The Employee
"Send in Max Greenwood, Cheryl."
The secretary opens the door and I step into my boss's office trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible.
"Mr. Greenwood, take a seat. We just have a few things to discuss." He opens a folder with my name on it and whistles, simultaneously raising his eyebrows. I sit down awkwardly with my hands folded in my lap. "Greenwood, Greenwood, Greenwood... I don't like this. No I do not."
"Sir, I'm sorry if I've done something-"
"Oh it's just I hear, from general sources, you've been taking some unapproved breaks." He cuts me off mid sentence. "Umm, tell me about your life at home."
I pause and look at him inquisitively.
"Not much to say. Wife's good. I, uh, I'm healthy. Happy."
My boss gives me a disgusted grin.
"Nice and healthy, I hope. Rested, too, I'm guessing. Tell me about these breaks you've been taking in the evening."
"What breaks? I get off at 5:00 then drive home." I say to him.
"You go home, you say? So this is where you're taking these breaks?" My boss adjusts his glasses and stares at me.
"I wouldn't call them breaks, really. I'm off work."
He wrinkles his mouth and twirls the red pen in his hand. He's tapping his foot under his desk. I can tell because the glass of water next to his stapler is vibrating.
"When we had our little meeting on Friday, what did we talk about?" He raises his voice and I feel myself choke a little.
"W-we talked about the new project with Jump Worx and how I'd need to work harder but-"
"Exactly! How are we supposed to get anything done when you go home to your family and sit on your ass for 16 hours?" He wildly flips through the pages of my folder, pointing at things written down as he goes. "Family dinners! Soccer practice with your son! Dance recitals with your daughter! Nights out with your wife! The list goes on and on, Max!"
"I've stayed late to work on that project, sir, I swear! Sometimes there's just no time. You can't take my family away from me. Please, give me another chance. I'll work harder."
My boss sighs heavily and tosses my folder to the floor before rubbing both his eyes with clenched fists.
"I want to keep you here, Max. It's just that I need a little more devotion to the company. A little more spirit and heart. I want to feel like you want to be here, making a difference every day. But when you go home and spend all your time with your family, I don't feel that."
"That's understandable, sir. I'll work harder. And when I do have free time at home, I'll be sure to work on the new project." I'm starting to calm down a little as I say this.
"Now see, we can understand each other, Max. I knew you were an okay guy." He starts smiling again, but not the same evil smile as before.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you! I mean, even if I have to work into the night, I'll prove to you I'm devoted!"
The smile fades from his face. Seconds later, mine does too. His brow ruffles.
"Even if you have to work into the night? What, do you have plans or something?"
"Well, I usually go to bed around 10:00. I'm just saying I could maybe stay up to 11:00 or 12:00 some nights to get some extra work done." That uneasy feeling is coming back to me.
"Are you telling me that you spend the rest of the night doing nothing in your bed?"
"No, I mean it's not nothing, I- I usually sleep until around 6:30, 7:00 AM. Then it's back to work at 9:00. I try to get eight hours of sleep so that I'm at my best in the morning for work." I say as I wring my sweaty palms together with anxiety.
"You really have no shame, you lazy piece of overpaid work."
-Daniel Greene
The secretary opens the door and I step into my boss's office trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible.
"Mr. Greenwood, take a seat. We just have a few things to discuss." He opens a folder with my name on it and whistles, simultaneously raising his eyebrows. I sit down awkwardly with my hands folded in my lap. "Greenwood, Greenwood, Greenwood... I don't like this. No I do not."
"Sir, I'm sorry if I've done something-"
"Oh it's just I hear, from general sources, you've been taking some unapproved breaks." He cuts me off mid sentence. "Umm, tell me about your life at home."
I pause and look at him inquisitively.
"Not much to say. Wife's good. I, uh, I'm healthy. Happy."
My boss gives me a disgusted grin.
"Nice and healthy, I hope. Rested, too, I'm guessing. Tell me about these breaks you've been taking in the evening."
"What breaks? I get off at 5:00 then drive home." I say to him.
"You go home, you say? So this is where you're taking these breaks?" My boss adjusts his glasses and stares at me.
"I wouldn't call them breaks, really. I'm off work."
He wrinkles his mouth and twirls the red pen in his hand. He's tapping his foot under his desk. I can tell because the glass of water next to his stapler is vibrating.
"When we had our little meeting on Friday, what did we talk about?" He raises his voice and I feel myself choke a little.
"W-we talked about the new project with Jump Worx and how I'd need to work harder but-"
"Exactly! How are we supposed to get anything done when you go home to your family and sit on your ass for 16 hours?" He wildly flips through the pages of my folder, pointing at things written down as he goes. "Family dinners! Soccer practice with your son! Dance recitals with your daughter! Nights out with your wife! The list goes on and on, Max!"
"I've stayed late to work on that project, sir, I swear! Sometimes there's just no time. You can't take my family away from me. Please, give me another chance. I'll work harder."
My boss sighs heavily and tosses my folder to the floor before rubbing both his eyes with clenched fists.
"I want to keep you here, Max. It's just that I need a little more devotion to the company. A little more spirit and heart. I want to feel like you want to be here, making a difference every day. But when you go home and spend all your time with your family, I don't feel that."
"That's understandable, sir. I'll work harder. And when I do have free time at home, I'll be sure to work on the new project." I'm starting to calm down a little as I say this.
"Now see, we can understand each other, Max. I knew you were an okay guy." He starts smiling again, but not the same evil smile as before.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you! I mean, even if I have to work into the night, I'll prove to you I'm devoted!"
The smile fades from his face. Seconds later, mine does too. His brow ruffles.
"Even if you have to work into the night? What, do you have plans or something?"
"Well, I usually go to bed around 10:00. I'm just saying I could maybe stay up to 11:00 or 12:00 some nights to get some extra work done." That uneasy feeling is coming back to me.
"Are you telling me that you spend the rest of the night doing nothing in your bed?"
"No, I mean it's not nothing, I- I usually sleep until around 6:30, 7:00 AM. Then it's back to work at 9:00. I try to get eight hours of sleep so that I'm at my best in the morning for work." I say as I wring my sweaty palms together with anxiety.
"You really have no shame, you lazy piece of overpaid work."
-Daniel Greene
your stories are brilliant :)
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