Sinners and Saints

Sinners and Saints Chapter 43 - Industrial Disease

Moira taps my arm as soon as I’m buckled in, “Sleep, Claire.  Get all the rest you can.  And it’s really better if you don’t see the trip first-hand anyway.” 

“Fine by me,” I mutter before dozing off.  I really haven’t been sleeping well since Drake and I broke up. 

“Here we are, dear,” she wakes me up as we’re backing up into a loading dock, “Now, when you’re here, you just need to think about where you want to be inside of Heaven and you’ll be there.  You have my list, right?” 

I don’t, actually, but I’m not about to tell her that. 

“Memorized,” I tell her instead, “How am I going to get all this stuff unloaded?” 

“The cherubs will take care of it,” she gives me a smile and a wink, “Good luck, my dear.  You’re going to need it.”

Warren is waiting outside of my wing of Heaven.  I’m actually early, but he’s there all the same. 

“Here are your keyth, Claire,” he tells me, “Michael wathn’t very happy about it.” 

“Then you tell him to come see me,” I smile at him, “I’m not here to cause conflict between you and him, Warren.   I know it’s difficult serving two masters,” I bat my eyes and lean ever-so-slightly forward. 

Yes, it’s a cheap shot and I would really, really prefer not to have to do it.  But I have a mission to complete and one of the keys is for him finding his balls and standing up to Michael.  

“Um,” he stammers, “Brian wanth to thee you in hith office,” he tells me. 

“Brian can come here and talk to me anytime,” I tell him, sitting on my desk and crossing my legs, “My door is always open.”

I run and change clothes. 

Brian storms in fifteen minutes later. 

“You can’t have Leslie,” he tells me, closing the door behind him, “She is indispensible.” 

Translation – unpromotable. 

“Hello, Brian,” I stand up and shake his hand, keeping my librarian glasses low and my skirt high, “Please – have a seat,” I gesture to the two chairs on the opposite side of the desk from me. 

“Now then,” I put my hands under my chin and rest my elbows on my desk, which pushes my breasts a bit higher, “What were you saying about Leslie?” 

I am totally playing Brian.  Batting my lashes and heaving my chest.  

“Um,” he crosses his legs in his uncomfortable role as subordinate to my “I own this office and here’s a big desk between us to point that out” situation.  

“You know, Brian,” I smile and put my totally-unnecessary glasses on top of my head, “I’ve always found that the best managers are those who can groom their employees for the next level, don’t you?” I ask, brushing ever-so-lightly up his forearm and giggling, “I just love that you’re such a strong manger.” 

He stares down my cleavage and crosses his legs the other way. 

“And after all, I’m only here for three weeks.  Surely you can lend her to me for that short time.  I would consider it,” I pause and lick my lower lip, “A personal favor.”