Chapter 10
"Claire, what are you doing here?" Stanley asked.
"We have to talk." she said.
Stanley helped her to a chair and he closed his door then had a seat behind his desk.
"It's good to see you up and around again, how are you getting along?"
"Good, Stanley. Lloyd is taking real good care of me." she said.
"He's a nice man, Claire. Lizbeth treated him poorly, I know that. Lloyd took a lot of crap off her. I guess he's told you about it though? It's so good to see you back here, Claire. I've really missed you."
"Cut the crap, Stanley." Claire snapped. She rested her crutches against the chair and told him to get her a coke.
"I want a classic, Stanley, get me one and get yourself a soda if you like." she said handing him some change.
"I'll buy you a coke, Claire." Stanley smiled.
"I'd rather pay for it myself, okay, just get it and get back here."
Stanley did what she asked and when he came back to the room he asked why she seemed angry. He couldn't imagine what was wrong. She was getting her job back along with a healthy raise and now that Margaret was out of the picture he'd be free to spend time with her and Stanley thought that's what Claire had wanted all along.
"What's bothering you, Claire?" he asked.
"Plenty, Stanley."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, oh." she said before taking a gulp of coke. "I want to get a few things clear before I come back to work here, Stanley. You'd better get out some paper because we've got lot's to do."
"Claire, everything will be as it was, why do we need paper?" he said, shaking his head with curiosity.
"Fine," Claire said, making an effort to stand up. "Where are you going?"
"Stanley. If things stay the way they were around here I may as well leave now, because there is no way I'm coming back to work at this place if things aren't going to change." she said.
"Claire?"
"Stanley!"
"Wait," he said, standing up and coming around to get her to sit down. "Let me hear you out, Claire. I'm sure we can make some adjustments."
"You'll have to do better than that, Stanley. Mere adjustments aren't what I'm looking for. Try reform, Stanley, this place is a fucking zoo and I won't be sucked back here unless some things change, and I don't mean adjustments, I'm talking changes."
"Okay, okay, calm down, damn, we can talk."
Claire decided to give him the opportunity. She sat down again then rested the crutches to the chair and took another sip of soda.
"Now, what's this all about?" Stanley asked.
"This, Stanley, is about you and me." Claire said sternly. "I want a few things understood before I agree to work here again."
Stanley shrugged his shoulders. He was willing to listen.
"First of all, I expect a raise." she said.
"We agreed on that, Claire. I told you in the hospital you'd be getting one."
"I want it now, Stanley. I expect to be reinstated here with no interruption of benefits and I also expect my medical benefits to pay the bills for this broken leg of mine"
"Claire, I can't."
"Yes you can, Stanley. You just tell them it was a clerical error. You tell the department head there was a mistake and I never left. I want my back pay and these bills paid for." she snapped.
"All right, Claire, I'll see what I can do." he said.
"No, Stanley, you will do!"
"Claire, you're being unreasonable."
"Stanley, you did it for Wesley Mann last summer remember that?" Claire yelled.
"Oh, right." he said. "Okay, consider it done, was that it?"
"Not by a long shot, Stanley, you'd better get out the paper now. We'll be here a long time."
Claire proceeded to go down her list of the changes she was demanding before coming back to work. They covered everything from the way applicants were screened for employment to repairing the employee's shower facilities and when Stanley heard the entire list he shook his head and broke out in a laugh.
"You are one hard cookie, Claire Banner, but these things will be taken care of, you have my word."
"That's what I've always liked about you, Stanley Lane. You're so fucking cooperative." Claire said sarcastically.
"I try, Claire."
"Stanley, what is the matter with you anyway. You look strange today. Are you feeling all right?"
"Fine, sure."
"Have you heard from Margaret?"
"No," Stanley smiled. "I don't expect to either. She's left me, Claire and I'm a happy man now. Margaret was a burden, Claire. She never understood me the whole time we were together. I hated her for making me fire you. I've never felt good about my relationship with that woman, but hell, she's gone now, out of the picture, we don't have to worry about Margaret anymore. She's gone, Claire, it's just me and you now." he said. Stanley got out of his chair and came around to the front of his desk. He sat in front of Claire looking her up and down with his eyes. Stanley figured for all his trouble he'd be getting just about anything he wanted from her out of gratitude and he couldn't hardly wait to get started.
Claire could tell something was wrong. He was acting strangely.
"Stanley?" she said.
"What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Now."
He put his knee close to her leg and let his bare skin rub over hers. Stanley wanted to feel the smoothness of her feminine body next to his for the first time. Since Margaret left him he hadn't been able to think of anything else.
"There's more, Stanley." Claire said, rubbing her leg to his in return.
"I figured there would be." he smiled sensually.
"I expect you to keep your cock inside your shorts at all times and I expect you to treat me like your sister, Stanley. Like the little girl you always wanted to have but Margaret was too damn cold to give you."
"What?" Stanley said, taking his knee from her leg.
"You heard me, no hanky panky between you and me," she said.
"Claire, Claire, Claire." Stanley laughed. "You don't seem to understand. Margaret is gone now. There's no more wife in the picture. I know I seemed shy before, you know how it was. Margaret isn't here anymore so I can relax with you, Claire. I asked you back so you and me could, well, you know ... " Stanley said with a grin.
"No, what, Stanley, say it?"
"You know, Claire."
"Say it, Stanley, fuck, isn't that what you mean?"
"Yeah."
Claire laughed out loud. She had no intention of humping Stanley Lane before or after she lost her job. He wasn't her type and besides, Lloyd and she had an agreement. She wasn't going to sleep around anymore. From now on she was going to be faithful and love only Lloyd.
"Stanley, you are a riot." she said.
"What's so funny, Claire?" he asked, his ego feeling bruised.
"You don't really think I'd do it with you, do you?"
"Why not, what's wrong with the idea?" he asked.
Claire hung her head and fought back a laugh. Stanley was a card. He was the only man stupid enough to believe he had what every girl wanted and Claire found it laughable.
"Stanley, you're a geek, do you know what that is?" she asked.
"No, I don't think so, what is it?"
"A geek is a guy who's personality screams boring. A geek is a guy who dresses like a dork, walks like a spaz, has breath like a dog and an ego big enough to fill Grand Canyon. You are a geek, Stanley Lane, and with or without Margaret, the answer is no, I wouldn't fool around with you if you were the last man on earth."
Stanley got up from his chair and grabbed Claire's crutches away.