She straightened her clothes and washed her hands, then flushed the toilet for good measure before pushing open the bathroom door and running headlong into her boss. By his casual stance, she knew he'd been standing there waiting for her to emerge. She could feel her face flushing, but there was no way he knew what she was doing in the bathroom.
He smiled down at her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I think we should take a walk," he said in a way that suggested she didn't have a choice in the matter.
Fear sluiced through her in that moment; anytime he took someone for a walk, it was a prelude to the person being terminated. She'd already had one hell of a year with her husband walking out on her and divorcing her to marry his pregnant girlfriend. His very young, very sexy girlfriend. Debby's hair was blonde only through the magic of Clairol, whereas her ex-husband's girlfriend was half their age and didn't have to cover any grey.
Debby kept the house and her car, but finances have been so tight that she's been on the verge of losing everything for months. She had no idea what she'd do if she lost her job on top of everything else. And she knew if Mr. Daniels terminated her she wouldn't be eligible for unemployment.
She followed him in silence as he quickly led her down the hall to his office. His office sat at the far end of the building, away from the cubicles where she worked, and even from the offices of the other executives. Mr. Daniels was not only the managing executive, but he was the founder and CEO. She was just a data entry clerk.
"Route my calls to Alex and let him know what's going on. Once you've done that you may take your lunch," he told his office assistant without breaking stride. He opened the door to his office and ushered Debby inside, then closed it behind both of them.
Mr. Daniels walked behind his desk and sat in his oversized leather desk chair and pointed at the small wooden stool in front of his desk. "Have a seat, if you will," he offered in a way that also suggested she shouldn't argue.
She shifted around on the stool as if trying to find a comfortable way to sit. Finally, she hooked her legs around either side of the stool's legs and straightened her spine to help her remain upright. The stool's height was so short as to only allow her head to reach the top of the desk's surface. If the stool was meant to intimidate someone, or make them feel inferior, she thought, it was doing a great job.
"Look at me Debby," he instructed her. Looking at him meant craning her neck upwards at an uncomfortable angle, but she didn't have much choice. She was nervous enough about losing her job that she'd do anything now to save it. Too bad she hadn't thought of that sooner.
"Y-yes, sir?" she asked in a quiet, trembling voice.
"Debby, do you know why I've brought you here?" She'd always hated that question. She was being forced to incriminate herself. She normally kept her nose clean and stayed out of trouble, but it was a difficult question to answer. "And before you say no, you should think about it. Think hard about where you just were and why you disappear to the restroom frequently throughout your shift."
Embarrassment flushed her skin bright red. "Umm. Yes, sir," she answered after a long silence. When she would have turned her head down to look toward her lap, her boss made a clucking sound.
"No. You'll keep your eyes on mine until I tell you otherwise, do you understand?" he asked her. She nodded her head in understanding. "Now I understand that you've made a habit of spending a lot of time in the bathroom the past several months. Is there a medical condition of which I should be aware?"
She didn't think she could be any more embarrassed than she already was; she was wrong. "Ahem. Umm. Yes, sir. I mean, no. No, sir."
He tilted his head to the side slightly, as if he were humoring her. "Well which is it? Is there or isn't there?" By the way he asked, it was as if he already knew the answer.
"What I mean sir is that yes, there is. But no, it's not something I should share with you," she said while squirming in the stool. Unhooking her legs from the legs of the stool she made to stand up but her boss shook his head and pointed back at the stool. She tried to find another comfortable position but it seemed even more of a struggle than before.
"As your supervisor," nevermind that there were several levels between the two of them, "it is your responsibility to inform me of any conditions that might impact your performance. As I see it, your work performance has decreased significantly over the past six months, to the point that your continued employment here is no longer guaranteed." He looked at her pointedly, assuring her that her worst fears were about to be realized. "Now I suggest you let me know what's going on so we can find a solution that works for both of us. Hmm?"
"But sir, I ..." she started, clearly not intending to give him the answers he demanded.
He reached for a folder with her name on it and pushed it toward her side of the desk. "Very well, Debby. You've really not left me with a choice. If you aren't able to work with me, I have no choice but to end your employment effective immediately. I'll have someone escort you to your cubicle where you can take any personal belongings." He picked up his phone, pushed an extension and said, "Please have Debby White's final check and exit papers ready within 30 minutes."
Tears came to her eyes and she stood quickly, looking down at Mr. Daniels. "Sir, please don't do this. I'm ... I'll work extra hours without pay to make up any lost time. I'll do whatever is necessary but please. Please, sir, I really need this job." His response was to point at the stool.
"I didn't tell you to stand." She sat again, but this time she sat so far forward on the stool that it nearly toppled over. "Scoot back, Debby. Sit the stool completely and prepare to talk. Now is your final chance. You have less than one minute."
She waited for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. This time, he didn't remind her to look into his. "Sir, I'm what people call a nymphomaniac. I can't control myself or my sexual urges. It's a medical condition called Persistent Sexual Arousal, or PSA. It's become much worse since my divorce because I don't have anyone to give me relief after work or at home. I have to go to the bathroom to masturbate so I don't orgasm at my desk." Her humiliation peaked when she heard him chuckle. Tears began to fall freely, and then her body tensed.
"Don't you dare stand," he ordered her in a stern voice, as if anticipating her move. "And open your eyes. I never gave you permission to look away from me," he added.