My boss is an asshole. And by now, I should be used to his asshol-ery but I just can't deal today. I was thoroughly shaken after the break-in yesterday. I'm even surprised I was able to get some sleep- any sleep- last night. I must be crazy. How come I am so calm after such a thing? What if I had been attacked? Yet, some stupid part of my consciousness tells me that whoever broke in didn't mean to hurt me, which is crazy.
It doesn't help that I haven't been able to reach José since this morning. Earlier this morning, I gave him an insane amount of missed calls as I slughishly carried on with my day, afraid of my own house now that I know that I wasn't alone in it yesterday. Now, I'm in my direct superior's office, an hour late and he's looking at me as though I committed murder and not just came late to work.
He is seated behind his oak desk, a messy coffee cup circle on it, steadily creeping to the edge of a sheet of paper. I am ready to leave despite having come here just a minute ago.
It doesn't help that he has a permanently condescending look on his face, eyes glowering on me like some reptile's. Short spiky hair sticking this way and that and deep bushy brows just cement his evil look. He resembles a Disney villain. He just needs a black jumpsuit right now to crown all his evil. The jerk annoys me.
"How many employee complaints have you got already?" Bruni Santos asks me.
"I don't know." It's the truth. My very existence must upset him because he has found too many issues with what I do. Not like I particularly care about the exaggerated-formality memos he sends my way complaining about one thing or another that I did wrong.
"Well, Salvatore, you already have five just this month," Bruni states matter-of-factly. "It just goes to say that you're one huge box of trouble and a liability to this company."
Now this is just too much.
"Sir," I force out, the three letters tasting like bile in my mouth. "I was involved in a near-death experience yesterday night. My house was broken into. I-"
"Did you call the police?" It's obvious he does not believe me.
"I, er, um." I fold my hands on the table. "I didn't really see them. I'm not really sure. But I feel deep inside me that my house was-"
Bruni looks unimpressed. "You're not even sure?" And then he just shrugs. "I knew it anyway. You're just a drama queen hoping to get some attention. And now, you've caught mine, haven't you?"
Ick, no.
"That is not what this is about." My mouth opens in shock as I try to get other words from it. "That was a legit break-in situation."
And you didn't even report to the police, a voice snaps in my head.
But because of the fact that the experience was almost trance-like- I can't tell if I had really heard the doors open- I'm not even sure my fears are legitimate anymore. What the heck.
And two, José has always hated the thought of the police ever being around our house. That orientation has always guided me. And there hasn't ever been a reason to involve the police in my life...until now.
"You're suspended, for one month without pay." Bruni picks up a file and flips through it casually, like he didn't just embody the very essence of evil right before my eyes in his announcement.
"Ass- Sir!" I get to my feet. "Surely, that punishment is highly unjustified. I only appeared late to work today, not kill a person!"
Bruni, the demon, sits up and meets my gaze like I haven't really said anything. "You did not just appear late today. You've had a series of complaints already this month. And according to company policy, you should be given a penalty. Now, bear your punishment with grace. I'll see you next month."
I still don't know what exactly these complaints are anyway. I just get junk mail that tells me in angry capital letters- torture- about one small, teeny-tiny thing I did wrong and how that is intolerable. Since Bruni sends me those almost every other week, I don't even pay attention to what the moron even writes in there.
Now I stand in his office, shaking in anger and unable to do anything. I'm not even able to move as my fists squeeze tight by my sides.
"Poor girl," Bruni tsks. "That was the last straw. Be more careful next time. Your insolence will not be tolerated."
My insolence? What is insolent about coming late to work? I wonder.
A thought buzzes inside my head and I pause mid-thought. Oh so that is what this is about? My subconscious is angry and glaring. Bruni is just trying to get back at me because I openly rejected his advances a few days ago. He had asked me out to lunch and I had rejected him without pity 'cause he's a creep with a wife and kids. The fuck he wants with me?
Bruni is right before me, having risen to his feet as my mind put two and two together. "But if you're sorry for your actions and would like to apologise…" He trails off. "I could be motivated to see your point of view…"
His hand slides along the side of my face and I want to bend his hand back and break his knuckles. He'll probably suspend me for a whole year then.
I step back from repulsion as his hand reaches my jaw. It's like when a snake touches you. I take in a deep breath as I try to rebuff him politely. He steps closer, the prick.
"Come on now, and make me happy," Bruni says. "And in turn, I will make you very happy. You will finally get that promotion you've been wanting. I will make you a very rich woman. I know that there is a slut hiding behind that cloak of self-righteousness."
Without thinking, I slap him across the face. But then he deserves it.
I head for the door and he grabs me. I push him back and he stumbles over his desk, irate at his embarrassment. He lunges for me and I feel his palm across my cheek and it's burning, but my gaze burns hotter as I glare back, refusing to be cowered.
The door opens then and a woman comes in with a file. I think she's from human resources. She looks somewhat familiar.
"The reports, sir," she says as she sashays across the room and places the reports on Bruni McEvil's table.
She lingers for a few seconds and watches Bruni and Bruni and I stare back at her.
The room is quiet.
She makes her way out finally and I take the opportunity to exit the room as Bruni watches her backside.
His voice stops me.
"Our discussion is not over," he snaps.
I turn to him, about to say something when a text buzzes into my phone. Thinking it's from José, I whip my phone out and stare at the screen.
From an unsaved number, I see a text.
Strange line: Tell him if he tries that again, I will kill him.
I stare for a few more seconds, wondering if this is some prank.
"What is it?" Bruni turns to me. I think he notices how my gaze turns contemplative.
In actual sense, I should be be scared that someone is threatening to kill someone I know and is actually asking me to deliver the message. But then with Bruni, I don't know if I might enjoy this prank.
"Well, you shouldn't try what you did earlier again," I say quietly.
He looks unimpressed. "Else what?"
"...Someone will kill you?" The words roll easily out of my tongue, yet some fear settles in the pit of my stomach.
"Is this a joke?" He grabs the phone in my outstretched hands. And if I were not so mentally occupied, I would greatly mind his invading my privacy.
His eyes go over the text and he goes pale for a few seconds, but then his self-entitled look comes back on his face. "I'm sure you must have got some of your stupid friends to send this? Are you threatening me now?"
I just stretch my hand for my phone back.
And when he says with a snarl on his face, "Bug off," I'm more than glad to leave.
***
I'm in my kitchen and Lisa is seated on a chair at the kitchen island. We're sharing a bottle of wine.
Contrary to what it looks like, we're not celebrating my suspension. In fact, Lisa looks like she would like to give Bruni a piece of her mind.
The wine is because I just told Lisa all that happened yesterday and the way she approaches the situation makes me a bit scared. It's even scarier that I didn't have the common sense to be afraid before I told her about the recent happenings.
"You're sure you heard someone break in. Or out?" Lisa says.
"Yeah. I got up some time later. I searched the whole house but saw no one."
She looks at me with some concern. "If you want, you can come stay with me."
"No, I don't think it's that serious." And the look she gives me as I say this, makes me doubt whether my brain cells are still intact.
"I don't think the aim was to hurt me," I continue, trying to convince myself. "Maybe they wanted to steal something but didn't find it. In any case, the next time they try such a thing, I will be waiting… with a knife."
Lisa laughs and she visibly relaxes. But she insists that I file a police report.
Despite José's inhibitions, I agree with her.
"Once José's back anyway, we'll get all the locks changed."
"Still haven't heard from him?" One of Lisa's brows makes a trip higher over her head.
"He's been ignoring my calls," I tell her sulkily. "He does this whenever he has 'very important' work to complete."
"Okay then. Let's go file that report and change all the locks, right now."