That pretty much sums up my Monday.
Receptionist was on vacation so I had front desk duty all day. I pop open The Dope and settle in for a nice long day of surfing and phone answering. Well I’m not even at work for 45 minutes when VP comes down and says: “CEO wants to see you in his office.” Um, ok. Let me get a tech to cover the phones for me. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the phones” says VP.
OK. Now I know somethings up.
I’m walking up the stairs to the third floor and I say to myself: I’m getting fired right now.
I walk into CEO office and he’s got this sad look on his face and I just smile. Yes. This is it. He sits me down at his conference table and he says: “Duck, we’re going to have to let you go. This is really hard because youre such a good worker, but we’re just losing money left and right so we’ve gotta let about 5 people go today.”
I knew the end of the company was near. Our sales force can’t sell shit. 5 people equates to 20% of our employees. So its a big deal. I am the Admin Assistant/Sales Coordinator/HR Director. I already had my resume updated, I just wasnt expecting it TODAY. So ok, thats how it goes. Its a shame but what can you do? We work out the vacation and severance details. I’ll be set for about 30 days, then unemployment can kick in. CEO promises to write me 1000 referral letters, and vows to personally speak with everyone in the city to get me another job.
I go to stand and leave and I put out my hand. CEO gives me a big hug. He gets all choked up, so then I get all choked up. Then I remind him, through tears, about lunch for the board meeting next week and I go to my desk to pack up. VP leaves the front desk to come by my cube and he offers a “Sorry it had to come to this” I didnt look at him. Him and his sales team are at the bottom of my list right now. Those other 4 who got laid off? NOT any sales people, I can guarantee you that.
I pack up my desk, which was really 80% packed anyway, and head out.
Well later that evening, my boyfriend wants to meet for dinner. He said “Let’s go out to eat since you’ve had a pretty bad day.” We have just moved in together, and he works at the company I just got fired from. So he knew what happened, and he also knows the consequences of losing an income. (He could lose his by the end of this year) I was slowly getting depressed about losing the money, not the job.
I walk in and he’s at a table near the bar. I sit, a cockail already waiting for me. Lovely. Then he slides a box across the table to me. A small box with a bow on it. It was flattish, I thought maybe = earrings? Why would you spend money on jewelry NOW? I didn’t nag though, I just silently opened the box. Inside I found a tiny velvet bag. I take out my grandmother’s engagement ring. I just look at him and he says: “I thought this would help your day.” I came around to him and hugged him, starting to cry, and he says “So is that a yes?”
Not very romantic, but wonderful all the same.
So that’s my story. Bad&Good News. Then Better News. Yay! 
