by J. J. Hunt
Lara left the office, leaving the door open. She popped her head inside the dark office beside Veronica’s; the office belonging to Deandra. In pitch black, she didn’t venture inside, although Deandra was there, sleeping. She muttered something before moving on to her corner office.
Alexa pushed her head up over the partitions to see the newbies staring in watch as Lara walked off. “She’s a real B-I-T-C-H.”
“She has crazy eyes,” Max said.
Alexa tilted her head. “That’s just the eyeliner.”
Thea shuddered. “She’s the one Candy is obsessed with?”
“She’s been trying to get into her pants for the longest time,” Alexa said. “She wants a raise, but I know Lara doesn’t like it when people throw themselves at her. When I worked on elite for a couple of weeks last year, I was all up in her account. She’s a kinky bitch.”
Veronica approached the desks outside her office. She tapped on the partition to gather Ollie’s attention and they all turned to look at her.
“Oliver, please can you go to Lara’s office, she’d like to speak with you,” she said.
The entire office floor heard as they cooed him with their gasps.
“Put yourself on assigned tasks,” she said.
Nobody questioned it. she pointed in the direction of the office, although he knew exactly where she was, and he prayed he wasn’t being fired after approaching her. It was likely, he knew through rumours she was hard to please.
Ollie knocked on Lara’s door before entering. She was sat on her desk, glasses perched on her nose, looking through a random file she’d picked up.
“Oh, come in,” she said.
“Hi,” he said. “Veronica said you wanted to see me.”
She placed the file on her desk and removed the glasses from her nose.. “That’s right. Take a seat.”
In her office, there were two leather seats around a table. She sat in one chair, and offered the other to him. On the table were a messy pile of papers. She shuffled them and stacked them together.
“Have I done something?” he asked.
“That depends.” She pushed the papers in his direction. “Just need you to sign these.”
“What are they?” he asked.
“It’s your first week, just covering some bases,” she said. “I’ve read your profile, Mr. Would-Be Solicitor.”
He picked the pen up, grinning. “Can I read it first?”
“What on earth for?” she laughed.
“You’re not signing your life away.”
“Now, I’m worried.”
She stood. “Just sign it.” She lifted her foot and slammed it on the table. The clink of her heel against the wood. He glanced up her leg which lead straight to her crotch. She flicked off one of her shoes. “I don’t do that to my Loubs for anyone,” she said, showing her feet. “I know all about you.”
He gulped at the look in her eye as she stared back at him. “After signing that, can you give me a foot rub?”
“A foo—”
She laughed, throwing her head back. “Of course, it’s one of your many talents I hear.”
He shrugged. “Guess I’m good at it.”
A tap clinked at the glass of the office door, followed by a patter of knocks, before in burst, the panting and somewhat overweight Candy. She popped the first button of her laced corset, gasping for air. “Lara, oh, I’m so happy I found you.”
Lara moved her foot from the table. “Where else am I going to be? This is my office.”
Candy continued gasping like an asthmatic. “I have paperwork.”
“Put it on my desk and leave,” she said.
“And an amazing idea.”
Ollie watched, the visible frustration staked across Lara’s face and red blotchiness on Candy from where she’d been out of breath.
“Email me.”
“It can’t wait,” she replied, approaching her desk to place papers, visibly all blank.
“Better yet, Deandra deals with product development,” she said. “And crazies,” she mumbled under her breath.
The phone in Lara’s office rang, a specific type of ring she immediately jumped to. “Okay, out, all of you,” she said, approaching the phone.
“Do you want me to sign these for you?” Ollie asked, placing the papers back down on the table.
“Later,” she said, shooing them both out.
Ollie left first, followed by Candy as she closed the door slowly, until Lara snarled. She grabbed Ollie’s arm before he left.
“Don’t you even dare,” she said, pulling him to the side. “I saw the way you were about to sign that form, a little way you’re able to just screw without asking for anything in return, an extra NDA to screw with a VP.”
