Blowing Up at the Boss

"Don't rush into making a decision," Bernard advised Mindy in his usual superior tones, "but sooner or later you are going to have to make up your mind."

This shouldn't be so hard. Mindy should know that she didn't want to become Bernard's mistress. It was too plain icky to do plus what would happen once her boss found out that she was actually a reporter for the Schuyler Square Times? She couldn't imagine that he'd be exactly thrilled to discover that for the past several months she'd been spying on his company while waiting to speed dial the EPA to report Kutrate Kemicals for its less than above board antics. "Mr. Morton," she began.

The door to Bernard Morton's office flung open and Fritz the chemist stormed in like a fist slamming into an unsuspecting face. "We need to talk!" he shouted. "Immediately! You're about to cheat me out of millions!"

"Calm down," Bernard ordered. He glanced over at Mindy. "You can go now and shut the door on your way out."

Getting to her feet, rage surged through Mindy. She despised the way Bernard dismissed her, making it clear that her presence when it came to topics of importance was about as welcome as chocolate cake at a Weight Watchers meeting. No way could she be this man's mistress.

In her office, Mindy pressed her ear against the thick door that separated her lowly domain from Bernard's.

"How dare you get that horrible Schuyler woman to invest in Fat Off!" Fritz screamed. "She's going to take my share of the profits when this is my product! You told me that everything was going to be fifty-fifty."

"I don't recall having that conversation with you," Bernard drawled. "I rarely talk in specifics, you know."

"Well, I recall the conversation and I'm going to hold you to it. Why are you allowing that woman to invest?"

"Because we need her dough, that's why. You're taking too long to get the stench out of Fat Off, Fritz. You need to get moving."

"I'm taking so long because you're too cheap to hire assistants to help me. You send me that moron Tyler who doesn't know a test tube from an inner tube and you expect me to work miracles! This is...insulting! I could take my formula anywhere and you'd be out in the cold."

"Not really. You work for me and that means that anything you invent is the property of Kutrate Kemicals. You can't take it anywhere. I'm surprised you don't remember that, Fritz. For such a chemical genius, you don't seem to be too smart in other areas of life."

"You are a..." Fritz sputtered as he searched for a word. "You are a very bad boss. A poor leader. A cretin and someday you will pay for being so miserable and miserly. I will make sure of it!"

Bernard laughed. "Get in line," he advised, "and get the hell out of my office. You have work to do."

Mindy scurried back to her desk and hunched over her computer. A second later Fritz slammed out of Bernard's office. "He will pay," he muttered as he left. "He will pay for the way he treats me if it's the last thing I do."

Mindy looked up in time to see Fritz's white lab jacket disappear. Finally Fritz seemed upset enough to do something about Bernard Morton. Maybe he'd finish Fat Off. Mindy hoped so. Personally, she couldn't wait to get away from Kutrate Kemicals once and for all.