Debriefing

I approach Victoria’s parking space, more than a little paranoid that she would be standing there with pruning shears ready to take my manhood. Fortunately, she is not. I do my best to leave everything the way I first found it. I move my car to another space to make my cover story a little more believable. In the elevator I take a deep breath to steady myself.

The elevator doors open and my heart catches. I see Victoria, not thirty feet away from me, her civil war jacket is on again. She is scolding Tom the intern again. He has the worst luck, and as an intern, the least protection from firing or ****.

It is right out of a boot camp scene; the drill instructor is breaking the recruits. Apparently she dismissed him, because his rapidly sinking posture turned and quickly slunk away, as if he were melting and looking for a drain to finish liquefying into. I am so glad I didn't start as an intern here.

Victoria sees me and squares up to meet me. I approach her directly, maintaining eye contact.

"Mission accomplished, Ms. Hartley." I pad my pockets and hand her the fob. She takes it and tucks it away.

"How did it go?" Her steely eyes do nothing to betray her feelings. They are dark, but somewhere in that darkness there is an inner glow of light brown that wells up from far away. I try not to get lost in them, or scared by how hard they are.

"It went well. There were no complications."

"Very well. I am going out for lunch." She brushes past me to the elevator.

Thank goodness I got back when I did, or the ball sheers might have been a reality. I’m relieved that she isn’t asking more questions about it, but I’m dreading that she will notice something askew in the car. Will she notice a smudge? Will the seat feel too warm? Will the engine be making ticking noises as it cools? I block it from my mind and head back to my station.

After I sit down and settle in, I notice a strange energy in the the room. A few people dart from cubicle to cubicle and low voices drift around. I start watching the buzz and wonder what is going on. Rachel pops her head up and looks at me with concern on her face. What the hell is going on? I keep tamping down my guilty conscience, surely Victoria would have said something to me if I were in trouble. Did someone see me steel her car?

Rachel does a not quite nonchalant fast walk to my desk. For a moment I forget about the office weirdness, distracted by her knockout outfit. She has a green satin button-up shirt that is straining around her jiggling breasts. Her black skirt has a wide waist band that laces in the front in a way that acts like a corset. I don't have time to appreciate it.

"What is going on?" I ask in a partial whisper.

Rachel looks at me wide-eyed. "Victoria fired two people while you were out."

"What? Who?" I don't know if I should feel grateful I had an excuse to not be here or not, but I do.

"She called Sydnee into her office, you know, who worked with me in accounting? She left the office and started collecting her things. Then it was Tom the intern just now. I think he just crashed into her while she was leaving for lunch. Or she crashed into him... either way. She said he doesn't know how to keep himself or his personal belongings out of the way, and that it is unprofessional, and had no place in this company." Rachel looks spooked. I feel spooked. I wonder if Tom getting fired is the only thing that bought me enough time to park Victoria's car before she went out for lunch. I better not try that again. Thanks, Tom, you took one for the team. I will try to avenge you.

Looking around again, I can understand the low level commotion going on. Tom was an example of how any one of them could have been the next victim, he just happened to walk in front of the bullet. I have until lunch is over to get my shit in order.