She woke early in the morning, and realised that it would be half an hour before the alarm would go off. She turned around, and glanced at her husband who emitted a soft snore, oblivious to the world. Bless him.

Charlie sighed as she reset the alarm. It was time to get going. The monthly board meeting was today, and she had to be ready and alert. She slid out of the bed so as not to disturb her husband and disappeared into the bathroom. Once under the shower, she could feel the cobwebs clearing from her sleepy brain.

Charlie was not her real name. Her parents had named her Petronella, and she'd hated it from the word go. What had they been thinking? However, she'd always insisted to be addressed as Charlie, and it'd stuck. Now everybody called her that, even her husband. Thinking of whom reminded her he had to be woken up.

Returning to the bedroom, she put on her power suit as she used to think of it, and once dressed, she moved towards her husband who was still fast asleep. Touching his shoulder she felt him stirring.

He turned around and gazed at her with an appreciative look. "Darling, you're to die for! Come here, I want to give you a kiss. I do know how you hate those meetings and the people within. Go for it, though, and do your best. See you tonight."

"Thanks, Sweetie, see you later."

The drive to the office was quick as there was hardly any traffic at that time in the morning. Charlie parked in her allocated slot, and quickly made her way to the lift on the ground floor. She pressed the button for the ninth floor that would take her straight to where the boardroom was. No reason to go to her office first. She had all the prepared papers in her briefcase.

The drinks machine begged, and she stopped to grab a much needed caffeine boost. She approached the door to the meeting room and after a slight hesitation opened the door. Once inside, she gazed at the two persons she loathed the most. Her boss and his associate. They turned towards her as she entered.

"Good morning, Charlie, good to see you. I'm pleased that you're on time."

Charlie winced. He always said that, every time they had a meeting, and so far, she'd never been late. She couldn't stand the pompous brat. She'd only put up with him because she needed the job and the money.

Her clear impression was that he couldn't stand her either. As for the sidekick, he was not much better. A back slicker if she'd ever come across one. But, as long as she only had to report once a month, it had been fine with her up until now.


<><><><><>


David, the MD and Charlie's boss, stood at the end of the table when she entered. He greeted her as protocol demanded, but he would rather have been without her presence. His dislike for her was immense, and he couldn't, for his life, see that a woman had any business in a job, let alone in a boardroom. In his opinion, a woman belonged in the home, and whatever that entailed, but of course, in today's world that opinion wouldn't be tolerated, so he'd had to hire the pompous bitch.

As for Paul, he couldn't stand him either, although he was not the fairer sex. In his opinion Paul was just plain stupid, but yet again, David had to put up with him as the regulations stated he had to have a deputy.

Neither did Paul like Charlie. Not so much because she was a woman, but rather because he perceived her as a threat. He felt she was after his job. Little did he realise her true feelings.

David gazed at the other two in the room fighting to hide his contempt. "We're gathered here yet again, and I presume you've brought the reports as requested." He looked down his nose at them, but knew full well that it would be foolish to think they hadn't arrived well prepared.

Charlie stood up, took out her report, and put it down in front of David with a flourish.

"I'm going to be honest with the two of you. A copy of this report has already been sent to the board of directors, so there will be no way of hiding what's going on in this place. I've had enough, and as far as I'm concerned major changes are going to happen."

She looked directly at David. "You, for one, are either going to change your ways, or you have no business being here. This is the twenty-first century, so wake up. Women in business are here to stay. We're as well-educated as you are or perhaps even better so. Ditto to you Paul. All you are is a nodding puppy. I've had enough, and I'll walk out right now. The Directors will decide what is to happen with me, but at least there are two women on that board."

With that, Charlie left the room her head held high. She'd never felt better in her life. She sensed, rather than saw, the astonished expressions on David's and Paul's faces.