by LSF Publications
by Luna Austin
I didn't hear my boss come up behind me as I stacked my edited performance review on top of my outbox.
"Ruby, it's time for your performance review." He noticed the copy on my desk. "What's this doing here?" he frowned. "Employees aren't supposed to see these until the one-on-ones."
I shrugged, not wanting to give myself away.
"I'll be taking this." He swiped the paper from the pile.
"I could just shred it," I offered, holding out my hand for it. "It's probably an extra."
"Perhaps. But I'll keep it for now, I want to check something. Come with me."
I trailed behind my boss, a well-muscled man who clearly spent a good amount of his non-working hours at the gym. He closed the office door for privacy and told me to sit down.
"I don't know if you're aware of this, Ruby, but when I first get the reviews, I scan them into each employee's file before sending the whole lot to be shredded. Which means this," he tapped on the sheet he'd removed from the inbox, "should not exist."
I paled a little. But nothing was proven. I'd keep my mouth shut.
"Now, it could be a simple mistake. I'm not sure how it would have ended up in your outbox in that case, but I'll get to that later. For now, let's see if it was a mistake. If it was, there shouldn't be a scanned copy in your file." His eyes never once left my face, and I could tell he was watching for any hint of guilt. I wasn't any good at hiding my emotions, and I knew it. I was screwed. A few swift clicks had my file open, and sure enough, the original performance review document was there.
"Okay, Ruby," he said, voice steady but with a hint of anger behind his eyes. "How far did you go?" His eyes flipped between the scanned copy and the paper one in front of him. "I see you modified your scores."
"Just a little!" I burst out, then covered my mouth as I realized I'd admitted I'd messed with the document.
"That is irrelevant at this point, Miss." I fell silent.
"How did you get the original copy?"
"I... I..."
"They never leave my office after they are scanned in one piece. Which means you, or someone else, came in here and got it for you." I didn't want anyone else to come down with me, if I was going down, which seemed inevitable.
"It was me," I confessed.
"And you are towards the end of the alphabet. This means to get to your review, you had to look through most everyone else's review. Invasion of privacy." He leaned forward, and almost simultaneously, I leaned back. "Modifying your own performance review. Entering my office without permission. Invasion of privacy. Any one of these could result in termination of employment."
I panicked.
"No, please!" I wanted to say more, to try to plead my case, but there was absolutely nothing in my defense. "I'm sorry!"
He stood at his desk and slammed his hand right in front of me.
"This is not kindergarten, Miss Ruby! A simple 'I'm sorry' doesn't fix it!"
I scrambled back even further into my seat and watched as he took a deep breath to calm himself.
"I do not understand why you have done this. Your performance review was fine. You wouldn't have been promoted, but there was nothing at risk - no demotion or dock in pay. You would have been fine," he emphasized. "Now you most definitely are not." He leaned forward, and said in a voice that was almost a whisper, "You are damn lucky the owner of the business believes in second chances, and that you've been a stellar employee up until now."
I allowed myself to release my breath and relax, having a hope that maybe I wasn't going to be fired.
"If I were in charge of making decisions about termination instead of one who simply sends up the recommendations, you'd be packing up right now." I slid down in the chair, tears blossoming in my eyes. "As it is, I am not. You will be required to report to the owner within the next three days. It is there he will discuss with you the repercussions of your actions, and whether there is any chance of your continued employment with this company. Personally, I don't think so."
My chin quivered. I'd never heard him so angry before. I wanted nothing more than to get out of his presence before the metaphorical daggers glaring at me from his eyes became real ones.
I watched as he scribbled something on a yellow post-it and thrust it at me.
"Report there sometime between 8 and 11 PM today, tomorrow, or the next day. Make sure you have no other responsibilities to fulfill the rest of the day before going. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," I whispered.
"Get out, go home. I don't want to see you until I've heard from the owner." I hurried out, barely concealing my tears as I went to the car and closed the door.
I'd never met the owner of our business. I didn't think anyone had, but apparently I was wrong. I hoped he was nicer than my immediate boss had just been... if only because he did have my job literally in his hands.
I went to the address that had been given to me that very night. I was trembling, with no clue what to expect. I just hoped I'd come out of it with my job intact.
The address that had been given to me was a bit out of the way, and while it wasn't so far out in the boonies that you couldn't see his neighbor, it was a close thing. The driveway was paved with finely crushed gravel. Small lights lined the way, a feature I was grateful for in the dim of nightfall. I parked on the edge, making sure that I could be easily passed on the off chance that someone else came off. A garage was a bit off from the rest of the house.
