Elizabeth

Maeve was watching her, waiting. ###
What had she just been saying? Shit! Jean couldn’t remember a thing. She glanced over to the shelf and stared at the thermos for a second, then dragged her eyes back to Maeve. ###
OK, think of something to say, something that covered all the bases; maybe Maeve would think she was listening.###
“Well, Maeve, I don’t know, I just really don’t know.” She looked straight at her boss and cocked her head slightly. Jean was usually an expert at looking like she was listening when really she could give a crap. ###
Maeve squinted her eyes at Jean, considering, then went on talking, slapping the desk every once in awhile. She would go on talking and talking, gesturing, bobbing her head, never ending complaints and arguments how she was right and everyone else was wrong. Didn’t matter about what, she just had to be right. Jean breathed deeply in and out slowly so that Maeve couldn’t see the long sigh. Her eyes flitted back to the thermos and it seemed to stare at her in a sort of apology. Red and white, with the Marlboro logo on the side. ###
How old was that thing, anyway? Cigarette companies didn’t actually give away free stuff anymore, did they? Not since, what, Joe Camel or whatever his name was. Or maybe they did . . . ###
“Jean!” ###
She started. ###
“For God’s sake, where are you? I don’t think you’ve heard a word I’ve said.” Maeve was pouting, now, her mouth slightly turned down. ###
Oh, man, you’ve done it now. ###
“Maeve, I’m sorry, it’s just I was thinking about this morning and, well, I was in a little accident. The car, you know? It’s got me distracted.” ###
“Hmph. Well. You OK?” Maeve made a minimal attempt to look concerned. ###
“Yea, really it was just a bump, but now I’m worried about insurance, maybe it will go up and I’ve got all these other bills. You know.” She glanced at the thermos again, starting to sweat now. Maeve followed her eyes, then looked back at Jean. ###
“Yea, we’ve all got bills, that’s nothing new.” She leaned forward and stared at Jean, elbows on the desk. “We just have to get, well, creative about how to pay, that’s all, right?” She turned in her chair to look at the thermos. “Cool, isn’t it? Found that today, right outside in the parking lot. What do you think? Worth anything?” ###
Jean felt a slow flush come over her, realizing that Maeve might be smarter than she seemed. She looked straight at Maeve, and this time when she cocked her head she wasn’t trying to look like she was listening. “I don’t know, Maeve, maybe. I mean, it’s got to be a collectible or something, huh?” ###
“Mmmm. Probably.” Maeve got out of the chair and moved toward the thermos. ###
“Have you looked in it, yet?” Jean got up, too. ###
Maybe she saw, maybe she knows. ###
Better not have, you piece of work. It might not be good for you to look. ###
“Nah. You wanna see? Curious?” Jean sensed something from Maeve but couldn’t quite figure what. Maeve was reaching for the thermos. ###
“I wouldn’t do that, Maeve.” ###
Maeve turned back and stared at Jean. “Really? No?” She smiled and her face got grim rather than pleasant. Her hands were reaching for the thermos. ###
Jean rose up, knocking over the chair behind her. Maeve’s smiled faded for a second, alert, then came slowly back. ###
“You really are interested, aren’t you?” She turned back and started to pick up the thermos. ###
Bad move, Boss Lady. Bad move. ###
“I wonder what’s in here.” Maeve turned back to see Jean reaching for the thermos, too slow to stop her from snatching it out of her hands. Her smile turned to a sneer. “Oh, that’s right, I already know. And I guess you do, too, huh?” Jean was backing away. “Yup, we all have to pay our bills. That gonna help you pay your bills?” ###
Staring straight at Maeve, Jean slowly unscrewed the top of the thermos, and took it off. Maeve frowned, unsure. Jean glanced down quickly, once, then threw the contents at Maeve before she could duck. Maeve gasped, the only time Jean ever saw her surprised. ###
Guess she didn’t know what was in that thermos. ###
Laughing, she backed out of the office and left Maeve, water dripping on the desk in pools. ###
And you never will know, Boss Lady. It’s what lies beneath, as they say. ###
Gotta pay those bills.