through her glasses. “Now you know how it feels to have your time wasted.”
I knew this was going to be bad.
She continued to stare me down. “I’ve been very displeased with your performance. I have thousands of applicants for your job every day, but yet, I’m paying you to make utter rubbish for this magazine. It’s a disgrace to this company and your colleagues.”
I kept a straight face even though I felt like breaking down on the inside. There was nothing wrong with my work. I wasn’t even sure what Pia wanted me to create. I really wished I had another job so I could just storm out and tell her to go to hell.
“Have you nothing to say?”
No, not really. “I’ll do better next time.”
“ You’ll do better? And what does that mean?”
“I won’t let you down,” I said calmly.
“Why do I have a hard time believing anything you say?”
If she weren’t my boss, I’d punch her in the face. I seriously wanted to key her Mercedes in the parking garage. If there weren’t any cameras, I’d probably get away with it. I didn’t respond to her comment because I didn’t have anything constructive to say. It sounded rhetorical anyway.
“Consider this your final warning. If your work is less than perfect, you’ll be looking for another job. And believe me, I’ll be bad mouthing you all over town. You won’t find anything.”
I kept my anger under control. “Anything else, ma’am?”
“Get out of my office.”
I stood up and left. When I walked into my office, I shut the door and let the tears fall. I knew it was stupid to cry but I couldn’t help it. The situation was totally unfair. I didn’t do anything wrong. I knew my work was good. My models loved my gowns. Pia was the one who didn’t understand fashion.
Orlando opened the door. “Oh my god. What happened?” He closed the door and came to me.
I told him everything.
He patted my back. “I’m so sorry, girl.”
“I fucking hate her.”
“You aren’t the only one.”
I wiped my tears away and controlled my breathing. “Are my gowns ugly, Orlando? Be honest.”
“They are beautiful. I’m not just saying that.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
Orlando shrugged. “I don’t know. No one knows what she’s looking for. I heard rumors that the management is lighting a fire under her ass to be the number one magazine in the country. Perhaps she’s taking it out on everyone.”
“Perhaps?” I said sarcastically.
“It’ll be alright.”
“No it won’t,” I said. “I need to start looking for another job now. It doesn’t matter what I make. She won’t like it. I bet tomorrow she’ll have a bunch of candidates interviewing for my position.”
“ Worse case scenario, she fires you,” Orlando said. “You’ll find something else.”
“She told me she would make sure I didn’t get a job anywhere else.”
“Wow,” he said. “Pia is out for blood.”
“Fucking bitch.”
“Hey, we’ll figure it out. I’ll help you.”
“Thank you, Orlando.”
“I got your back, girl,” he said. “Should we cancel dinner?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I need a few laughs. Otherwise I’ll go crazy.”
“Okay. I need to get back to work.”
“Okay.” I stared out the window after he left, feeling my mind go blank. The first thing I wanted to do was call Tony and spill my heart out, but I didn’t want to drown him in my work problems. And I didn’t want him to do me any favors. Knowing him, he would offer.
After wor k, I got ready but told Tony not to come over for a few hours. I wanted him to, but I was still too upset to be around him. I would be nothing but a downer. I drank some wine and watched TV, trying to clear my head. When he finally came to my place, I felt a little better.
“Wow,” he said when he walked inside , staring at me. “If your friends weren’t gay, I’d be a little worried.”
I was wearing a dress that made my breasts look perky. I tried to show off around Tony as much as
I knew this was going to be bad.
She continued to stare me down. “I’ve been very displeased with your performance. I have thousands of applicants for your job every day, but yet, I’m paying you to make utter rubbish for this magazine. It’s a disgrace to this company and your colleagues.”
I kept a straight face even though I felt like breaking down on the inside. There was nothing wrong with my work. I wasn’t even sure what Pia wanted me to create. I really wished I had another job so I could just storm out and tell her to go to hell.
“Have you nothing to say?”
No, not really. “I’ll do better next time.”
“ You’ll do better? And what does that mean?”
“I won’t let you down,” I said calmly.
“Why do I have a hard time believing anything you say?”
If she weren’t my boss, I’d punch her in the face. I seriously wanted to key her Mercedes in the parking garage. If there weren’t any cameras, I’d probably get away with it. I didn’t respond to her comment because I didn’t have anything constructive to say. It sounded rhetorical anyway.
“Consider this your final warning. If your work is less than perfect, you’ll be looking for another job. And believe me, I’ll be bad mouthing you all over town. You won’t find anything.”
I kept my anger under control. “Anything else, ma’am?”
“Get out of my office.”
I stood up and left. When I walked into my office, I shut the door and let the tears fall. I knew it was stupid to cry but I couldn’t help it. The situation was totally unfair. I didn’t do anything wrong. I knew my work was good. My models loved my gowns. Pia was the one who didn’t understand fashion.
Orlando opened the door. “Oh my god. What happened?” He closed the door and came to me.
I told him everything.
He patted my back. “I’m so sorry, girl.”
“I fucking hate her.”
“You aren’t the only one.”
I wiped my tears away and controlled my breathing. “Are my gowns ugly, Orlando? Be honest.”
“They are beautiful. I’m not just saying that.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
Orlando shrugged. “I don’t know. No one knows what she’s looking for. I heard rumors that the management is lighting a fire under her ass to be the number one magazine in the country. Perhaps she’s taking it out on everyone.”
“Perhaps?” I said sarcastically.
“It’ll be alright.”
“No it won’t,” I said. “I need to start looking for another job now. It doesn’t matter what I make. She won’t like it. I bet tomorrow she’ll have a bunch of candidates interviewing for my position.”
“ Worse case scenario, she fires you,” Orlando said. “You’ll find something else.”
“She told me she would make sure I didn’t get a job anywhere else.”
“Wow,” he said. “Pia is out for blood.”
“Fucking bitch.”
“Hey, we’ll figure it out. I’ll help you.”
“Thank you, Orlando.”
“I got your back, girl,” he said. “Should we cancel dinner?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I need a few laughs. Otherwise I’ll go crazy.”
“Okay. I need to get back to work.”
“Okay.” I stared out the window after he left, feeling my mind go blank. The first thing I wanted to do was call Tony and spill my heart out, but I didn’t want to drown him in my work problems. And I didn’t want him to do me any favors. Knowing him, he would offer.
After wor k, I got ready but told Tony not to come over for a few hours. I wanted him to, but I was still too upset to be around him. I would be nothing but a downer. I drank some wine and watched TV, trying to clear my head. When he finally came to my place, I felt a little better.
“Wow,” he said when he walked inside , staring at me. “If your friends weren’t gay, I’d be a little worried.”
I was wearing a dress that made my breasts look perky. I tried to show off around Tony as much as
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