Rules of the Road

The day of the shareholders meeting brings hot and heavy weather, so Jenna drops Mrs. Gladstone and Alice at the entrance to Gladstone’s Shoes headquarters in downtown Dallas. After parking the car, Jenna, who is dressed smartly and ready to participate, is intercepted by Elden at the door. Elden bluntly fires Jenna and thrusts an airline ticket back to Chicago into her hand. Before Jenna can speak, Elden has summoned his assistant to get Jenna a taxi to take her straight to the airport. Jenna protests, asking to speak to Mrs. Gladstone, but Elden cuts her off saying the meeting is for “stockholders only” and sends her off in the taxi to Dallas Airport.

Jenna is dumbfounded and sits frozen in the cab. She tells the taxi driver she was just fired, and he jokingly asks whether she made someone nervous. He adds that people only get nervous when they have something to hide. This comment clears Jenna’s mind and she asks the driver to take her back, and to drop her at the side door, which he does and tells her, “‘Those guys breathe the same oxygen as anybody else. Remember that’” (174).

Unfortunately, the door is locked, so Jenna summons all her courage and confidently walks up to the security guard, shows her ID and tells him she is late for a meeting.