Harry's Dilemma
“How did it go?” Felicia asked me as I entered through Oscorp’s doors as I’m wondering what else can go wrong today.
“I’m pleased to inform you that I am pretty sure that I didn’t get it.” I tell her as we head to the elevators.
“What?” A crestfallen Felicia asks as she stops walking. “I thought-”
“That’s enough chit-chat from you, Hardy.” Menken tells her. “Get to work or I’m firing your ass.”
“Bitch, you can’t fire me. I work for Mr. Osborn, not you.” She says walking away and comes towards the elevator.
“Good one.” I tell her as I simply laugh.
“He acts like I’m going to be sleeping with his old ass.” She says as the elevator is going up. “If your dad didn’t keep his gun locked up in his safe, I would’ve shot Donald in a heartbeat.”
“And I’d bail you out if you ever go to jail for that.” I supply with total glee.
We get out of the elevator at the 26th floor and I take off my blazer.
“Oh my God! Why do you look like a mess?”
“After I was turned away at Columbia, I went to Starbucks. I was almost out the door when this jerk managed to bump into me and I spilled my coffee on my shirt. He didn’t even bother to replace my coffee or hand me some money to replace my coffee.” I tell Felicia. “I guess this gives me an excuse to wear that hideous red sweater that my mom wants me to wear, again.”
“Wow.” She says in awe.
“It’s an Osborn tradition.” I sigh. “I find it sickening.”
“Cheer up, Harry. You know your mom is always into Christmas.” Felicia says. “Even Menken has the Christmas spirit.”
“That dude makes the Grinch look like a saint.” I deadpan as I grab the red sweater I got for Christmas last year from my locker. “How do I look?” He asks her as he looks at the sweater in total distress.
“CUTE!” Felicia squeals. “I love the sweater!”
“Then after I come back, I’ll give you the one my mom most likely bought for me as a present this year.” I tell her, rolling my eyes.
“Yay!” Felicia cheers. “I love your mom’s homemade sweaters.”
“Felicia, I completely blew that interview this morning. I can’t believe that I have to go home and spend Christmas with my parents up at the cabin. There is literally no where to hide.” I whine as Felicia starts to go through the files we are supposed to go through today. “This is supposed to be a special Christmas because my parents fixed up my grandma’s cabin. We’re going to be trapped within the confines of nature for a few days.”
“I’m sorry, Harry.” She says hugging me. “I wish I could come with you, but I have my own Christmas plans. Tom and I are spending our first holiday together.”
“Really?!” I say pulling away from her embrace. “He’s cute!”
“I saw him first!” She jokes with me.
We laugh.
“I still have one more chance for survival.” I tell her once we start working. “All I have to do is pray that Max makes a good impression.”
“Paperclips and staples in the offices, immediately.” Menken tells Felicia as he passes us.
“What?” Felicia asks.
“I said-”
“I know what you said!” Felicia interrupts. “I – Don’t you think that it’s a little too early for your parent to meet Max?”
“No.” I tell her as we make our way to the supply room. “It’s been a couple of months, and we’re really going strong. Besides, I literally have nothing to offer them at all. No husband, grandchildren - my dad already thinks that I’m asexual since I always have trouble dating and keeping a good man.”
“That’s sad, Harry.” Felicia tells me with a sad look on her face. “You’re using Max to get them off of your back, and that isn’t fair to either of you at all.”
“But he’s great at first impressions!” I argue weakly as I grab the staples. “I hope that my parents will like him. I don’t understand the problem that you have against him.”
“I guess elite jackasses aren’t my type.” Felicia says as she grabs the paperclips. “They aren’t yours either, if you ask me.”
I’m in shock when she says that.
“His family owns banks and he's – What’s wrong with wanting to date someone who’s wealthy and successful? I mean, he understands the pressure.” I retort.
“But it’s easy to be wealthy and successful if you’re born into wealth and handed success!” Felicia says. “You should know this better than anyone else, Harry. I know that you want to date someone who understands, but I think you should change it up a bit. I mean, everyone you’ve dated were very successful and massively wealthy, but they always used you for their own personal gain. I don’t want to see you get hurt again, Harry.”
She has a point.
The last one took all my money from my account without my knowledge, and he didn’t even tell him my information nor did I leave my information lying around.
Dick!
“Well, Max is coming at 1:00 pm sharp, so can you tone down your chronic bitch-itis? Please?” I beg her as we leave the supply room.
“Fine.” She relents. “But if this one hurts you in anyway shape or form, I will hunt him down.”
“Toner.” Menken says. “The printer needs toner.”
“I’ve got it.” I say as I make my way to the copy room.
♂
“We needed these documents on 8.5 x 14, not 8.5 x 11, boy.” One of the workers snaps at me.
“Well dammit, next time, be specific!” I snap as I grab the papers from him.
“Harry!” I hear a familiar voice ring though the halls a couple minutes later.
I turn around.
“Max!” I greet my boyfriend.
He looks at me and my sweater.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” He asks me condescendingly. “And when are you going to work here and be the big boss so we can go out on tons and tons of vacations?”
