What a Fool Believes by Carmen Green

thus saving the evil woman’s life.
    â€œFine. I’ll read copy.”
    â€œVery good.” Chance clapped her milky hands, looking annoyed and frustrated.
    Tia put on her best innocent face. “You should get something for that rash.”
    â€œI beg your pardon?”
    â€œYour wrists,” she whispered loudly. “Hydrocortisone cream should knock it right out. Unless it’s fungal.”
    Chance looked as if she’d gulped down a bucket of razors. “Don’t concern yourself with me.”
    â€œI wasn’t.”
    â€œSister, you’re two shakes away from being on the outside, looking in at all of us employed people.”
    â€œDon’t threaten me.” Tia’s control slipped. Heat grew under her butt, and she inched to the end of her chair.
    â€œI don’t threaten. That’s a promise.”
    Chance stomped away in impossibly high-heeled boots. She suffered from the female version of the Napoleon syndrome. She thought she was a dictator, when she was just a mini Fred Flintstone.
    Tia rushed to the bathroom, stinging from the informal demotion. What would everyone think? She’d come to WKTR Television six months before Ben. And while he’d been promoted several times and was now the on-air anchor, she’d been shoved into research and now proofreading.
    Tia stared at her face in the mirror and tried to think pleasant thoughts.
    Less than a minute in, she gave up. What a load of crap. She was getting screwed! How could Chance have chosen Alison? The girl was a nymphomaniac.
    Well, there was always a chance that Chuck would get food poisoning and Alison would commit a sex act on the air.
    A little giggle bubbled up from her chest, and Tia finally felt some relief. Maybe she should fight anger with laughter.
    She’d have to ask Fred to talk about it in class, the little runt.
    Another laugh bubbled up, and Tia threw the damp paper towels she’d put on her neck in the trash and headed back to her desk.
    She’d found a new way to fight her fiery emotions. She’d laugh the rest of her life away.

    By three o’clock, Tia thought she’d strangle the next person who stopped by to check on her. Laughing had given her a headache and had caused more than one person to offer to pray for her.
    Ronnie/Rhonda drove up as Ronnie today. “Hey, sista girl. I hear you’re pulling a Jack Nicholson on everybody with all that laughing.”
    Tia didn’t feel like being bothered, but Ronnie had always been nice to her. She sighed. “What?”
    â€œ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ,” he said and laughed. “You’d have been better off saying, ‘Hello, Clarice.’” He did a perfect imitation of Anthony Hopkins. “At least then they’d know what the hell they’re dealing with.”
    Tia rested her hand under her chin and grinned. “You’re crazy. You know that?”
    â€œYep, and that’s why these devils leave me alone. I’ll go straight nutso/whacko on their asses, and this whole place would get turned upside down. Welp, I’d better tootle. The dragon just left her den. Here.” He handed her a white bag.
    â€œWhat’s this?” she whispered.
    â€œI like my women with a little ass, and you, my dear, won’t have one if you don’t eat. Ciao.”
    Tia’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t move. Ronnie/Rhonda was a real dude inside?
    Tia stopped her careening thoughts. Nine out of ten days Ronnie/Rhonda was a girl. If there was a man in that body, he sure wouldn’t be tricked out in red ruffles every Monday, with his hair pinned up.
    Unless he was Prince.
    There were exceptions to every rule.
    â€œThank you,” she stage-whispered outside of her cube.
    â€œDa nada, baby,” Ronnie said, before gliding into the elevator with his mail cart.
    Tia wasn’t sure how he’d heard her, but that didn’t matter. He’d done a