He blinked wildly and shook his head. “I have no idea what that’s even for.”
“Well, now you do, do you want to fuck her?” she asked in her famous whispering voice, forcing it through her teeth.
He shrugged. “Never gave it much thought,” he said, while he wasn’t completely sure whether he wanted to screw her or not, he knew she was attractive, and if she was interested in him, then from what he heard about her becoming the CEO of the company, screwing her would give him a major leg up.
“Stay away from her, if she’s getting into anyone, it’s me.”
Ollie left for his desk as Candy made a beeline to the doors of the kitchen and bathroom hallway.
“Fired?” Alexa’s first word to Ollie as he returned.
He shook his head. “She tried to get me to sign some form.”
“The VP sex NDA?” she asked.
“The what?” Thea laughed, poking her head above the partition to see.
Max tried to listen outside of the call he’d received, but multi-tasking he had found wasn’t one of his strong suits. Alexa slapped his arm. “Focus on that.” She pointed to his monitor.
“I’m worried,” Ollie said. “Candy came in.”
Alexa and Thea laughed. “We know, we saw her run,” Alexa said. “And I’ve never seen her run, not even on free cake day.”
“Would you?” Thea asked.
He laughed. “Have sex with her?”
Quin approached their desk, he stood behind Max, placing his hands on his shoulders. “I would, and I’m gay,” he said. “Everyone can hear you, by the way, Mo’s fucked her, he got a raise for it as well.”
Max tried to move Quin’s fingers from his shoulders, but instead, he gave in and let him continue while he spoke on the phone.
NINE
Wednesday came after a day of Veronica pacing around her office, while Lara stood in wait for Deandra to wake from her alcohol-induced sleep, both never came to their conclusions. The following morning, an incredibly attractive young Hispanic man with jet-black hair combed back with gel stood at Deandra’s office door.
Alexa gathered the newbies around their work station. She pointed toward the him and wiggled her eyebrows. “That’s Juan. He’s Deandra’s assistant, and he doesn’t speak a word of English.”
“He’s hot,” Max said.
“He’s bisexual.” Alexa winked. “And I’ve already been there.”
Thea pressed her hand to her mouth. “You have?”
“Funny story actually, we were having sex, and he said piss on me.” She held a hand over her chest and heart. “Bless him, he obviously meant, cum on me, but his little English was adorable.”
“Did you piss on him?” Ollie asked.
“I don’t squirt, if that’s what you’re asking,” Alexa said. “But he’s packing. So, anything is possible.”
Max grabbed his phone to search for him on the app, he knew better than to try and do something without consulting it first. Especially when the business you worked in traded sex like collectable trading cards. “Oh, he’s on here.”
Alexa rolled her eyes and flicked her hair back. “Naturally, he works for the company.”
Lara stormed through the office floor. She wore a black leather jacket
a black dress, stomping through in her red-bottomed Louboutin’s. She pulled to a halt outside Deandra’s office where Juan stood.
“Move,” she said, swinging her handbag to her other arm.
“No,” he replied.
“I have no time for your bullshit, Juan,” she said. “Move.”
Deandra’s room was in complete darkness, every other room allowed brightness to fall freely through. Although it was expected, the light and a hangover never mixed well together, no matter how much of a functioning alcoholic someone was.
Lara pushed Juan away, and forced the door open. Light from candles illuminated the room, scattered around. Lara held a hand over her nose at the smell of incense burning. Deandra sat in the centre of the room on a rug.
“Leave,” Deandra said. “Ohhhhm.”
Lara put her handbag on a chair. “No,” she said. “You left rehab, again.”
“And now you can see, I’m meditating.”
“You’re full of crap,” Lara said, walking around to see Deandra with her eyes closed, ohming with her hands rested in her lap. She continued to look around, noticing empty vodka bottles on her desk.
