Is that otter?
I never knew that vampires could get eyestrain. But then again, I'd never spent hours staring at a computer monitor. After a long stretch of time, all I could do was lean back and stare at the ceiling for a while before my eyes started climbing out of their sockets in protest
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Well, you had to hand Harmony something else, too-- no matter what was going on around here, she always did seem to be able to find something to smile about, which was pretty amazing. Come to think of it, the only times that I was able to think of Harmony not being in a good mood was back when she tried to kill us all, and nowadays, it was when one of us was short or impatient with her. She tried hard, and she smiled a lot, and that was a hell of a lot more pleasant than I was ever able to manage without a soul.
Hell, I rarely managed to crack a smile with one.
Wait, I thought-- 'Boss-y'? She'd called me 'Boss-y'. I wasn't bossy, was I? Of course, technically and officially and all that, I was indeed the boss, but I didn't want to be a tyrant. We were trying to use Wolfam & Hart as a tool for doing good, right? We shouldn't be succumbing to its inclinations.
I was reminding myself about that plan when Harmony finally came back with the blood. A grumble started working its way up from my chest as I looked over at the desk clock. She'd taken fifteen whole minutes, just for a cup of blood.
"Harmony--"
"Sorry for the wait Boss. Threre was a bit of the wait for the microwave, and I had to let everyone else go. Plus, you are out of mugs."
She set the mug down on my desk and stepped back. I frowned for a second. She had to wait for the microwave? Shouldn't I have one of those that's just for me? It didn't seem quite right for me, the boss, to have to wait for something as simple as a microwave.
I looked up at Harmony and nodded.
"Harmony, why don't you requisition a new microwave and have 'em set it somewhere behind your reception desk-- it gets used just for me, got it?"
Reaching out, my fingers found the mug's handle and the color of the thing finally registered through my thick skull. Pink? Why was I being given a pink mug? Oh, right, I remembered, I'd run out. I picked up the mug, raised it to my lips and took a sip. Perfect temperature, and just the right blend.
"And, uh, I guess requisition some new mugs too, I guess. Thank you."
I gave the last two words the tone that let her know we were finished. Harmony turned around and sauntered back towards the door. Watching over the rim of the mug, a few big red lights went off inside of my mind.
Hmmm. Blonde-- check. Pretty-- check. Not all that bright, especially at relationships-- check.
"Harmony, would you mind coming back here for a second? I think there's something we might need to discuss."
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"Uh-huh," I answered back softly. This was the part I got in trouble, cause I was always getting in trouble. I should just list that on my resume, under like --'Additional Skills' or something. "I mean...yes?"
"Harmony, why don't you requisition a new microwave and have 'em set it somewhere behind your reception desk-- it gets used just for me, got it?"
"Oh!!!" See, that would be so perfect. "Oh yes, cause that would so totally rock." I wouldn't even have to hardly move when Angel wanted blood, and that would mean I could be quicker and faster. I could make him proud! I smiled just thinking about it. "Only -- can I maybe get a bigger desk if that is what you wanna do? Because the one I have is already sort of filled up. With stuff you know."
There really wasn't room for a microwave. But it would all be fine if I got a upgrade. And -- well maybe people would like me more if I had that bigger desk.
A vampire could hope, right?
"And, uh, I guess requisition some new mugs too, I guess. Thank you."
I didn't so much get to comment on that part. I could tell Angel was done with me. I just hoped that he didn't loose my mug. I really only had that one. Trying to to think about it I bounced towards the door. I just might get out of here this time without ...
"Harmony, would you mind coming back here for a second? I think there's something we might need to discuss."
"Oh." I began inching towards the desk after a few moments of complete standstill. "Is this the part where you are gonna yell?" A few more steps and I was almost there. "Cause I was perfectly cool with skipping that section today."
I stood, waiting.
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"Uh-huh. I mean... yes?"
She did seem to like the idea of the microwave, though, and that was a good thing. Wolfram & Hart might be an evil lawfirm, but that didn't mean that the employees could have just a little happiness, right?
"Oh!!! Oh yes, cause that would so totally rock. Only -- can I maybe get a bigger desk if that is what you wanna do? Because the one I have is already sort of filled up. With stuff you know."
