Big Corp Inc. (G/T)

Part 27: Honest Love and Filthy Lust

The clouds congregating overhead began to splatter cold drops of rain over the land. Candy was already chilly, but the rain made the cold worse. She was sheltered by the overhang of the station, so she didn't get soaked, but she was still miserable, especially with freezing gusts of wind blowing past her. She wanted to be warm and dry and protected with Martin, not abandoned outside. She didn't blame him at all, because he wasn't aware of her situation, but that fact didn't make her feel any better or change her reality.

When the next railcar arrived at the station, she boarded it and rocketed away toward the Big Corp building. She arrived to find the building dark, and the rain pouring down over the human walkway. She didn't feel like journeying out into the inclement weather only to find the doors locked. She settled down on one the metal benches at the station, huddled up in a feeble attempt to stay warm, and tried to sleep.

While she did drift in and out of slumber through the night, she didn't sleep restfully at all. The biting wind blew some of the rain into her shelter, forcing her to move to another bench. Her skin was perpetually peppered with goosebumps from the chill in the air. By the time the sun graced the earth again, Candy was exhausted, sore, and half-frozen. The metal rails on the bench made her back and limbs ache. She needed to freshen up, so she entered the Big Corp building early. The rain had mostly stopped, so she didn't get too wet on the way into the lobby, except for a couple of ill-timed droplets. She had to yell up at one of the Giants to push the button for the third floor for her in the elevator, which made her feel puny, pitiful, and socially awkward, but she made it to her destination unharmed.

Candy fetched her necessary grooming implements from her luggage in the closet and headed over to the human bathroom to make herself presentable. She washed herself the best she could with water from the sink. She wished she could rinse down her work clothes, but they wouldn't dry in time for her shift. She threw her stuff in her backpack, exited the bathroom, and went to her cubicle. She was hungry for breakfast after her long night, but she figured she could survive until lunch. Maybe, if she ate all her leftovers, Martin would share some of his pizza with her.

Candy was so preoccupied with her myriad problems she forgot about the whole incident yesterday with Mr. Hardon. She inhaled sharply and ducked into a nearby cubicle when she spied Ronny clomping toward her at the end of the hallway. Serendipitously, he failed to spot her and stomped past, oblivious. Candy shuddered and scurried away, hoping to reach her desk before he returned.

She finally made it to her cubicle, but before she could use the capsule launcher Mr. Hardon showed up, bleeding a minacious aura. Candy panicked and scampered under the desk, but she was cornered. Her Giant boss blocked the only way out of the cubicle with his immense mass. He lowered himself to his haunches and peered under the desk with a malevolent grin. Candy sidled up against the wall, shaking with fear.

"Candy," he said in a low voice. She whimpered and crunched herself into the corner, as much as she could. "I really ought to punish you for what you did yesterday." His expression darkened.

"N-no, please don't!" Candy choked. "I'm sorry, sir, it won't happen again!" Mr. Hardon could see her little chest moving up and down with frantic breaths. He reached his enormous hand under the desk towards her, blocking out the light as he coiled his fingers around her in an enclosed handful, causing her to shriek. A slight squeeze silenced her. He removed her from her hiding spot and sat down in the giant chair adjacent to the desk. He shifted her around in his hand and brought her up close to his face, with the express intent to frighten her more, and glared at her sternly. His pale blue eyes, frigid as glaciers, chilled her like ice.

"If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will make you regret it," he snarled through clenched teeth. "No more heels. From now on, you wear those ratty old sneakers of yours. Understand?" Candy gulped and nodded. "Now, as far as punishing you goes..." Her eyes moistened with tears as she braced herself for the worst. "You're in luck, because I need you to come with me to the manager meeting on the sixth floor on Monday. The CEO specifically requested you. That was the primary reason for his phone call yesterday."