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Possess Me Slowly Forty One
“Yes, sir.”“And it’s really a road car, right? High-speed grand touring?”“Yes, sir.”“Look, Kimberly, why don’t you come into the office — we’re not that far away — and Bill and I will explain what we have in mind.” He paused and then added, “And don’t bother to dress. Whatever you’re wearing right now would be fine.”“But what if I’m not dressed at all?” she asked with a giggle.“Better yet!” he replied with a aural leer.Kim was at the office less than fifteen minutes later and was told by the receptionist that George Harrison and Bill Miller were waiting for her in George’s office. The two explained that they were reacting to a suggestion from an employee — unnamed — regarding sales.“Look,” George explained, “we’re a machine-tool company, but our salesmen aren’t engineers. The suggestion — made by a senior salesperson, by the way — is for us to use team selling: a salesman and a technical support person. Kim, since what we’re now selling are tools you designed yourself, there’s
Possess Me Slowly Forty Two
Arriving at Johnson, she grabbed her hardhat and followed Brad to the reception area. A secretary soon appeared to take Brad to his appointment and a few minutes later a man appeared to greet Kim. He introduced himself as Sam Baxter, the plant manager, and led the way back to the plant floor.As soon as they reached the floor, Kim was glad she was wearing what she was. It was already hot and, since it was still early in the day, it was going to get hotter. If the production area was air-conditioned it wasn’t having much effect.Sam took her to an AT machine and introduced her to its operator, Mary. Kim noted privately the fact that at Johnson, like so many other companies these days, people didn’t seem to have last names. Baxter introduced Kim as the technical expert from AT, and Kim found herself greeted with a frown.The machine was a small stamping press. Mary took a small sheet of steel from a stack, carefully positioned it in the press, then activated it. After the machine cycled
Possess Me Slowly Forty Three
With this knowledge, Kim wanted to have a long talk with Baxter. “Could we take an early lunch?” she asked. “I’m buying.” Although there had been no mention of an expense account, Kim decided she could afford a lunch.Sam quickly accepted and they went out to Kim’s car.Seeing it, he whistled softly and asked reverently, “Is this yours?”“Yes, it is,” Kim replied, scarcely able to keep the note of pride from her voice.“Wow!” Baxter exclaimed, “tech reps are paid far more than I would have thought.”“That’s not really my job,” Kim replied with no further amplification.“What is your job?” he asked.“I’m a machine-tool designer,” she replied. “I design the machines we were talking about this morning.”“But...” Sam began, but then his voice just tailed off.“But I’m a girl,” Kim said with a grin. Then she snapped her fingers and said, “Oh, damn!”“What was that all about?”“I forgot. I’m sorry.”“Sorry about what?”“I’m a girl,” Kim replied. “I’m supposed to do everything with a bobby p
Possess Me Slowly Forty Four
“That’s what we’re looking at. From what marketing tells me, we’re already losing business because of our price, our quality, or a combination of both. Furthermore — and this is in your bailiwick — I understand that the magnitude of our sales allowances is increasing alarmingly. The reason for that is that our delivered quality — to be brutally frank — is a long way from great.”Instead of addressing Baxter’s points, Anders retorted, “Where in hell did this cockamamie idea come from, anyway? This airhead you brought to the meeting with you? She can’t know anything about machine tools. She’s just a pretty face, for God’s sake.”“Wait a minute!” Brad interjected. “While I agree that Miss Kane has a lovely face, it happens to be in front of the most powerful brain I’ve ever encountered. ‘Can’t know anything about machine tools’ I think you said? Well, I have a surprise for you: Miss Kane happens to have her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Cal Tech. Her dissertation deals with machin
Possess Me Slowly Forty Five
Kim and Brad were utterly stunned. They were speechless. Kim’s eyes widened, while all Brad could do was to slowly shake his head. “I just don’t understand, George,” he was finally able to say. “Kimberly has been killing herself the last two weeks for AT, and you’re saying we hate you? What’s going on?”“Let’s take it from the top,” Bill Miller said. “First of all, of course, there’s Kim’s court case against us.” He smiled weakly and continued, “Just a few weeks ago, if she won, George and I would have just signed over the company to her. It really wasn’t worth much. But then what happened? Kimberly happened,” answering his own question. “She presents us with the best-designed machine tools the world has ever seen! But there’s more: You two may not even realize it, but because of the integrated computer controls, a product changeover can be managed in a matter of minutes rather than the hours it used to take.“So what? you’re thinking. So it opens enormous new markets to us: companies
Possess Me Slowly Forty Six
“You may,” the judge replied, but then her brow furrowed and she asked, “But didn’t you used to be Candace?”“Yes, Your Honor,” Kim replied with a small grin, “but I got tired of being a piece of candy. While I admit to having a body with all the curves of a candy cane, I still don’t like the name. It’s Kimberly now, or Kim, which I prefer, Your Honor.”“All right, Kim,” Judge Kaplan continued. “What can we do for you?”“Your Honor, I would like to withdraw my complaint and apologize to the court for wasting its time this way—”“You can’t do that!” McCarthy screamed. “This case must continue to trial! It’s far too important to be dropped. Your Honor, please disregard my client’s statement. She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”One of Judge Kaplan’s eyebrows rose at McCarthy’s words. “And why, counselor, may your client not withdraw her complaint? She is the plaintiff; you are not. You merely represent her.”“She cannot because of the contract we have with her,” McCarthy answered smugly
Possess Me Slowly Forty Seven
“Ms. McCarthy, a few hours ago I extended greetings to Miss Harris from Judge Helen Carter. In the course of serving her client’s interest, Miss Harris put her career and her very freedom in jeopardy. She acted in the very highest standards of the legal profession and made us all proud. Her client’s interest was paramount regardless of the cost to herself.“You, Ms. McCarthy, are the polar opposite. You disgust me! You are a disgrace to the profession and your behavior demonstrates perfectly all the things that have brought the legal profession into such ill repute with the general public. Instead of working in your clients’ interest, you worked strictly in your own. To you, a client was nothing more than a cat’s-paw. She served your interest; you certainly never served hers!“You and the foundation you represent claim to be working on behalf of all women. But I find it both alarming and disconcerting that you’re willing to destroy the lives of the women who are your clients in the na
Possess Me Slowly Forty Eight
Kim stood up straight, returned his grin and extended her hand. “As one kid just out of school to another, will you shake on that?”Suddenly Hopkins’ eyes widened. Almost under his breath he murmured, “Kimberly Kane...” Then, sounding excited, he added in his normal voice, “You just received your Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Cal Tech, didn’t you?”Then he laughed out loud. “Kim, this is really going to be funny. Are you aware of the fact that Cal Tech is selling your dissertation at a hundred bucks a copy? Because they are. No wonder the university-press people are falling all over themselves to get the book out on the streets. They’ll have the second printing going before the initial printing is even off the presses.”Then with another laugh he added, “This is going to be fun. What’s next?”“‘What’s next’ is I would like to get Chester Klem, the plant manager, and the vice president of manufacturing down here right away.”Again Mark laughed. “Klem will be here in a few moment
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