Page 305 of Savage Bosses

I think back to the times I caught Archer’s eyes traveling to my breasts and other times when I sensed him watching my backside as I walked out of his office. “I know it’s not the most ideal thing to fall for your boss, but I’m not going to lie, I have fallen and can’t get up.”

Contessa huffs and buries her face in her wine glass for a huge gulp. “Yeah, we need that group set up ASAP. We need help! Talking to people dealing with these types of issues might help us out.”

“Since people are doing everything online these days, we could do a boss support group,” I suggest.

“I’m more for finding out where he stays and flattening all his tires, but I already lost my job. I don’t need to lose my freedom too, so I guess a support group will work,” Contessa jokes.

“Hm. I can create a website, and it wouldn’t take me long to do it. What do you think?”

Contessa empties the contents of her glass. “You really want to do this? A website for women to vent about bad bosses?”

“Vent about bad bosses, talk about good bosses, and our desires for them.”

“Ugh, you are so gone.”

I shrug. “It will be a place where anyone can speak about their experiences and talk about their workday. It could help someone cool off before walking out and losing the income they deserve.”

“Why do I feel hit?” Contessa pouts.

“It’s not a hit at you. It could also be a place where someone like me goes to talk about the desires they have for their boss. Desires that can lead to the unemployment line if her boss gets tired of her and wants her out of his personal life and his company too. Either way, we can all use some support.”

Contessa's hand tightens over her chest. "Oh, my goodness. A safe space to share with others in the same situation would have made a world of difference for me. Instead of letting my frustrations simmer, I'd have had someone to confide in."

I look at her, a pang of regret washing over me. "Why didn't you come to me? You mentioned what was happening, but I had no idea it had gotten this bad."

She sighs. "You were swamped with clients, burning the midnight oil to meet your targets, and I was always on the move. I didn't realize I was at my breaking point until I packed up and walked out of the office, fully intending never to return," she confessed. "I should have talked to you before leaving, but it's done now. I'll have to live with it."

I feel for Contessa, both as a colleague and a friend. "You know he’s willing to let you come back, and he’s loosened up a bit about the hours.”

“Hm. I wonder why the bosshole has loosened up?”

Ignoring her insinuation, I say, “Let me get started on this site. Maybe we can make a positive impact on the world."

“Can I name it?” she asks.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let’s name it Surviving Archer Gates,” she chuckles.

I join her laughter. “You’re funny. It can’t identify anyone.”

“I was just kidding. Let’s call it Boss Be Damned.”

Curious, I ask, “Why Boss Be Damned?”

“Because with bosses like Archer Gates, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. There is no win-win situation, only a way for you to lose.”

“This group could help us all win.Boss Be Damned,it is. Because some of us are damned to love our bosses and some of us are damned to hate them. It just goes to show that some people will love you and some will hate you.”

“True.” Nodding, Contessa suggests, “For the rooms, we can have a chatroom for men and one for women.”

“I like the idea of separating the two to make everyone feel comfortable. One big rule that everyone must follow is never to say where they work. They can use a code name for it, but anonymity is important. The site's purpose is to give people a safe place to discuss how they feel without the threat of repercussions, so they should never state their name, boss, or coworkers' names. We’ll do everything in code. No pics allowed, only Avatars.”

“What if they start bonding and decide to meet in person?” Contessa inquires.

I shake my head and add a rule to my notes. “There should be no meeting in person. If people meet and tell who they work for, other people in the group could be affected by their identity sharing.”

“I get what you’re saying. If I meet up with someone from Epic and find out what’s going on over there when I see someone else posting about that problem, I can figure out who they are by what they’re talking about,” she says as the importance of the anonymity rule resonates in her mind.

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