Welcome to Prompt Friday!
You’re at an interview and in walks the last person you don’t want to see. Who walks in?
My Response
McFadden Tech
78 Whitehorse Plaza
Marvelle, New Jersey
My stomach was doing all kinds of somersaults. I’d been job hunting for six months without luck. No interviews. I started to wonder if my last manager blacklisted me. She got caught cheating on her husband, and she blamed me for him finding out. Like I cared about her love life. She never liked me from day one. I don’t know why.
This was my third interview with the company. Now I was going to meet the owner of the company. Everyone talked about how awesome he was. His company was listed among Forbes’ top 500 companies to work for. I tried to find a picture of him online, but none were a good shot of him. It seemed he did that on purpose.
The glass door swung open. He walked in, filling out a navy suit perfectly. His hair was closely cropped. He claimed the room with his eyes and zeroed in on me. All of the air felt like it had been sucked out. I suddenly couldn’t breathe and then started coughing uncontrollably. It was so unfair that he was so damn good-looking. He was way more attractive now than when we were younger.
It would have been fair if he’d gotten ugly or somehow gotten his face disfigured.
I stood about to leave when he extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Gary McFadden. I’m the owner.”
All be damned. He had the nerve to act like he didn’t remember me. He put bugs in my hair. They weren’t easy to get out either. I cried, and everyone laughed. Another time he cut my hair.
“You have a superb resume. It’s really lovely to meet you, Monica Plantoe.”
Really? This son-of… I closed my eyes to catch my breath. I guess I’ll see where this goes. I wanted to see how long he would drag this out. I settled back down in my seat. The other two interviewers left the room.
I was alone with this monster. God help me not reach across this table and strangle him. I wasn’t a puny little girl anymore. I was six feet and fit. I could take him.
“I got one question for you.”
I stared at him, waiting. He stared back and smiled. “What can you do for this company?”
I know what I want to do to you. I took a deep breath. “I’ll have your networks performing at top speed and your latency systems replaced within six months.”
“Well, damn. You’re hired.” Gary extended his hand out.
I didn’t want to touch him, but I shook his hand. Maybe he really doesn’t remember me. A part of me hoped he didn’t. Or maybe he changed. The jury is out on that one.
***
It’s been a month since I started. Everything seemed to be going well. Gary checked in to make sure that I was good and had everything I needed. For all intents and purposes, he was acting like the perfect boss. He even brought me breakfast on my first day. I got an awesome welcome email announcement. It was even announced over the intercom. That seemed to be a bit much. I learned he does that to every new employee. I guess I wasn’t that special after all.
I was busy whipping this company’s tech back into shape. The last IT Specialist was slacking on the job. It was 12:00 PM and the day had already been too long. I was starving and wanted to dig into my baked ziti. I tried some new seasonings, and it was fire. I walked into the breakroom. Today nobody occupied it. I was glad because I wanted quiet.
I grabbed my bag; it felt lighter than this morning. I placed it on the counter and opened it. My lunch was gone. I was starving because I skipped breakfast this morning. Something, I rarely do. I was pissed. Now I was going to have to buy lunch. After my lunch break, I sent out a lunch etiquette email.
It was two weeks before my lunch disappeared again. Then it happened again three weeks later. It was now time to take action. Somebody was going to pay. When everyone, including Gary, went home after their shift, I installed a mini camera on one of the refrigerator magnets. I hooked it up to my phone. Whenever someone entered the breakroom, it activated the camera.
Thursday morning, around 11:45 AM, the culprit walked into the breakroom. He looked around and then opened the refrigerator. When he closed it, the camera caught a medium-sized burgundy and black lunch bag. My lunch bag.
I watched Gary McFadden, my childhood bully, toss it in the trash. That son-of-bitch. I’d rather he had eaten it instead. That is such a waste. What he did next had me smiling. He slightly moved his hair from his head to scratch his head. Oh, revenge was going to be so sweet.
***
McFadden Tech
Large Conference Room
It was a big day for Gary McFadden. He wanted to secure funding for the AI robotics division. I got everything ready for the presentation. I took my place near the door. Gary walked up and got behind the podium. The conference room was full of employees, the MVS News Station crew, and investors. He whistled for the room to quiet down.
“Thank you all for coming. Our new AI robotics. Enjoy the show.” He stepped away from the podium.
The presentation began with an explanation of AI robotics, then the video cut to the breakroom where Gary took my lunch repeatedly and threw it in the trash. He ran onto the stage.
“It’s just a joke I play on my new employees,” he chuckled.
Nobody was laughing, but they started talking amongst themselves.
The video continued to show multiple instances of him putting thumbtacks in my chair, going into my office and breaking my favorite mug, then another video where he spit in my coffee.
That got a huge reaction from the crowd.
“You’re childish and nasty. I don’t want to work with you.” The Marvelle Bank banker stood and headed to the door.
“No, wait!” He ran after the guy only to be tripped by another employee.
He fell in front of her. When he got up, his wig was still attached to the woman’s shoe. He stood, his bald, lumpy head exposed to everyone. Some laughed. Camera flashes went off. The Marvelle news crew headed in his direction for a close-up.
“Get out of my face.” He pushed the news camera away, but the cameraman swung the camera and hit him across the jaw. His false teeth flew out of his mouth onto the floor.
The room roared with laughter. I walked to him, bald and toothless. We stood face to face.
“Best revenge ever,” I said. Then I punched him in the face, and he hit the floor hard. “That will teach you to keep your bodily fluids to yourself, you nasty, disgusting pig.”
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