Desnuerhiel

Chapter 1

New York City. A bustling metropolis. The city that never sleeps.

Cars drive past at all hours of the day and sirens blare as the occasional emergency vehicle goes by. Neon signs and billboards shine their lights 24/7, and the smell of smog drifts through the air. The sounds of millions of people walking, talking, and going about their daily lives.

And then there's me. Working eight to five, five days a week, trapped at a small desk answering phones all day.

I sigh and look out the window across the lobby. Thirty-two people walk by in the span of about twenty seconds. I'll be one of them in exactly ten minutes when the clock strikes five on this beautiful Friday evening. The desk phone rings, snapping me out of my reverie. It's my boss, asking if I can come up to his office for a minute.

I push a piece of my red hair back behind my ear and sigh internally. "Of course, Mr. Smith, I will be right up."

I turn to my desk-mate, Sarah, and I see a glint of jealousy in her eyes.

"You're so lucky", she says, "I'd love some one-on-one time with him." She winks and I feel like throwing up. If she only knew.

"Right" I say, "well, I'll be back soon."

She nods and says that she will manage the phones until I return.

I walk to the elevator on the other side of the lobby, my heels clicking with each step. I hate going to his office. He was very attentive towards me, and I knew he favored me. Unfortunately for him, I was not interested. And unfortunately for me, he didn't seem to care that I was not interested.

The elevator dings, and I step out into the hallway in front of his office. Almost all of the cubicles are empty, with most of the people having gone home early. I walk up to the big wooden door and take a deep breath. I knock three times, secretly hoping he just wants me to file some papers or something.

"Come in" says the voice behind the door.

I turn the handle and walk in. My boss is standing in front of a very large window with his back towards me. I close the door behind me and he turns to face me, a big smile on his face.

"Miss Everett...please come in. Have a seat," he says while gesturing to a big leather chair in front of his desk.

"Thank you" I say as I sit down.

He casually walks over to the front of his desk and sits on the corner of it.

"Now, Miss Everett, you've been with this company for about two years now, is that right?"

"Yes, sir, that's correct."

"Right. Well, Miss Everett, the reason that I asked you to come up here today is that I'd like to offer you a promotion." He puts his hand on my knee, a little bit higher than what is socially acceptable. I know exactly what he is playing at. It was so typical of him to do this. I had always hoped he wouldn't involve me, though I knew a few others in the office that would love to be in my position. I had morals however, and his attention definitely breached them.

He continues, unaware of my internal thoughts; "You'd be my own personal secretary, reporting directly to me, with an office right by mine." He starts rubbing my knee and moving his hand higher until it rests on my thigh. "What do you think Miss Everett?"

That is enough for me. I smack his hand off of my leg and stand abruptly.

"You want to know what I think, Mr. Smith? I think you need to quit harassing me. I've been putting up with your not-so-subtle hints and unwanted physical contact for two years. If I didn't want your attention the first time what makes you think this time would be any different?"