Christmastime 1943 by Linda Mahkovec

Author:Linda Mahkovec
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bublish, Inc.

Chapter 9

*

As Lillian overheard Izzy and Mr. Rockwell arguing, she reminded herself how lucky she was to work upstairs in the Art Department. The days when she had worked at the switchboard on the main floor of Rockwell Publishing had always been fraught with the ups and downs of Mr. Rockwell. For the past few years, Izzy had borne the brunt of his difficult ways, but she was fast losing her tolerance.

Rockwell waved his cigar as he tried to bully Izzy into staying late to finish up on a project.

“You can’t or you won’t?” he demanded.

Izzy ignored him as she busily delivered a few papers back and forth between his secretary and a few other harried employees.

Rockwell was right on her heels. “I asked you a question! Are you unable or unwilling?”

Izzy stopped and gave him her full attention. She tapped her cheek and gazed up at the ceiling, carefully pondering his question. “Unwilling.” She took her purse from her desk drawer, and grabbed her coat and hat.

“Fine, then!” Rockwell stormed. “Enjoy your evening, Miss Briggs!”

“I intend to, Mr. Rockwell!” Izzy called after him, and left the room. She greeted Lillian with an angry shake of her head as she pulled on her coat.

“I tell you Lilly that man is going to meet my fist before the year is out. Does it matter that I have stayed late almost every night since the war broke out? Does it matter that I have attended every one of his tiresome galas? No. All that matters to him is that today I said, ‘No, I can’t stay late.’”

Izzy wound up her fist, ready to let him have it. “I told him, ‘Go ahead and fire me – I’ll get a factory job and make double what you’re paying me.’ That shut him up. For a while.”

“You wouldn’t really do that, would you, Izzy?”

“I would, and he knows it. Look at how many of the girls have left here. Maureen, she’s a welder, and making good money. Gloria is over at the shipyards and has already been promoted. Why I stay slaving for that man is beyond me.”

“My neighbor down the street, Mrs. Wilson, has taken a job as a subway train conductor – can you imagine?”

Izzy considered the image, and smiled. “Actually I can. She’s a very capable woman. I can see her running the whole Transportation Department.”

Lillian nodded. “I know what you mean. She was made to lead, organize, and command.” She rubbed Izzy’s arm. “Don’t let Mr. Rockwell get to you. He’s just come to depend on you so much.”

“Rockwell who? All I’m thinking about right now is Archie, and that in,” she glanced at her watch, “thirty minutes, I’m going to be sitting at a restaurant with a checked tablecloth and a lit candle. Then out to a dance. And every night until he leaves. I told him he can visit his family in the day, but from six o’clock until midnight, he’s all mine.” Izzy told Lillian about the clubs and restaurants they had already gone to, and her plans for the next several nights.

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