A bundle of nerves, ready to explode

It's going to be fine. Christine is an adult woman. We will simply sit quietly in the office, not talk, and that's it. If she hates me now, she'll avoid confrontation with me. With this bit of prep talk, I tried to calmly start my research despite being well aware that Christine seemed to be angered by my mere presence. I really wish I could know what was going on, but I don't think my usual ways would work. Said way being to just ask her.

Suddenly, I received a work email from Beth. 'Dear writers, as I will be on vacation for three weeks until the new year starting on the 15th, I have decided to make Donna head writer in my absence, she will host the meetings in my absence. Donna will take over my duties, only business and HR decisions remain with me and you can contact me directly or through Donna. For transparency's sake I want to make it clear that I might not return in my current position after my winter break ends. If that is the case, Donna will most likely remain in her position and overtake my full duties. It was nice working with you all, Beth.'

Seems like she made her decision. But no points on Donna? I feel like this would be a recognition of her skills? Hm, maybe she'll need to win a prize, like I did? Seems reasonable, in all honesty.

Christine had also checked her email now. She was fuming.

"No no no no"

Was she jealous? "Everything okay, Christine?"

"Shut up, asshole." I dutifully obliged, I didn't really want to make her more mad. "Why did she have to go? No no no no NO!" She slammed her desk. Was she... missing Beth? Why?

"Uhm...", I interrupted her screaming, while she glanced at me, still clenching her fist, "when I talked to Beth earlier it seems like she had gotten several good job offers elsewhere after our recent success as a magazine. I can only assume, but she might be thinking about taking one of them."

She looked mortified. "Fuck this shit, I don't wanna work here anymore."

"Huh? Why not anymore?"

"Because of you, James. You came in here, and suddenly all my friends could talk about was you. You write one good article and suddenly everyone praises you, even fucking Helen wants to jump on your dick and she's as dyke as it gets. It's always 'James did this', 'James did that', as if you were some kind of saint. But more than that, you're worse than any other man I've ever seen in my life. Sure, some abandoned me, stood me up, were never reliable. Others were outright violent. But you... You took my friends, my workplace. You didn't even place a hand on me and it hurts more than anything a man's ever done to me before. Fucking asshole. Wolf in a sheep's clothing. Took down my last refuge from pricks like you. Either you leave or I leave."

What? I was a bit confused. I mean sure, I was the new guy and the one who helped people around here, of course people talked well about me, at least until the next good thing happens and my deeds are forgotten again. But why did it bother her so much? I didn't know what to say, and Christine had already start packing her things.

"I know when I lost, okay? Just leave me alone and I'll go."

"N-No wait, Christine, Donna's gonna kill me if she finds out you left because of me."

"And why should that be my problem?"

"I... I just wanted us to get along, Christine. I am making friends with so many here in the office, why are you so stubbornly against me? I don't get it. But I don't think I can change your mind at this point."

"Oh, so just making friends, huh? Do you know how much it fucking sucks to hear your supposed friends only talk about one guy, non-stop? To be left out of the conversation the entire time, because suddenly only you seem important? Ugh, fucking men even dominate our conversations now."

"Well, I'm the new guy and I wrote a pretty popular article, why wouldn't people talk about me? Things will get back to normal in a week or two for sure. Besides, I can't control their thoughts or actions. If they want to talk about me, they'll do it as much as they like. They're people."

"Sure, maybe the rest of the office will go back to normal, but I'm not stupid, James. Donna and Amber are head over heels for you, you'd have to be braindead to miss that. They talk about nothing and nobody else. You took my friends from me, James."

I heard someone had entered the last time I spoke already but they still hadn't come into my field of vision. "E-Excuse me? Stolen? They're your friends and not your therapist, Christine. If all you care about is people paying attention to you and engaging in conversations that matter to you, you need to re-evaluate what a friendship really means."