“Have you spoke to Clark recently?” Deandra asked, standing. “I spoke to him earlier, apparently, he’s got some big news, and he’ll be visiting in a month to tell us.”
“A month?” Lara sighed. “I have to wait that long.”
“Just because you sucked his dick, doesn’t mean he owes you,” she said.
Lara laughed. “You’re getting sober to impress him?”
“I’m detoxing, in my own way.” Deandra grabbed the empty bottle of vodka. “See, nothing. I drank all of this, and then another, but after that second bottle, I stopped, and realised I’m better than you.”
“We’ll see about that,” she said, approaching her bag. She rummaged through her belongings to grab her phone. “I’ll send a memo, tonight, a celebration, at the Pyramid Bar down the road, a celebration of you getting the help you need.”
She chuckled and clapped her hands. “Fine with me,” she said. “I’ll send a memo, congratulating you on the liposuction, I’ll tell everyone it’s a joint celebration.”
“Fantastic.”
Moments later after Lara left, Deandra pulled Juan inside. Nobody watched from outside, nobody had any idea of what was happening until the first memo hit their inboxes.
To: All
From: Snr VP Sales; Lara Jürgen
Subject: Celebration
5 P.M. after work at the Pyramid Bar, there will be a party. We are celebrating Deandra Plows’ first day of sobriety. It’s a compulsory engagement. You will have an extended lunch break to go home and gather party attire. Deandra will be paying for the first round of drinks.
Be there.
Lara Jürgen (Snr VP of Sales and Merchandising)
Alexa grabbed the newbies attention, putting them all on other tasks so they didn’t get any calls. She pulled them in close.
“Did you get the memo?” she asked, ignoring their responses. “The Pyramid Bar is the celebration spot, it’s down the street from here, and it’s always full of the insurance brokers and the cupcake ladies from downstairs.”
“Extended lunch though,” Max said.
Alexa’s eyes rolled back wildly. She blinked to keep herself from doing it again. “That’s not a good thing,” she said. “Lara telling us we have an extended lunch, means Veronica is going to be pissed, and when she’s pissed, she takes it out on us, but she can’t say anything to Lara.”
Another memo came through to follow Lara’s, it was from Deandra, as promised.
To: All
From: Snr VP Product Dev; Deandra Plows
Subject: RE: Celebration
I would also like to offer the celebration to Lara, she recently had amazing plastic surgery. She now has the vagina of teenager, but it won’t be long before she gets that one all mashed and bashed as well, so we’ll toast to Lara, second round is on her, and she’s also providing champagne.
Best wishes,
Deandra Plows (Snr VP of Product Development)
Alexa threw a hand to her face. “The next world war,” she said. “The only reason Lara comes into the office is because of Deandra, otherwise she’s based out in the New York office. You’ve joined at a great time.”
Quin approached the group, placing his hands on Max’s shoulders again, and if Max didn’t know who it was, he would’ve welcomed the massage. He tried to nudge them away but they dug in deeper. “What are we talking about?”
“None of your business,” Alexa said.
He winked. “Go on, is it about Juan?”
She huffed. “It’s about the memos.”
“The party tonight.” He pushed his thumbs into Max’s back. “I’ll be looking forward to that.”
Another man approached the group, Frank Jarr, he didn’t speak, just gestured with a finger to Alexa to follow him.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said to the group before rushing off.
Quin dipped his head to Max’s ear. “I know you’ve never been with a guy before,” he whispered. “I looked at your account. So, maybe later I can show you the ropes.”
The whispers were cool in his ear, he didn’t want him to stop or the tingle it gave him. Max shook his head, he’d given it plenty of thought, the only downside to it was the thought Quin had slept with a lot of people already, and Max wanted something special. In his mind, he could hear a distorted version of Candy and Veronica’s voice, meshed together, it told him ‘you won’t find special here’ followed by a crackling cackle, suitable for them waltzing around a cauldron.
