Scandalous

Chapter 2

A new day and a new week starts at work. I’ve managed to make it through my first week without getting fired but this week could be a different story. David has remained the same, as I would have expected, but I can tell he’s getting annoyed with my standing up to him. I don’t think he’s used to his secretary talking back to him like I do. Then again, most people won’t exactly snap back at their bosses the way I do with David. It’s really not that hard to be respectful of someone who fetches your coffee for you.

                I walk into the office and sit down at my desk and already I have messages waiting for me to reply to them or deliver them. I pick up the receiver to listen to the messages but hear a tap on the glass from David’s office and he’s waving for me to come in. I just shake my head but get up and walk in to his office.

                “You rang?” I say and tap on his desk.

                “Why are you just now coming in?” He snaps without looking away from his computer.

                “Because this was the time I was supposed to start? It’s the same time I came in last week, so it’s the same time I’m going to come in this week.” I reply.

                He stops his work on his computer and turns in his chair and looks at me, his eyes narrowed. “Don’t get smart. I need you to start coming in sooner. How does 6 am sound?”

                I scoff. “I think it sounds ridiculous. Why on earth would I come in two hours earlier than I am required to? If you want me in at that time, then you can expect me to leave two hours earlier than I am now.”

                “That is far from what I expect from you. I expect you to come in at the time I come in and leave when I leave.”

                “You’ve lost your damn mind.” I say without realizing that I was thinking out loud. I quickly bite my tongue and scold myself when I see the look on his face. “There is absolutely no need for me to be in any longer than I am already working. So therefore I won’t be here anymore than I need to be.”

                “If you would like to keep this job then I suggest you listen to what I’m telling you and take the extra hours.”

                I smile and shake my head. “Yeah because I’m lucky to be working underneath the most impossible, demanding guy who can’t even get my name right. I see your bluff. You need me, but not like I need to be working the hours you expect me to be working so fix that and maybe I’ll apologize for what I just said.”

                He stands up and leans on his desk, the muscles in his jaw tighten and he stares at me with hard eyes. “You are stepping over a line. I suggest you seriously consider your next words and be careful with how you say them if you even have one shred of respect for yourself.”

                I step to the desk and lean down on it and stare hard at him as well. “You’ve lost your damn mind.” I repeat from earlier. “I refuse to work such ridiculous hours because you work those hours. You want me to be here, then give me a better reason other than you working here and maybe I’ll consider it.”

                David scoffs and stands up. “Why can’t you just thank me for the hours and go back to your desk like a normal person?”

                “Because I’m not normal.” I say laughing. “Because I’m not going to just bow down to some hot shot executive with a God complex. You may have scared off everyone else who worked under you but you’re not doing that with me. Either I keep the hours I’m working, or you subject your own work schedule to change so that you aren’t working such ridiculous hours. Whatever your decision, I keep my hours that I’m working now.”