She was wrong.
The meeting should have been over after the quiz, but Nicole had something else to say. "As you know," said Nicole, returning to the chair behind her desk, "Colleen is no longer with us. I should do this in private, but you will all be pleased to know, I have decided to offer the manager's position to Jim."
Maggie held her breath and watched as Jim bowed his head and stared at the floor. The room fell excruciatingly silent, and stayed that way, as the passing of several frozen seconds seemed to stifle the very air they breathed.
"Yes," Jim said, at length, "you should have asked me in private."
The complete surprise on Nicole's face slowly turned to fury. "You don't want the job?" she pressed.
"I do not," Jim answered.
"Why?" Nicole dared ask in front of everyone.
Jim tightly folded his arms and took a moment to think of an answer…other than the one he desperately wanted to give. "I don't feel I am qualified."
Good answer, Maggie thought.
Nicole thought otherwise. "I think you are well qualified, and if I think you are, then you are."
Maggie dared not move. For Jim, things just went from bad to worse. Going against Nicole publicly was the kiss of death. The only question was…would he go quietly, or would he have a few well-chosen words to say before he walked out?
Jim did neither, and instead, stared at the floor.
In a less demanding tone, Nicole finally said, "Well, we can discuss this later."
Seated next to Maggie, Richard covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "With the door open."
As soon as the meeting was over, Maggie went back to her cubical. She stood in the opening and waited, but Jim didn't come out of the office and Nicole closed her door. Slowly, Maggie eased into her chair and put her head in her hands. Without Jim, the place would become even more intolerable than it already was.
*
Maggie was forced to wait until break time to find out what happened in Nicole's office. She was the first to go outside and it seemed like forever before Jim joined her. "Did she fire you?"
"Not yet. She just wanted to make sure my decision was final." He walked to the picnic table and sat on the table part.
"She won't fire you; she can't, not just because you refused a promotion."
"She'll think of another reason," said Jim. "Let's face it; I'm one of the walking dead."
"I can't believe Nicole asked you that in front of everyone."
"Neither can I."