Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 122609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
She sucked her teeth and shook her head. “2. Honey Brooks is to have no disciplinary reprimands in the next twelve months, for any reason, or she will be immediately terminated. Lastly, Honey Brooks will provide a project that she’s been working on, which includes but is not limited to, an exposé of an unlawful product trafficking ring that she discovered while away on assignment.
“She has provided some preliminary information detailing the situation, along with undeniable evidence of her discovery via video and still frames, as well as audio clips through which she obtained damning information. The perpetrator has not been notified about the discovery of his alleged activities, so the potential for this story to blow up and hit the news hard is high. The individual involved is known not only locally in Denver, but in the entire western area of the United States due to his celebrity status in the cosmetic surgery community. Ms. Brooks’ salary will remain the same, as well as her health benefits and job-related perks.”
Mr. Silver removed his glasses and set them down on the table. He rubbed his eyes, then looked around the room.
“Does anyone have any comments or questions before I allow Honey to respond?”
Teresa raised her hand and offered a tight, tense smile.
“Yes, Teresa?” Mr. Silver called to her.
“Honey, as your supervisor, I want to offer full transparency. I am the one that voted no to your return, while the others voted yes.”
Honey laughed mirthlessly and shook her head.
“I am so shocked.” She snickered.
“It’s not because I don’t appreciate your work and work ethic, but after thinking it over, I no longer believed you were good for this environment. I didn’t want you to be stifled, either, and was prepared to write a letter of recommendation. However, after the voting was cast, I had a change of heart.” You don’t have a heart, so how can it change? “There was no re-vote required, so it didn’t alter the outcome, but I changed my mind because I was notified about how hard you’re working in Denver in an effort to prove yourself to us, and start over again. I read the sample article you wrote, and I’m particularly impressed. I’ve seldom seen your journalistic writing chops, only your wonderful photography, and I must say it’s a breath of fresh air.”
“Well, that’s wonderful, Teresa, because you’ve been nothin’ but hot air.”
A few chuckles rang out in the room.
“Honey, come on!” Silver chastised. “Let’s let bygones be bygones and start over. She’s handin’ you an olive branch, for God’s sake.”
“Oh, I definitely agree that we should start over, but the only thing I’m being handed is a bunch of lies. You see, while y’all were here gossiping about me, moving the few things I left behind that were in my office and piling it into a cubicle where I’d be out in the open, unable to concentrate and provide the same level of service as some sort of punishment to me, I was trying to turn my lemons into lemonade. I initially did not accept responsibility for my actions. I will own that. I definitely had crossed the line one too many times, and I understood the frustration from my coworkers and superiors when I would get the paper bad press. I should have thought twice about my actions.”
Teresa nodded, her lips pursed.
“Though my motives were pure, as well as my intentions, this was not an excuse. It was evident, though I refused to admit it to myself due to this being such a prestigious position with a top tier paper in Los Angeles, that I was, in fact, not a good match or fit for this publication.”
The small crowd began to stir and murmur.
“I find it insulting that I would be offered such a “welcome back” present. I find it insulting that I was shipped away to take photos of weddings for marriages that will be over in six months, and restaurant openings, when I am one of the most sought-after photojournalists in not only this city, but this entire damn country. I find it insulting that I was able to self-analyze while I was away, but no one in this room did the same. Not one of you has admitted to any fault, bad judgment, or owned anything in return, and though I know that this is my probationary period, let’s be for real. Some of my actions were a direct result of the lack of leadership and support from this team. The reason why minds were changed, as Teresa stated, it wasn’t because upper management gives a damn about Honey Brooks.
“It is because of the story that I got a hold of. One no one else has even an inkling about. You would get first dibs, and this is slated to be a blockbuster of a story, one that is going to blow the top off of this operation. I am well aware sales have plateaued, and this would send y’all soaring again. It’s the type of story that has caused me lack of sleep for the last week because I was researching, putting it together, and crossing my I’s and dotting my T’s. I put my life in danger, getting this story. You have no idea what I endured to get this story. And to come here, in this room, and be told what has been shared today is a smack in my face! You put a chief photojournalist in a fuckin’ mouse hole you call a cubicle, tell me if I so much as sneeze, my ass is grass, and after all I’ve done for this publication over the years, and to get this story, my pay stays the same? Y’all are out of your monkey ass minds!”