Promises Made and Promises Kept Pt. 01

I stood up as she reached me. She stuck out her hand as she said, "Hello, Ms. Hanratty. My name is Lois Lane. I apologize for the delay."

I smiled at hearing her name but noted the look in her eye and opted not to say anything. I took her hand and said, "Hello, Ms. Lane. It's nice to meet you. Please, call me Virginia."

Lois smiled, and I knew I had passed her little test when she said, "Thanks, Virginia. Please call me Lois. Let's head on up to HR."

"Okay, lead on," I said. Lois headed to the elevators, and as we passed Peggy, she greeted us both by name. We got in the elevator, and when we got to the second floor, we got off, and Lois led me to her office. As we walked into her office, Lois said, "Again, I want to apologize for making you wait. The CTO had me on the phone with some additional items he wanted me to make sure were included in the offer that we're going to make."

Hearing that, I mentally added another 5% to my minimum acceptable offer since, if the CTO is involved, they really want me. I knew there was going to be some give and take, but, in the end, I'm going to get what I want.

We sat down, and Lois went over the items included in my compensation package other than the salary. I was impressed with how comprehensive the benefits would be. However, it was nothing less than what I expected. Finally, she slid a piece of paper over to me while saying, "This is our salary offer."

I picked the offer up and took a quick look at it before putting it back down on the desk. It was a decent offer, but I was sure I could get more. I smiled and started to get up while saying, "I'm sorry I wasted your time, Lois ... "

Before I got any further than that, Lois cut me off, smiled, and said, "Mike told me you wouldn't take that offer. Please, Virginia, sit back down."

I sat back down, knowing that I had scored my point with her. Lois picked up another piece of paper and slid it over to me, saying, "Mike told me to give you this offer after you've rejected the first one."

I picked it up and looked at it. It far exceeded my minimal expectations. It was a generous offer near the top of the range I expected to get. I put it back down and looked up at Lois, smiled, and said, "That's a decent offer."

Lois smiled back at me, and I knew I had gained her respect. She then asked, "Do you accept this offer?"

"Yes, I do. When do I start?" I responded.

"It'll be a couple of weeks while we get all of the paperwork pushed through," Lois said, getting right to business. "We'll also want to get started on getting your Top Secret clearance renewed. Right now, we've got a lot of papers for you to sign," Lois finished, handing me the first of many papers I'd be signing this morning.

About an hour later, we had gone through a mountain of paperwork that I had to read and sign. Finally, we were done, and Lois escorted me back down to the lobby. We shook hands and parted. I said hello to Peggy when she greeted me. I drove home, happy that I've completed a significant accomplishment. I was looking forward to starting my new position.

***

We got Matthew moved into his dormitory at UC Irvine today. We packed his stuff in his car and Grace's car (there's not a lot of trunk space in my two-seater Miata) and made our way down to the campus. Mark rode with me since Matthew's car was full. We checked in and found his room, which he would be sharing. Since we were there first, Matthew got to pick his bed. We unpacked all of his stuff and got it in and put away.

When it was time to go, I teared up as I hugged Matthew. My boy was growing up, and it was time for him to make his own way through life. He teared up a little, also. He kissed my cheek and said, "I love you, mom. Thanks for everything."

I said, "I love you, too, Matthew. I'm so proud of you."

I eventually let him go after getting myself back under control. Mark gave Matthew a brief hug, and we left, but not before getting a promise from Matthew to call regularly. Since he was only 43 miles away, I expected him to be visiting on holidays and weekends when he's through with soccer for the year. Mark and I got in the car, and we made our way back home. When we got home, it was evident that we were already missing Matthew.

September 1994

My first day at Raytheon was the Tuesday after Labor Day. When I showed up in the lobby, Peggy looked up and smiled, saying, "Good morning, Ms. Hanratty. I'll call up and let them know you're here."

I was amazed that she was so good at her job and remembered me. I smiled back and said, "Thank you, Peggy."

I went to sit down and wait for someone to come to get me. It was only a couple of minutes before I heard the elevator ding. I turned to look, and I heard Peggy say, "Good morning, Mr. Rogers."

