both promised not to tell anyone what was going on. In reality, the service bureau presentation was really critical because, if the Board failed to act, the bank could find itself with a large problem so my focus was on that. Time dragged until 3pm when the Board convened and then, even more, as the mortgage applications were submitted, discussed and approved before we were allowed in.

Trish had chosen a green and gray wool tweed suit. The jacket was about the same length as the one on Elle’s new outfit. Lena seemed to live in varying shades of gray and this particular one was quite dark. However, the jacket didn’t go down quite as far as the one Trish was wearing. They both looked very stylish. All we had to do was wait for the call to enter the room.

As the saying goes, “The best laid plans ofttimes go astray.” When two of the Board members saw Trish and Lena walk in wearing pants they immediately objected. In spite of Bert trying to calm them down they wouldn’t stop protesting until he finally asked the women to leave. I couldn’t believe it. I felt really bad for them and wished I could have gone out to calm them down. Instead of taking up the matter of the service bureau it was the dress code that took front and center. Order was finally restored and Bert presented the dress code report I’d prepared. After about five minutes the two men, both in their 80’s, got up and walked out. At that point the Board member attorney who had spoken up in an earlier discussions about why the Board couldn’t set a specific length of skirts made an impassioned plea for common sense to prevail. He stated that it was only a matter of time until pants on females would be a standard manner of dress in all phases of the workplace. He closed by saying that in his own law office over half the women employees wore trousers... and some without a coat or jacket. I remember standing there thinking that maybe he’d be able to sway the others. He did, but only to a point. The board passed the proposal with one covenant... the women must wear a jacket that covers their buttocks, much like a man’s jacket did. I didn’t know weather to be happy or sad.

Because so much time had elapsed during this whole scene, a motion was made and passed to table the service bureau proposal until the next meeting. That really bothered me. I couldn’t believe how short sighted these supposed “pillars of the community” were. By the time I was excused from the Board room neither Lena nor Trish were still at the bank. I went looking for them but was told they had both left for the day. When I got downstairs I saw Laura and asked if she’d talked with Trish before she left. She said that she hadn’t but that she noticed that she was very, very upset and that fact upset me even more. I wondered why those two fossilized Board members were even still on the Board. At the few meetings that I’d acted as the secretary one of the men slept having to be poked awake to cast a vote. I was not in a good mood when driving home.

Elle knew better than to try and talk with me until after I’d eaten and had time alone to calm down. She wanted to know when would be a good time to go see Peggy and take the clothes she’d bought for the baby. With all that was going on in my world I’d forgotten about Peggy. I told her I’d stop by and ask Jim in the morning. At least the subject of Peggy got my mind off of the situation with the Board. I found I couldn’t concentrate on the TV as my thoughts were on her and what she was going to do. Only 18, with a baby and no husband, her future didn’t look all that bright and I pondered over just what I could do to help. I didn’t come up with an answer.

I stopped to see James on my way to work the next morning and had a good conversation with him. He promised to let me know when he and his wife felt Peggy would be ready to accept visitors. I offered to do anything I could to help her and he said he'd let me know. I hoped he wasn’t just mouthing words.

The fall-out from the pants suit debacle had made the rounds of the bank by the time I got there the next morning. In thinking about it as I write this the big surprise was how upset meek and mild Lena was. She didn’t call out the Board members by name who’d raised the fuss but, by inference, she did. Trish was waiting by Hobie’s desk for him to get in and didn’t want to talk with me. At that point I was just a spectator.

When Hobie did arrive he told Trish to go upstairs to Bert’s office and he would soon follow. I didn’t dare say a word. All I could think of was that the whole thing was so stupid. After they both had gone Laura came over to tell me that Trish was going to quit. She’d told Laura that she’d been humiliated by what had happened. The thought of Trish leaving was a scary thought. I knew there were so many things that she did in a day that weren’t noticed by others that her absence would soon create havoc. I didn’t hold my breath but it sure felt like I was. Hobie returned and stopped by to say that Trish had been excused for the rest of the day and all of the next one as well. I didn’t dare follow up on what Laura had told me. I did find an excuse to go upstairs and saw that Lena was busy at her desk. That told me that something had been worked out. I just hoped that something could be worked out with Trish as well.

By Friday night I was looking for something to do that didn’t have anything to do with the bank. I'd had a toothache on top of everything else and was able to get an appointment after 4pm. Bret said he sit in for me for the late duty to 6pm. I was in and out of the dentist chair quickly. It allowed me to get home early and as I pulled up the driveway I recognized Ginger’s station wagon. I’d been so preoccupied with things at the bank and Peggy that I’d completely forgotten that Elle had given her a pair of her “dribble panties“ after the party the previous Saturday night. Walking up the path visualized Ginger wearing them. She’d lost a fair amount of weight but I still wondered how tight they might be on her. I knew I wouldn’t get any answers until after she left. It didn’t stop me from wondering how she’d made out with them and if she’d put them to the ”test“. Unfortunately, her visit had nothing to do with the panties. Anne, my middle daughter had become close friends with Ginger’s oldest daughter and she’d come over after school. My arrival hastened their leaving. It didn’t stop me from asking though. Elle just scrunched up her face and walked away when I asked. With that I pretty much knew it was going to ”cost” me something. However, Elle wouldn’t give me any satisfaction which made me mad.

To be continued...