Mark sat in his cubicle, hard at work. The monthly report on the department's finances, the production of which he had involvement in, was to be completed by Monday. Becky and Stan had already told him they were almost done with their part.
No way am I going to mess us up.
"Attention everyone," came a stern voice from the front of the office.
Heads popped out from cubicles like prairie dogs to regard their boss. Katherine Haller was tall, stern, and always business-like; despite her aloofness, Mark found her quite attractive. If she were not his boss, he might think to ask her out, despite the age difference. He figured she was in her mid-forties, but of course would never ask. Josh and Garrett always joked that she had not been laid since the nineties, but Mark did not think she was so icy.
"I know you are all working hard," she continued. "You're all doing a great job, but there's more that we need to accomplish. So to that end, I'm going to make tomorrow a mandatory work day, from ten to three. That way we can get more work done, but it won't be a full day. Again, thank you for working hard, and I apologize if this ruins any plans."
She turned and strode back into her office. A second after she closed the door behind her, a chorus of groans sounded out from the cubicles.
"That fucking sucks," said Ryan, Mark's cubicle neighbor, from across their partition. "I had Dodgers tickets for tomorrow afternoon."
"We both know they'll lose," taunted Garrett from next to them, leaning on the partition.
"Eat shit," Ryan shot back, sitting back down.
Mark went back to his work. He could hear grumbling around him, but ignored it. It did annoy him somewhat; tomorrow he had plans to visit his grandmother, but he could push it to later in the day.
She at least said from ten to three, so we can come in later and leave earlier.
The rest of the morning flew by. Before long, Mark headed into the break room for lunch. Garrett, Ryan, and Josh were sitting together, murmuring about something. He headed over and pulled up a chair; Garrett shot him a queer look.
"What's up?" Mark asked.
Garrett glanced towards the door. The four of them were the only ones currently in the breakroom.
"We're talking about Katherine," Josh said.
"What about?"
"What do you think?" Garrett spat. "Tomorrow's the second Saturday this month she's made us come in to work."
Mark shrugged.
"She just needs us to work hard. It's not like we're not getting paid for it."
Garrett rolled his eyes.
"Anyway," Josh cut in, "we have a solution."
"To working tomorrow?" Mark asked, confused.
Josh nodded.
"Yes, and to her being a massive bitch."
Mark squirmed in his seat, uncomfortable with the insult.
But he was curious.
"What's the solution?"
"I've known plenty of bitches like her," Garrett said, keeping an eye on the door. "They're tight-assed, but once you give them a good fuck, they loosen right up."
Mark frowned.
"You think she'll have sex with you?"
Garrett rolled his eyes again.
"She won't want to, at first. But between the three of us, four if you want to join, we can show her what she's missing. And then she'll lighten up. Be less of a bitch."
Mark looked over to Ryan and Josh to see them nodding in agreement. Their support of such an idea surprised him; they frequently made fun of Katherine's perceived iciness, but he had never pegged them for something like this.
"That's rape," he said numbly.
Ryan chuckled, and Garrett shrugged.
"Maybe at first. But I'd put money on her quickly loving it. And I'd also put money on her wanting more."
"I don't know guys, it sounds so wrong."
"I could've told you good old Mark would say that," Garrett muttered to Josh. "He's a boy scout, this one."
"I'm not a boy scout."
"Oh really? What were your plans for tomorrow? Ryan was going to watch the Dodgers lose, Josh was going to work on his car, and I was planning to sleep in. What were your plans?"
Mark looked Garrett dead in the eyes.
"I was planning on visiting my grandma."
Josh and Ryan chuckled.
Garrett threw up his hands, as if he had won some debate.
"See? Boy Scout, through and through."
"I don't have to be a boy scout to know what you want to do to Katherine is wrong."
One of their fellow employees walked in and sat down at a nearby table.
"Fine, man, we won't do it," Josh said quickly and quietly. "We were just spitballing."
Mark nodded, satisfied.
They're not that bad. They just talk big, that's all.
The clock was well past five, but Katherine was still hard at work.
Just a bit left, and then I can go home.
A knock came at her door.
"Come in," she said absentmindedly, still engrossed in what was on her computer screen.
It took her a few seconds to look up from her work.
Three of her employees, Garrett Thompson, Josh Corley, and Ryan Ardinger, were standing in front of her. They had closed the door behind them; Ryan was busy closing the blinds.
"Can I help you?" she asked, standing.