Max had a choice. Feel satisfied and vindicated in the moment, then go to prison for murder, or muster up a little self-control, take the long view, and maybe have things turn out for the best... as hard as it was to believe that was a possibility right then.
Lord, did murder ever sound good, though.
As he sat at his desk, in the three-thousand dollar suit he couldn't actually afford, but had to buy to impress the CEO, he couldn't keep from staring at his boss's office. Specifically, at the two silhouettes beyond the drawn shades at the widow; Frank Beaumont and his wife Emmanuelle. Deciding his fate like gods of Olympus; capriciously and with finality. Truthfully though, he split his time between watching them, and rotating his head about forty-five degrees to stare at another office; one belonging to Melody Singer.
A stupid name for a stupid, stupid woman.
He shook his head. She got him though, with her endearing naivetΓ© and big brown eyes, so who was really the stupid one? Max saw her briefly peek at him past her own shades, just glimpsing the dark-blonde hair and tanned skin. He also got an eyeful of the rounded curves of the top of her breasts peeking out from the abnormally-unbuttoned blouse that she always wore.
Man, I used to love seeing her when I came in in the morning. I thought...
He thought a lot of things. A lot of things that didn't matter now. Frank's door was opening.
"Max, come in please." Emmanuelle was doing the asking, like she had any official position there besides
boss's wife
. It was grating now in a way that it'd never been before, back when she and Frank had been welcoming and accommodating. Even friendly. She was her husband's right hand, and Max had to admit that it was clever, having her run the office without drawing a check, thereby saving a salary instead of paying one and ponying up that big chunk to Uncle Sam, but labels mattered and someone who, on paper, had no power over you but still held your life in her hands... it was frustrating.
Max walked in, trying to muster up a smile for Emmanuelle by remembering all the positives. She was gorgeous, that was number one. Her dark skin was like chocolate, and her silky hair bespoke a mixed heritage that bore some very ripe fruit. She was petite; standing at about 5'3'' and weighing no more than rumor, but balancing that slight frame with a pair of generous C-cups. Frank, when she wasn't around, called her his trophy, and not in the usual sense of rich man and pretty wife. He saw her as a prize for doing charitable work overseas; his exotic payment from a grateful little country.
Emmanuelle was kind too...
was
being the operative word. When Max had started with the company, she was warm and open, and he felt like she ran interference with Frank, who was very often a bastard if he felt that his time spent on you wasn't paying off immediately. Now, though...
"Max, we'll cut to the chase." Frank stayed sitting behind his desk as Emmanuelle closed the door and Max took a seat. His bulk shifted the chair, his massive frame threatening to crack the piece of office furniture from under him. Max wasn't a small man; over six feet and well-muscled from a lifetime of martial arts training, but Frank was a giant. He used his size to intimidate any time he needed to. Like he was doing now by leaning over his desk. Max responded by crossing his leg over his knee and leaning back, unconcerned.
"As you know, Melody has levelled charges against you. Not criminal... yet, but we can't ignore it. Emmanuelle has talked with her and has determined that there is merit to what she's saying."
Max looked at Emmanuelle, who looked away.
So that's how it is.
"I didn't touch her." It was probably futile, but he wasn't about to just let it go without stating the facts for the record. "We went on a couple of dates, and she had fun. That's it."
That
was
it, until Melody went to Frank with a story about him cornering her in the copy room and... well, it got fully ridiculous from there. So ridiculous, in fact, that he thought it was a joke. It made no sense, he and Melody weren't even rivals; she worked for H.R. and he was trying to climb the corporate ladder. It wasn't like she had anything to gain from his fall. Sitting in Frank's office, though, some things began to get... clarified.
"We don't want to let you go. You've been an amazing asset for this company, and the boys upstairs think you're salvageable." Frank finally leaned back when he saw that Max wasn't reacting to his looming presence like he'd wanted. "So here's the deal; you take a step down in pay, and get put on a year's probation." He watched Max like a hawk. "You'll stay in this office, at the same desk, doing the same job, and a year from now, things will be back to normal. Take the deal, Max."
Not a bit of that made a lick of sense... which told him all he needed to know. Max laced his fingers behind his head and turned to look at Emmanuelle, who shifted her gaze yet again. He looked back at Frank. "That's more than fair. I'll apologize to Melody first thing." He waited for confirmation, and, at Frank's relieved nod, got it.
Smiling to himself, Max left the boss's office and headed over to Melody's.
__________
Sam started at the office three weeks after Max's meeting with Frank. He noted the day because
everyone
noted the day. Samantha Walker came in like a tropical storm; intense, world-upending, but somehow beautiful in its awful glory. She was the new IT employee, taking everyone by surprise. The rumor around the office was that someone named Sam was going to be telling them to reboot their computers from then on, and they'd just assumed it was another awkward, nerdy dude who could probably get them pirated movies if they played nice with him.