The man identified as Mr. Rogers said, "Good morning, Peggy. It's going to be another beautiful day."

"Yes, it is, Steve," Peggy answered.

Steve walked up to me as I stood up and appraised him. He was fit and a few years older than me. He smiled and held out his hand as he said, "Good morning, Ms. Hanratty. I'm Steve Rogers, the in-house software development manager. I hope your commute was smooth?"

I took his hand and gave it a quick shake as I said, "Please, Mr. Rogers, call me Virginia. My commute went well this morning. Thank you for asking."

"Okay, Virginia, but only if you call me Steve," he replied with another smile.

"Sure thing, Steve," I said, returning his smile.

Steve handed me a Visitor's badge before we entered the elevator to go up to the fourth floor. As we went up, Steve said, "I reviewed your resume before you were interviewed, and I have to say that I was impressed with what I saw. I've heard good things about you from the people who interviewed you. They were unanimous that they wanted you for the position."

"Thanks, Steve," I said. "It's good to know that they liked what they saw. I'm not going to rest on my laurels. I have some ideas on putting together a world-class configuration management process once I get up to speed on your current process."

"That's what I like to hear," Steve said as we reached our floor, and the elevator door opened. When we stepped out, Steve guided me to the left. "I'm going to take you to see Mike Evers, the CTO. He wanted to see you before we started the onboarding process."

I was secretly thrilled when I heard that. The fact that the CTO of a large corporation like Raytheon wanted to see me meant that I wasn't going to be just another drone lost in the crowd. I was going to make sure to take advantage of the opportunity given to me.

We came up to the corner office occupied by the CTO. His personal assistant said, "Mike says to go right on in."

I smiled at her as I walked by and noted her nameplate read, 'Lisa Owens.' "Thank you, Lisa," I said before going into Mike's office. Lisa smiled back at me, appreciating that I didn't treat her like another piece of furniture.

When we entered the office, Mike stood up and came around the desk to greet me. He was tall, with blonde hair graying at the temples and blue eyes. Mike reminded me of an older version of Matthew. He stuck out his hand and said, "Hello, Virginia. I'm Mike Evers. Welcome to Raytheon."

I shook his hand and said, "Thank you, Mr. Evers."

"Please, call me Mike," he said, indicating the seats he wanted us to take as he went back around his desk to sit down.

As I sat down, I said, "Okay, Mike. Thanks for the warm welcome."

"Well, it's not often we get someone of your caliber taking a position here," Mike began. "I've heard nothing but good things from the group that interviewed the applicants. They said that it hadn't taken more than 10 seconds to agree that you were the candidate they wanted."

"It's good to know that I'll be appreciated here," I said.

"That's the least of it," said Mike as he looked at me intently. "I've known General Lyles for years, and I know you worked for him on Brilliant Eyes. When I asked him if he remembered you, he got really animated. He told me that he had never had a better officer under his command."

I smiled when I heard that. I had worked for General Lyles when he was a Colonel. I was thrilled that he had remembered me so fondly. "Yes," I said, "I really enjoyed serving with him, too."

"He also warned me," Mike went on, a twinkle in his eye, "that if I didn't watch it, you'd be after my job in no time."

Smiling, I said, "Not for a year or two, anyway. If I ever replace you, it'll be because I earned it, and in the process, got you promoted."

"That's what I like to hear," Mike said. He stood up, indicating the meeting was over. Steve and I stood up, and Mike escorted us to the door.

As we passed Lisa's desk, I smiled at her, getting a smile in return.

Once we were out in the hall, Steve said, "Virginia, I'm going to hand you off to HR to start the onboarding process. After you're done there, I'll introduce you to my team at our staff meeting. Then we'll do lunch. After lunch, we'll get together with your team."

"Thanks, Steve," I said with a smile.

We got on the elevator and went down to the second floor. While heading down, Steve said, "It's not often that Mike takes an interest in a new hire. It looks like you're going to be on upper management's radar."

"Good," I said. "I never give less than my best, and I intend to be the best configuration manager possible."

"Well, I'm looking forward to you being a big part of the team," Steve said as we got off on the second floor. He handed me off to Lois, saying, "I'll be back to get you when you're done."

