The Spiked Heel

“Maybe,” Griff said. He squeezed her hand, and then left the office. When he reached Manelli’s office, he remembered Cara Knowles, and he remembered the vaguely tentative date they’d talked about. He was suddenly embarrassed. He didn’t want to tell Cara about Marge, and at the same time he couldn’t very well just let the thing ride. He walked to her desk, wrestling with the problem, deciding to make a clean breast of it.

“Hi,” he said. “Busy?”

“Loafing, as usual,” Cara said. “I’ll tell Mr. Manelli you’re here.”

“Sure, in a second.” He paused. “Cara, about that date…”

“Griff—” she started.

“I thought—”

“I’m awfully sorry,” she said, “but I’ve already made a date for this Saturday and—”

“You did?” he asked, hoping his relief didn’t show.

“Well, you disappeared suddenly and Mac was so very nice to me.” She paused awkwardly. “I’m sorry, Griff.”

Griff smiled. “Oh, that’s all right,” he said. He could not bring himself to tell her that he’d wanted to back out. There was something dishonorable about stealing her thunder. “Do you want to buzz Joe?” he asked.

“You’re not angry?”

“No, have a good time,” he said. It bothered him that her date was with McQuade, but he certainly had no right to tell her what company she should keep. She buzzed Manelli, and Manelli asked her to send Griff in. He smiled, walked to the door, squared his shoulders, and entered.

“Hello, Griff,” Manelli said pleasantly. “Come on in, boy.”

He was momentarily taken aback by Manelli’s genial attitude. If a man was going to fire you, he certainly didn’t conceal the dagger behind a smiling face, did he?

“Sit down, Griff,” Manelli said. “Cigar?”

“No. Thanks, Joe.” He sat in the easy chair alongside Manelli’s desk.

“Well, now,” Manelli said, “let me see. Oh yes, the, cost cards.”

An immense feeling of relief swept over Griff. He knew he was not going to be fired, and the news affected him like a reprieve from the governor.

“What about the cost cards?” he asked.

“Nothing serious,” Manelli assured him. “I’ve just been feeling a little guilty. Guess we all feel a little guilty every now and then, eh? Here I am comptroller of Julien Kahn, and, by God, it’s time I started earning my keep, don’t you think?”

Griff shrugged and smiled.

“So, here’s what I’d like. Before you establish a selling price on any shoe, I’d like to approve the cost cards. Now, I’m not checking up on you or anything, but I’m trying to anticipate any possible beefs from Chrysler, and—”

“Well, I usually work pretty closely with Chrysler, anyway,” Griff said. “I mean… well, Joe, they’ve got to sell the damned shoes, so price is pretty important to them, too.”

“Naturally, naturally, but — as I say — I don’t want any beefs from them.”

“Well, we haven’t had any so far,” Griff said. His relief was giving way before a nagging sort of annoyance. The Cost Department ran very smoothly, and it would sure as hell not run as smoothly if every cost card had to go to Manelli for approval before any action could be taken.

“No, but you never know when a beef will come, do you?” Manelli asked. “So, I’d like to approve all those cards before you do any pricing. I’m sure that won’t upset your routine too much.”

“Well, Joe, to tell the truth—”

“I hate to rush you out like this, Griff, but I’ve got to run down and discuss a few things with Boris. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Joe—”

“Might be a good idea to let me see the cost cards whenever any are ready, eh? I imagine you’ll have some for me on the intermediate line soon, won’t you?”

“I’m working on those now,” Griff said.

“Good. Let me see ’em, eh?” He rose and patted Griff’s shoulder affectionately. “Now scram so I can see the Hengman.” He chuckled and then practically shoved Griff out of the office.

Griff mulled over Manelli’s request on his way down the corridor. A cost card was a fairly complicated document. It was a necessary bit of drudgery that accompanied every pattern the factory ever made or would make. Actually, the cost card was the basis of all pricing, pricing generally being the simple process of adding a fair margin of profit to the cost of the shoe. Griff, in cooperation with Morris Davidoff — the company’s wizard material surveyor — was in charge of listing the material costs. Sal Valdero, when Griff was finished with the card, itemized the labor costs. When the card reached Griff again, he was able to establish a tentative selling price for the shoe, a price he then discussed with Sales, if discussion were called for.

Everything was on that cost card. The itemized costs of sock lining, leather lining, faille lining, backstay, drill and fleece, tufsta and underlay, piping and stripping, elastic gore, tape, thread, nailheads, cement, box toes, platform covers, leather shanks, steel shanks, welting, heels, toplifts, embossing, laces and ribbons, cleaning chemicals, boxes, buckles and ornaments, finishing supplies, hell, everything and anything that went into the final package the retailer received.