She picked up a bottle of aspirin and carefully shook out three pills onto her desk. This was starting to become a habit.  Her head was throbbing with pain again, and then there was the immense pain coming from her back.  She leaned back on her chair and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window, where people were strolling late this fall evening. 

“So what do you think about the layout? I was thinking maybe you’d like me to build more displays here, near the left hall?” asked Candace, a young talented carpenter Bette had hired on a whim.

 Few days working together Bette knew right away that the young carpenter had a crush on her. She wasn’t born yesterday. Bette was in her forties, well dated, she wasn’t blind to Candace’s advances or anyone else’s for that matter. But this was business and Candace had the lowest quotes out of all the carpenters she had interviewed, so she had put her down with ease and care, telling her there was no way anything was going to happen beyond a professional relationship. She had let Candace know that a woman called Tina Kennard was whom she went home to every night; she was the love of her life.  If Candace knew what was good for her future she wouldn’t dare cross the line. Candace apologized and even apologized to Tina when she had come in one day to visit Bette. Tina was surprised as Bette hadn’t told her about Candace’s advances. It honestly had slipped Bette’s mind. Tina having been the one to have cheated felt guilty to even  hold any type of jealousy so she told her it was okay, and that she was just glad that she handled it and that she trusted her.

Bette was rubbing the sides of her temples. “Why don’t we wrap this up for the day.” She glanced down to her watch, checking the time. “It’s late, ten o’clock. Let’s talk about this tomorrow.”

“Are you okay Bette?” Candace could see the discomfort in her boss’s face.

Bette was stuffing her briefcase with some work she’d be able to finish from home. She wasn’t sure if she was going to make it in tomorrow. For two weeks now she had been feeling unusually exhausted. She had constant headaches, back pain, and it didn’t help that she needed to put in late hours at work due to an upcoming show. Franklin was on her ass more than ever and she was this close on telling me to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.