I smiled at Steve and said, "Thanks, Steve."

Turning to Lois, I said, "Good morning, Lois. It's good to see you again."

Lois smiled and said, "It's not often we hear that around here. Let's sit down. I have a lot of paperwork we need to go through and sign."

For the next hour, we went through a lot of paperwork, making small talk. I commiserated with her about all of the jokes people make about her name. I told her about my interactions with Candy Kane while I was working on the Brilliant Eyes program.

Eventually, the last 'i' was dotted, and the final 't' was crossed. Lois called Steve before walking me to the elevators. We continued chatting while waiting for Steve. By the time he stepped out of the elevator, Lois and I were talking like we'd been friends for years.

"Ready?" Steve asked.

"Yes, I am, Steve," I said, as Lois and I parted. Steve and I stepped into the elevator and headed up to the fourth floor. When we got off on the fourth floor, Steve directed me to the conference room where he had assembled his team.

As we walked to the conference room, Steve explained that he usually has his staff meeting on Monday mornings. Still, for today, he rescheduled it so I could participate. He wanted me to hit the ground running, and the best way to do that was to join in the weekly staff meeting.

When we entered the conference room, I looked around, expecting to find Judy there. Our eyes met, and again, my heart clenched, and I nearly stumbled as I made my way to my seat. Before our gaze broke, I could see that she was affected by it as much as I was.

I sat down, avoiding looking at Judy again. Steve brought the meeting to order and introduced me to the group. I gave a brief description of my career in the Air Force. I finished by saying that I was really looking forward to working with them.

Steve then asked everyone to introduce themselves and give me a short description of what they do. When it was Judy's turn, I had no choice but to meet her gaze. When our gaze met again, I was better prepared for the reaction I got. Judy licked her lips and cleared her throat before she started talking. I watched her intently, looking at how her lips moved, imagining what they'd feel like pressed against mine. She managed to get through her introduction without stumbling over her words. Even after she was done and the next person introduced himself, I couldn't tear my eyes off Judy. Finally, I had to break our gaze because I didn't want to be rude to the other people in the room.

I think Steve twigged to the interchange between us because he kept switching his gaze from Judy to me and back again until all of the introductions were completed. Once the last introduction was complete, I had my feelings back under control. I avoided looking in Judy's direction, although I could still track her from the corner of my eye.

I managed to avoid looking at her until it was her turn to report on the in-house software development projects she was responsible for. Again, we locked eyes, and my heart clenched again as I fell into those brown pools. My nipples were getting hard, and my pussy was getting hot and wet. I'm glad I was wearing a blazer over my blouse because I didn't want to put a show on for the audience, only for her. Judy got through her report with just a couple of stumbles, and I could see that she was squirming a bit in her seat, just as I was. I smiled at her when she finished, and she smiled back at me, the kind of smile that made my stomach churn.

Finally, the staff meeting was over. Everyone came up to me and shook my hand, welcoming me to the group. Finally, Judy came up to me to greet me, and when I took her hand, I felt a shock that went straight to my nipples and clit, and I barely managed to keep from gasping out loud. I know she felt it too, as her eyes were dilated to almost totally black. Our handshake drew out as we locked eyes, and the world went away for what seemed to be minutes but was only a few seconds as we stared into each other's soul. Before it got too embarrassing, I let go of her hand and thanked her for the welcome.

Once Steve and I were the only ones left, he said, "Virginia, let's pop down to the cafeteria and grab lunch. Then we'll get together with your team at 1 PM."

Thankful that I'll have some time to put myself back together, I said, "That sounds good, Steve."

We went down to the cafeteria. I was impressed at how complete it was. It had a well-stocked salad bar, and I assembled a nice salad. I paid the cashier and went to sit down at a table. Steve joined me, having put together a Mexican themed lunch for himself.

We dug in and started eating. We made some small talk, but I could feel that Steve had something on his mind and was looking for a way to bring it up. He finally casually said, "I noticed that you and Judy seemed to hit it off."

I wondered why he was bringing that up. I said, "When I interviewed, last month, I was impressed with the way Judy handled herself and put her interview team together. She seems to be a brilliant person. Since she's head of the in-house software tool development, I think we'll be working together a lot on the e-ConFig tool."

