“Coffee.” She said walking by dumping her purse and jacket on his desk.

Victor had that one word to go by as his ‘hello, good morning, or happy Thursday’. He stared at the items before him, and moved it all to his file cabinet behind him. His office life with her was not unlike ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ except he was black and she was beautiful and a few other things.

His boss’ actions had long ago cost him the respect of his colleagues. She was beautiful and he was her big black guard dog. They figured Victor to be impotently gay, twisted around her finger somehow, or the very worst sort of brown-nosing suck-up if not some combination of the three. Lunch invitations, after work drinks, cooperation, and eye contact were things his co-workers skillfully avoided with him. His location didn’t help. He was seated across the office from them by the windows with his back to Meredith’s door and glass wall. He sat there like a peon on the frontline guarding the general’s tent. A no man’s land of copiers, cabinets, and conference tables separated him from their cluster of cubicles.

He walked to the office kitchen and poured her the French blend he had brewed when he came in nearly two hours ago. Conversations quieted when he came in the alcove. He couldn’t ignore what wasn’t happening so he concentrated on Meredith’s mood of the day. Seven years of practice had taught him the perfect brew for her four dispositions.

Sulking and snappy from during the divorce three years ago when she needed massive doses of caffeine to launch her shock and awe campaigns.

Fast and twitchy, like when they first worked together and they spent long 16 and 17-hour days working, traveling, and building the company together. Secretly, he had switched between decaf and regular to avoid burning her out.

Stone steady and aloof was his favorite and usually led to a slammed locked door for hours.

Today, he noted his boss’ curtness and fast motions, she would need only a spoonful or two of sugar to get her into lunch.

After pouring a cup, he steadied it and glided to Meredith’s office. She sat back on the phone and waved him in the open door as he prepared to knock. After placing it down, he stood a step back from the desk and kept his eyes off her as she consulted the engineers on her next sales call.

Deeply tanned, with brown-yellow-hazel eyes that were lighter than her skin it seemed. She was exotic and slightly spooky when they were heavily lidded with eyeshadow. Her face was narrow with a squared jaw and flat chin. Distinctively, her face had a mole above her lips on the right side and another to the side of her other cheek below the lips. Her hair was a mane of black curls and waves that went to her lower back. Meredith had the body of a porn star. Lisa Ann, Regina Rizzi, Mercedes Ashley, Ricki White, or Jewels Jade came up in conversation about her features. She was overweight by doctors’ standards but she had washboard abs. Her weight was carried in her over generous breasts, butt, thighs, and hair. In her jimmy whoever four-inch heels, she cracked over six feet and stared him in the eye.

“Excellent. Yes thank you, I thought the same thing” Meredith’s mask smiled but Victor knew she felt nothing. “Buh bye now.” She giggled hanging up the phone. The mask slipped off as the receiver clicked and her full bee-stung lips fell out of her insipid grin.

With him, the mask was always left off. Victor had to see the monster everyday. She was a fully functional sociopath, and it seemed only he knew it. Her bright brown and yellow eyes flicked up to regard him and make her instant inspection. Meredith had a perfect car, job, body, makeup, house, and she had him. He was to be her perfect assistant.

She was the only ‘vice VP’ of an electronics industry powerhouse. When their small device company was bought out several years ago, she was one of the only people allowed to keep their seat on the board but lost the title VP of sales. Her and Victor were sent from the headquarters, a few miles away, to the hinterlands of a direct marketing office and thrived. If the ‘green revolution’ took off, she would be a millionaire several times over from their work and contracts already made.

As things stood now, they both made the same amount in commissions since they worked tightly together as the company’s best sales engine. The company liked having a minority and a woman working together. The salary she made from the title got her in the next tax bracket despite their relatively close six figure incomes.

“Xerox these, and have Jan bring in her notary stamp.” She said sliding over a paper stack of their latest kills. Her off white silk blouse was properly buttoned and was tucked tightly into her pinstripe pencil skirt. He knew that her legs were clad in black stockings with ruler straight seams. The outfit was Nordstrom’s pg. 16. Meredith bought exactly what the catalogue models wore.

“Yes, Ma’am.” He replied quietly taking the papers. Chanel wafted up with them. It was obligatory for him to stand until dismissed when dealing with her. Usually, she dismissed him once she knew the coffee was satisfactory, but that only that happened after it cooled slightly.

“Meredith I…”

“Go.” She said stopping him and turning for the phone.

Dejected he started out but stopped at the door. Behind him, Meredith was silently flipping through her phone referencing a number. He knew it was theater since she would have had him done it if she actually wanted to call someone. They worked together too long for him to be fooled. But, it was odd to him that she acted this way now.

Victor spun and slowly closed the door. The click roused her and she spun her chair to face him. Her bright eyes inspected him head to toe again with blank interest.

“Meredith, I can’t see you anymore. I have a girlfriend, and she makes me happy. I can’t hurt her.” He breathed in a rush. It suddenly felt like the ceiling vent was blasting hot air.

For a moment, she was silent and stared through him before she blinked and regarded him. She didn’t seem to move though she seemed to hunch thoughtfully. Meredith wasn’t bad with anything, but she didn’t do random surprises well. Her face twitched in an unreadable micro expression the pursed her full lips before she finally spoke.

“No.” She said flatly.