3. Kameron
3
KAMERON
The Chambers meeting room has to be as old as the town.
The wood paneling along the walls makes the rectangular room dark and dingy. The table can’t be much newer either, it has pen marks in random spots, a few knicks off the edges, and the chairs have little to no cushion left and squeak as you roll them.
“Alright,” Mr. Daniels, my boss, walks in with a folder in his hands, “let’s get started.” He smiles, glancing around the room to everyone.
As far as bosses go, he’s pretty solid. I’ve not had to request any time off yet since I just started, but I’ve seen him grant time to others when needed. He does truly seem to really try to make the workplace a happy place.
Even if there are a few people here that act like their shit doesn’t stink.
The one sitting directly across from me, for instance. Rebecca, as she requires me to call her but everyone else in the office calls her Becky, isn’t my number one fan and I can’t say I’m hers either.
She’s gorgeous. Long blonde hair that’s naturally wavy with long thick lashes, and a pretty face. But her personality could make her the ugliest person on the planet.
Since the day Cora and I started working here, she’s been a bitch to us both. She’s higher up on the totem pole than we are, meaning she enjoys delegating most of her work to the two of us.
Is it fair? No. Do we do it? Yes.
What are we supposed to do? Go cry to Mr. Daniels and tell him how Rebecca is being a big bully?
The stuff she has us do isn’t too bad, and I can shake her comments off easily for the most part, so I just deal with it. Hoping that sometime in the future, I’ll be rewarded for my patience and understanding.
Someday.
Rebecca smiles down the table at Mr. Daniels when he begins discussing the Halloween Community Event that’s taking place on Halloween.
“Rebecca, tell us what you’ve come up with.” He gestures for her to give her spiel on the event.
“We’ve created maps to maximize trick or treating in the well-lit neighborhoods that will be handing out candy, but we’ve also created lists of houses outside of that, that would like to pass out candy should anyone decide they’d like to continue after the neighborhoods we’ve compiled are finished. We have a child friendly haunted house being sponsored by the fire department and they also have volunteers ready to work the event as scarers. The bakery is going to have spider cupcakes and cake pops for a discounted price to kiddos that come in dressed in costume. We will have an apple bobbing contest, something we haven’t done in the last few years, but that we think would be great to bring back.” She finally takes a breath. How her head isn’t spinning is beyond me. “We have a few other small things planned, but that pretty much covers all the large ones.” She smiles at him, before looking at Cora and I with a smirk, as if we wouldn’t be able to compete with her event.
Jokes on her though, while I do enjoy Halloween, I’d prefer to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas planning.
“Great,” Mr. Daniel praises her, and I can visibly see her head swell with the compliment. I gag, a little louder than I planned and suddenly have all eyes on me.
Quick thinking is one of my strengths so I grab my coffee and take a sip.
“Sorry, that cookie was a little dry.” I smile, trying to play it off the best I can.
Cora snickers beside me, tilting her head slightly to let me know she finds me full of shit currently.
“We won’t have a Thanksgiving festival this year, but we are going to host a large Thanksgiving dinner at the community center that the entire town is invited to,” Mr. Daniel moves on.
I’m so thankful, I just know my face is red by the heat I feel on my cheeks.
Mr. Daniel continues to explain the Thanksgiving details, and what each of us will be required to do in order to make the event successful. I’m more focused on my cookie currently than anything else since Cora always takes notes for both of us.
The cookie is not dry at all, by the way. I know you’re dying to know that.
“Alright,” Mr. Daniel mutters, taking a sip of his coffee. “That brings us to the Christmas Bazaar.” He flips through a few sheets of paper in front of him. “Last year, our turnout was significantly lower than previous years, and it appears our numbers continue to drop.” He clears his throat, pushing his thick black frames further up his nose as he looks at us. “With that being said, we’re going to organize a new team for the Bazaar. I typically don’t put first year employees in charge of event planning, but Cora?—”
Cora’s head pops up and I smile, this is great for her.
“And Kameron, I’m putting both of you on top of the Bazaar. You’ll be the final okay to all event information. You’ll plan everything, events, food, booths, etc.”
Cora’s mouth hangs open slightly, shocked by what’s been dropped in our laps.
“Mr. Daniel,” Rebecca holds her hand up rudely in our direction, “I mean no offense, but these two are far too young to be given one of our biggest events of the year. They haven’t even been with the Chamber for six months yet.”
Mr. Daniel’s stares at her. “And your point is, Rebecca? I think we’re all aware of how long Cora and Kameron have been employed here in Birchwood.”
A few people snicker around the table, and Rebecca turns a slight shade of red. I can’t tell if It’s from anger or embarrassment.
“I’m just saying, I don’t think it’s fair to those of us who have been here for years and put in far more work than they have, and this event is just handed to them.” She blows out a breath, almost sounding like a bull ready to charge at the red flag.
“I understand what you’re saying, Rebecca. However, the reason we hired two younger employees was for a new spin on things. We want new ideas; things that will relate to the younger population in Birchwood. I’ve decided to put them on the event, they’re in charge. Understood?” Mr. Daniel’s looks down the table at her, and she shrinks in size, I swear.
But the hateful stare Cora and I both receive from her could set us on fire easily.
“As I was saying, you two are in charge.” He directs his attention back to us. “If you need anything, please reach out, and I’d like to be updated weekly at our meetings. I’ll send out decisions on the Christmas Bazaar by the end of the day, those chosen will report to Cora and Kameron.”
Mr. Daniel’s is a very to the point man. Which means the second all information has been exchanged in our weekly meetings, he packs up and is the first one out the door. Some days it’s so quick I don’t even notice that he’s gone until the door is clicking shut behind him.
Cora and I are congratulated by a few of our co-workers, while Rebecca packs her things into her bag quite aggressively. If we didn’t already know where we stand with her, we do now.
Rebecca storms out, leaving Cora and I staring after her as everyone else slowly trickles out of the room.
“God, she’s such a bitch,” Cora breaks the silence, rolling her eyes and turning to face me.
“That I can’t argue with,” I agree. I don’t know what the issue is between us or why she hates us as much as she does, but damn. Get a life, sis.
“So, the Christmas Bazaar.” Cora looks me in the eyes, and slowly her smile spreads across her dainty face. “I cannot freaking believe he gave us the biggest event of the year.”
“Well, by the sounds of it, it hasn’t been their biggest event in quite some time,” I point out, reminding her of what he said when he was reviewing numbers.
“Yeah, that part does scare me actually.” She stands, moves over to the small stack that Mr. Daniels left on the table where he was sitting. “Here it is.” She slides the paper that explains the last few years numbers, what the events were, and all the information we need. “It looks like they had very generic things. Pictures with Santa, the bakery made Christmas themed cupcakes, there was eggnog, but according to this, nothing that would really drive a crowd in.”
“Well, we can certainly do better than that.” I scan over the numbers, reading the information and committing it to memory.
A few minutes later, our phones buzz with an email from Mr. Daniels. He’s already assigned the team that will be working with us, and as luck would have it, Rebecca is the first one listed.
“She’s going to be pissed.”
“I’m dreading the first meeting already,” I say, slumping back into my chair.
I’m not sure if I’ll have the Christmas spirit to put up with her.
“If we make it through alive, it’ll be a Christmas miracle.” Cora laughs.
A Christmas miracle Indeed.