life, so I assumed that you could
speak intelligently on the subject.”
Tessa's jaw clenched, her
imagination supplying all of the implied insult of Karen's
words. Not trusting herself to speak,
Tessa waited for a direct request from Karen.
After an awkward silence in
which Karen no doubt expected an answer, the militant feminist
unleashed a barrage of insults. “It seems to me,” she began,
hooking her arm through Tessa's, “that motherhood is often so oppressive to women that they find
little fulfillment or enjoyment of life. I would never deign to
impose an opinion on you, but surely you find your menial life a
bit demeaning. Being the wife of my close
colleague , I knew you would want to share
your point of view on the topic.”
You don't want my real opinion, Tessa glared at where the petite woman's fingers gripped her
arm. Even more than the motherhood insults, t he way Karen had leaned on the words “close colleague”
rankled the thin veil of Tessa's self-control. The phrase dripped
with innuendo toward Merritt, and Tessa felt the claws of her
defense raise in response to the Karen's implied attraction. Many
women admired Merritt, and rightfully so, but Karen's philosophical
beliefs released her from any moral code that might have restrained
another woman. Her feminist point of view said that she could
employ any tactic for self-advancement that a man could, and that
included latching onto more powerful people. She no doubt assumed
that any “closeness” with an executive vice president would help
her career. Tessa didn't worry about Merritt's faithfulness for a
moment, but she still despised Karen for considering the
possibility.
Breathing deeply, Tessa reminded herself that
she had vowed to behave, so she turned to face the other women. She
ignored Karen and began her most magnanimous, unoffensive defense
of motherhood. “Certainly there are some mundane aspects to raising
children,” she agreed equitably, reciting the mantra she had sold
herself for the last few years, “but the rewards far outweigh the
costs. I have matured more through caring for and molding my
children than I did in all the years of my career or schooling.” True, she acknowledge against her silent
self-accusation.
“Yes,” Karen scoffed, “but the servility, the
unsanitary duties. Diapers, whining, snotty noses. How much
degradation can one take?” She shuddered in mock horror.
Tessa had intended to
control herself – she really had, and even until she opened her
mouth, she could have withdrawn her response. When she later
considered her words, she would chastise her own hypocrisy. Honestly, her mind told
her a half hour later, Karen even hit upon
some of my own complaints . Unfortunately,
to hear the words come out of the mouth of someone so smug and
self-righteous, someone so given to self-indulgence and
inexperienced at self-sacrifice, and to see the mocking attitude so
obvious in her feigned disgust: these factors ripped the muzzle off
of Tessa's tongue and sent it into attack mode.
She drew in a breath and painted a sarcastic
smile on her face, “Well, Karen,” Tessa turned back to the smug
woman at her elbow, “I would take the unseemly duties of my job any
day over the butt-kissing and sycophantic subservience necessary to
succeed in the business world. Not to mention that, in your
position, a woman has to either sell herself to the most powerful
bidder or cease being a woman and act like a man instead - at
least, if she wants to break the glass ceiling.”
While Karen stood aghast with her mouth open,
staring in shock at Tessa, a chuckle sounded
from behind Tessa's back.
She glanced over her
shoulder to see a man she had never met, though he seemed vaguely
familiar. If she had tried to characterize his smile at the moment,
she might have called it leering, though Tessa did not know whether
he smiled at Karen or at herself. Tessa did not turn fully to see
him. She had no way of knowing if he had laughed at
speak intelligently on the subject.”
Tessa's jaw clenched, her
imagination supplying all of the implied insult of Karen's
words. Not trusting herself to speak,
Tessa waited for a direct request from Karen.
After an awkward silence in
which Karen no doubt expected an answer, the militant feminist
unleashed a barrage of insults. “It seems to me,” she began,
hooking her arm through Tessa's, “that motherhood is often so oppressive to women that they find
little fulfillment or enjoyment of life. I would never deign to
impose an opinion on you, but surely you find your menial life a
bit demeaning. Being the wife of my close
colleague , I knew you would want to share
your point of view on the topic.”
You don't want my real opinion, Tessa glared at where the petite woman's fingers gripped her
arm. Even more than the motherhood insults, t he way Karen had leaned on the words “close colleague”
rankled the thin veil of Tessa's self-control. The phrase dripped
with innuendo toward Merritt, and Tessa felt the claws of her
defense raise in response to the Karen's implied attraction. Many
women admired Merritt, and rightfully so, but Karen's philosophical
beliefs released her from any moral code that might have restrained
another woman. Her feminist point of view said that she could
employ any tactic for self-advancement that a man could, and that
included latching onto more powerful people. She no doubt assumed
that any “closeness” with an executive vice president would help
her career. Tessa didn't worry about Merritt's faithfulness for a
moment, but she still despised Karen for considering the
possibility.
Breathing deeply, Tessa reminded herself that
she had vowed to behave, so she turned to face the other women. She
ignored Karen and began her most magnanimous, unoffensive defense
of motherhood. “Certainly there are some mundane aspects to raising
children,” she agreed equitably, reciting the mantra she had sold
herself for the last few years, “but the rewards far outweigh the
costs. I have matured more through caring for and molding my
children than I did in all the years of my career or schooling.” True, she acknowledge against her silent
self-accusation.
“Yes,” Karen scoffed, “but the servility, the
unsanitary duties. Diapers, whining, snotty noses. How much
degradation can one take?” She shuddered in mock horror.
Tessa had intended to
control herself – she really had, and even until she opened her
mouth, she could have withdrawn her response. When she later
considered her words, she would chastise her own hypocrisy. Honestly, her mind told
her a half hour later, Karen even hit upon
some of my own complaints . Unfortunately,
to hear the words come out of the mouth of someone so smug and
self-righteous, someone so given to self-indulgence and
inexperienced at self-sacrifice, and to see the mocking attitude so
obvious in her feigned disgust: these factors ripped the muzzle off
of Tessa's tongue and sent it into attack mode.
She drew in a breath and painted a sarcastic
smile on her face, “Well, Karen,” Tessa turned back to the smug
woman at her elbow, “I would take the unseemly duties of my job any
day over the butt-kissing and sycophantic subservience necessary to
succeed in the business world. Not to mention that, in your
position, a woman has to either sell herself to the most powerful
bidder or cease being a woman and act like a man instead - at
least, if she wants to break the glass ceiling.”
While Karen stood aghast with her mouth open,
staring in shock at Tessa, a chuckle sounded
from behind Tessa's back.
She glanced over her
shoulder to see a man she had never met, though he seemed vaguely
familiar. If she had tried to characterize his smile at the moment,
she might have called it leering, though Tessa did not know whether
he smiled at Karen or at herself. Tessa did not turn fully to see
him. She had no way of knowing if he had laughed at
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