“When I am ready to take my place as CEO of Oscorp.” I tell him. “Now enough about that. Thank God you are here. After I’m done from here, we can head out to the cabin for the Christmas holiday. My parents cannot wait to meet you, Max.”
“Uh, yeah. About that….I am gonna pass on the whole holiday…thing.” Max tells me.
“What is that supposed to mean?!” I ask him angrily.
“Meeting your parents is on a whole other level, and I don’t think that we are there yet.”
“Oh, Uh-huh.” I say sarcastically. “You better get to that level in like….five minutes because my parents are expecting you to come home with me tonight!”
“Well, that is not happening, Osborn. I can’t hang with someone who’s not ready to be the big boss and earn big money.”
“Cocktails are at 6:15 tonight, so you can’t bail on me now, Max. I need you!”
“Yeah. That makes you sound desperate.” Max snorts.
“I can’t believe this!” I express loudly. “Why did you tell me that you were going to come home with me when you knew damn well that you weren’t going to come with me?”
“To make you feel good. Besides, we hadn’t had sex yet, so that wasn’t going to work for me at all.” Max says.
I slap him.
Hard.
“What the-”
“You know what?” I tell him. “Fuck you, fuck your stupid scarf, fuck your hairstyle, fuck your face, fuck your suit, fuck your shoes, fuck your car, fuck your parents, fuck your grandparents, fuck your sister, fuck your brother, fuck your dog and fuck your family business!” I tell him as I walk away from him.
“Harry, I-”
“Oh my, God. Oh my, God!” I repeat as if it were a mantra, ignoring Felicia as she's still calling me.
As I pass by my father’s office, I hear a man talking on the phone.
“I am totally sure about this!” The guy says. “I’ll let you know how it goes, but in the mean time, I will call you later. Bye.”
He hangs up his phone and pulls out a box.
“I can’t wait.” He says to himself as I look at him.
At least he’s going to make someone happy this holiday season.
“Hey, wake up!” Menken calls, snapping me out of my misery. “That man over there is here to pick up some paperwork pertaining to the spider venom.”
I make my way over to the man who’s admiring the ring.
“Can I help you?” I ask him miserably and absent-mindedly.
“Um….yes. I am here to get some information about spider venom for my colleague Dr. Curt Connors.” The guy says as he pockets the ring.
I’m frozen.
“Hello?” He says a few seconds later.
I walk away from him.
Can my day get any worse? I overslept, got stuck in traffic, arrived to my interview late, got turned down my Connors, got coffee on my shirt, and got dumped by Max. What else can go wrong?
“Harry, are you ok?” A worried Felicia asks me. “You’ve been frozen at the exact same spot for the last six minutes are you’re supposed to be on the road in like….now. Where’s Max?”
I simply look at her with sad eyes.
Suddenly, my phone rings.
“Who’s phone is that?” Menken asks.
I pull out my phone from my pocket.
“Hey, mom.” I say as I answer the call.
“Harry? I knew it. You haven’t left yet, have you?” She asks me.
“Sorry, mom.” I say, still out of it as I go retrieve my coat.
“I said 6:15 pm tonight, sharp!” She tells me sternly. “Are you trying to ruin Christmas? Couldn’t you just get here on time for Christmas at least once in your life? I mean-”
“We're leaving now!” I lie as I rush to my daddy’s office.
“Max is bringing dinner clothes, right?”
“Yeah. He’s wearing a black suit, white dress shirt, and a silver and gold tie with the words Merry Christmas on it in red.”
“Did you guys plan the red together? That is so cute!”
“No. It wasn’t planned, Mommy.”
“Get in the car.” She says before hanging up.
I go to the safe and grab the gun as I unlock it.
“I hope this works.” I say concocting this half-baked idea, rushing to the guy who’s here for the spider venom information.
“Here you go.” Felicia says handing the guy the information that he needed.
“Thanks. Merry Christmas.” He says. Before leaving the building.
He turns back, but I stop him.
“Excuse me.” He tells me.
“You’re not going back there.” I tell him with wide eyes.
“I just have to use the restroom.” He says.
“You’re coming with me.” I tell him.
“No.” He says slowly. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
I simply stare at him.
“I’m not exactly sure where you’re going with this, and that cute sweater,” He says looking at my sweater in complete awe. “But I-”
I pull my daddy’s gun out on him.
He stops talking.
‘Ha!’ I cheer to myself.
“What the hell is that?!” He asks me.
“It’s called a gun, Brown Eyes.” I reply looking him in the eyes.
“Are you sure it’s not….fake?”
“Why would a company have a fake gun?” I ask him in a sassy tone.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Move it.” I tell him, pushing him to the nearest exit.
“Watch it!” He tells me as I look around, hoping that no one witnessed the stunt that I just pulled.
As soon as we reached about a foot away from my car, he slipped on the ice left over from the snowfall, effectively falling to the ground and knocking himself out, cold.
“For the love of God!” I exclaim nearly crying. ‘Can nothing go right today?!”
I kneel down to tap his cheeks.
“Wake up! Wake up!” I plead, but he’s out like a nightlight.
I end up pulling him to the passenger side of my car after I secured and locked the gun before pocketing it in my coat.
“What else can possibly go wrong today?” I wonder as I put the car in drive.