Teaser Tuesday

A snippet from LEGIT, my work in progress.

~~~

Karina hated her job.

“Are you firing me?”

Her boss moved his mouth around as though he were chewing on something. “Not… exactly.”

“What do you mean by “not exactly”?”

Actually, she loved her job. What she hated was her boss.

“What I mean is that you aren’t right for this branch of the work.”

Karina snorted. In her opinion, she was more competent than anyone else.

“So we’re relocating you to the office.”

“…The office.”

“Receptionist, specifically.”

Karina thought her head would implode at the thought. Receptionist? She was being downgraded to receptionist? Her boss had stepped back a step or two, as though he were trying to put distance between himself and the inevitable explosion.

She took several deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. She wiped her hands on the rag hanging out of her pocket. She knew why this was happening.

“I’m going home,” she said. She unhooked her tool belt from around her waist and laid it on a nearby table.

Her boss, still wary of an outburst, nodded. “That’s fine, you can start at the front desk tomorrow.”

Karina clenched her teeth but didn’t say anything. She grabbed her bag and went into the bathroom to change. When she came out again she threw her boss a filthy look. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded, and she left before giving him the chance to say anything.

The walk home seemed to pass by in a blur of rage, and before she knew it she was stomping up her front path, tripping over a previously unseen object, and scraping her chin on the cement.

She groaned.

Slowly, she picked herself up off of the ground. Before her, a briefcase lay on the ground.

Karina gingerly touched her chin as she considered the briefcase. It wasn’t hers. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and grabbed it, then stood up.

She fumbled with her key for a moment, then unlocked the door. Sliding her hand along the wall, she flipped on the light switch.

Her cat, who had been sleeping on the armchair, raised her head to look at Karina. She slammed the door shut and flung the briefcase onto a table. At the moment, it was the least of her concerns.