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“A prick who’s paying you money to be here! So shut your nasty little mouth!”
“I fucking won’t!” I snapped. “I don’t even want to be here, you can stick your nasty little fucking family up your spoiled little asshole, Verity. You’re all fucked up. All of you.”
I made to storm out, but the bitch lost it. She grabbed my hair with her talons and pulled my bun loose, dragging me back across the toilets, and she screamed and hissed and spewed venom while I wrestled against her grip. I wasn’t going to hit her, that’s not my style, but the bitch was a psycho, slapping my head and tugging at my hair, and one of her little bitch slaps landed on my cheek and her stupid fake nails scratched me. And that was it.
I launched myself backwards until I slammed her into the wall, and it winded her. She dropped her grip and I spun in a flash and pinned the stupid cow by her shoulders while she spluttered.
“Listen up, bitch,” I hissed. “I’ll give you that one for free, but if you ever, ever touch me again, you’re not going to get a hall pass. I’m not ten years old anymore, and I’m not taking your spoiled little rich girl shit. Understand?”
She didn’t answer, and I didn’t really need her to. She was still catching her breath, eyes wild and spiteful.
I shoved her again for good measure and then I let her go.
I had work to do, and the job satisfaction of wiping the floor with her bitchy, self-entitled little ass would be a sweet balm for my bitter soul.
Two empty seats as the afternoon resumed, and the sight made me a little uneasy. I looked at my watch and was contemplating sending a search party to the toilets when Katie made her way across the room.
She looked like shit, scraping back hair that was clearly dishevelled and twisting it back up into a bun only to find her hair tie was missing. She checked her wrists for another, and I saw her curse under her breath. She abandoned her efforts and let her hair fall free, and someone had clearly had a go at it. It didn’t take a genius to work out who that someone was.
I didn’t see the scratch on her face until she took her seat, and the sight of it knocked me for six.
Verity appeared just a moment later, and I shot her a look that could sour milk. She walked with the same Verity swagger, but her eyes were dark and wired. Unlike Katie, she still looked immaculate, her hair still hanging in a perfect plait, her makeup pristine without so much as a smudge.
“Prepare some notes,” I said to the group, deviating entirely from my plan for the afternoon. “Upselling opportunities — list any you can think of. See what ways you can envision maximising value on an introductory call.”
I waited until the thrum of activity was in sway before I approached Katie. She turned away from me and pressed her palm to her cheek, as though that would cover anything.
“What happened?” I whispered.
“Nothing,” she said, and her smile was big and fake.
“Bullshit,” I hissed. “Did she hit you?”
“You don’t sound all that surprised at the prospect,” she said. And I wasn’t. I’d known Verity long enough to know she was a tantrum-thrower. A little madam who lashed out when she didn’t get her own way. Katie sighed. “I’m fine,” she said. “Don’t make a scene.”
But it was too late for that, I was already headed for Verity’s desk. I grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her to her feet and was already frogmarching her out of the room by the time I beckoned Katie to follow. She shook her head, but I continued regardless, relieved when she shrugged and followed in our wake.
I led Verity into one of the meeting rooms and virtually forced her into a seat.
“You’re out,” I said. “Dismissed.”
She shot me a look full of hate. “What? Why?!”
Katie opened the door and I pointed straight to her face. “How about assault?”
Verity laughed. “It was an accident, I slipped. Didn’t I, Katie?”
Katie’s eyes were like fire and her jaw was gritted. “Something like that.”
“You’re out,” I repeated. “You can get your things and leave. Now.”
“You can’t fire me!” she snapped, and then she laughed. “This ismydad’s business! It’smine! Or itwillbe!”
“Not yet, it isn’t,” I said. “It’s my call, and your father’s.”
“He’d never fire me!”
I picked up the telephone extension on the desk in front of me. “Let’s see, shall we?”
