Tom hadn’t returned yet from Personnel when Susan made a decision. She pick up the phone and dialed the operations department. She talked for a few minutes, then hung up and pulled out a piece of paper and started writing. Once finished, Tom had returned to the office.

But Susan didn’t give him an opportunity to go back to his desk. Instead, she asked him to the letter that she had written, plus his cart, and to go see a lady named Rebecca Curtiss in Operations. Tom took the letter and his cart and made his way to the Operations department.

Once he entered the office, he stood on the 3 ft implement in front of the receptionist’s desk, so he could be seen, and told the lady who he was, and that he had an important letter for Rebecca Curtiss from Susan Myers. 

The lady looked down at him with a disinterested attitude and told him he would find who he was looking for in the last office on the right. Tom thanked the lady and proceeded to walk where directed.

He came upon a large door, and knocked. He was surprised to see a lady as young as Susan open the door. Tom introduced himself and gave her the letter from Susan. The women introduced herself as Becky, and asked him to come in. Tom did, and she closed the door behind him. 

Normally, that wouldn’t have bothered him. But because of his confrontations with the one secretary, he was extremely leery about being in a room, with a door to heavy for him to move, alone with an Alpha.

Becky saw him tense up, and asked him in a gentle voice to relax. She opened the envelope. It contained two letters. One was addressed to Becky, the other, Tom. Becky read hers. It was from Susan.

It explained the situation in the office between Tom and the secretaries. She needed to place him somewhere he could be safe. Susan knew that Becky had the same way of looking at life as she did. Becky was her twin sister from different parents.

Susan also explained that she knew Becky had to come up with ways to improve operational efficiency, and was having no luck in getting her plans approved by the Budget Department.

She explained that Tom had 22 years with the company, and a wealth of knowledge that would benefit her in her job. He was easy to talk to and very respectful, and would be a great asset. She told Becky that with Tom’s help, she could finally move up in the company.

Becky looked at Tom. She asked him about his work history. Tom was perplexed by her question, but answered in detail. Becky was a little impressed. She then gave Tom the letter Susan wrote to him.

Tom took it from her large hand. Susan wrote that the situation in the office was not conducive to an efficient office. She also couldn’t be there all the time to look out for him. So she decided to move him to Operations. She told him the Rebecca Curtiss was a great friend of hers, but she was struggling making her mark within the company.

Susan told Tom that he had a wealth of experience and knowledge that was being wasted where he was. She wanted him to feel like he was a vital part of the company, but his talents were being completely wasted. 

She told him that he would be working under Rebecca, but he was to be totally open and honest when discussing ways to improve the company. And he wasn’t to worry. His desk would be moved into her office, and the door would be replaced by one made of a much lighter material that he would be able to open and closed. 

Susan told him that she would occasionally stop by and check on him, to make sure he was comfortable with both his new job and surroundings. 

And with that, Tom looked up at Becky and gave her an awkward smile. Becky gave him one as well. Then Tom asked her if she had her proposals handy, as he wanted to take a look at them.

Becky went to her desk and opened a drawer, pulled out a large file, and instead of handing it to Tom, got on her knees and placed the contents on the floor so it would be easier for Tom to read.

Tom really appreciated the gesture. He knew for certain that the secretaries wouldn’t be so accommodating. But he started reading her proposals.

After about 20 minutes, Becky asked him what he thought. Even on her knees she still towered over him. But he looked up at her and told her that she had a lot of good ideas. It was just the implementation of those ideas that was clunky. 

Becky asked him how so, and Tom went through the proposal step by step. He immediately pointed to areas that were easy to implement, areas were the implementation would need to be refined, and areas where he didn’t know if what she wanted could feasibly be done. But those areas had such great ideas that he actually looked forward working on solutions.

Becky appreciated his honesty, and thanked him for looking at what she wrote, and how things could be improved. She could see why Susan thought he would be a tremendous help. She would need to thank her when she saw her later.

It was close to lunchtime. Becky explained to Tom that lunch gets delivered to their office. She asked him what he wanted, and Tom told her that whatever she was having was fine with him. So Becky called the kitchen and said that she needed a second plate of the chicken salad, but only with a quarter of it. Becky took a foot stool that she occasionally used to relax her feet, and set it in the middle of the floor. She knew Tom was too short to sit at her desk to eat, and there wasn’t any other place for him to sit and eat.

The food came. Even though his salad was ¼ of the size of Becky’s salad, it would still be difficult for him to finish. But they ate in silence, which gave Tom the opportunity to reflect on the events of the past few days.

Susan had done him a big favor, and he would never be able to thank her enough. He had a good feeling about her the day he met her. And she did what she thought was best for him by having him work for Becky.

And Becky. He still couldn’t believe someone as young as her could have the ideas about the mining company as she did. He had known people who had spent 30-40 years in the business that never could have come up with her proposals. 

He made a solemn vow to himself that he would do anything and everything he could to make sure Becky succeeded in her job. He had finally found a meaningful purpose since his “promotion”. Becky had brains, and talent, but most of all, she had the same personality as Susan. If Susan had looked out for him, he would do the same for her friend. 

Once lunch was over, and everything cleaned up, Becky and Tom spent the rest of the afternoon talking, learning more about each other.

Becky was the only child of Beta parents, and when she met Susan in first grade, they instantly bonded. They took the formula, and as they grew, they made a promise to each other that they would never use their newfound size and strength to hurt anyone smaller than them. 

And she and Susan were inseparable, until just before freshman year in high school. Her parents worked for a shipping company, and were transferred to another state. It had to be done immediately. So Becky and Susan never got to say goodbye. 

They had tried to keep in contact while in high school, but it was always missed phone calls and mixed up messages. And Becky gave up hope of seeing her friend again.

Until freshman year at college. She found out that Susan not only went to same school, she lived in the same dorm, just on a different floor. And they found esch other again, and spent hours upon hours catching up. 

But where as Susan majored in finance and marketing, Becky majored in engineering. She was always fascinated with trying to come up with ways to improve the production of anything that was made by hand or machine. She wanted to improve a business to the point where the company made money, and the workers were happy. 

So when she and Susan graduated college, Susan talked her father into hiring Becky. And when she was at the last mine, she submitted her proposals, only to get rejected three times. And so when Susan’s father came to Westmont Lake, she came with him. And that was her story.

Next was Tom, who told her about all the years he had at the mine, first as a lowly worker, then later as foreman. And he really loved being a foreman. But then he was replaced by an Alpha, and given a “promotion”, in which made him miserable. 

Becky told him that he didn’t have to explain. Susan told her about the problems with the secretaries. Tom told her it was worse than that, and recounted the incident were one of the secretaries got physical with him just before Susan came into the office.

Becky was shocked by what she heard. She knew some Alphas could be assholes, but never that bad.

Tom continued that he was glad Susan looked out for him and had him work in this office. He told Becky that he felt rejuvenated.

And Tom talked about his family, wife Debbie and son James, a freshman in high school. And how proud he was of James for being a very good person with a caring heart. 

And before they knew it, the work day was over. Tom and Becky walked out to the lot, said goodbye, and drove off in opposite directions.