Elaine Viets & Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson - Drop-Dead Blonde (v5.0) (pdf) by Unknown (best classic books .TXT) 📗

The three boys got lunch.

On Monday, about eleven thirty, she said, ``I have your evaluation, Johnny.''

Irish Johnny's handsome choirboy face turned pale. Vicki smiled and showed pretty predator's teeth. He clapped his hat on his brown curls and followed her out the door, shoulders hunched, head down, like he expected a beating.

Three hours later they came back together. Irish Johnny was filled with boozy good cheer and prime rib from Har- per's, an old city steakhouse. He got a good review, better than he deserved.

I typed it up later, and my fingers twitched on the keys as I copied the undeserved praise for this goldbrick. I itched to change those sentences, but I couldn't. Vicki would read my work, then personally deliver it to Mr. Hammonds.

Vicki came back from every man's evaluation giggling and pink-cheeked, as if she'd been at an assignation. The men were always smiling.

By Friday, I knew all the men got good reviews, even the drones and drunks. Vicki, like many bosses in those days, considered alcoholism a manly vice--until the man started making embarrassing scenes. Then, like a cute puppy who'd grown into an unruly dog, he was out on the street.

I got my evaluation on Friday morning. Vicki made me wait, but what she said was fair. More than fair. Vicki praised me to the skies, so I knew she was still afraid of me. My evaluation didn't come with giggles and prime rib, KILLER BLONDE 109 but I didn't want to spend any more time than I had to with Vicki.

There were no lunches, drinks, or even a soda from the company cafeteria for Jennifer and Minnie. Vicki made them endure a wretched weeklong wait. By three o'clock Friday, they still hadn't had their evaluations. Jennifer wasn't worried, but Minnie was a wreck.

I didn't know what comfort I could give her. From the way Vicki was prancing around the office, I was sure she was up to no good.

Vicki dropped Jennifer's and Minnie's evaluations on their desks at five o'clock Friday. Then she flounced out the door without a word. Vicki had typed them herself, and I could see the X's crossing out her mistakes. Too bad Vicki wasn't evaluated on her typing.

Jennifer read hers, then slammed it down on the desk and said, ``That miserable bitch. I'll get her if it's the last thing I do.''

I raised an eyebrow. Gentle Jennifer never talked like that.

Minnie read her evaluation and wept. ``It's not fair,'' she sobbed. Her sharp little nose was red and dripping. Her eyelids were pink and swollen. ``I've worked so hard. I don't know what else I can do to please her.''

``You can't do anything, Minnie,'' Jennifer said. ``Haven't you got that through your head yet?''

I'd never heard Jennifer speak so harshly to her friend. Minnie only cried harder, but for once, Jennifer didn't try to comfort her.

``Come on, ladies, you've had a horrible week,'' I said. We didn't use expressions like stressed-out then. ``Let me buy you a drink.''

``No, thanks,'' Jennifer said. ``I have work to do, Mar- gery. I think you understand.''

Jennifer had a fire in her brown eyes I'd never seen be- fore. She rummaged in her desk until she had a big pile of papers. Jennifer shoved them in her briefcase, along with her accursed evaluation, and marched out.

Minnie gathered up her fat black leather old-lady purse and put on a sad brown scarf. ``Thanks, Margery, but I just want to go home,'' she snuffled. Minnie's reaction wasn't healthy. I wished she had the same angry fire as Jennifer. 110 Elaine Viets

At eight thirty Monday morning, drab little Minnie was at her desk, slaving away in a hopeless effort to please Vicki.

At nine A.M., Jennifer walked into Vicki's office without knocking, a thick file under one arm. Her step was bold. Her long blond hair waved defiantly.

I was out of typing paper, which I kept in a cabinet near Vicki's office. While I rooted around for it, I could hear everything Jennifer said. Dear, sweet Jennifer had quite a mouth on her when she was riled. I liked the little blonde even better for that.

``What do you mean, giving me a poor evaluation, you incompetent twit?'' Jennifer's low voice cut like a knife.

Vicki made a gurgling sound. No one, not even me, spoke to her that way.

``Do you know how many times I've saved your bacon?'' Jennifer said. ``Obviously you need a reminder. So here's a complete list of your mistakes and my corrections.''

I heard the slap of that fat file hitting a desktop.

``Without my intervention, this company would have lost $67,457.16,'' Jennifer said. Now the other staff members were straining to hear, but only I could catch what she said.

Vicki was speechless. At least, I didn't hear her reply.

``Let's start with the Harrison project,'' Jennifer said. ``You forgot to add the shipping fees when you prepared an estimate--''

She proceeded to chronicle Vicki's mistakes for the next half hour. Jennifer was sweet, but that didn't mean she was stupid. She must have distrusted Vicki as much as I did, because she kept backup files. Jennifer had copies of Vicki's original orders and proposals, signed and dated, and then her own clever catches and corrections. She was one sharp little blonde.

``Now, you have your choice,'' Jennifer said, when she finished her staggering list of Vicki's errors. ``You can redo my evaluation, or I can take this file in to Mr. Hammonds. You have one hour to reconsider. If I don't have that re- vised evaluation on my desk by ten thirty, I'll have a talk with Mr. Hammonds. And it won't make any difference how much you coo at him. He's a hardheaded money man. When he sees this, you'll be out on your twitching pink tail.'' KILLER BLONDE 111

At ten twenty-five, Vicki called