I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing this. It seems like it's been too long since I've written humor. I miss it T . T

Anyway. Thank you taking the time to read my work. If you like it, or if you don't, please leave a review as I would love to hear your opinions or a helpful critique.

-Z.z

Prompt: Excessive Managing.

I slammed my books on the break table then turned to look at myself in the mirror. I tried to fix as many loose, pink strands as I could; shoving them under the already pulled tight hair of my ponytail. It was a worthless effort, and I should have known by now. My hair was too frizzy and disheveled to save. I shrugged off my coat. Already the drastic change in temperature was burning me alive. I hated the air unit; it was either too hot or too cold; never had it ever been reasonable. I even had to buy special deodorant just to my shirt didn't become a lake while I worked.

I snatched up a tacky, gross apron from the shelf to my right. Tossing it over my head, I was able put my head through the loop on my first try. It had taken a month to master and I was still proud of it. My fingers tied the back together, doing it so many times in the last two years I could probably do it upside down over a bowl of bubbling acid. A drop of sweat trickled down my nose, souring my mood more. I swiped at my forehead; already I was dripping clown fish water… My life sucked. "Damn."

"Is there a problem Miss Haruno?"

I flipped around and slammed a hand over my mouth before I let loose anymore cuss words. Instead they echoed around in my head, directing themselves solely at the person before me. As much as I wanted to start yelling at him, I couldn't. I wasn't going to lose my job, not when my wage had just increased. He was just looking for a reason to fire me. Well, bring it!

"Of course not, sir." I could already feel my face beginning to twitch from my stiff muscles.

"Good," His eyes squinted at me as he returned my smile. His looked fake enough to be plastic. Two could play at that game.

I forced my smile to look even wider before the owner of the company's son, Itachi Uchiha. He'd been charged with overseeing the local branch to assess his management skills. He couldn't do it normally though. He wanted one-on-one with everyone. It was excessive managing.

I'll admit it. At first I enjoyed the idea of having some 'special time' with the tall, handsome, smart guy. Then I realized he didn't understand human interaction. All of my flirting was taken as literal and earned me a "You laugh a lot Sakura; did you know that?" I'd probably have to act like a prostitute and dress the part if I wanted him to get it. I may be a desperate girl hoping to have a rich guy fall in love with her, but I wasn't that desperate. So I continued my small flirting in hopes that he would eventually get it… he didn't by the way, just to clear that up.

Several weeks after he'd been on the job, he started thinking I was bi-polar. What had really happened was that my dear fellow employee-

Never mind, I'm not even going to try and be sarcastic. What happened was that the most pathetic and annoying life form on the planet, Sai, had once again, saw me trying to get a customer to buy more, thought it was funny and then butted in. The customer had ended up not buying anything and had left pissed at being called a… well… let's just say a very unpleasant name by Sai. After the customer's departure, I had dragged the man back into our break room and screamed every cussword I knew at him, even using a variety of different languages to try and get my point across.

Anyway, a very stunned Itachi had walked in on our little break room conversation. After a couple of more weeks he soon found out that, after asking me directly, I was not bi-polar. I should have said that I was, because he continued to ask questions such as "Why did you pretend to be happy?"

I had been flirting and infatuated with him. But what female would admit that to—a still socially awkward but—amazing, hot guy. So like an idiot, trying to think of a lie in a mere second "I didn't want to get fired" came out of my mouth.

After that he had turned his head to the side, analyzing the situation in his head. And such a pretty head too. His long, black, beautiful hair was tied in a low ponytail; no strand was ever loose unless he wanted it to be. The raven sheen increased his pale, elegant features. He wasn't too pale, but just creaming enough to give off a higher-up aristocratic look. And his black eyes were just perfectly framed in thin, rectangle glasses. He was, most definitely, an uber yum.

But as I stood there drooling like a rabid dog staring down a rabbit; Mr. Yum had come to a very bad conclusion.

