Bitter/Sweet II

CHAPTER 5

For the next few days at the office Kile and Karen were working pretty hard both together and individually. They were in preparation mode for the big presentation next week that could land them a contract with a huge company. This contract merger would make Global International reach the top echelon of the Fortune Five Hundred companies.

Dave walks by Kiles office. "Hey Kile what's up? I'm not coming in you look pretty busy right now."

"No, that's Ok Dave. I need to take a little break anyway. I've been doing so much paperwork and research on next weeks presentation lately I don't even take lunch anymore. I hope I'm not coming down with a cold. I think by me skipping a few meals I've let my immune system get weak. I've been getting the chills lately."

"No shit, me too, said Dave. But for me it happens when I come in contact with the ICE QUEEN, oh sorry I mean Karen. Chills just run up and down my spine."

"That's not the chills running up and down your spine, that's fear running up and down your spine. Try doing some work and those chilly fears will go away." They both get a good laugh, "Hey Dave I think you were right about Mary. I think she has a thing for me. She came by my office the other day."

"I knew it! I could smell it on her. She is on the hunt and you are in her cross hairs. Oh, by the way did she challenge you to a hand wrestle?"

"That's kind of crazy. Why would you say that?"

"Oh, because Mary is into that mixed martial arts and close combat fighting stuff. She's pretty good too. She's at the gym a couple times a week. Rumor has it that she was seeing this guy years ago and he treated her pretty bad. He used to beat on her. When she finally broke it off with him, she said she would never let that happen again. So she learned how to protect herself. Now it's like a hobby of hers, she really loves that stuff too. I hear she maybe into some other stuff too but my Intel is unclear on that."

"Wow, I would have never guessed. She's not that big in size and she seems to be harmless."

"Those are the ones that when you get them in bed, will kill you, said Dave. What did she have to say when she came by?"

"Oh, she asked me if I'd like to go out for drinks one day after work."

"That doesn't seem like such a big deal," said Dave.

"Yeah, but it's the way she said it. She said it in a way like she wanted to have those drinks in bed."

"Shut your mouth!"

"I'm serious, said Kile. Look Dave you know her better then I do. She also made it seem like she knew I was seeing someone on the job and it didn't matter to her. She talked about being discrete."

"Wow, it sounds like she's got plans for you. If I were you I would stand clear of that proposition because, I'm not certain but, your other extracurricular activity would stab you with an ICY COLD dagger through your heart. Then she would keep you in her ICY COLD office where she would throw ICY COLD darts at you between her business meetings."

"You know something Dave, you see too much, but you're probably right about that dagger business. Well, I didn't plan on taking Mary up on her invitation. Things will be a little awkward though. I still have to deal with her here on the job because she does all the back round research into all the financial matters for me. I'll just make it clear that we should keep things on a business level for now."

"Smart move young Skywalker. May the force be with you. Got to go, I feel a chill coming down the hall and in this direction."

As Dave scurried off back to his office, a show down was about to take place. Karen was on her way to Kile's office coming from the north end of the corridor and Mary was on her way to the same place from the south end. Both women looked at each other from the distance away, neither one taking their eyes off the other. They each knew where the other was going. Anger started to build up inside of Karen, she thought to herself, "That Bitch better not think about going into Kile's office. She sees me walking in that direction. I'm going to have to say something to let her know she needs to step down." As Mary walked towards Kile's office from the other direction, Mary thought to herself, "Look at her, she moves with such cool confidence. She thinks I don't know about them, but I do. I don't want to disrupt anyone's situation, I would just like to have a piece of the action, Mary thought to herself. Maybe I'll hold the door for her then walk right in behind her and let Kile squirm a little. Or maybe I'll open the door first, walk in, and let it close behind me, then apologize for letting the door slip, decisions, decisions." As both women got closer to their target a slight smile came across Mary's face, she liked playing this type of game. But the tension was building inside of Karen. They both reached the entrance to Kile's office at the same time, both women staring at the other face to face, when Mary spoke first.

"Oh, good morning Miss McGowen, said Mary. How are you today?"

"Just fine Miss Perkins, said Karen. I trust you're also well?"

"Yes, thank you. I was going to stop by Kile's office, but I just remembered something I must take care of right away. Would you be so kind as to tell Kile that I'm making some good progress into the research of the other companies financial briefs and that I should be able to give to him my prepared briefs to look over sometime next week. At that point he can study them, sift through some of the intricate parts, and lay them out which ever way he sees fit. I would be more then happy to oblige and make any position changes he might want to explore before the final draft."

"I'll be sure to tell him Mary. Have a nice day." Both women gave each other big smiles as Mary stepped aside, went around Karen and continued on her way down the corridor. Karen stepped inside Kile's office with an aggravated look on her face.

"Hey what's wrong sweetie," said Kile?

"I just spoke to your admirer, she said something about how she wants you to look over her briefs, look at her briefs or look in her briefs. I don't know exactly which, probably all three. I'm sure she will clarify when she gets a chance, said Karen."

"Listen the only briefs I'm interested in looking into are the ones you're wearing right now. How about you take them off and let me keep them with me today so when I think about you I can put them close to my nose." This made a smile sneak out of Karen's cold and professional posture that she normally wears at work everyday.

"You will get no such thing, Karen said with a smile. Now get back to work."

"Yes Ma'am, right away, said Kile. Oh, and it's Friday! You know what that means right?"

"That's what I came to tell you. Garden of Hedon, here we come, said Karen as she left his office in a much better mood then when she came in.