The shift ended and the noise level rose as more and more of the factory workers made their way into the store.
She walked downstairs to check on things. People were talking among themselves and enjoying Lilene’s cookies. It was apparent Lilene had included an “it’s not bad news” whisper along with the meeting invite, because the vibe tonight was completely different than in the elementary school cafeteria that first night, which was what she’d hoped for.
She spotted Buck and Anna standing at the counter talking to Misty. She waved in their direction and worked her way over toward them. Anna waved and Buck gave her an encouraging smile.
It took Vanessa a few minutes to get across the store, stopping to say hello to the guys who had helped Bill get the warehouse in shape. “Thanks for your help.” She shook hands. “Good to see you.” She was being met with smiles rather than fear and speculation this time.
Bill grabbed her hand and gave it a firm shake. “You should stick around and run this shop. I’d consult for you any day of the week.”
The compliment meant a lot to her. Bill had gotten his start at this company. She teased, “Unless it’s a hunting day, and there’s a big buck on the loose, right?”
“I might even sacrifice one of those days for you, Vanessa. I respect your style.”
“Thank you, Bill. You’re a huge part of this success.”
Moving closer to Anna, she thought,This is definitely a different room to talk with tonight.
She paused as she stepped away.
Talkwith?
A tiny shock of realization sizzled inside her.
Talkwithrather thantothe people. It sounded like a subtle change, but was it? She swiveled, taking in the faces around her. The room seemed to silence, although she could still see the people talking. She could name one, two, three… more than twenty-five of the people standing nearby. It’d be easier to count who she didn’t recognize.
Hardworking people who genuinely cared about one another and this town.
As she turned, Buck caught her arm.
“Are you okay?” He put his other arm on the top of her shoulder. “You look unsteady.”
“No. I’m not. I was just…” She patted his hand. “I’m fine. Really. I was coming over to say hello and got sidetracked along the way. Let me make this announcement. I’ll be right back.”
She walked over to the stairs and climbed to the fourth step and looked around. The crowd seemed like a hive of energetic bees below. She clapped her hands in an attempt to regain control. One second later there was that loud whistle of Lilene’s and the room quieted to a hush.
“I’m going to have to learn that whistle.” Nervous laughter broke the tension as Vanessa regained control.
“Merry Christmas. I hope you’re all feeling the holiday spirit after the great parade this weekend.” She started clapping and folks joined in.
“Thank you for gathering again on short notice. I promised to bring you updates as soon as I had them, so that’s what we’re doing here tonight. Before I go through the changes, I want to share a couple of personal observations.”
“Here comes the bad-news sandwich,” someone groaned from somewhere among the display cases.
Buck’s unmistakable voice boomed. “Hush up, Tinker. Let the lady speak. You’re always stirring up stuff that doesn’t need stirring.”
“Sorry.”
Vanessa never had seen who had made the comment. “Thank you, Buck. I admit I was in line for an assignment in Paris this holiday and I was not happy about being sent to Fraser Hills, North Carolina, but I’ve had the great pleasure to get to know many of you in the past couple of weeks as we’ve evaluated the footprint and business activities. Thank you for being such a good team.”
Nods and a few whispers spread across the floor.
“Initial plans included confirmation of warehouse space. As you know, we’ve had a team heads-down on clearing out the facility on the next block in preparation for that. The team has made quick work of it and we’ve been able to recoup some of the money for repairs by scrapping old equipment, or in some cases donating it to be repurposed for other things in the county. I want to thank Bill Campbell for his leadership on this effort.”
People cheered. No one seemed to even remember how mad they’d been with her for giving him that package not that long ago.
“Great job. Really it was a team effort. We have a few more requirements that have come through and my goal is to have that warehouse up and running, ready to begin receiving inventory by the first of the year.” She raised her hand as people grumbled. “I know. It’s super fast. Racks and equipment will be coming soon. I have a detailed plan to get us doneby December eighteenth. It’s aggressive, but I want you all to have the time you deserve with your families over the holiday. It’ll mean all hands on deck, but it also includes some changes to Porter’s. Before you jump to conclusions, these are positive changes, many of them proposed by one of your own.” She waved to Misty. “Misty, join me up here.”
Buck’s mouth fell open.