I think I hit a weak spot of hers. The fact that she grabbed a pair of office scissors a held them near my throat showed that I made her very angry, at least.

"I told them to stay away from men, since you're all worthless pigs, but they never listened. I don't give a fuck anymore, James. I tried to warn them but they ignored me, If anyone wasn't a true friend here, it was them and them alone. Good friends listen to warnings and support each other. Good friends never betray each other, and I... was betrayed. Fuck all of you in this office. I'm out. But before that, there's a piece of trash I need to rid the world of." She tried to take a swing with the still open scissors and I could see my life fly by briefly in front of my eyes.

Reality took me by surprise rather quickly however, as I saw who had been listening in on this conversation. Before Christine could finish her swing, Helen had tackled her away from me, on the ground. Christine was furious. "Fuck you Helen, traitorous bitch. Claims to be a lesbian and tries to suck his dick the first time you see him."

Helen: "What the fuck is wrong with you, Christine? You just tried to kill someone." She was sitting on Christine's hips and removed the scissors from her reach. "I'm gonna call the police, Christine. Can you give me a phone, James?"

Christine immediately began to try to punch Helen, but lacking upper body strength, all she could muster was a few punches on Helen's behind. It made me appreciate Helen's enormous ass for the first time. It seemed to be good at absorbing the **** hits. "Do you think that will do anything?", I ask Helen.

Helen: "What do you mean?"

James: "I mean, I don't know what Christine's issue with me is, but how do you think this will go? If she's still mad, she's just gonna threaten the first male cop she sees. She needs therapy, not an arrest warrant."

Helen: "James, you nearly got killed. This is too serious for just hoping a therapist can fix everything."

James: "Actually, we can **** her into her first session. Emergency therapists are a thing. You can call one."

Helen: "Won't she flee though?"

James: "I'm sure there's a rope somewhere in the office, right?"

A brief pause. Helen was thinking about something. Helen: "Fuck it, if you wanna be this way, go to my bag, there are handcuffs there." Helen +15SP (+14SP)

Christine: "What? Why would you-" I was confused too, but when I pulled them out, we realized what they were for. The pink fur on them gave it away. "Fuck you Helen, are you tying me down just so he can **** me? Is that's what happening?"

Helen: "No, Christine. You heard what he said. Be glad he talked me out of calling the cops on you. Just talk to the therapist and be happy you won't be in jail."

Christine was quiet, and she seemed to have relaxed for a moment. Helen made the call and the person promised to come a few minutes later.

Christine: "C-Can you release me please? It's embarrassing and you're... kinda heavy, Helen. I promise I'll go with the therapist, okay?"

Helen: "Did you just call me fat?"

James: "Please Helen, just let go of her for now."

Helen: "Fine." Helen +2SP (+16SP) "But..." she gave me the lone key "apologize to him if you want to get out of the handcuffs early."

Christine was shocked, but honestly, I didn't want to keep her locked up. I opened her handcuffs and said: "Apologize to me if you ever mean it, okay?"

Christine: "Sure." Christine +8SP (-30SP)

After a while, Christine went willingly with the therapist, a woman in her early sixties, clearly nearing retirement. I hope this will turn things to the better. I addressed Helen: "Thank you, Helen, for saving me. I don't know what I would have done with out you."

"You would've become mincemeat."

"All's well that ends well, I suppose."

"This hasn't ended, James. You'll find out on Monday if she can deal better with her emotions. And even then, it'll be a gradual process." She began rummaging through her handbag. "Here, this is a buzzer. It's mean for kinky stuff like the cuffs, but I'll let you have it to call me, if the two of you are ever alone. Amber won't be here next week from what I know, so if Donna locks herself in Beth's office, you might need my help." Actually, with Donna at +99SP I could probably help make her help too, but I appreciated the spirit.

"Thanks Helen, I owe you one."

"You know what, I'll think about it... I'll tell you some other time."

A bit ominous, but with how Helen was so far, it could just be kinky too.