I know I can get any girl at the office... especially the married ones. Ever since I started last week they've been swooning over me in one way or another, either gossiping or directly flirting, and I've rolled with it. My boss doesn't seem to like me much, or does a little too much, but the other guys are pretty chill and have similar interests so picking up a conversation comes generally easy. All things considered, this new job was turning out to be my best one yet. And I never would have had this opportunity had I decided to stick it out in my hometown for another who knows how many years. I was out here on my own dollar, but that was fine. I was my own man.
At least, I used to think that. Things have changed considerably since the last time I've been to the office; I'm yet to return. The official story is that I'm taking care of a conference overseas for Mr. Sykes, and am expected back some time next month. Something tells me that bridge'll collapse before it comes time to cross it, but I'm getting off track.
Sheila Flannery is the owner of the company, and while she's been said to stop in every now and again to check on her main office here in Gronsville, she's usually out of state co-designing or promoting the next article of clothing from her fashion line. So far out of my realm I'd be bored to tears listening to the intricacies, but as long as my boss's boss wasn't breathing down my neck all the damn time, she could be selling pet rocks for all I cared.
Mr. Sykes is the one who hired me and the one I report to. My official job description is 'personal assistant'. Sometimes I work the phones with the others, sometimes I work the desk when Amy habitually calls out sick, but most of the time I'm going back and forth, fetching Sykes this, doing that for him, usually the dirty work he doesn't feel like doing.
I was working the floor the day it happened, cranking those calls out till late at night. Was so focused on making that caller's commission that I hadn't noticed everyone was gone until Johnny tapped my shoulder to give me a fist bump on his way out.
I checked the clock as he strolled down the hall and disappeared into one of the elevators. 12:54. How?? I peeked over the tops of the cubicles and saw that I was indeed the last one left. Well, all except for Mr. Sykes. That's when I decided I ought to take off too. I'd had a pretty weird encounter with Sykes in the men's bathroom earlier that day and didn't need to make those types of experiences a habit.
However, I wasn't exactly in the healthiest of mind states when I left Oakwood to come to the big city, what with everyone I knew making me feel like a freak for having dreams and aspirations outside of living the clearly unhappy life my parents led. I had no one, and was still regaining my confidence, and so really knew no one either. I was on my own out here, and if I lost that job, I didn't know what would happen.
There was no escape for me though. Sykes must've known his little promise of bonus commission would give me more than enough incentive to work until way late. He had me right where he wanted me. And I was too foolish, or spineless, to simply walk away from that job and leave my fate to chance. He called me into his office and I followed his orders. In retrospect, that dynamic seemed to have existed between us since my first day there. Sykes knew what he was doing the day he hired me.
There was a leather couch in his office that he was known to sleep on when he was too tired to drive home. He'd leave the office early in the morning, then return freshly showered and ready to go. I'd probably do the same thing if I was the manager. For whatever reason, the couch was pushed up against the wall so that back was facing his desk on the other side of the room. Maybe it was so he didn't fall off during one of his power naps. Who knows? All I do know is that he said something about having dropped his company ring and seeing it roll under the couch, and if I could try to reach it.