Workplace Gossip

She stood still, rigidly so, her small body frozen and searing with nervousness. She regretted so much. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, she should have never trusted those women, even if they were her coworkers.

"Melanie, right?" Richard Trager spoke, leaning back against his desk with his palms sprawled on the edge. "Can I call ya Melly?"

"Yes sir..." She replied, her speeding heart rate giving her voice a bit of a shakiness.

A devilish grin spread across her boss's mouth, "Turn around." He demanded bluntly.

Melanie did as she was asked, preparing herself for being told to leave the building and never come back. Those were the horrible thoughts that swirled around her head; fired, that was what she expected. Those three bitches who she'd thought of briefly as friends, this was all their fault. She should have known better than to make friends at a new job so quickly.

"I suppose you know why I called you to my office?" He spoke softly, not with the anger or disappointment that she was anticipating.

"Yes..." She heard rustling behind her and began to grow confused.

"It's not everyday news like that makes its way to my ears..." He chuckled softly.

"I really am sorry, sir..." She sighed, hoping that maybe she was getting somewhere. "The whole thing was so childish really I-"

"Why don't you come have a drink and we can-- discuss the matter further?" Trager's voice purred.

Her heart was pounding now, her limbs felt limp and numb, this couldn’t be real. She turned her trembling body around slowly, catching sight of her boss, still calmly leaning against his desk. He'd taken off the sweater that had been tied around his shoulders and unbuttoned his light blue shit a few more buttons down. She swallowed.

"C'mon, don't be shy." He said slyly, "Heh, I know what kinda talk you've got in ya."

She walked stiffly over and boldly chose to lean beside him against the desk. "I really didn't think they'd say anything..." She said to him honestly.

Trager laughed. "This is Murkoff, sweetheart, everybody's got loose lips. So it seems."

"You're not upset then?" She asked somewhat hopefully, accepting the glass of scotch that he'd held out to her.

"Upset?" He laughed again. "No, flattered, perhaps."

"What all did they say?" Melly asked, slightly embarrassed, but doing well in hiding her shame. She took a sip of scotch.

Rick sighed, setting his glass on the desk behind him. "Want me to tell you?" He brought his right hand over her, effectively pinning her to the desk with a hand on each side. "Or do you want me to show you?"

Her heart was going to explode at this rate, she felt a hot blush claim her cheeks as she opened her mouth, hesitantly, to speak. "I- I- Well, should we really-"

He brought a finger to her lips, then took the lipstick stained glass from her hand and set it down on his desk. "Take off your blouse."

Her blush grew more intense as she instinctively began to undo the buttons with her shaky fingers. She stopped for a moment, she wasn't thinking clearly. "I don't know if we shou-"

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" He asked in a low raspy tone.

She nodded, feeling her thunderous pluse in her neck.

Trager leaned in closer, "Then take it off." His voice was like honey, "Your skirt next."

He stepped back, his eyes never leaving her, awaiting the show.
Her fumbling fingers worked overtime, removing her grey buttoned blouse, then her short black skirt. She stepped out of her little black flats awkwardly, standing there, in front of her boss, nearly naked. She shook as if a wicked winter breeze has just blown through the room.