#theurbanfairytale

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The Urban Fairytale: Overprotective

Part of my short story series, The Urban Fairytale

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The Urban Fairytale is a short story collection focused around a town and it’s various habitats, both modern and mythical. Each story can stand on it’s own, with the only thing connecting them being a few characters and the setting.

Comments and Criticism welcomed.

I hope you enjoy!

OverProtective

“You’re joking, right?” Marla squinted at her fidgeting boyfriend on screen. He refused to look at her, his eyes darting around faster than she could catch his gaze. An annoyed growl left her throat, loud enough for him to snap out of his nervous fit for just a few seconds.

“N..no, I’m not joking. You know I never would, doll!” He rubbed the back of his head with his squeaky reply. He tried to smile away the uncomfortable static that hung over his laptop’s microphone. “I...I..I’ve been busy this week, and she ain’t gonna let me just take a break at a restaurant with you when I’m so far behind...”

Marla closed her eyes tight to ignore the fire that was threatening to lash out with her own words. Only a few months into their fling-turned-romance and she had to deal with a boss that sounded more like a tyrant than her old ex did. When she looked back at the screen, his camera was sideways and pointing at some papers. She caught the angry shadow of a woman prowl across the wall. His boss’ voice certainly fit Marla’s narrative on her.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you’re slacking off. You know all I want is the best for you.” Each word weighed heavy on the waves of the guilt-trip that his boss drowned him in. His responses were short, tact “yess’m”s and shaky “I’ll do better”s. Marla’s ears strained to hear the duo as they stepped away from the computer, unsure of if it would be safe to speak up or not.

Pauses of time passed before the camera was jerked back up and placed lopsidedly back on his monitor. Marla locked eyes with the shaky, sideways image of her boyfriend. “Looks like I was wrong, she sounds worse than a tyrant: an overprotective mother.”

“Yeah, I guess you can say that..” he laughed at her joke, but kept it low and stared nervously at his computer, eyes twitching away from Marla’s to check the door in his reflection. “I..sorry, doll,” he slumped his shoulders, defeat etched in every line of his frown.

Marla would have normally barked at him about his loss of resolve, but that woman struck a cord with the tone of her voice. Her snarl was replaced with a soft smile before Marla cooed out her new decision, “That’s okay, I’ll bring you some lunch and we can have our date in your office, instead!”

“What? No, we c-” she cut him off before he could finish, the call ending faster than Marla could hear another excuse. She clicked her laptop shut, dragging her manicured nails down it’s matte cover. That boss, no, that prissy woman thought she could tell him she knew what was good for him. All it made Marla think about were the bossy broads that clicked down her school’s hallways, their hair fluffed to make them look better than they really were and their bark heavy with manipulation to make up for their weak bites.

It didn’t take long for Marla to arrive outside the doors of the towering building. She had swooped by the nearest sandwich store, one arm drooping by her side with a bag of subs. Her free thumb rubbed against the strap of her purse, brushing against the dents of fresh bite marks. At least she got some frustration out in the car so she wouldn’t blow up too fast.

She didn’t even look at the busy receptionist at the counter. It was easy for Marla to stride past her with the poor girl stuck knee-deep in appointments and two phones full of busy lines. Everyone else that she crossed had the same panic-stricken gaze that froze their features. Even the few stragglers who sneaked their way into the back room were gripping their water cups with white knuckles, staring at their own feet like children who broke more than a few toys.

“Honey, I’m home!” Marla swished the door open with more pride than her poised stance radiated. Her teeth beamed behind her maroon lipstick, just enough to hide the twitching that jerked her cheeks at the woman sitting in front of her.

Where was her boyfriend? Marla scanned the room that was empty save for a bookcase, couch, and large desk. A tall, slender woman sat comfortably in the chair that belonged to her beloved. One leg over the air, she sized Marla up with a quick glance, and Marla narrowed her eyes in turn.

“You’re his boss, aren’t you?” Marla questioned irritably.

“You’re his girlfriend, aren’t you?” The woman didn’t miss a beat, batting her long lashes.

“Where is he? If he had to work so much, why are you in his place?” Marla squeezed the plastic straps of the sub bag to hold back the urge to claw his boss’ judgmental stare right off her upturned face.

“He’s somewhere away from trouble. I could smell your disaster the instant those doors opened downstairs,” his boss’ steady and suave voice rubbed Marla the wrong way. She knew for a fact that the woman was holding back more than she was willing to say.

“Trouble? Disaster? Are you sure you aren’t talking about yourself? Your employees look like they’re about to age 20 years in minutes,” Marla snapped her fingers with her bark, and the woman’s eyebrows raised at how fast her tone changed. Her blank stare gave way to a small smile and she shook her head, clicking her tongue.

“See? Exactly what I’m talking about. Look at how temperamental you are. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re a harpy preying on my dear Jack,” even the way she talked about him was nothing short of a mom who locked her kids in the house all day. Marla couldn’t stand the stupid woman’s stupid remarks, and slammed the subs down in his boss’ lap.

