Page 11 of The Bonus

I walk back out into the office with my cup of coffee.

“We need to work from level two today,” Geoffrey tells me. “There’s a gas leak.”

“Oh, okay.” I act oblivious. “I’ll grab my things.”

Gabriel narrows his eyes and points to his office. “A word, Miss Porter.” He sneers.

Geoffrey looks between us in confusion.

“It’s okay, Geoffrey, you go on without me. Mr. Ferrara has been sniffing too much gas, he’s having a meltdown.”

Geoffrey’s eyes widen as he looks between us. “Oh no. Should I call an ambulance?”

“Go to level two, Geoffrey!” Gabriel screams.

Geoffrey scrambles to get his things and half runs to the elevator.

I sit down and open my computer. Gabriel paces back and forth in front of my desk, his hands are on his hips, and his eyes are crazy.

“Fine, twenty percent pay raise, that’s it,” he snaps.

I stay silent.

He continues to pace. “Hardball, hey…twenty five percent and that’s it.”

I begin to type as I act uninterested. “No thanks.”

“What do you mean, no thanks?” he barks.

“It’s not about the money.”

“Everything is about money,” he fires back.

I roll my eyes and go back to my computer.

“Fifty percent pay raise and that’s totally fucking it.”

I keep typing. “No.”

“Double your wage and do not talk to me again. This is daylight robbery,” he screams. “You are trying to fuck me up the ass, and I won’t have it.”

I was expecting a tantrum, but this is over the top. I shake my head in disgust. “Can you even hear yourself right now? The last thing I want to do is fuck you up the ass.”

He puts his hands on his hips and begins to pace again, his mind is racing.

I continue to pretend to type, and I do have to admit, him groveling is doing wonders for my confidence.

“Fine, don’t go to Tiffany’s today, it doesn’t matter. I won’t get her the gift.”

Huh?

I look up from my computer. Does he know?

“Why would you say that?”

“That’s it, isn’t it?” he says.

“We are not having this conversation, Gabriel,” I snap.

---