TASTES LIKE LOVE

The Fall Out

Lauren pressed the STOP button on the treadmill, enraged. "Tell that manager to be in my office first thing tomorrow morning, and print out his dismissal letter beforehand so I can have something to throw at his dirty face," she said, startling nearby gym-goers in her vicinity. She hung up, taking out her galaxy buds and returning them to their case. She'd just received a report about a senior manager harassing the female workers by threatening to fire them if they didn't give him sexual favors. Dirty fucking asshole. In my own hotel too??

She wiped the sweat off her face, walking towards the locker rooms to shower and go home. The gym was less busy on Sundays, which she preferred. She opened her locker and was about to throw in her phone and water bottle when her phone vibrated with a text message. It was Mark, asking if she'd eaten followed by a picture of him with his cat.

She smiled, typing in a quick response and heading to the showers. She was in an exceptionally good mood lately, and a voice in her head told her it definitely was because of the recent events of the other night. Standing under the onslaught of hot water in the gym showers, memories of that night flooded her, and she found herself reliving every moment, every word, every breathless whisper. She turned off the shower. I probably need to stop thinking about him so much.

Monday morning rolled in, and as she instructed, the manager in question stood trembling in front of her office desk. She skimmed through his monthly evaluations, and numbers didn't lie. How he had managed to survive this long in her hotel with his poor performance and absurd behavior was a mystery to her.
"Mr. Morris, I take it you know why you're here," she said, sizing him up.
He swallowed, keeping his eyes downcast. "Miss Pierce I-"
"Look at you shaking in your boots at the sight of me. Must be scary, huh? Your job hanging on the balance, with just one word from me. How did you think those poor girls felt when you threatened them?" she asked, watching as he fidgeted around.

"They were asking for it, ma'am. I mean  most of them tried to seduce me to get me to promote them, and I'm only human aren't I?" he asked.
She smiled, and Byers, who was standing by the door, moved a little away from her vicinity. She was usually cool and collected but when her fuse blew she could be quite hot-headed, and he could tell this guy just blew it.
"Oh, really, and how exactly did they.. seduce you?" she asked.

"They would smile at me everyday in their short uniforms and-" he began, but Laure had heard enough. "You're pretty brave saying that in front of me, but I think its more of stupidity rather than bravery. A woman smiling at you isn't an invitation, this is a hotel, and we smile at everyone around here. I have other matters to attend to, so you can see yourself out. Clear out your office within the day, and I don't want to see you around here ever again. Understood!?" she said, motioning for Byers to have him escorted out.

Byers came back to give her updates on her schedule. "I spoke to their assistants and Mr. Farrell and Dr. Parker agreed to have you tag along for their fishing trip this Saturday," he reported. She smiled. Very good. This might just work.
"But miss, fishing and camping? This isn't really your forte, and I don't think you've ever done it before," Byers said, concerned. She smiled. "Don't worry, Byers. I have my ways. Besides, have you ever seen me fail?" she said, checking her watch. It was lunch time.
"It's lunch time. I have an appointment. Tell Turner to bring the car around," she said, getting up and shrugging her coat on. Byers complied, still in shock over her recent change in behavior.