Boss

May opened her eyes in a room made of glass. All four walls shone brightly. She looked across the long, oval table and made out the Hollywood sign in the distance. The last thing May remembered was the credits of "The Third Man." The Caretaker was nowhere to be seen. In front of her, lay a single ipad.

Behind her, the sound of a door opening caused May to jerk her head around just in time to see a woman enter. The stranger was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her hair curled down to her waist, her lips were painted bright purple, and her suit was exquisitely tailored. May was conscious of her own ratty, tye-dye shirt and fraying jeans.

The woman smiled at May comfortingly and moved to a seat directly across from her.

"Marguerite Altman." The woman addressed her like a loving Aunt.

"Ye-yeah."

"I am********** "

May drew her brows together. It was the most convoluted and unpronounceable series of syllables she had ever heard.

The woman appeared to understand her reaction. "Your Caretaker calls me Boss." She said it with a hint of amusement.

"Oh!" May stopped.

"Don't be frightened," Boss said.

"I'm not," May replied. It was true.

Boss smiled quite blindingly. "I was correct in my assessment of you."

May remembered why she was here. "So, you're the one who bound us right?" She leaned forward.

Boss crossed her delicate legs. "Yes." Her expression grew more serious. "You went through a lot just to meet me."

May gave a sharp intake of breath. "Can you blame me?"

Boss's face stayed the same. "I suppose not." She nodded towards the ipad. "If you wouldn't mind picking that up."

May obeyed, a little hesitantly. Before her eyes, the black screen became the image of her bathroom at home. She saw herself, standing wild-eyed in front of the mirror, hair a tangled mess, scratches covering her arms. She saw the bottle of pills in front of her. She saw herself down one, then two, then four, then six. May slammed the ipad down.

"Stop it." She was shaking.

"You wanted to understand your situation." Boss interlaced her perfectly manicured fingers.

May's voice dropped to a halting whisper. "I--that was a year ago, they took--to hospital--I was fine--I never--"

"That was the worst attempt, to be sure." Boss cut her off. "But there have been others."

May felt as though she had shrunk to the size of a pea. "This--you--you're supposed to be--"

"What?" Boss raised her eyebrows. "Sensitive? I'm not your therapist. I am in charge of something much bigger than you could possibly imagine."

There was a beat, and then May let out a tiny chuckle. "You're such a cliche."

"What's that?" Boss was curious.

May didn't answer. She gathered all her strength and managed to calm her heartbeat enough to be able to think. Five minutes passed and Boss simply waited.

May put a hand over her heart, a physical coping mechanism. "So," she took a long breath, "he explained that I have to choose."

"Yes," Boss said, "between life and death."

"I choose LIFE," May stood up, suddenly furious. "Who is he to say I don't really mean it?"

"You don't," Boss remained seated, "not yet."

May sat down again, defeated.

Boss looked at her watch. May noticed that it looked ancient, with runes around the edges instead of numbers. "I am afraid I don't have much time." Her voice turned brisk, businesslike. "Marguerite I very much hope you will choose life, because if not, the world could be in mortal danger."

"From him?" May was thinking fast.

"Yes," Boss said. "He is--" she paused for the first time, "someone I have a great deal of affection for. I'm sure you've found him charming as well. Oh--" she looked as though a minor detail had just popped into her head, "you can sleep with him, you know. It's alright."

"WHAT?!"

But Boss had moved on. "His job is a double-edged sword. He cannot absorb pain without feeling some of it himself. He was resentful from the day he was born. I fear the day he grows to full power."

"But--" May spluttered, "can't you just stop all of it? Stop the pandemic? Stop the death? You're MAGICAL."

Boss gave a rather condescending smile. "That is, unfortunately, not how it works."

May rolled her eyes. "Cliche."

Boss did not look amused. "My dear, you goaded him into causing a major natural disaster. If you were a spirit, there would be consequences."

May swallowed hard. "Why aren't there consequences for him?"

"*You* are his consequence."

May took a second before she replied. "He can't hurt me, right?"

"Right."

"But he's going to be there, all the time, until I choose?"

"Right."

"And he's going to keep getting stronger?"

"Right."

"And if I choose death, I could doom the world?"

"Right."

"But I can sleep with him?" Sarcasm dripped from each word.

Boss did not appear to understand the irony. "Spirit/human sexual relationships are not banned. Just, frowned upon, as it can never be more than that."

May opened and closed her mouth, failing to think of words that could adequately express her emotions.

Boss looked at her watch again. "He's outside waiting. I'll dismiss you now." And she turned away towards the horizon.

May stood up and walked towards the door. As she opened it, she could swear she saw a tentacle emerge from Boss's back and wave goodbye.

He was there alright, one foot resting against the wall, a Fred Astaire-like top hat perched on top of his head. He frowned when he saw May. "What happened?"

May strode down the corridor of what looked like a hedge fund office, not caring if she was headed towards the exit. "You didn't hear?"

He caught up easily. "I don't have super hearing."

"Not yet," May mumbled. Then, she stopped dead.

"Problem?" He asked lightly. "The elevator's that way." He pointed in the opposite direction. "Or I could just take us back to your building but--" he patted his stomach, "I'm quite hungry. It weakens me and I am not sure if I can make the precise journey."

May turned and walked off towards where he had pointed. He reached the normal looking elevators ahead of her and pushed the button. It arrived with a whirring sound. They stepped inside and silence fell.

May sneaked a look at him. He had changed his coat to one of deep blue and he wore a button down shirt underneath. A silver chain peeked out from underneath his collar. She looked away.

"Did she tell you to sleep with me?" He said it without a trace of embarrassment.

May wished with all her might that the elevator would crash. "Yes," she said shortly.

"Do you want to?" the Caretaker turned her to face him.

She didn't meet his eyes and wriggled out of his hold. "That would be insane. So--"

"No?" He questioned.

"No," she made herself say.

"Boss is rather strange that way. Like an over interested mom."

Now May wanted the floor to just swallow her.

*Ding!*

May turned and slapped the Top Hat off his head before sprinting out the doors.

"What was that for?" He called after her.

May ran for her life down the busy street.