Paul stood outside the corporate headquarters of La Belle Dame and shivered, just a little. It was colder than he thought it would be, and part of him wondered if it had been a mistake to throw away his heavier coat with the rest of his stuff. It could have kept him warm until he found the place he needed to end things, and if that end involved jumping in the water, the sodden fabric would have dragged him down like a sea anchor. Something to think about. Should he go back?

He considered it carefully, and decided against it. After all, he was smart enough to choose a place to jump from that would be high enough to kill him instantly when he hit the water. The coat might have weighed his body down enough to keep it from being discovered for a while, but in the end, that wasn’t really an issue for him, was it? After all, once he was dead, his body was someone else’s problem.

After due deliberation, Paul decided to let himself off the hook on the question of the coat. He took a deep breath and smiled, thinking that he could afford to be magnanimous, considering how little time he had left.

He was still cold, though. He frowned. There always had to be a downside.

“Paul?”

He recognized the voice.

“With all due respect, Mrs. King,” he said, without turning around, “you really know how to kill a good exit line. I was rather proud of that one, you know. I sort of half-hoped that, once I was gone, you’d pass it around to the other women in the office so they could all have a laugh.”

“I’m sorry,” she replied, in a soft voice that held little of the commanding tone he’d only heard her use before. “But you asked me if I cared, and didn’t wait for an answer.”

“Now I’m the one who’s sorry.” He smiled, even though she couldn’t see. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just thought the answer was obvious, given what you did to me this morning — and how you planned to extend it into the foreseeable future with the new uniforms.”

“The answer is yes, I do care.” Paul turned around, surprised. Karen stood there, arms wrapped around her middle to ward off the night chill. She had left her suit jacket behind to catch up with him.

“I didn’t care this morning, because all I saw was the mask.” She looked into his eyes. “All anyone ever saw was the mask, Paul, and who would ever care about him?”

“A fair point. Even I didn’t like him, in the end. I only held onto to the mask so tight because I had nothing left to hold on to.” Paul raised his voice, just a little. “But no one ever questioned the mask, either, did they? You just thought I was nothing but the mask, because that’s what you expect from men, isn’t it?”

“Not all men, but some,” she admitted. “Maybe even most. But I am married, Paul. I know there are good men out there.”

“What a shame I’ll never be one of them.” He grinned, but it never reached his eyes.

“Why can’t you?”

“Because the outside is all anyone ever sees,” he replied. “Before I came to work for you, I never met anyone who saw me as anything but a nobody, weak and powerless. When I came to La Belle Dame, I had already decided to wear the mask, and everyone saw me as pompous and cruel. I’ve learned from experience —and from your brilliant demonstration this morning — that what I was under the mask was the truth. I really am nothing. The funny thing is, nothing turns out to be way better than the how the mask made me look.”

“So what you told Maisie about men and women ...?”

His eyes got wide, and he laughed.

“Look at me! Do I really look like someone who ‘goes out and gets things done?’ And look at you, with your own company and your millions. People fear and respect you. Me? I’m a joke, remember? After this morning I may look stupid, but I’m not. I went with that argument because I had nothing left to fall back on.”

He turned away and stuck his hands in his pockets. “I resented Katie because she is a better accountant than I am. It was my mistake in the spreadsheet program that caused it to crash. She had nothing to do with it. I tried to blame it on her because she’s good, and people like her. I wasn’t, and they don’t.” His voice softened, and he sighed. “Since I won’t be around to do it myself, please tell her I’m sorry for everything I ever said or did to upset her. Hell, tell ‘em all. It won’t change how they feel, but I’ll feel better if they know I understand what I did was wrong.”

“Why not tell them yourself?”

“Because if I do things right for once in my life, I’ll be dead before morning,” he replied. “And even if I knew all their numbers, I don’t think they’d appreciate me calling them all in the middle of the night to apologize. Especially me.”

“Apologies are always welcome, if you mean them.”

“No, they hate me. That much was obvious from this morning’s little adventure.”

Karen tossed her head, and her eyes flashed. “Oh come on, Paul. They don’t hate you. Hate takes energy. Hate takes effort. They don’t like you much, and you know why. But if you gave them the chance to see you and not that god-awful asshole you’ve been, maybe ...”