"You don't believe I can fire you…"

I'd stumbled for words but the smile spreading across his face had blown away all thoughts from my head. With just a smile he'd gone from yum to D.E.E.W. (Delicious Enough to Eat Whole.)

The smile grew more pronounced as he leaned in closer to me. And I felt I might die from a heat explosion. That is until he spoke in my ear, "Oh Miss Haruno, I have every power and right to fire you."

I believe the entire world could hear me gulp in fear at such a sentence. I was in medical school; I had my own apartment; I had to keep a good job. The heat turned to a freezing cold breeze and I was left shivering in the snow.

The beautiful smile had unlocked his inner demon and he had every intention of leading me to Hades. Now he was doing everything he could to get me in trouble, and write me up. But I wasn't some weak, little girl. I fought back. I did everything expected of me and more. Sweep the floors? I swept and dusted. Smile at the customer? I smiled and complimented them. I would not lose my job. I swore to it.

My work hours got longer and more often, and he made sure he was there, every time, to make sure I was doing my duty. It was like I was being stalked in my own workplace. It wouldn't have been so bad if it meant he was interested in me, but the only thing he was interested in was correcting my mistakes, finding a way to fire me and overall making my life miserable (which he was accomplishing).

But I smiled at him, all the more, filling my body with as much killing intent as possible. Then I turned and giggled like a child as I shoved my books and purse into my locker.

"It's good to see you in such a cheerful mood."

"It's a good day to be in a cheerful mood." Saying it without sarcasm leaking out of my mouth like a broken fire hydrant was hard, but I think I was able to cap it pretty well.

He turned his back to go out into the store. Taking advantage of his inattention, I slammed the locker.

He looked back around, slowly as if not at all surprised. "Is there a problem?"

I giggled, "I'm sorry, sometimes I don't know my own strength."

"Please keep it in mind. I would hate to cut your pay to fix any damaged store equipment," he smiled, that villainous, beautiful smile before he turned back around. "Your shift starts in five."

I felt like flipping him off, but I knew that the break room had a camera and he'd probably watch it after I left. So instead, I looked up at it and smiled my sweetest smile and made my way to the main entry way. In two seconds, my eyes roamed the field. Ino was already talking to a customer and a man stood to my left; peering at this, then at that, obviously wanting to talk to someone. He was at least five years my senior, but I highly doubted he was in his thirties. He looked single; an easier target for me to sell to, assuming he was straight.

He then turned to look at me, his black eyes dilating slightly. The tan skin on his forearm tensed, his muscles flexing. I smiled, yup, he was straight.

"Good afternoon sir; may I assist you with anything today?"

He returned my smile, but seemed to hesitate, his eyes looking over my shoulder as if in thought. Perhaps he was dating… "Actually, yes. I think I would like to buy a refrigerator."

It didn't matter, he would buy a refrigerator or come back, that was for certain. "Well, I know a lot about all the brands here. My name is Sakura Haruno," I extended my hand in greeting.

"It's a pleasure Sakura, please call me Shisui."

A light cough sounded behind me and I turned to look at my dearest manager. Surprisingly he looked extremely upset and ready to bite my head off, or fire me. I almost gulped, and then remembered there was a customer and I was certain he wouldn't fire me in front of one… At least I hoped he wouldn't.

"This is the store's manager, Itachi Uchiha. If you have had any problems with me or any of the other staff you may contact him directly. He's very one-on-one," I smiled at the man. People were supposed to drop off customer service cards, not actually talk to him in person. But he had to come up while I was trying to sell.

He smiled, rather feral like. "Actually, today I'm here to asses Ms Haruno's communication skills. She's one of our record sellers and we'd like to learn her tricks. So I'll be tagging along today, I hope you don't mind."

He wasn't offering to leave. Joy. Flirting with customers was against policy, so there was no way I could do it in front of Itachi… I stopped. Itachi didn't even know what flirting was. All I had to do was treat this man like I had treated Itachi this entire time. Either one, he'd get the hint; or two, I'd get the sale. Nothing could possible go wrong… right?