By lunch time, Harvey managed to get some work done. In fact, he really got some things done. He was able to finish revisiting all of the paperwork Mrs. Stalwart had assigned him. He was supposed to check on some documents, simple stuff really. The problem was that it was a lot of stuff there.

Dozens of files, and on each file, there were several pages. The main thing, just a few surveys and other stuff that had been gathered in the past week. It all contained a resume of the real paperwork. However, that “resume”, which still required a lot of time to check, it was all done by several other employees.

To Harvey, well, it was a lot. Still, he managed to check, and even double check, the results, make an even better abstract of it, quote some of the most important opinions left there and write down all of the results. Attach some graphs there and even make an index of the whole thing.

It was not an easy task. Going through all of that information in four hours, it was more like a challenge. One he took in order to impress his boss. But the one getting impressed, not to say amazed, was him.

He required all of his attention to complete this task, but it was not easy to concentrate with Mrs. Stalwart in the same room. With her size, she was like a huge billboard, in 3D, pulling his eyes to her.

He wasn´t sure if she noticed but, from time to time, as she typed, she made some smooth sounds. Things like “Mhmm”, “Ok…”, Hmmm”, “Oh…” and so on. The “smooth” part was because she was so big that, to her, it was low. But to him, it was like a deep sound coming from above.

Her voice did nothing but to catch him by surprise. And when it did, he could do nothing but to turn at her. His first impression was that she was talking to him, if not him who else? But she may as well be talking on the phone, so that´s also a possibility.

The first thing that came to his mind whenever she made a sound, trouble. He thought that he was in trouble. Maybe that she´ll rush him, ask him to work faster, harder. But that wasn´t the case, in fact, she didn´t even turned at him, not once. It was like working on the office next to that one person who´s always wearing headphones and not listening to what happens around.

With distractions and everything, he made a ten-page resume of at least one-hundred-fifty pages, all divided in six documents. Each document, which went as far as twenty pages, was now a section on his perfectly summarized document. He wouldn´t brag about it, but it was quite good, in fact, quite a masterpiece. And everything done within a few minutes from his lunch.

He saved everything and send it to Mrs. Stalwart by email. Made sure to attach all of the important information and then send it all. He took a deep breath, smiled a little and then, turned off his monitor and got up.

“Where are you going?” Came Mrs. Stalwarts voice, which made him froze right on his feet.

He turned at her, she wasn´t even looking, she was busy on her own computer. Typing while focusing her gaze on her monitor. However, she was able to see Harvey getting up from his desk. Peripheral vision? Eagle eyes? Some super human abilities that allowed her to perceive when something was out of place? Ok, that could be too much. Still, she sensed him.

For a woman like her, catching one of her employees, especially her own assistant, on the move, it was an easy task. An ability she had acquired through the years, and to Harvey´s misfortune, she had already mastered it.

“I…” He was nervous, looking at the giantess as she hit each of the keys on her board strongly. Was that specially designed for a woman her size? A woman that big would´ve already shattered a regular keyboard, right?

“You still have some work to do, right?” she said, still focusing her main attention on her own paperwork.

“W-well I… I have f-finished my… my work. T-the… w-what you assigned me to do, it´s… it´s done…” he managed to say.

“You should work on your stuttering, I don´t quite like it when people can´t say things fast. I feel like I´m wasting my time, you know. So, in the near future, I´d appreciate it if you think before you speak. And make sure to do so fast, ok? Now, I´m not saying this is an order, only because they´ve told me I can be quite strict with my assistants, but I´ll be clear, if you´re shy, that means you´re weak, and to me, weak people are slow on their jobs.” That was just mean.

But Harvey was just so intimidated now that, even if he was the kind of guy who files a complaint for that, he wouldn´t. He´d be simply terrified to consider that as an option. Besides, he´s not a stutter, he´s just… afraid of her. She´s enormous.

“Now, tell me, why are you getting up? And why do you believe you finished the job I assigned you for today?” she said, now turning at him. The face of this nine-foot giantess was looking down at him as if she was standing high above him in the high chair of a judge, about to sentence him.

“I… I was… the thing is that I finished the work you assigned me… not all but, it´s… lunch time?” he tried to deliver the message faster this time, and not repeat himself.

“Lunch time?” she said as she turned at the clock on her computer. “Oh, it´s that time already? Hmmm… ok.” And just like that, she shrugged, as if saying “Oh well…”

Harvey stood there for a moment, does that mean she´s fine about it? But then she spoke, confirming his worries, she was not ok.

