Cupid's Contract

When Eve Stalked Adam

It was notoriously hard to get a wifi signal at the Baltic Islands. Maybe when she hit Fiji Mags would email her official resignation.

Until then, Eve would quietly manoeuvre for equality in her cramped cubicle.

She was just contemplating a mid-morning break, sneaking off for a real coffee while everyone was about to settle into meetings, when her phone rang, Suzanne's voice on the other end.

"Eve? You're wanted in Conference Room Four?" Tentative and sweet, a direct command from above was a soft request in Suze's manner.

"Oh? Um. Ok. Do you know why?" Eve was confused. Conference Room Four was the smallest of the rooms, reserved for smaller meetings and Eve had no appointments on her diary today.

"I'm not sure, Eve. Sorry. Mr Harper just asked me to buzz you."

A sweat immediately broke over Eve's brow. Was this over her insolent diatribe yesterday? Surely she wasn't being fired? How cruel! Letting her relax and think all was well, and then cutting the cord the next day, when she felt safe again. Already she was planning excuses in her head as she gathered her notebook and pen. It was a mental break? She had lost her senses, obviously, speaking to a superior in such a manner. If that excuse was accepted there was a chance she might end up in an institution, and she doubted she could keep her job while operating in a straitjacket.

PMS delusions of grandeur? Her inner woman warrior was offended at such an excuse, but her inner woman warrior didn't pay the bills. In fact, it was often her WW that encouraged her to forget paying bills and buy another pint of Ben & Jerry's. Suffice to say, WW was a bad influence, though a feisty one.

Tapping on the conference room door, she tried to perfect a face of poise. The room was already occupied and it was a clear and crisp voice that rang out, beckoning her inside.

Pushing the door open, she tried to hide the confusion on her face. She had expected to see perhaps both Harpers, but instead she saw only the younger. The other occupant was none-other-than Veronica, who wore a hesitant smile and a cream blouse that would have been decimated had the room also contained the firing squad Eve had expected.

A queasy smile made its way to Eve's face. "Hello..." It was like a hiccup. She vaguely wondered if they had brought Veronica to temper the horror of being fired. Sorry, but you're a maniac. This kind lady will now hug you. Or perhaps it was hoped that she would cause less of a scene in the presence of a friend, might even overlook the temptation to gut Handsome Harper because she didn't want to make a colleague uncomfortable.

Not bloody likely, thought Eve, her eyes already seeking something sharp enough to puncture a kidney.

You could live with only one kidney. She wasn't totally sadistic. She'd let the man filter his own urine. She just planned on slowing down his efficiency at it.

Future Member of the Organ Transplant list and Eve's Current Boss was clearing his throat loudly, adjusting a stack of papers in front of him. "Ah, Eve. Great. We're just waiting on one more." Andrew's voice wasn't particularly vindictive sounding, though he did avoid eye contact.

One more? How many people did they need to punish her? How violent did they think she was? Or perhaps she looked impressively strong? Like one of those mothers who had yoga arms but if you put a car on top of their kid they developed superhuman strength and potentially bursitis.

Eve didn't have kids to prove the point, but if someone parked on her latte there was a very good chance she'd dent the bumper, at the very least. Maybe key the paint job.

Eve took the empty chair furthest from Andrew, clearing her own throat and fumbling with her pen and notebook. Perhaps she was overreacting and merely here to take notes. Which was an offence in itself; despite her gender she was qualified for more than pretty cursive annotations.