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“Oh please! I produced seven shows before you became my SECRETARY!”
CC scoffed. She always hated when he did that weird crescendo when he got angry. Only emphasizing the end of the sentence. ‘If you’re gonna be an ass, at least commit to the whole sentence ’ she thought.
Secretary? Was he serious?
CC glared back at Maxwell in response to his comment and she could almost see the gears turning in his head. She saw his face fall. She knew he regretted it. It didn't matter.
Even if he didn’t mean it - he said it.
All CC wanted was equal recognition in the company. All she wanted was to reap the joy of working so hard for something she cared so much about. She couldn’t begin to wrap her mind around how this could make him angry?
Why did this man, who was supposedly her friend for so many years, have a problem with giving her credit? Would adding her name to the company title really deflate his ego that much? His need for control while simultaneously being one of the most out-of-control people she knew made her head spin.
“Excuse me ?” She said feeling her heart rate rise from her chest all the way up to her face.
“Before… before you…” Maxwell shook his head waving her off with his hand refusing to finish the sentence. “Never mind..”
CC took a breath.
“Say it.” She said quietly and matter of factly.
“Say what?” Maxwell said with a shaky breath
“Say what the fuck you just said.” CC said, slamming her hands down on his desk.
She looked around the office, noticing both Maxwell and Niles jumping back a bit.
She almost felt the need to pull back. She was coming on too strong, she thought to herself. ‘ Don't do something you'll regret ’. CC placed a hand on her chest in an effort to begin to calm herself down.
Then something clicked.
‘Secretary’ she heard Maxwell say again in her head. That wasn't what she was and he knew it. He was purposely putting her in the corner for the sake of having power. It left a sour feeling in her stomach and a hot blurriness pooling in her eyes.
He didn’t even have the balls to repeat himself.
“Secretary?” she managed to say out loud giving Maxwell a look she’d never given him before.
“I’m not sure why that offends you CC when that's your JOB DESCRIPTION!” He exploded.
CC took a moment before she started to speak again. She wanted to make sure she got her point across so well neither of the men in the room would forget it.
“Maxwell, I don’t even have my own desk.” She said with a quiet calmness Maxwell and Niles both took note of.
“You-” Maxwell started to defend himself.
“I. Don’t. Even. Have.” she took a deep breath “ My Own. Desk.” CC said, crossing her arms, stepping forward and moving closer to Maxwell's desk.
“Maxwell, what is the name of our most recent investor?”
“CC that's not important to the-”
“Tell me. If I’m just your secretary then why aren't you aware of the name of the man we spoke to yesterday about investing in our new show. Why don’t you know his name? Who finds all of the loopholes in our contracts to ensure we get the best theaters? When was the last time you drafted a guest list for a backers party? Do you even know who the top investors are anymore? Open your eyes Maxwell, I do all of this day in and day out. And I look damn good doing it.”
“You know what, let me dumb this down for you…” CC placed her hands on the desk and leaned in close, wagging her finger for him to lean in. “When does rehearsal start?”
He sat there with his mouth almost all the way open fidgeting with his pen on his desk calendar that CC noticed was constantly empty.
“That's right, because YOUR WORLD! WOULD! NOT! SPIN! IF IT WASN’T FOR ME! You would be NOTHING! And all you can do is stick me on that godforsaken green sofa and call me your SECRETARY?!”
Tears were beginning to leave her eyes even though she didn't want to cry.
Niles felt the need to include himself in the conversation.. “It's true sir, that couch would be floating all over the room if she wasn't there to hold it down…”
CC turned to him to reveal her tear soaked face. He had been standing behind her and hadn’t noticed she had been crying.
Niles drew in a small gasp of cold air.
“Do you think it's wise to speak at this moment?” CC hissed at him through her tears.
Niles did not respond. He slowly lifted his hands in an effort to silently apologize. He instinctively took a seat on the leather green sofa. How ironic.
Turning back to Maxwell, CC continued. “Sometimes I wonder how you see the world. See me. People say I’m a ruthless, coldhearted, vicious business woman.”
CC narrowed her icy blue eyes at him. CC knew she had a reputation for making ruthless phone calls to costume designers, yelling at actors when directors tried to spare their feelings, and firing stage managers faster than anyone could imagine. The fact was, she ran a well oiled machine. She learned how to bite down and do the hard thing for the sake of making smart business moves.
“That's because I am Maxwell.”
“As a woman in the Broadway community it's better to have them fear you than like you, if you can imagine, and over the years I’ve found comfort in it because it's all I have. There are VERY FEW women who can truly be themselves in this business and it's because they have powerful, while all together useless, men on their sides giving them the credit they deserve and the protection they need. I don't think I've ever seen you stand up for me a day in your life. To be honest, it breaks my heart Maxwell, because I still cared about our work. I considered you my equal partner. Maybe even my friend.”
“Because we are at least friends are we not ?” CC asked with so much sincerity it hung in the room like a cloud of condensation.
CC gathered her briefcase in one swift motion and headed for the door. “If there EVER comes a day when you would like to apologize, you know where I live.”
Both men witnessed the wooden office door shut as a flourish of blonde hair and sweet perfume left the room, almost making them nauseous at how easily the energy in the room shifted once she was gone.