[ [ [If this story confuses you, click on the author's name for an explanation.]]]

[This event happened about three months ago.]

Curiouser and curiouser.

Boss came in early today and plopped himself down on a chair in the greeting room, facing the front door with his chin propped up on his elbows. He looked for all the world like a little boy waiting for the ice cream truck.

"Mornin', sir," I said, in a manner I hoped was quizzical enough for him to explain.

"Mornin', El. Sarah still come in at ten?"

"As far as I know, Boss. She in trouble or something?"

He grinned at me -- a very unsettling grin, that was -- and went back to watching the door. He sat there for half an hour, not tearing his eyes away for a even a minute.

At six til ten I hid behind an empty desk and waited. I was not about to miss this.

I heard the door open, and the unmistakable click click click of Sarah's designer heels, the ones that cost more than my Toyota. The sound stopped short after a few paces.

"Is there something I can help you with, Nathaniel?" she asked. (She's the only one who dares to call Boss by his full and entire first name, which he hates. Even I don't have the guts to do that.)

"Got a mighty interesting phone call yesterday."

The heels clicked a few feet further. "And that concerns me because....?"

"It was someone you know."

"I know a lot of people."

"Your name came up."

"Still not concerned here."

"Your... teacher..... called me for a recommendation."

".... Shit."

The chair creaked; Boss was standing up. "It appears you have some explaining to do, Miss Sarah."

"It's not anything that will interfere with my work here. But one must expect these things when one pays pittance to one's employees."

I made a mental note to look up "pittance" in the dictionary. Sounded like some kinda fruit. Boss does pay us light, but the station doesn't really make that much.

"C'mon, Sarah, you know you could find better work than <