‘I just don’t see it,’ I frowned. ‘Is it like one of those… what’s the thing?’
‘The what?’ my assistant, Julie asked, poised like an Olympic sprinter to finish my thought.
‘Yes, yes,’ I snapped, ‘the thing. The squinty thing, with the book and the magic and the eye—’
‘Oh!’ she smiled, visibly relaxing. ‘You mean a Magic—’
‘I already figured it out, Julie!’
‘Sorry,’ she squeaked, deflating back to her proper position.
‘Well?’
‘Well, sir?’
‘Well, is it like one of those magic thingys?!’ I crossed my arms, glaring at the new glass that had been installed in my office.
‘No, sir,’ she frowned, puzzled. ‘It’s just… it’s just glass.’
‘So you’re telling me there isn’t a secret picture in this new glass if I squint my eyes funny and look through my eyelids or something?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘At least, I don’t think so.’
‘Oh, what do you even know,’ I sighed, stepping back around my desk and dropping into my office chair.
‘I know where to find a company that does commercial glass tinting around Melbourne,’ she muttered under her breath.
‘What was that?’
‘Nothing,’ she said, too-quickly. I hid a smile behind my fist, making sure to blind her with my diamond-encrusted watch. She dutifully averted her gaze. The truth is, I quite liked it when my employees showed a little spine. It was becoming more and more rare in today’s workforce.
‘Well,’ I said, forcing a stony scowl back onto my feature (it didn’t take much effort). ‘Round up the interns and get them in here to look at that frosting. Window glass treatment shouldn’t look like that.’
‘I’m sure they’re all busy doing—’
‘Whatever I want them to be doing, correct,’ I cut her off. I whistled and waved my hand in a gesture for her to get out.
I sighed and laid back in my chair, interlacing my fingers behind my head. I tried to clear my mind, maybe get in a quick nap…
My eyes snapped open, and shot towards the window.
I still had no idea what the secret pattern was...