3 Canary

In the morning, I shower and slip into a pencil striped shirt, and white blouse and a blazer. I decided to wear flats today. Stopping at Starbucks, to get my bosses coffee, my mind wonders back to his guy. Lex seemed like a decent son...he cared about his sister...how was he a pathetic excuse?? He just smoked weed it seemed. Another uber drove me to work. Once again the air was on. My bear legs screamed at me. Maybe I can get to the temperature dial. No one was at work yet, I always arrived thirty minutes early. I peeked into Mr. Pierce's office. He wasn't there...but his blazer hug over his chair...maybe he's in the bathroom. My feet tiptoe in, my destination; the thermostat. Bye bye fifty degrees, hello seventy. Footsteps, make me jump. I stood straight and sat a coffee on his desk. "Good morning, Amanda."

"Good morning, Mr. Pierce."

"Always the early bird." He says, taking the coffee and drinking it.

"Yes."

He places it down, making an "ahh" sound as if it was a soda. "Either you don't have a boyfriend, or you do have one and he's not performing well enough to make you sleep in." He walks to me, coming a bit to close. His eyes resembling his son's. His salt and pepper hair. "If it's the last, that's a shame, I doubt that you can't turn a guy on."

I manage a short laugh, my heart beating fast but I hid that fact. "That's a good pickup line, sir." I make a run for the door, power walking. Panicking. "I should check for faxes." Okay, okay, just keep walking, don't pass out...oh my god do not pass out...breathe!

"There's no rush." I heard him say from behind me. Fuck...is he following me?? "Did I make you nervous?" His arm blocks the door, my chin bumps against it. Mr. Pierce's thumb rubs my chin. So warm, do not get turned on right now. It didn't help that he looked like an older playboy model. "I know you see the looks most guys give you here, you're the hot assistant, that's all, eye candy. That's why I hired you. Remember what I said about opting out of my job?

"This is a lawsuit." I whack his thumb away.

"And what do you think the next boss you have will do? Or the next male employees you work with will do?"

"Respect me." I growl. "Move your goddamn arm right now!!" He hears the elevator ding, and steps back. I storm through the door. In the fax station, no new arrivals sit in the tray. I close my eyes and let out a shuttering breath. A vase of bright yellow flowers glow back at me in sunlight. Keep calm. Keep going. At my desk, I sit the vase with the flowers down, and login to my company computer. I send up the morning announcement:

Good morning Strive Treaters, today will be a great day as always so smile and get motivated! Our quota has risen to five thousand units sales daily, so let's reach that goal. The person with the most sales will receive a $300 bonus.

I attach a dancing emoji and sip on my coffee. "Morning." Jim greets me as he pass by from the elevator. I ignore him. It's so fucking degrading how guys just interact with girls to get some. What if I was ugly, would he even try to talk to me?? No...no he wouldn't. I caught a camera by the back door, where the boss humiliated me at. My mouth parted slightly....oh my god...I got a fucking lawsuit.