Juan approached the group moments later once everything died out and they took their seats back at their desks. He tapped Ollie on the shoulder. “Señora Plows,” he said, pointing to Deandra’s office. “Señora Plows.”
Ollie placed himself on ‘assigned tasks’ in the interaction client and watched from the control centre as Belinda’s eyes followed him. He made his way to the dark office beside Veronica’s and tapped on the glass door.
Deandra was sat on the floor with the incense sticks burning around her and the candles. She held a bottle of window cleaner in her hand, the contents of which were luminous blue.
“Come, sit,” she said, pointing to the space in front of her. “We haven’t been introduced, but I’m Deandra, well, call me Dee.”
“Hi, I’m Ollie,” he said, sitting in front of her and crossing his legs in imitation.
“It’s been brought to my attention Lara tried to get you to sign some pretty iron clad NDA bullshit,” she said, pressing the nozzle of the window cleaner up to her lips before spraying the contents inside her mouth. “I want you to sign it, and I want you to find out everything she knows.”
He laughed. “No, thank you.”
She sprayed the bottle in her mouth a second time. “Not an option,” she said and grabbed his hand. “See, I’m controlling myself, only a couple squirts of this, the alcohol content keeps me numb from the waist up, and excitable from the waist down, if you know what I mean.”
Unfortunately, Ollie had no idea what she meant. “I heard she’s going to be the new CEO of the company soon, so…”
Deandra dropped the bottle and clapped her hands together. “No. That’s not even the slightest bit correct, nor is it official,” she said, starring into his eyes. “Fine, there could be some truth in it, but for the most part, it’s not set in stone, and if Lara thinks she’ll be handed the company, over me, she’s sadly mistaken.”
Ollie shook his head. “I don’t want to get between all of this.”
He tried to stand but as Deandra pounded a fist on the ground. He collapsed back into the spot. “No. You almost signed those papers.”
“I studied law,” he said. “If I did, an NDA would stop me telling you anything she told me, and if I break them, I’m sure they’ve got some ridiculous clause in there about taking everything I own.”
Deandra tilted her head. “
Only a couple million.”
A laugh broke from his throat. He pressed a hand to his mouth. “Only?”
“I’ll ask someone else,” she said. “You can leave now.” She turned her head and ushered him away with the back of her hand.
Alexa sat at her desk, waiting. Everyone’s eyes were on him as he stared back, dumbfounded, pretending the last five minutes of his life never happened.
“Don’t listen to her,” Alexa said. “She’s crazy.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What did she want?” Thea asked.
Max laughed. “Spill,” he said. “Did she try and get you to sign an NDA as well?”
“Wait—hold up,” Alexa pushed a hand out. “Did you sign one? Is that why you’re not saying anything right now.”
Ollie flapped his hands around to get them to quiet down. “No, she wanted me to sign Lara’s, then break it to tell her everything Lara was going to do before she did it.”
Alexa twisted a strand of hair around a finger. “Good, don’t get involved with her crazy,” she said. “When I first started, she tried to get Frank fired, telling me to make a sex tape with him, then tell everyone he made me do it.”
“Frank?” Thea asked.
“The guy, I’m in an LTF with, he’s the international relations manager,” she said. “And so far, I’ve had numerous raises because of it.” She flicked her hair back and glanced up at their ceiling tiles to show the newbies her favourite angle. “How do you think I was fast-tracked as a senior agent? He has Veronica’s ear about a lot of things, they’re both managers.”
Brrp. Max’s phone went off in his pocket.
Alexa cocked her head at the interruption. “You’re supposed to be on silent.”
Max checked his phone, and sure enough, it was from Quin, even though he only sat metres away at another desk. It was a question on the app.
Top or bottom? He asked.
As someone who’d yet to discover their sexual preference, he had zero desire to respond. He was in his homosexual infancy, yet to explore or find out what he wanted, but a random hook up was off his cards.
“Just do it already,” Alexa said.