“You see this? This is lunch. This is his lunch. This is his and I’s lunch,” Marla thrust the bag harder into the woman’s chest and face with each sentence she growled out, “this is his and I’s lunch that we eat. This is his and I’s lunch that we eat together. Unless you want your precious son of an employee to starve, I suggest letting him have a break with me for a few minutes. If you think you know what’s best for him, wouldn’t you know that?”

“Oh, honey, I do know that. I also know that a bitch like you can’t be trusted to walk in here again and try to tell me how to do the rest of my job,” the woman’s talon-like nails ripped through the plastic bag easily as she yanked it from Marla’s grip. She stood up swiftly and walked over to the desk, squishing the subs against the shiny top.

“What did you call me?” Marla was on her heels, pupils alight with rage. Before she could even turn the woman back around, they were nose-to-nose. Marla coughed as the woman casually blew out a stream of smoke from between her lips, keeping her back just enough so the desk was between them now.

“You’re a hound, are you not? A hell one, if I’m correct. I know your kind well, and I know exactly how ignorant you are of everyone else and their feelings,” Marla rubbed the last of the smoke out of her eyes just in time to see the woman stretch her arms casually across the table and grip the edges of it firmly. There was still smoke twirling out of her nostrils, and her shoulders were arched back. “I’m not going to let you distract Jack any more than you already have. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t even let you be around him period.”

“What’s wrong with a hell-hound? I didn’t come in here setting your stupid furniture on fire!” Marla’s voice echoed as she slammed her hands down on the desk, puffing herself up to match up with the glaring boss in front of her. “You’re not his mom, so your opinion doesn’t even matter! You’re just his boss, so start acting like one instead!”

The air felt heavy with the gasoline both of them had spewed at each other. The tense atmosphere made it feel like any more sparks or flaming spits could explode. Marla’s chest rumbled with anger and she held it back, waiting for another smart remark to come from the woman.

Instead, the boss straightened up and turned away from Marla, striding across the room to the windows that overlooked the city. Marla cocked an eyebrow in confusion. She would have chalked it up to fear and given herself a victory, but nothing changed in the woman’s gait or posture. Nothing gave way to Marla.

“This company is like my hoard,” the boss talked to Marla’s reflection, giving the woman her back. “It’s my treasure, full of both my prized possessions and children who work hard to keep this place going. If it weren’t for my guidance, they would be lost and unable to fend for themselves. I may look young, but I’m a lot older and wiser than you think, hound. I know a lot better about how this place works and what’s important to get done. If I was just being aggressive towards you, everyone else would be slacking off, just like what they did the past week. They’re being rushed because it’s their punishment, because they chose to not do anything until the last minute,” her speech flowed like lava, burning both Marla’s hide and her pride.

Marla opened her mouth to retort, but no noise squeaked out except for a small yelp. She scrunched up her face with frustration and turned around on a heel, stomping out of the room with one final statement to stand what little ground she had left: “I’m going to get my break with him, and you can’t stop me.”

“Marla? What are you..,” Jack’s voice interrupted Marla’s pouting session in the break room. Her paper cup of water was steaming from her upset state that heated the air around her. Even the thermostat had kicked up a few degrees. She only turned her head sideways so she could peer at him from the other side of the couch. She pulled her skirt back between her legs and rubbed at her nose.

“I’m making sure no one else stays in here, so we can have our break like I wanted,” she feebly muttered, conveniently leaving out the confrontation from earlier. “You weren’t in your office, so I waited for you in here. You must be thirsty, did you like the sub I left on your table?”

“Well..for one, the subs were squashed together and slightly burnt. I didn’t think I’d taste meatball with a side of  chicken bone. Two, I know you wouldn’t be waiting here for us,” Jack tried to flash her another smile but Marla didn’t have the energy to snap at his shield of a grin. He brushed an arm against her shoulders and Marla jumped, but she let him pull her close. His hand brushed through her hair and scratched behind one of her ears, rubbing circles into her scalp. “You don’t have to tell me what happened. I know how she can be. She’s just worried over me is all,” his comforting coos drifted away from her as he looked over at the TV hanging on the wall. Marla took the time to bury into his side, sniffling quietly.

“She’s stupid,” Marla squeaked and he pressed her head against his chest. She whimpered and held back the tears burning at the corners of her eyes. “She’s stupid and dumb and old a-”

“I know, I know,” he went back to petting her head, calming Marla just in time to hear his idea. “I know, and that’s why I’m going to go talk to her. I need you to come with me, though. Can you do that, doll?”

She didn’t want to do it, but she could. Marla peered up at him, still heated from the spout she had earlier. She growled instinctively at his suggestion, but her lack of arguing gave away her compliance. “Fine,” she wiggled out of his hug and straightened herself up. She took in a deep breath and straightened up her clothes, fixing her hair and shaking it around. “Let’s go.”

