Ace of Hearts - All We Are Series [NaNoWriMo 2014] [#JustWriteIt]

Chapter Three [Edited]

“Anaya, hurry up! Why am I always waiting for you?” Margaret complained as she leaned against my cubical wall.

“Maybe because I always have work to do?” I retorted, making Margaret glare at me. “Okay, okay, I’m coming!”

We walked out of the office and over to the Human Resources department a few buildings over.

“Hello ladies,” an elderly female representative greeted us. She flipped through some papers. “I have written that you have statements to give us, is this correct?”

We both nodded.

“Whom is the subject of these statements?”

“Mr. Flannigan,” Margaret responded. I couldn’t speak. It was actually happening. We were actually getting justice for that perverted boss. Margaret looked over at me, grabbed my hand, and squeezed it in silent support. The HR lady eyed us both.

“You do realize we will have to interview you separately, correct?” She asked.

“Yes,” I said, my voice coming out stronger than I thought possible. Margaret gave me a small smile as the HR lady led me into a separate room. She left, and I wandered nervously around the room. It was pretty plain: the room just contained a small desk, a few chairs, and a small painting on the wall of some flowers. It had a window, but the view was just of a nearby office building. Fingering the rough beige curtains, I gazed down to the street.

The door closed softly with a click, causing me to turn. Another lady, this one younger and dressed smartly in a suit, entered the room.

“Hello. You must be Ms. Parker. I am Ms. Castelano. I will be interviewing you today about your involvement with Mr. Flannigan. Are you okay with being recorded?”

“Recorded?” I asked aloud. She held up a small black device.

“It’s for security purposes.”

“Sure,” I said nervously.

“Please, take a seat,” she gestured, taking one herself on the opposite side of the desk. She set the recorder onto the desk and pressed a button on it.

“This is Ms. Castelano,” she spoke into it. “It is Thursday, September 4, 2014. I am here with Ms. Anaya Parker. Ms. Parker, please confirm your consent to being recorded.”

“I agree to be recorded.”

“We will be conducting this interview on Mr. Flannigan. Ms. Parker, please state your relationship to Mr. Flannigan.”

“Mr. Flannigan was my boss.”

“What department were you working in?”

“I was working as a manager of a small team in the all-natural oils shampoo department.”

“Could you please describe the offense or offenses committed by Mr. Flannigan?”

“It started out small. He would whistle sometimes as I walked by his office. He would stop by my desk at random points during the day and try to talk to me and just stare at me. It got more perverted after that. He tried asking me out for drinks once, and when I declined, he accused me of needing to “loosen up.” When he found out that I didn’t have a boyfriend or significant other, he accused me of being a tease and a prude. How both are possible, I’m not sure.” I paused, trying to remember what else.

“He slapped my butt a couple times. He asked me about my sex life and would tell me I should wear lower cut shirts and shorter skirts. I caught him trying to look down my shirt when I leaned over or “accidentally” dropping pens when I was sitting at a desk in order to look under the desk up my skirt.” I noticed the interviewer wince a bit at the last point, and I grimaced myself, remembering the incidents.