THE SYSTEM
Monday morning Frank put in his two weeks notice, went on a sales call downtown, and never came back.
* * *
Frank joined a year after I did and was making double my pay within two weeks. He beat our branch’s previous sales record for that month, then for every month after that. The company can’t replace him, so putting in his two weeks was basically a joke, or, according to my wife, further proof Frank was an asshole.
Sunday afternoon she caught him with our boss’s assistant in my boss’s bedroom. The sales team barbecue was outside and my wife had gone to get her jacket. It was on a low table outside the locked master bedroom. That’s where she found it as the two of them walked out.
That night we had an argument. Because I still respected Frank. I wasn’t surprised by what Frank had done because Frank had told he was going do it.
Days after he was hired, Frank came to me and said, "Just so you know, my wife Mary had a trauma in her past. She’s been in treatment, but-"
"-I’m sorry," I said.
"It’s fine. I’m just telling you because we don’t have a physical relationship anymore. But we have a system worked out: when I’m with her, I’m with her. When I’m not, it’s… open."
"Okay," I said.
"I’m telling you," he repeated, "because we don’t talk about it. It’s private. It’s our private business."
"I understand," I said, but I didn’t.
Then I met Mary. She came with Frank to an after-work cocktail party. They stood together, but not close, and he never touched her. And Frank touches everyone. It's what makes him a great salesman.
"Why do you think he told you that?" my wife asked. "First conversation you two have."
"I don’t know," I said.
"He didn’t say what kind of 'trauma' his wife went through. For all you know, it was finding out he cheated on her the last time."
"Hold on…"
"That’s why she doesn’t let him touch her in public. I wouldn’t let you touch me either!"
That was Sunday night.
* * *
Monday morning Frank put in his two weeks notice, went on a sales call downtown, and never came back. All that remains is a blank spot atop the white board with all our names and numbers for the week. Next week they’ll erase it, and we'll all move up a spot. Whether we should is another story.