Her Magazine is New Zealand’s only women’s business lifestyle magazine! Her Magazine highlights the achievements of successful and rising New Zealand businesswomen. Her Magazine encourages a healthy work/life balance.
Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/67815
short story LIZ SAT AT HER desk and surveyed the central business district. She hunched forward and leered into the screen like a tech-savvy gargoyle. A hint of primate anxiety settled on her expression. After a few moments checking emails for urgency, she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was time to leave. She gathered several papers into her briefcase and walked from the office. Out across the blue-skied harbour the train clunked into the station. Evelyn gathered her wits and sidled toward the open doors. She inhaled a deep breath of grubby air and walked at a brisk pace toward the mediation office. Evelyn had been eating lunch at her desk, three weeks earlier, when Sally walked in and closed the door. She looked Evelyn straight in the eye. "Do you know what's going on with the boss and Mike?" Sally asked. Mike was nearly a stereotype of beefy witlessness and ingratiating vanity; big, stupid and annoying, with enough smarts to cruise on charm. "No," was Evelyn's emphatic response. She was both curious and once again disappointed to be the last to know. Office gossip was a sacrifice and benefit of her recently established work/life balance. "They're having an affair," Sally said, without reservation. Evelyn's eyes widened as she considered the news. "How do you know?" "I caught them smooching in her office. Most of the staff either know or suspect. Liz is losing the plot and taking it out on Frank and Huia who are too scared to say anything, but they see it all. And she's making emotional decisions all over the place," said Sally. "Emotional decisions?" Evelyn questioned. "Yeah, like covering his expenses so he can fly down here every other week. No one else is travelling half as much, and no one is saying anything, especially to his wife who calls in to the eastern office at least once a week. Everyone resents smiling through the lie. He's developing his client base at the expense of all the other regions, mainly because she's backing him and they're taking cosy trips to far flung regions." Sally's indignation flooded the cluttered office. "There's no priority ranking for any projects except his, which are the only ones with full funding approval." Sally was on a roll and gathering momentum. "She hasn't been to a sector meeting this quarter and Jasmine's doing most of Mike's admin," Sally spat her distaste. "How do you know everyone knows?" Evelyn interrupted. "All the managers know. You're the last. Becks told Harry, so there's a good deal of wild fire gossip," Sally confirmed. "What about outside the organisation?" Evelyn asked, thinking of damage control." "Well," Sally started, taking a breath. "Max is married to Sui at the Leaving Work 114 | www.hermagazine.co.nz Council and neither of them shy away from a good story. Pete, from the agency was winking and raising eyebrows at the industry lunch last week. Alex, Api and Mei over the road know, and Sid knows because I told him. It's affecting our credibility and our reputation and no one is doing anything. Several major partners are backing off because she's not keeping them in the loop." Sally was worried about keeping her own job. She was a backroom girl with an eye on her own escape. Evelyn knew the buck was stopping with her; if she didn't say anything, nothing would be said, and if nothing was said the problem would get worse. Sally expected her to do something, it was now Evelyn's responsibility. She spent the next few days mulling it over before making vague enquires. "I hear there's a bit of a situation with the boss" Evelyn said to Huia.