now.”
He watched her go over, opened the box. She took the gray bottle, looked at it against the machine.
“Well?” he said.
“I don’t know how to put the toner in the machine.”
“Jesus Christ. Can’t you do anything? I’ll get Ron.”
Go to hell, Joan thought. Herman was back with Ron. He walked over to the machine, rubbing his blonde mustache with his forefinger. “What’s the problem?”
“Not sure how to put the toner in the machine.”
“That’s because this takes a toner cartridge.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Why do you have that bottle?” Ron inquired.
“I got a call from someone who said that they were our copy supplier and asked me if we need more toner bottles. I didn’t see a reason why we shouldn’t have more in case we run out so I ordered them.”
“Oh my God,” Ron said.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Herman yelled.
“What, I don’t understand,” Joan said.
“Those people are copy pirates,” Ron said. “They’re scam artists. They call offices all the time and sell them junk that doesn’t work with the machine.”
“How much was all that?” Herman screamed.
“$200,” Joan said.
“I’ll go down to accounting and tell Joe. Hopefully, we can stop the check before it’s too late.”
“What are you, an idiot or something,” Herman yelled.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know. You’re supposed to hang up on those people. I thought you did this kind of work before. I thought that you dealt with these people in the past.”
“I never heard of this.”
“Unbelievable,” Herman shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “You’re not concentrating on your work and now you cost this company over $200.”
“Ron said he could still stop the check.”
“And that will cost us $10. That’s it. I don’t want you doing anymore voiceovers until you get your act together.”
“Mr. Pearson.”
“Do you understand me?”
“I do it on my own time.”
“And it’s interfering with your work.”
“I enjoy doing it.”
“Don’t you argue with me,” Herman shouted. “I’m going down to Doris right now and tell her that you’re not to do anymore voiceovers until I see some improvement in your work.” He turned and walked towards Doris’s office.
Chapter 7
Diane Crawford
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 3:00
Diane glared at Tim Harrelson who sat on a couch in Herman’s office, folding her arms across her chest. “You have something you want to say to me?” she asked.
“I’m sorry,” Tim said.
“And what are you sorry for?”
“For the comments I made?”
“You have a lot of other things to apologize for.”
“He apologized,” Herman said.
She stood up, glared at the general manager. “Stay out of this Herman.”
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to.”
“I don’t work here anymore and he is going to apologize for what he did to me whether you like it or not.”
“As far as I’m concerned, this is over,” Herman said.
“I’m going to talk to my lawyer,” Diane replied. “Unless you want to let me out of my non-compete.”
“Oh, so that’s what this is all about,” Herman replied.
“It’s the least you can do after what he did to me.”
“He says nothing like that happened and I believe him,” Herman said.
“I’m sick and tired of you covering for him.”
“I really don’t care what you think,” Herman responded.
“We’ll see about that. Diane ran over to Herman’s desk, opened the drawer next to him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Herman shouted.
Diane grabbed the Penthouse magazine. “You see this,” she said to Bruce. “That’s why he’s always covering for him. He’s just as bad as he is. You should hear some of the things they talk about in here.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Herman said.
“We’re not stupid. Terri can hear you two from the hallway all the time.”
“Look, Mr. Thompson,” Tim said. “That’s my magazine. Herman saw it on my desk and he took it from me and said that I shouldn’t bring it in here.”
“You are such a liar,” Diane shouted.
Herman grabbed the magazine from Diane’s hand and screamed “I’ve had just about enough of this. Like I said before, as far as I’m concerned, this is over.”
“Oh no it’s not,” Diane said.
“As far as I’m concerned, it is,” Herman said. “We are done here. I expect you to be back in the booth tonight. Your 2 weeks are not up yet.”
“I am not working another minute in this place with him.”
“Well then,” Herman said. “You have two choices. “You can get your ass back in that booth tonight or get your ass out of here and leave the station. If you decide to do the second, then don’t expect a good reference from us.”
“I have worked her for 7 years and you have no right to talk to me like that,” she shouted, putting her hands on her hips.
“I’ll talk to you anyway I want’,” Herman yelled back.
“Fine. I’ll leave. And if I find out that you’re blackballing me, then
