My Boss
This is not a hard BTB, sorry. Just bro's looking out for one another.
This does contain an Anal Scene, so if that is not your thing, skip it or don't bother reading.
Blame no one but me. The editing is my own. Grammarly is pretty great! LOL
Claudia, at first appearance, is an alpha female, a real go-getter. Black hair she wears in a bob. Piercing blue eyes set in a heart-shaped face. She swam in high school and college and kept her swimmer body, having broad shoulders on her 5'9" frame. Her long legs go on forever that end in narrow hips with a nice butt. She has been leading our department for the last year and a half and doing a pretty good job. We have been crushing our goals as well as maintaining a creative environment. We are the graphic design department for a nationally known advertising agency. I am not going to go into detail about anything we have created because you will immediately know who we are, who Claudia actually is, and who I am after about a 10-minutes of research on the internet.
Because the department is so close, our families are close as well. I know Claudia's husband, Steve, pretty well. We regularly meet to watch soccer matches as we are both huge fans of the local national team. Steve is a good guy, and I consider him a friend on his own outside my work relationship with his wife.
Our office had been pretty close until about three months ago, when the Assistant Director Position was filled from outside by Alex Terran. The position should have gone to Brice or myself, and everyone in the office knows it. Alex is an arrogant asshole, out for himself, who is not a team player. Our department has succeeded by being a team, and this shithead disrupted that environment. He started by isolating Claudia from the rest of us, depriving the team of direction. We started missing deadlines, and Alex directed the blame on us. Brice and I got in his face in front of everyone. Calling him out that we have no direction from Claudia or him on how to proceed because they are constantly in closed-door meetings. As opposed to countering our argument, they both look embarrassed. This is not the reaction I expected from this arrogant asshole. This should be a full-blown argument. I expected to be fired or quit by the end of it because I am sick of this bullshit and Claudia's unwillingness to see or do anything about it.
"What the fuck is wrong with you two. You need to get your shit together, or we're all going to get fired!" I yell. I turn and start to leave.
"Yeah," Brice affirms.
"Yeah, we used to be a pretty good team until this jack-ass showed up," Walter says. He is the old salt of the office, pretty close to retirement. Usually, the voice of wisdom in the office.
The rest of the staff makes agreeable noises as they walk out of the meeting, and we all go to a long lunch together.
We return on that Friday afternoon, and the office is quiet. Claudia and Alex are not around. Our team has never left work for the weekend without a resolution. This is an epic leadership failure on their part. They do not return by closing time, and I wander into the Senior Vice President of Operations Office.
"Eric, what can I do for the bright star in the design department today?" She asks.
"Fire Alex Terran," I state.
"Why, he came highly recommended for the position." She argues.
"Have you taken a look at our performance since he arrived? We are in a shit state because we have no leadership. He and Claudia spend endless hours either locked in her office or taking long lunches. They are never available to answer questions that are often time-critical or just need answered, so we can progress to the next step in a project." I explain.
"There is always a period of adjustment when someone new enters a team as close as yours, so just be patient," she reasons.
"There is no team anymore. That is gone. There is no leadership at all anymore, so there is nothing to adjust. Our department is falling apart. Why do you think I am standing here talking to you?" I ask.
"I don't think it is as bad as you say it is. Just be patient, and you will see that it will all work out." She says dismissively.
"Why are you defending him? Are you related to him, or are you sleeping with him?" I ask. I know I am crossing a line, but I am pissed. Like I said, I am already ready to lose my job.
"Eric, I am going to ignore your comments. Why is this bothering you so much?" She asks.
"Because this job sucks. It is no longer fun to come in to work anymore. Our creativity is suffering as a result. Have you been paying attention at all to what has been coming out of our department these last few months? It's shit. Are you aware of how many meetings that have had to been rescheduled because we have not met deadlines these last few months?" I wait for her answer. She acknowledges that she isn't.
"Seven, seven meetings in three months have had to been rescheduled. Before Alex the asshole was hired, we never missed a deadline. Please keep defending the arrogant prick?" I ask sarcastically.
"Eric, you're being unprofessional." She reproaches me.
"Well, I am just acting as my Assistant Department Director has seen fit to act, unprofessional," I answer.
"How so?" She asks.
"Failure to give guidance. Failure to lead. Failure to answer questions. Seriously, why was he hired? Is he related to someone on the Board of Directors, or did someone lose a bet?" I ask. Half of me is pissed. The other half doesn't care. My Letter of Resignation is on my laptop. I know almost everyone else in the department is looking for jobs as well. The funny thing is that any other ad agency in the world will snap any of us up, given the chance.
"Eric, you're angry. Take the weekend and think things over. We will talk about this again on Monday," she says dismissively.
"Erica, I realize that this is a new problem to you, but this problem has been plaguing the department for three months. Me thinking about it for three more days isn't going to mean shit. The entire staff of the department is getting ready to bail, and then you are going to have no product to sell to anyone, and the company is going to fall on its tits!" I exclaim. Yeah, I am being sexist on purpose to drive my point home.
"Are you serious, Eric? Everyone is getting ready to leave?" She asks.
"Yes, they are, Erica. Myself included. See you Monday, Erica," I wave on my way out the door.
Saturday morning, Steve and I meet early at the Pub as we are also both Arsenal Fans, and they are playing an early match in England. I order two pints for Steve and myself and set them on the table.
"A bit early for that, isn't it?" Steve laughs.
"It's after noon in England," I reply, taking a drink from my glass. Steve laughs as he takes a drink.
I don't dick around as the pregame is on.
"So, Steve, is everything okay at home? You and Claudia getting along well?" I ask as casually as one can ask a question like this.
Steve drops his head. Takes a deep breath and exhales.
"No," he admits. "Things have not been good. We hardly talk, and when we do, she just starts an arguments about the most stupid shit," he explains.
"Would it make sense if I told you I think she is having an affair?" I offer. "I don't know if it's a physical affair or an emotional affair, but I think it is a possibility you should consider."
Steve looks at me for a moment and then nods his head in agreement.
"Yeah, that makes sense, now that you say it. Emotionally distancing herself from me and treating me like shit to justify what she is doing. It's that Alex ass-clown, isn't it?" He asks.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," I agree. "What do you want me to do?"
"What can you do?" He asks.
"I'm pretty sure I can get evidence," I offer.
"Oh, fuck yeah. I just remembered. We have a prenup. Her fucking dad insisted on it. Now, his precious little girl is going to get burned to the ground." Steve says, smiling.
