"That bitch!" Cliff vented as he slammed his beer mug down on the bar counter after emptying half of it down his throat.
"How does she get away with it?" Phil answered in tears.
Cliff and Phil worked for a major marking company downtown. The competition within it among executives climbing the ladder was stiff, but usually fair. The corporate motto Uncompromised Victory and Integrity was engraved throughout the hallways and work ethic of its high rise headquarters. Everyone lived by the motto, except Kate Gingrich. She had only been at the company for five years. Today she was promoted past those who had been there twice that long. Everyone around her knew her secret. She operated by a different motto: take no prisoners. Her negotiations behind closed doors to win and keep accounts were famous. She did whatever it took to satisfy clients.
At the office, she also never hesitated to cut corners or colleagues to win. This time, there were three people in line for the promotion ahead of her. She planted evidence to frame the first two of embezzlement, and skillfully positioned herself as the hero in the discovery. Phil, the third candidate, shocked the corporate vice presidents when he unexpectedly withdrew his name from consideration. Gingrich blackmailed him, threatening to call Phil's wife with dozens of lies. She knew that even accusations without basis would raise enough suspicion to torpedo the marriage. She told him it was his choice, his wife or his promotion. He chose well, and Kate's evil was successfully enabled one more time.
Kate was as strikingly beautiful as she was skillfully diabolical. She was a tall fit 5'10" brunette with shoulder length hair. She had big brown eyes, a killer smile, 35DD breasts and long tan legs to match. She always dressed to accentuate her features, normally wearing a women's business top and matching skirt. The top was usually a small business suit jacket, usually without a blouse. Blouses slowed negotiations. The skirt was always matching material, pressed sharp and worn short. Her coordinated high heels were never less than two inches, showing off her legs and tight ass. She was great to look at and evil to work with. Kate was cocky and arrogant. She didn't mind if those around her hated her, as long as those above her were stupid and blind enough to keep moving her ass up.
"Phil, you got robbed. I can't believe even she would do that to you."
"It's just not fair," Phil moaned. "Now she will always rub my face in it with that stupid smirk of hers."
"With her managing the department, she'll own you too. She'll use all your work for her own personal gain."
"So much for victory with integrity," Phil said.
"It's time for someone to teach her a lesson," Cliff said feeling courage from the beer. "It's time to beat her at her own game."
"Yeah, but how?" Phil asked feeling defeated.
"She won this battle Phil, at least for now. I say we create a war and take her as our prisoner."
"I'm in Cliff, what do you have in mind?"
Cliff and Phil took the next two months to strategize and put the plan in place. During that time, Kate got more comfortable and arrogant in her new position, abusing everyone around her. It was easy to find others willing to participate. They were picked up from the debris she left in the wake of her brutal corporate ambition.
Phil gladly took care of the last detail of the plan. He called in a favor from a friend with an office in the heart of downtown. Busy pubs and restaurants occupied the ground floor of the twelve story building. The top floor corner office and adjoining conference room enjoyed an unhindered view of the region. Phil was given full use of the space, beginning the following Friday afternoon when the usual employees would be at a weekend offsite company retreat. If Phil needed it, the space would be his for the weekend.
Thursday came, and it was time to launch the assault. "Hey Gingrich," Cliff called out as they both stepped into the elevator.
"I believe you mean 'Gettin' Rich,' don't you?" Kate shot back still gloating over her new promotion with one of her stupid puns.
"Any weekend plans?" Cliff asked, faking an attempt at small talk.
"Taking myself to the symphony Friday and ..." she began to say without thinking. She stopped realizing she violated her practice to only carrying on polite conversation with those still above her on the corporate ladder. It was a way to learn vulnerabilities of her future prey.
"Taking yourself, huh?" Cliff asked, letting the implication land hard.
"Kiss my ass," Kate answered in her usual competitive mood. "That's all you'll ever see. You know what they say Cliffy boy, except for the lead dog, the view never changes."
"Is that an invitation?" Cliff asked not backing down.
"In your dreams," she said. "You can get my coffee when we get upstairs though," she added in an attempt to humiliate me.
"Oh, so sorry I won't be able get that for you. I have an appointment with Phil on a new huge accou...." Cliff tapered my voice on purpose.
"What new account?" she asked like a lioness ready to pounce. "I don't know anything about a new lead. Any new accounts go through me."
"New account?" Cliff asked, pretending to stammer. "I didn't say anything about a new account."
"Too late," she said victoriously. "I'll get it out of that pour excuse of a..."
"Hey, I didn't say anything ..."
"You said enough Cliffy. I can smell a good lead a mile away. Phil wouldn't keep it from me unless it was really big."
"I didn't say anything," Cliff said as the elevator door opened.
"Kiss my ass Cliffy," she said stepping out ahead of him toward her new office.
Phase one went better than Cliff imagined.
Around ten thirty Phil took his usual coffee break in the company lounge. Kate knew his routine and stopped by his office when she saw he was out of the way. She saw the new client form on top of his stack of new accounts. "Globecom," she read out loud quietly to her self. She had never heard of the company before. She looked down to the most important space on the page for her, minimum potential gross income. She gasped seeing $1,000,000. She took the page and ran to her office. She relished in the discovery, almost feeling giddy. "I might let Cliffy kiss my ass when I get this account," she thought to herself. "No," she thought. He is just a pawn in my getting what is rightfully mine. She picked up the telephone and dialed the number on the page.
"Globecom," Phil's wife said answering the disposable cell phone purchased for the scheme.
"Yes," Kate said in her most professional voice. "My name is Kate Gingrich. May I speak with Mr. Justice please?"
"I am not aware that he is expecting your call, Ms. Gingrich. May I tell him what this is about?"
"Yes, of course," Kate said as politely as she could. "I'm with the new marketing company he is working with. I wanted to introduce myself to him as the one handling the account."