“What? Maybe what?” He turned back to face her, angry. “Maybe they’d just ignore me instead of hate me?”

“Maybe ... maybe they’d actually see you.” Karen caught his eyes and smiled. “You know, you’re really not this nobody you keep claiming to be. You’re smart, and you’ve got some real fire in you, even without the mask to hide behind.”

“If that’s true, why has everyone I’ve ever known put me down?”

She gave a little shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe a long time ago, you made the mistake of believing someone you thought you could trust. They told you that you were nothing, and once you believed it, everyone else you met believed it too.”

Paul stopped to think about that for a second. Could that be why? If you spend your whole time cringing, like a dog waiting to be kicked, eventually some jerk is going to kick you.

“I don’t know ...” The words came out slowly.

“Look, why don’t you hold off on ... your plans for the evening? Just for a while?” Karen’s voice was smooth. She knew how to sell something when she had to, and she wanted him to buy into the idea that it was worth something to stay alive.

“Why should I? I haven’t got a job, and my apartment doesn’t even have a bed in it anymore.”

“You still have a job.”

He shook his head firmly. “Not with that uniform requirement in place. I know the only reason it’s there is to hurt me, and I won’t play.

Karen hesitated only an instant. “Then it’s gone.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. It’s my company, after all.” She smiled. “Wearing the uniform will be encouraged, but not mandatory for office staff. And maybe we can amend the policy to come up with something for you to wear that would complement the rest of the office. A black suit maybe, with a white shirt and fuscia tie and handkerchief?”

“I can’t possibly afford ...”

“Everyone else gets their uniforms for free. You should, too. Something off the rack for now, but we’ll visit my husband’s tailor tomorrow afternoon. After you’ve apologized to everyone, of course. You truly have been a jerk in every sense of the word.” Her eyes narrowed. “Of course, you’re going to have to do better in the personal grooming department from now on as well. I won’t have you wandering into one of my offices looking like you just rolled out of bed anymore, understand?”

Paul felt his world turning over, and he had nothing to grab onto. Everything was suddenly happening way too fast. “Yes, of course, but ...”

She stepped forward and placed a finger on his chest.

“And no more being late every morning, or treating people like dirt. The mask is gone for good. Let’s see what we can do with the Paul it left behind.”

“But ... I’m not worth the effort. I’m nothing!”

“Don’t you dare tell me what I can’t do!” She almost growled at him, and he took a small step backward. “Even if that's true, I built this company up from nothing, I can do the same for you.” Then she grinned. “Besides, I think you’re much more than you think you are. I’m going to make you see that, because I always accomplish what I set out to do.”

Karen looked him over, made a decision, and stepped back. “How tall are you?”

“Five foot, five inches,” he stammered, confused. “Why?”

“Because my husband is a multimillionaire, a businessman, and an entrepreneur in his own right,” she replied, “He is loved, respected, and feared all over the world. And he’s one inch shorter than you are. Up until thirty seconds ago, he had two things you didn’t. Now, he only has one, and I’m going to make damned sure you catch up.”

“What’s the one thing he has that I’m missing?”

“Self-confidence. He believes in himself, and now it’s your turn. I’m going to make you believe in you, or die trying. Now come back inside before we both freeze out here. You’re staying at our place tonight, until we get you set up again.”

She turned, and Paul fell in beside her, still feeling like he’d been caught in the undertow and dragged out to sea. He reached out and touched her arm. She stopped and turned, a half frown on her face.

“Why are you doing this?” He spoke softly, as if he was afraid of the answer.

“Because this morning I set out to kick a pit bull down a peg and wound up almost killing a puppy.” Karen let her expression soften. “I made a mistake, too, just like you did when you put on that mask. I’m not a heartless bitch, Paul. As you said before, I rule here. This is my kingdom. That means I have an obligation to my subjects ... noblesse oblige, if you will. And you’re one of them.”

He gave her a sideways look.

“What’s the one thing we both share, me and your husband?” He asked tentatively. “The thing I didn’t have until a few minutes ago.”

“Me, Paul.” She grinned a wide grin, and he felt a touch of hope, just a little. “Now you both have me — and God help you if you let me down.”

He found himself smiling back, and ducked his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

They walked back into the building, together.