I thought it over for a second or two, and it seemed a reasonable enough request. Ever time I'd taken a look over or behind Harmony's desk, it had always seemed pretty disorganized, with papers and folders scattered all over the place-- at least anyplace there wasn't some kind of unicorn knickknack that Harmony liked so much.
Huh. Wonder how Harmony got so into unicorns. I wondered if, in all the things I'd seen and learned about in two hundred forty years or so walking around , I remembered anything about unicorns being real or not real. Couldn't remember, so I made a mental note to ask Wes about it or have him research it.
"Sounds like a good idea, Harmony. If a bigger desk is what you need, then, darn it, that's what you'll get. There'll be plenty you'll be able to do with a bigger, higher desk, I'm sure."
Ooops, naughty thought alert. Man, where had that come from? Guess it's just been way too damn long or something.
"Oh. Is this the part where you are gonna yell?"
I got up from the desk shaking my head vehemently.
"Oh, no, no, no..." Coming around the desk, I sat on the front edge of it, motioning Harmony toward a chair. "Not at all, Harmony. I, uh... I just wanted to talk. Y'know, catch up. I know that I had my, uh, differences with you before, but I'm happy to say that I thing you're doing a swell job here. Now, how about you? How have you felt being under me-- ah, working for me?"
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"Oh!" I grinned, actually schocked that Angel had, you know, listened. Normally he doesn't listen at all, even where I say 'You have a very important client on line one', in my best I-only-say-it-cause-it's-true voice. Seriously, Angel needed to step up and recognize the connections of some of the people who came to see him. There was serious 'rep thrown round here on a regular basis.
All I could do was help him see better next time. It was my job, right?
"Do you really mean it?" I still wasn't so sure. "Because that would be great, and maybe if -- maybe --"
Oh crap. There was going to be verbal vomit. I could feel it. I was going to share.
"Maybe if all the girls downstairs saw you actually liked me enough to do that, they might like me back."
"Oh, no, no, no...Not at all, Harmony. I, uh... I just wanted to talk. Y'know, catch up. I know that I had my, uh, differences with you before, but I'm happy to say that I thing you're doing a swell job here. Now, how about you? How have you felt being under me-- ah, working for me?"
I took the chair Angel nodded too, crossing my legs a few times trying to get settled. I was hardly ever in here with just him. All of his friends were normally here too, and there was always a lot of talking. And the yelling part where he Angel tells me to get out.
"Ummm...thanks?"
I still wasn't sure I beleived this. Soul or no Angel was a vampire and hello! No one knows more than me what evil, despicable things were are capable of. Like lying to girls who only really want to do a good job.
And I really wanted to do a good job.
"It's been okay I guess."
Nope, wasn't gonna let him see how much I cared.
Yet.
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I frowned, and deeply, and considering the practice I had at it, that was saying something. Something about what Harmony had said touched me, made me feel, well, really sorry for the girl. It wasn't like I didn't remember how bitchy and superficial and mean she could be in high school, and the new heights of annoying that she pioneered once she was vamped. But, y'know, everybody deserved to have a pleasant workplace.
"Well, now that's just... silly," I said, then kind of awkwardly leaned forward to pat Harmony on the shoulder. "I can't imagine how anyone here wouldn't like you. Plenty to like."
"Ummm...thanks?"
"No problem," I answered her. "I'm your boss, Harmony, but I think things would go a lot better around here if I was your friend, too. Don't you want us to be friends, Harmony?"
Yeah, I thought as I watched Harmony's legs cross and uncross-- and was it some kind of company rule that all the women around here had to wear super-short miniskirts?-- I definitely wanted to be better friends with her.
"It's been okay I guess."
Nodding, I pushed away from the desk and started pacing a bit.
"You know, Harmony, I'd like to take the 'I guess' out of that statement. And the 'okay', too. I want your job to be a great, wonderful experience..." Circling around Harmony's chair, I put a hand on each of her shoulders-- her bare shoulders-- and gave her a gentle sqeeze. "I want working here... for me... to be a very pleasurable, er, pleasant experience."
After a moment, I stepped away and smiled at Harmony.
"Well, I'll let you get right back to that job. Draw up those requisitions and I'll sign them right away, got it? And you go have a good day."
Harmony stood and I showed her to the door. My hand must've grown itself a mind of its own as it gave her a very short, very small pat on the rear as I sent her out into the office.
So maybe this Wolfram & Hart thing wouldn't be 100% bad, after all.
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