Would you like ketchup on your corruption?

In the last episode, Ben was having his long-awaited dinner with Tina. Sadly, Jock Strap, head of Fartbender security, and Mary Uselessmeni, who shredded the documents, were at the same restaurant.

We left our couple in tears, and Ben was trying to recover his evening. He had not had the chance to tell her that they both now worked for the same company.

******

Here goes nothing, thought Ben as he braced to be blown off his seat. “Ernie got the sack; he is thinking about blowing the trumpet; I have resigned from Fartbender, and I am going to join Laxo. I start in two weeks.”

Tina looked at him as if he had grown horns. She said nothing, but Ben could feel something coming. The storm before the calm. He knew it was coming; the suspense was killing him.

Tina erupted into tears again. “It's a whistleblower, and you are an idiot. I can’t talk to you at the moment,” she said between sobs, “I will call you!”

She rushed out of the restaurant without further words.

Well, that went well, thought Ben. What else could go wrong?

Ben was weighing up the whole whistleblower trumpet player, trying to put the pieces together (without success!).

“Hey there, Benny Boy, can we have a little chat? I saw your dinner date had to leave, and I thought I would come over and, well, say 'hello.'"

“Get lost,” yelled Ben as he threw some money on the ground and made a hasty exit to try to catch Tina. When he got outside, she had vanished. "She's quicker than Houdini," thought Ben.

****** Next Day ******

Ben was just about ready to give up. It was his last day at Fartbender, and he had just come out of an intense meeting. He had endured a very tense meeting with Jock Strap from Security and Larry Pompadoo from Sales.

Where was HR when you needed them? He had thought to himself. He felt like he had been thrown to the dogs. What was up with their parting line? “Stay in touch, Ben; you never know when we might want to—let’s just say—talk to you about your experience.”

Later that night, he tried to console himself. Tomorrow is a new day, he thought as he sat in front of the TV watching Wrestlemania! My first day of induction training at Laxo Smut Klump is my chance to find Tina and see what's happening!

He was shattered she had left in tears, called him an idiot, and to top it off, he had paid for a dinner that neither of them had!

To add further insult to injury, his best mate Ernie had disappeared off the face of the earth, and he had visions of finding Ernie knee-deep in cement. Tomorrow is a new day! He turned off the TV and went to bed.

Next day, up bright and early, Ben was more nervous than a sheep shearer in New Zealand! He was an hour early for his meeting with his new boss, Glen E. Bakersun. He wasn’t sure what to make of him after speaking with him on the phone. Still, he was not going to be put off. This was the start of a new career.

“Glad to meet you, Ben, and welcome to Laxo,” said a voice behind him. As he turned around, the voice continued. “Glen E. Bakersun, VP of Sales, but you can call me Glenny. As long as I can call you Benny?"

"We are just one big family here."

“Sure,” said Ben, "you're my boss; I guess you can call me whatever you like,” he said, trying to be mildly funny.

“Guess I can,” replied Glenny with a smirk, “Come in - there's someone I want you to meet.” “Hey, you ugly bugger!” he starts off, “someone new for you to corrupt!”

“Only joking,” says Glenny. “I want you to meet Mr Ten, our best salesperson for two years running!”

“Shouldn’t he be Mr One then?” Ben shot back with a big smile and again tried to break the ice.

Neither person laughed. "So, why do they call you Mr Ten?” asked Ben innocently.

“Because that is my name!," smirked Mr Ten. “Just call me Mr T. Now

let’s get you corrupted - I mean orientated.”

Next Episode: Episode 7 - The Phoenix Rises from the Dead.

Till next time,

Calvin