"Yes, I'm sure you will," Steve said. "When she lost her husband last year, I was worried about her. She's handled it quite well. Since she's been back, she's really poured herself into her work."

My heart hurt when I heard about her losing her husband. It brought back memories of how I felt losing Bonnie. It must have shown on my face because Steve asked, "Are you okay, Virginia?"

"Yes, Steve," I replied. "I lost my partner two years ago to cancer, so I know what she went through. I'm sorry Judy had to experience that."

When I said that, Steve nodded, as though he had just gotten confirmation of something he had been wondering about. I knew what it was, but I wasn't going to bring it up until he did.

Steve changed the subject, and I let him. We talked about the campus, and Steve pointed out some of the features that they had. There was a daycare down on the first floor and a sizable and well-equipped exercise area. I was pleased to note that they had a yoga instructor on staff, and there were yoga classes scheduled for every day. I was sure I'd take advantage of that, especially on stressful days when I could use stress relief.

We finished lunch and headed back up to the second floor to meet my team. When we entered the conference room, I scanned the people there. I recognized the four members that participated in my interview. I nodded to each of them, acknowledging them as I went to the head of the table. Steve stayed in the back, standing up against the wall. Once I had the meeting going, he would slip out and let me handle the meeting.

I called the meeting to order and thanked them for taking time out of their busy day to meet with me. I introduced myself and gave a brief overview of my military and civilian careers. I then asked each team member to introduce themselves and provide a quick overview of their activities. While this was happening, Steve slipped out of the room.

After all of the introductions were done, I told everybody that I would schedule one-on-one meetings with everyone over the next few days. I then gave them a quick overview of how I was going to approach configuration management. I told them that I realized that making any changes before intimately knowing how it worked now would be a mistake. Any shakeup won't occur for a while, but it would happen eventually. I then thanked everybody again for giving me their time. I sent them off, praising them for carrying on without a manager for so long.

My personal assistant, Cathy Wells, showed me to my office. It was pretty barren except for two filing cabinets. There were two items on my desk, a phone and a computer. I'd have to bring in a few things to give it some personality. Cathy called IT to get someone up there to help me get my computer set up, and my phone activated. Within minutes, a perky female showed up at my door, knocked, and said, "Hi, Virginia. I'm Pam from IT."

I waved Pam in, and she had my computer set up in no time. She activated my phone and left me a pamphlet showing the functionality of the phone. I thanked her for her quick response and gave her a big smile, getting one in return.

Once Pam left, I called in Cathy, and we sat and talked about how we were going to work together. I told her what I expected and asked for her input as well. I told her that we were going to be working closely together. I wanted to make sure we understood each other and what was to be expected from each other to make sure we would work together smoothly. By the time we were done, I knew we would work just fine together.

I opened my calendar and started setting up appointments with all of my team members. When I was done, I called Cathy in, and we went over the list, making sure our calendars were synced. I had left some free time each day in case I needed to meet with other team leads. I knew I would be meeting with Judy sooner or later, so I decided to call her and set up a time.

Just then, my phone rang. The caller ID told me that it was Judy. "Well," I thought to myself, "we seem to be on the same page already." I picked up the phone and said, "Hello, Judy. Thanks for calling."

I heard Judy's sultry chuckle before saying, "I think you're going to come to regret saying that before too long."

"Oh?" I said. "So, this is not a social call?"

"Well, that depends on if you think talking configuration management is social, or work," Judy said.

My heart was racing by now because my first attempt at flirting with her was received and returned. Trying not to sound too excited, I said, "It can be both if done properly, I suppose."

"Yes, I guess it could," she replied. "If you have some free time tomorrow, I'd like to set up an introductory meeting. I'd like for you to meet the people who will be working on your e-ConFig tool."

I pull up my calendar, and, hiding my disappointment that it wouldn't be a one-on-one meeting, I asked, "How much time do you think you'll need? I have two hours free tomorrow afternoon between 2 PM and 4 PM?"

"That should be enough for what I have planned to start with," Judy replied. "I'll e-mail you the location when I get it set up."