The story is so familiar I hardly need to repeat it. I’m talking
about layoffs of course and today it was my companies turn. It started
this morning, rumors started right away and by lunch it was clear
what was going on - our company had been purchased by a competitor,
and they were liquidating 45% of the staff by sundown. Anyone judged
to be redundant was gone. Practically our whole building was being
fired.
We all want to think we’re unique, but I don’t kid myself,
ultimately I’m identical to the scores of claims adjusters
in cubes all around me. Shoot, I am a good deal worse than many.
I am a 24-year-old college dropout with no skills and a painfully
shy personality. Thin, small, frail, and leveraged out my ass in
credit card debt and car payments, if I was lucky, I’d get
a job in fast food, if not I’d end up on the street. My girlfriend
would dump me for sure.
“Alex . . . Alex!” I looked up. I was Tracy, the ditsy
but sweet secretary. She had tears in her eyes, and her normally
flawless attire appeared a bit rumpled. “Anderson wants to
talk to you now.” She said and burst into tears. I could still
hear her sobbing as I walked down the long hall to my boss’s
office.
“Alex, take a seat.” Mr. Anderson said. He was a
large man and his frame blocked the light from the window behind
him.
“You obviously know why you’re here today. You’re
not a total idiot, that’s one of the things I like about
you.” He paused for dramatic effect. “We’re
firing people today of course. Whole bunches of people, entire
branches are being systematically shown the door.” I couldn’t
understand why he was drawing it out like this. He continued,
“Of course, one of the things I like about my job is that
I possess a great deal of discretion in my actions.”
He rose from behind his desk walked around until he was in front
of me. He leaned back against the desk and I noticed that he placed
one foot on each side of my legs. Sitting in my chair like that,
his crotch was directly at eye level. I could see the bulge in
his pants and how it stretched against his zipper. I felt ashamed
that I noticed. I looked away from it for a moment, but was afraid
of being disrespectful. I tried looking up at Anderson, my eyes
wide and pleading, but I couldn’t hold his steely gaze.
Ultimately I dropped my head and, afraid to close my eyes entirely,
stared at the buldge, massive and masculine. He was talking, but
I couldn’t hear him, all I could think about was that bulge,
how big it was and how small it would make me look in comparison.
I was thankful I wasn’t standing, as my penis is barely
visible in the front of my pants. It was shameful to be fired,
and even more so by a man so much larger than me – in every
sense of the word. |