Short Stories

Top Of The Ladder

"Miss Treston..," I started. "I know I've only been here for a few weeks, and I have no right to ask anything of you yet."

"Nonsense." She interrupted, leaning back into her chair more, delicately putting her pen down. "You've brought me my coffee - that's a free ticket to asking anything."

My tongue went dry. I wasn't expecting a joke, not from an Editor of a high-class magazine, but here was Amanda Treston with the smallest of smirks on her face.

"I've fallen into a bit of trouble." I blurted, and the words flew out of my mouth when I saw the smallest of creases between her dark brows.

"You see, I live in a rather rubbish part of New York and my land lord, for a lack of better word, is an arsehole." I chuckled, but the amusement was dying from the boss's eyes. "He has an addiction to...something, I don't know, but he's upped the rent on everyone's apartments - I was struggling to pay before, just scraping by-"

Amanda Treston was leaning completely back in her seat, the smirk gone. "You want a raise to pay for your bills."

I felt guilty, unloading my problems onto my boss after a few weeks of being employed, but I was out of options. I was working nine hours a day, five days a week, and I could work more. Felix, my wanker of a land lord, jumped the rent up on everyone's places to $1,200 a week. My wage was $1,000 and my previous rent was $800, just giving me enough change to get by - but a four-hundred-fucking-dollar increase just threw a spanner in the works.

I'd looked everywhere for a chance to save. I'd lasted two weeks before I knew that my savings and my next week's rent weren't going to last me. If I lost my apartment, I lost my job, and I would have to head back to my dad's old shed in Louisiana.

"Not a raise." I blurted, and briefly explained the money changes that Felix the Fucker had planted on me. "I'm wondering if it's possible for me to gain another $600 dollars of work so I can get by."

Running a hand over the back of my neck, the clammy feeling between my fingers making me cringe, but so was the fact that I had to go to my boss for money help. Fucking hell I'm a mess. "I want to keep my job Miss Treston, I love it here, and I...I need your help."

Her back was straight, slightly arched, as she gazed up at me. Those fierce dark eyes... They held something like understanding in them, alongside that strength which made her an incredible editor.

"I cannot hand you $600 to your pay." Amanda Treston said, those eight words like knives to my eyes. Just as I was about to speak, she held up a hand, and spread those delicate fingers over her desktop keyboard. Silent as a mouse I watched her work, eyes focused on whatever information was darting up on her monitor.

"You catch a bus to your apartment, don't you?" She suddenly asked, eyes flickering back to me. Momentarily stunned, I nodded.

"The last bus on weekdays that heads to your place leaves at 9:37pm, and the earliest you can get here on that bus is 5:23am..." The boss pursed her lips. "Weekends are the same time as well."

"Miss Treston?" I asked, but she carried on.

"I cannot give you $600 every week unless you work for it." She interrupted, and turned away from the computer and into my disappointed eyes. 

"What I can do, is make you work seven days a week, ranging from 5:30 or 6am until 9 or 9:30pm - that's 14 hours a day, and with two hour lunch breaks, and the same pay per hour you have, you'll get $1,715 a week." Treston said, placing a hand delicately on the table.

I was speechless, especially as she darted between my eyes. "This is the only option I can give you which is fair on everyone. Same pay, just more hours - you're a great asset here Jacob, it would be a loss for us, majorly, to see you go over a greedy landlord."

I scoffed, shuffling my feet. "Now who has permission to ask anything? You just boosted my ego by a tonne Boss."

Treston smirked, giving a glimpse of straight, white teeth. "It will be hard work Jacob - you won't be able to socialise or have a moment to yourself besides those lunch breaks, but it's the only option I can give you without breaking any rules."

I was already nodding. "That's more than what I was expecting, believe me, I'm fine with that." A thought passed through my mind. "Who will be in the office with me?"

"I will be." She answered, showing a genuine smile. "They are my hours Jacob, I'll be there at all times to make sure you are, in fact, working and that your schedule isn't too reprimanding on your health. It's a tough shift."

"You and me in an office?" I blurted, throwing her a look. "Are you allowed to do that?"

Amanda Treston, the Editor of one of the most prestigious online magazines in the world, stood at her desk, matching my tall height with a steely glare of dominance. Oh yeah... She's the boss for a reason.

"This is my office Jacob, I can do what I please." She held her chin high, before shrugging. "And besides, we're grown adults aren't we? There's going to be no messing about, is there?"

I almost choked, but quickly swallowed my dirty thoughts and shook my head. A part of me wondered what thoughts Amanda was thinking when she smirked, something sparkling in her fierce...and mischievous eyes.

"Good." Treston walked around her desk and held out her hand to me. "I look forward to working more with you Jacob Faulkner."

I smiled, a full blown smile, and shook her hand vigorously. "Me too, Miss Treston."

"Please, call me Amanda - and your new shift change starts tomorrow." She ordered, before walking back behind her desk and picking up her pen. "Will that be all?"

"Oh yeah, that's it..." I made my way to the door. "Thank you, Amanda."

She flicked her eyes up, those brilliant sparking dark eyes that gleamed with an emotion I couldn't name. "You're welcome Jacob."

Any other boss might have just said 'tuff luck' and left me to fend for myself. Any other boss could have asked for indecent favours in return - some would have just fired me in that office.

Amanda Treston was different.

That was the day I started to fall in love with her - and the day I stopped would be when I died.