Birds On a Wire

Just when I thought I had escaped Jay's taunting, I hear his voice from the doorway. "Do you have a thing for the new boss? Are you really that pathetic?" He continues his beratement.

The shame he inflicts on me shakes through my hands as I pour coffee grounds into the filter. It grows into defensive irritation with little additional thought. "Are you that pathetic?" I twist it around on him. "You have nothing better to do than make believe interoffice romances? Honestly, get a girlfriend or something."

"Are you volunteering?"

"No." I answer quickly, almost laughing. "You couldn't pay me enough."

He shakes his head. "Is that what you do for money? Whore around people doing better than you?" The words come from his mouth with hardly any time for him to have thought them through. I guess insults like this are second nature to him. "Maybe that's why you're after Porter now."

"Would you shut up?" I ask, my tone adopting a harsh edge. "Your stupidity is giving me a headache." My finger hits the start button on the coffee maker a little harder than necessary before I turn and try to leave.

Jay stands in my way. "And your desperation is giving everyone in this office something to laugh at." He looks down at me in intimidation. "At least keep your diseases to yourself instead of spreading it around the office for money."

Nothing is worse than an overconfident asshole. At least, not to Raven, being a single mom is hard enough. Unfortunately for her, the term 'asshole' barely begins to describe her coworker.

Jay Forester is conceited, breathes out an insult with every breath, and vindictive for no apparent reason. Every moment spent with him pushes Raven closer to her whits end, and she doesn't even know the whole story yet.

But then again, neither does he.

NEW CHAPTER EVERY SUNDAY

MATURE
POSSIBLE TW: MATURE LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, DEPICTIONS OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ASSAULT