Other Stories in this issue

To Whom It May Concern

by Kathleen Gerard

About the Author: Kathleen Gerard's short fiction has been widely published, anthologized and awarded/nominated for Best New American Voices, The Mark Twain House Humor Prize, The Saturday Evening Post "Great American Fiction" Prize and Short Story America. Kathleen's novel IN TRANSIT (Five Star/Gale Cengage) was awarded "Best Romantic Suspense Fiction" at The New York Book Festival.

Excerpt

T .W.I.M.C. To Whom It May Concern. That’s the best place to start because there’s power in those five words. More power than you probably realize.

You see, I’m a professional, a paid professional, and I take pride in my work. For close to 22 years, I have been a Client Intimacy Expert for a Customer Service Consulting Bureau in the United States. What that means is that I have spent 40 hours a week—sometimes more—serving as a mediator to satisfy and appease both Corporate America and you—the educated, yet often, complainant consumer. The bureau I worked for was hired by big companies to fill the potholes of consumer discontent with words, rebates, comps, coupons, replacements and perks.

Now before I go any further, let me set the record straight—my job is something I take very seriously, and my career has become my life. But you must understand, that while I’ve gotten by comfortably, I haven’t made a fortune. What I mean is that I’ve never had to hire an armored car to take me to the bank with my paycheck, if that’s what you’re thinking. But that’s not to say that my salary didn’t put an occasional Omaha Steak on the dinner table, nor did it prevent me from purchasing the liter size of Stolichnaya Gold Vodka every now and then; nor was I unable to dollar-cost-average my mutual funds and contribute to my 401k on a regular basis.

Story Comments