My clunky black boots crunched loudly on the gravel as I walked up to the door. It was a nice house, spread out, only one floor. A wooden porch surrounded it, in a style I hadn't seen in years but clearly well taken care off. The stain of the wood was so new I could almost smell it. A heavy iron knocker waited to be used for a good minute before I lifted my hand, grabbed it, and rapped twice before dropping my hand back to my side.
The door opened after the longest minute I'd ever experienced in my life, and I blinked, surprised at the appearance of the person who answered the door.
"Ruby Rice?" I nodded. "Come in please, it seems we need to have a chat."
"Yes, sir."
I'd expected an older gentleman, older than my immediate boss, that was for sure. Boy was I wrong. He might have even been younger than me, and that was saying something, considering I hadn't even hit my thirties. He wore a suit jacket unbuttoned over a t-shirt. A clean t-shirt, to be sure, but still a t-shirt.
"I want to put you at ease, Ruby." He slipped off the dark navy jacket and hung it on a convenient post. "You may put your purse and jacket up there as well." It was phrased like an offer, but I felt like I was being judged, so I did as suggested. We went through to a spacious living room with far more seating space than I imagined was necessary, but perhaps he held parties or such here.
"Take a seat."
I sat on the edge of a dark blue couch, the leather slick beneath my fingers, and he sat in the closest available seat to allow him to look me in the eye.
"My name is Dr. Brandon Young. I know I look young for a doctorate, but I assure you I am, and you are welcome to examine and follow up on any of my degrees if you doubt me." I shook my head. "Okay then."
He scooted forward on his chair, mimicking my posture but with one clear difference - his face was one of confidence and self-assurance, while mine was almost trembling with nerves.
"I don't know if you are aware of this, Miss Rice, but I personally approve any hirings or terminations of employment. Thankfully, I don't have to do the latter very often." My heart pounded in my chest. "One of the things I look for in applicants is evidence that if something were to happen, they are worth being given a second chance. This includes you."
"So... I'm not being fired?"
"Well, that's really up to you." I blinked and sat up a little straighter, hoping for an explanation without having to directly ask. "But the fact that you are here, and on the first night offered, gives you a good chance of not being fired."
I let out a breath and allowed myself to sit back on the couch.
"However, Miss Rice, that does not mean there is no penalty for your actions." I tensed up. "Okay, Miss Rice, this is where it is going to get personal. May I call you Ruby?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice, but trembling a little, worried about exactly what he meant by things getting personal.
"Now, before you worry - because each and every female who has been told to come here has - I have no intention of asking you for sexual favors in return for your job. There will be no favors granted or asked for here."
I managed to find my voice, once that worry had been dispelled.
"So... what is it then? What do I have to do to keep my job?"
"You have to accept corporal punishment for your actions. Six strokes of the cane for each offense that could result in your firing - that would equal 18 for you."
I think I surprised him when I didn't freeze up. Quite the opposite, really. I turned my head to the ceiling and cursed quietly. After a few seconds to compose myself, I met his eyes.
"I have someone who will need to be informed, and who may request to be here." His eyebrows raised.
"Oh?"
"I'm a submissive. My Master must be made aware and approve of the alternative to termination of employment. While I have no doubt he would agree, I believe chances are high he will want to be present... and probably deliver some of his own."
Dr. Young frowned, but in a curious, not unhappy, fashion.
"Very well." He slipped a phone from his pocket. "What's his number?"
I suddenly realized it was he who was going to talk to my Master, not me. I was so screwed, but still felt I had no choice, so I gave him the number.
"His name?" he asked before hitting the call button.
"Andrew Rice." He hit the green button and I held my breath. One ring, then two, and as always for unknown numbers, he answered on the third ring.
"Andrew Rice? Yes, I have your submissive, Ruby, here with me this evening." Pause. "I'm afraid she was sent to me for an alternative to termination at the company she works at, and that I own." Pause. "Yes, corporal punishment is the alternative." Pause. I hated only hearing one side of the conversation. "She was found to have modified her performance review by stealing the report from her boss's office and by doing so, violating the confidentiality of her fellow employees." Pause. "I had intended on giving her 18 strokes of the cane." A small laugh that made me very nervous. "Yes, I have plenty of options, and methods of restraint if required."
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