“According to my clock, which is never, ever, wrong. Your lunch time´s in FIVE minutes. Why are you leaving earlier?” She asked, turning at him with some eyes that could make him tremble.

Harvey swallowed, but maintained his composure. She didn´t wanted any weak links, so he steeled himself and talked back, shyly but responding.

“I, well, I figured that… s-since I finished checking these files, and sent the report already… and since there´s not enough time for me to do anything else… well…”

“Of course there´s time. Sir, I didn´t hire you to take your lunch when you think there´s no time. You´re supposed to work and only make a pause whenever it is the exact time for your lunch. Otherwise, you should continue with your duties. Am I clear?” He felt nagged.

“I…”

“And let me tell you something else, don´t you think that you´ll have those extra five minutes. I want you here in ONE hour. You went off five minutes before, and you´ll be back five minutes earlier. And I don´t want this to be repeated. Understood?” she rose an eyebrow at him, making it clear she wasn´t kidding.

But for real, five minutes? It was just five minutes. However, Harvey was too scared not to say anything against what the nine-foot-tall pissed boss of his said.

And something else, that nagging took away all of the five minutes he went out “earlier”, now, he had less time to have his lunch.

While he was at his lunch, feeling that the time was running faster. He kind of felt anxious by that talk with his boss. What if he got back there later? What if he got stuck on the elevator and ended up being late? Will she kick him out for that?

Nonetheless, he was thinking, on her. He knew practically nothing, other than the fact that she was a very strict giantess. But, was she married? Divorced? Single? Which led to the main question, does she have friends? In reality, he meant if she was lonely in life.

He was… kind of lonely. Not really lonely, but at least lonely in town. In order to get a good job, he left his hometown, his friends, his family, and went straight to this place, miles away from the closest friend he had. And that´s not it, he had to go even further to get this job as an assistant.

He was making an effort, a big one. He didn´t want Mrs. Stalwart to clap, or carry him in arms -something she could obviously do- but he´d prefer to receive a compliment other than being scolded.

But maybe that was because she was kind of… lone. She was the BIG fish around. Everyone answered to her, everyone knew who she was and respected her. Or at least feared her.

He went back to her office, making sure to be on time. He didn´t want things to get to a new level. He could picture her, standing high above him, looming over four feet above. Mad, waving her finger at him while her other hand rested on her hips. Huge, intimidating, imposing.

He shivered. That was a scene he would never want to live.

Harvey entered the office. And there she was, still sitting on her desk. He wondered; did she eat? She seemed to be in the exact same spot she was when he left.

Was she one of those women who were married to their jobs? No time for a relationship, for friends, family? But then something else came to his mind, why was he thinking about it? That was none of his business. He could even listen to her voice inside her mind saying: “That is none of your business, now get back to work.”

He followed her imaginary voice and took a sit on his desk. He was there two minutes earlier than the time she said he was supposed to be. She almost made him lose his appetite, but he managed.

Harvey needs to think straight now. He was there to do his job, yes. But that didn´t implied he needed to kiss her ass. He was not there to make her happy, just to do his job. He needed to keep her satisfied, but he should try too hard to please her.

He´ll stablish some boundaries. Some rules. He was an employee, yes, but he was also a person. He had feelings. He wasn´t just any machine you can turn on whenever you need it.

“I read the resume you sent me. I must say, it looks quite good. Everything´s there, and you even accommodated the whole information in a good way.” She spoke, but, was that a compliment?

“I… really?” did he did it right? Or was she just saying this because she thought she had been mean before and wanted to make up for that. But that was not the case, at least not for a woman like her.

“Yes… however, I was expecting more from you. Maybe a five-page resume. To deliver the information in shorter, more concise paragraphs. But this is fine. Although, in the future, you can leave the index out. I really don´t need it, I never use it anyways…” she just gave him wings only to cut them off right when he was feeling better.

Apparently, doing good was not enough. He´ll have to give it his best. His very best. His all, everything. No matter how, or when, he´s going to prove her he´s capable of doing it. This wasn´t to make her feel proud of him, or get any sort of approval from her, this was just to show her he was as good as they said.

“Ok, I´ll note it. The next report I send you will be… according to your expectations.” He said self-ensured. Meanwhile, she didn´t even turned at him.

“Well, just make sure to deliver everything in time and according to the format I sent you.” She really didn´t cared for him. She just wanted her files delivered and work done.

Harvey was not vital to her, but she needed him to do the work she could dispose of. Then, she´ll do the real thing here.