Hector just stood there, staring at her in total silence. He didn't blink, and neither did she. For a few long seconds, they just sized each other up like two predators, him, by the window, her, right in the middle of the rug, clutching her folding fan tight in her hand.
The door opened again, breaking the tension. Three cleaning ladies walked in with their buckets and rags for the afternoon shift. They tried to act like they were part of the decor, scurrying over to the windows to scrub. Neither Hector nor Monique gave a fuck about them. The maids just kept rubbing and scrubbing with their heads down, not daring to slow down or get in the way of the top of the food chain.
The silence stretched out awkwardly, until Hector finally spoke.
"Where are the documents I told you to get?"
