The Debt & the Doormat by Laura Barnard

red and flustered. 
    Lilly immediately runs towards her desk.  Everyone here is terrified of Victor.  He’s the CEO, and although only five foot tall, everyone runs in fear of him.  He’s taken turns in humiliating every member of staff publicly over the years.  Lilly’s incident involved a report and a banana.  It still gives me chills just thinking about it. 
    ‘Morning.’  I smile and quickly grab a post it and pen.
    ‘Glad to see you’re feeling better,’ he says formally, brushing a bit of dandruff from his shoulder.   ‘Could I see you in my office for a moment?’
    ‘Yes, of course.’  I take a deep breath as I run there.  I hope he’s not going to give me a lecture on being reliable.  One bloody sick day in four years!   
    ‘I’ve got the chairman, Mrs Dewitt, in today.  She’s in the boardroom now, as you were late.’  He looks at his watch and then at me disapprovingly. 
    Late by two minutes.  Definitely a sackable offence.
    ‘If you could sort out drinks and make sure she feels as comfortable as possible.’
    ‘Of course,’ I smile.
    ‘It's a B-I-G meeting today,’ he says, stretching out the word ‘big’ for emphasis.  He stares at me, willing me to ask him to elaborate.
    ‘Oh really, why?’ I ask, un-interested. 
    ‘Well, Poppy as you know, business has not been going very well this past year.’  He pauses for a second and looks over my shoulder.  ‘Shut the door.’
    I quickly close it, sudden nerves pulsating through me. 
    ‘Business has not been good and I’m afraid...I’m afraid we’re going to have to make redundancies.’
    ‘Redundancies?’ I blurt out.
    My stomach curdles at the thought and I suddenly feel ill with panic.   
    ‘Yes.  Strictly confidential, you understand.’  He lowers his bushy grey eyebrows on me in a threatening manner.
    I nod, unable to speak.
    ‘This is the final sign off and we’ll be making them by the end of the month.’
    ‘This month?’
    My hands are clammy now.
    ‘Yes,’ he nods.
    ‘Do they have to be made?  These redundancies.  Isn’t there...another solution?’
    ‘Poppy, this is a recession,’ he says, sighing heavily. 
    ‘Yes, but...’
    ‘But what Poppy?’ he shouts, his face getting red as he loses what little patience he had. 
    I was going to say that surely kids still get nits, even in a recession. 
    ‘Nothing,’ I say instead, hating myself.  Why can't I be like the women in those films that stands up to her boss and instead manages to get a promotion? 
    ‘Good.  Now you are to say nothing about this, understood?’
    I nod and follow Victor into the boardroom.  I watch him numbly as he starts his usual middle classed babble of ridiculous chat with the Chairman.  How can this be happening?
    ‘Have you seen any of that big fat gypsy wedding?’ Mrs Dewitt says to him from across the boardroom table.  ‘Oh Victor, it was such fun!’
    ‘Oh, yes!’ Victor nods.  ‘Poppy here is Irish.  Tell us Poppy, are any of your family in it?’
    I look over my shoulder, sure he must be talking to another Poppy.  Is he serious?  Is he seriously calling me a gypsy?
    ‘Um...no.  Not all Irish people are gypsies and it's only on my Mother’s side.’  Why did I feel the need to tell him that?  I’m not embarrassed. 
    ‘They’re a funny bunch, aren’t they,’ Victor says, ignoring me completely.  ‘The outfits they wear!  I mean, my goodness!’
    I look down at Mrs Dewitt’s outfit, consisting of an orange mini skirt with fish net tights and a purple shirt which looks like it's going to burst open at any moment.
    ‘Tea or coffee?’ I offer, not sure how they’re managing to have normal care free conversation when they’re about to talk redundancies.  They’re going to ruin some people’s lives. 
    ‘Oh, but I do love the Irish,’ Mrs Dewitt says.  ‘Went to Dublin a few years back.  Wonderful people.’
    ‘Oh yes.  Well, like I said we have our very own little