It was late in the day when Lisa passed by Chris's desk. Most staff were already in the process of casually chatting about their evening plans or just drifting out the door.
She paused and smiled at him, "How are things going?"
Chris looked up at his boss, expression neutral waiting for her to continue.
"I really need to know where you're at with that App. I know its late, but have you got a moment to run me through where you are at in the development?"
"Sure Lisa, I kind of expected you'd want to have a chat. I've got a demo to show you. Your office in 15 minutes?"
Lisa glanced at the clock, smiled and nodded. She liked Chris; he was a good employee, dependable and reliable. She just wished sometimes he'd show a little more balls.
Chris caught the lift up to Lisa's office on the top floor. As he exited the lift he said good night to Alison, Lisa's EA as she stepped in to leave. The floor was deserted now and the lights dimmed, giving a brilliant view of the incandescent city skyline at dusk. Lisa's office was in the corner and commanded brilliant views of the metropolis. He walked straight in to find her there sitting on her desk.
Lisa didn't waste any time, flashing a genuine smile that filled her face with warmth. She was an attractive woman, confident and intelligent. She was also very ambitious, imaginative and domineering. With a gesture she guided Chris to a comfortable leather chair. Chris sat obediently, knowing he had already heard the talk Lisa was about to give him...
"Chris, honestly you're one of my favourites here. You are super intelligent, you're incredibly capable and you're always reliable. But while I can count on you for those things, there is something missing in your repertoire."
She paused, studying her subject. As a leader, she prided herself in knowing her team and guiding them by understanding their individual psychology.
"You see Chris, I know I'm doing my job properly when my team start anticipating and doing the things this company needs without me telling them to. Get it?"
Chris's expression betrayed a look of uncertainty on how to answer.
"Yes I do. I've been working hard on getting my work to the level you demand."
Lisa raised a hand to cut him off, "I want you to get bigger picture, immerse yourself into the project, let it consume you. Be outrageous in the concept, but be sure that the end result is user satisfaction."
Lisa smiled at Chris, her dark hair catching the last of the summer sunshine as it set behind the skyline. She leaned forward, her dress revealing a glorious décolletage and a hint of her delicious scent lingering in the air. Their eyes locked, as she looked down at him like a lioness about to pounce on her prey.
Chris betrayed some nerves as he pulled out his phone, "Lets have a look at my presentation..."
Lisa leaned back slightly on her desk, parting her legs slightly, revealing a small glimpse of smooth flesh above the knee. Internally she was reveling in exerting this power over Chris. Over years in male dominated workplaces she had learnt how to manipulate men through subtle visual cues, without ever compromising her integrity. She had studied neuroscience at University, knew how the brain worked, understood the psychology of people and used it very effectively in business. It was the secret of her success.
Chris continued, "Here we go. I made a short video. Lets play it on your screen."
Lisa picked up the remote control and lit up the 60-inch screen on the office wall. "Ok lets see what you can do Chris. Don't disappoint me with more mediocre bullshit. You've been working on this game-changing app for a couple of months now. I'm expecting something truly mind-blowing. Don't, disappoint me."
Lisa eased into the high backed white leather swivel chair behind her desk. Chris stood nervously off to her right and brought up a screen with the word HypnoApp.
"Lisa, I present to you the HypnoApp."
"That's great Chris. Have you actually made the app. I don't need another presentation."
"I have- it's already on your phone." Chris's voice got lower as he spoke, Lisa detecting nerves.
Lisa looked at her phone and swiped through her apps until she saw HypnoApp. She was puzzled; she hadn't downloaded it, had she? She instinctively opened it. The screen morphed into a series of hypnotic patterns, with the sound of peaceful distant clock chimes. Time seemed to pause and what could have been just moments could have been hours. The now darkened skyline seemed to freeze, all her focus seemed to evaporate, and her relentless drive stilled. It was like slipping out of her mind and into something more comfortable. She let out an involuntary sigh and relaxed. It seemed as if her mind had cleared and her body had been physically refreshed. It was if the pressures of work had dissipated, and she was on holiday at her favourite destination.
She fixed her eyes on Chris, and purred, "Wow, I don't know what you did or how you did but I feel really good."
Lisa noted the tone in her own voice. It wasn't right.
"There are plenty of relaxation apps on the market, why is this one diffeLisat?" She asked the question with gentle enquiry, without a hint of the usual Lisa the boss. She didn't understand what was happening, it was as if she couldn't change her behavior.
"I'll show you," said Chris now sounding confident.
Lisa looked up at him from the chair as he stood to her side and suddenly realized he was in control of the situation. But strangely it didn't bother her, she felt relaxed and happy for him to lead. Maybe her leadership was finally rubbing off on him. She was happily lost in her thoughts when she gazed up to the video.
The screen showed Chris walking into her office confidently and talking to directly to camera with a big smile.
