Page 37 of My Boss

“You know, sometimes some people can really surprise you once you get to know them better.”

He hit the nail on the head. I feel stupid.

“You are right. I apologize again.” I rub my forehead and gasp because I completely forgot about the painful bump.

“You’re welcome. I know what kind of first impression I make. Prison can give you a hard time and takes its toll on a person for years to come.”

Oh, shit. I stop.

“Have you been to prison?”

“I finished serving two years ago.”

My pulse is galloping. I’m caught off guard. But what if my first hunch about Tadeo was right? What if he was in jail for rape or assault?

“He had it coming.” He stops and puts the chair on the mezzanine.

I take a really deep breath.

“He?”

“He was a piece of shit. He raped my sister. I went to him, fucked him up with whatever I had. He ended up in the ICU. He was in a coma for three weeks and lost his eye. I had an asshole defense attorney, I got three years of jail time. When I got out of the slammer, no one wanted to hire me. My older brother recommended I work for a guy he went to elementary school with. I remembered that as a kid he was a ditz, closed-minded, everyone laughed at him, he had no friends, but he was brilliant when it came to math. My brother tried to buddy up with him, so he would have someone to copy from in class. It was not easy, the kid was an introvert, but year by year he got himself together. After elementary school, they lost touch with each other, but fate brought them together again two years ago. One thing led to another, my brother told him I was looking for a job, and the guy hired me as his helper—a gofer for everything. In the beginning, it was kind of a nightmare—demands, stubbornness, fussing over the smallest details and absolutely no flexibility. I hated the guy’s guts and felt like shoving the job up his ass. But since I couldn’t find anything better, I chose to grin and bear it. And I did well. After a while, I got used to the boss’s expectations, and he turned out to be a really decent guy. I owe a lot to him.” He falls silent and smiles to himself. “Sometimes it’s worth giving someone a bit of time to prove themselves. People are different and not everyone is an open book. What’s more, some scrupulously hide their true nature, either becausethey have reasons to do so, or because they simply can’t handle people.”

Tadeo takes the chair, and I stand there, frozen. I’m impressed by what he said. A lot of it is right.

“You are a smart guy.”

“Thanks.” He blushes. “Okay, I’m off, because you don’t get money for talking. See you later, Maria.” He takes the chair and starts down the stairs.

“Bye, Tadeo.”

It’s 6:15 a.m. and, apart from me, only security guards and custodial staff are in the building—the calm before the storm. But there won’t be a storm because I intend to get out of here before my boss shows up. For the past twelve hours, I have been thinking about how to avoid a humiliating meeting with Engler, while at the same time not abandoning my job, for which I might get fired for cause. I decided that I would simply pack up, leave my notice of termination on Jan’s desk with my laptop and sneak out quietly. And that’s the last they would see of me.

I cleaned my work computer at the crack of dawn, transferring all my private files to my old notebook, and set off for work.

Cactus, calendar, water bottle, mug, deodorant, and I’m packed. I give the desk a once over with my eyes. Hmm, how about taking something as a souvenir? No one will even notice the lack of office supplies, I could use a few goodies. The company won’t go broke.

I put a stapler, sticky notes, several pens, highlighters, and duct tape in the box. I’m tempted to take a wireless mouse, but that would probably be going too far.

Okay, I’m walking into the lion’s den. I move toward the boss’s office, and it’s closed. Well, of course, why didn’t I think of that? I sigh heavily and touch the card to the reader on the door, but nothing happens. No beep, no green light.

The sound of a cleaning lady moving around in the restroom reaches my ears. Oh yes, she certainly has spare cards for all the rooms.

I move with the box toward the restrooms and glance at the wall clock. 6:40 a.m. Must move faster.

“Good morning!” I call out from the doorway, spotting a middle-aged woman polishing the mirror.

“Jesus!” She jumps up at the sound of my voice.

“Not quite, but you were close. I’m Maria.”

The woman makes a face. I guess the joke didn’t work for her.

“You scared me.” She goes back to wiping the mirror.

“I’m sorry. I want to leave some things in my boss’s office, but it’s closed. Can you open it for me?”

The woman shakes her head.

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