Jack squeezed her hand when they were outside of his boss’s door, but it did little to quell the still-fresh wounds on her self-confidence. She suddenly realized that all the intricate designs on the door-frames became a lot more  interesting than the silver doorknob shaped like a dragon’s hand. Her stomach flip-flopped with how badly she wanted to both run away and run in blazing. “Are you okay?” He asked her one final time, and she lied with a simple nod. Marla hoped they could rip this bandage of an issue off, and that her cuts on her psyche would be gone by then.

The room was massive, practically the size of the lobby alone. Marla could see why the top floor only had the boss’ office. There weren’t even doors on the other rooms that were connected, and Marla caught the glimpse of a break room that got turned into a kitchen. The sofas, couches, and even table lamps screamed grandmother’s house. It felt out of place and Marla’s hair stood on end, not wanting to relax a bit lest the woman strike her while she had her belly exposed.

“You’re just in time, Jacky! I just finished making those brownies you like so much,” Marla’s jaw almost dropped at the view of the boss striding out of the makeshift kitchen with a pan of brownies that must’ve popped out of an oven only seconds ago. Her apron had the words “World’s Best Boss Mom” stitched among floral flowers that looked practically the same as old housewife magazines Marla remembered passing by at thrift stores. Jack brought Marla to a couch for them to seat at, and she caught a glimpse of knitted doilies spread out evenly on the fancy coffee table in front of them. The woman glimpsed over at Marla, but her eyes had softened up and only passed over the girl instead of boring into her. “Hello, Marla. Jack told me about you after you left.”

Marla’s head jerked up and she looked at Jack, but he squeezed her hand in reply. Marla looked back at the woman, who now sat across from them on the other couch and was pulling out a square of brownie to place on one of the plates on the table. “Why are you telling me this?” Marla interrogated with a suspicious squint, shying away from the second plate that the woman made for her.

“I wanted to..apologize,” Marla couldn’t tell if that pause was because the woman was trying to be nice with her words, or because she was reluctant to even have this meeting. “Jack told me about your relationship, and how good you are to him. While I never expected someone as fiery or feisty as you to give him stress relief, it seems that he was very insistent on your beneficial company. He even offered a compromise,” the woman kept the plate held out while she chatted. Marla leaned away from the peace offering as much as she could.

“A compromise? What kind of compromise?” Marla jerked her head back to Jack as she kept up her questions without fail, her entire body rigid with paranoia. “What is she talking about, Jack?”

“She’s talking about a change of location for me,” Jack rubbed his thumb across Marla’s hand, bringing it up to his lips so he could kiss it. Marla’s cheeks warmed up a tad and she squirmed, knowing that he was doing that to try to break her resolve for a few seconds.

“What location change?” Marla squeaked out, pulling her hand immediately into her lap so she could fiddle with her skirt. At least if she looked down, her face could be hidden by her hair.

“Working at home, doll. She said it was fine if I work at home, instead of here. I can spend some extra time with you, and not be holed up in that stale room all day,” Jack explained, taking the plate that his boss still held out and sliding it into Marla’s lap. “As long as I get work done, and check in often, she’s fine with it. How does that sound, doll?”

Marla lifted her head to see what his boss was doing. The woman was picking strings out of one of the cushions resting on her couch, muttering something about needing to stitch up a hole in it. Her eyes shifted to Jack and he was still smiling reassuringly at her.

“...Yeah, that sounds fine,” Marla compromised, biting into the brownie and setting it aside. She left the piece rest in her mouth, planning to spit it out when they leave, but the chocolate layers started to melt in her mouth..wait, was that peanut butter? Were these peanut butter and chocolate brownies? Marla had to contain her excitement at the flavors mixing in her jaws, and wiped some drool away from her face, sneaking a few brownies into her coat pockets while Jack got up.

She locked eyes with the boss, who at some point had been watching Marla. Marla’s face flushed with embarrassment before the woman piped up with a kind smile. “I’m so glad we’ve reached this compromise, dear. I do hope you keep taking care of him. I only want to make sure he’s happy and healthy. I’m sure you understand.”

“Yeah, I understand,” Marla just echoed, following after Jack briskly so she could get out of this house of an office as fast as possible. He was already a few feet away and down the hall, so Marla had to pick up her stride.

Before Marla could reach the door, a tight grip latched around the back of her arm and pulled her back. Marla held back the urge to bite at the voice that growled into her ear. She could feel embers tickling the lobe as the woman’s sharp teeth grazed the edges.

“If you ever, EVER dare to lay a claw on my Jack, or in any way, shape, or form harm him and his well-being, I will personally make sure that you see what real hell is like. You’re just a runt compared to me, remember that.”

Marla took off down the hallway, stopping herself before she could crash into Jack. She clung to his arm and refused to look behind her, even as she heard his boss chime up a “Don’t forget to call!” Marla made a mental note to never come back to this place again, especially alone in a room with that woman.

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