A New Resolution Read Free Page B

we reschedule?”
    Mr. Krueger leaned his body forward, a forbidding look accompanying his reddening cheeks. “That wasn’t a suggestion.” With that final edict and a disgusting-sounding sniffle, he turned and walked out of the break room.
    Once Lore knew he was out of earshot, she turned to Kathy, unable to stay silent any longer. She usually didn’t get in the middle of the other women’s troubles, but enough was enough. “Kathy, don’t go in there. Do you want me to tell the bastard you went home for the day?”
    “No.” Kathy smiled shortly, turning the faucet on to wash the empty mugs left there by other employees, her effervescent nature all but draining from her body as she faced her current situation. “No. I’m good. But thanks. It’s probably nothing.”
    Lore frowned as her gaze caught Maggie’s, still leaning against the far wall. They hated it, but neither woman would do a thing about it. Lore had tried to intervene on Kathy’s behalf on many occasions, but she’d always denied the need for help. Clearly the man was harassing the young woman, and yet she said nothing. Lore understood why she didn’t, having seen what happened when a woman brought Mr. Krueger’s unwanted advances to the attention of the HR department. No less than a week later the women were promptly fired and some even had lawsuits filed against them for unsavory work practices. The women were clearly innocent of anything they were accused of, but Krueger was smart. He made sure his advances were always in private, and he targeted the women who were most desperate to keep their jobs.
    Kathy was a young woman in her midtwenties, just out of college. Her parents had recently passed on, and she had a mountain of bills to pay, including estate taxes. Losing her job without a reference now would be financial suicide for her. It made Lore wonder what she would do if she were in that position. Would she take the better paycheck and just endure the harassment, or would she leave and face possible bankruptcy? Kathy’s situation had to be direr than she let on to suffer this sort of sickening treatment.
    “Balmer.” Speak of the devil. Lore turned to see Mr. Krueger’s unwelcome girth taking up the doorway once more. It took a massive amount of strength on her part, but she made sure to keep a neutral expression in place. “It’s Beyer, sir.” The asshat continually forgot her name, probably because she wore high-collared shirts and unflattering pants. She knew not to draw attention to herself. Not that Kathy wore anything inappropriate to work, and even if she had, it wouldn’t have warranted harassment from the scumbag. Kathy just had the misfortune of being a beautiful and scared young woman under the thumb of a man too used to getting his way. An all too familiar tale, one Lore was getting sick of hearing.
    “What can I do for you?”
    His lecherous gaze flashed over to Kathy when he asked, “Do you have the projection reports ready yet?”
    “They will be ready tomorrow.”
    “Make sure they are. Let’s go, Kathy. Christ, how long does it take to wash a few dishes? I mean really.” He guffawed loudly with a grin. “Am I right, Balmer?”
    Lore ignored the egomaniac to watch Kathy give her a short smile in farewell and follow the boss toward his office. This had to stop. Lore liked her job. She liked the steady stream of work she received and how it numbed her mind to complete it. She would work for hours straight, staring at her computer in the small office she was allowed in her senior staff position. It was normal and boring, and she was delighted to have it. No unwelcome surprises, no police officers showing up to tear down the fabric of her reality, nothing but monotony. She needed something steady to keep her balanced. But the harassment her coworkers suffered was far from balanced.
    There was a rule her father used to tell her. He would sit her down and just repeat it to her over and over as a child. Never lose